The Truth About Dyson

In today’s edition of Ask the Vac Guy, I’m going to talk about Dyson — one of the most recognized names in the vacuum industry.

Whatever you think about Dyson, you have to give James Dyson credit for persistence.

It took him 5,127 prototypes over about five years before his first cyclonic vacuum was ready for production.

Dyson also deserves credit for changing the vacuum industry. The company helped popularize bagless cyclonic vacuums and later became a major force in cordless stick vacuums.

But here’s the part people don’t always hear about:

A DYSON CAN STILL GET CLOGGED.

Dyson built much of its reputation around the claim that its vacuums don’t lose suction.

But when a vacuum gets clogged, airflow is restricted and suction can drop dramatically.

So while the technology may be designed to maintain suction under normal conditions, a clogged Dyson can absolutely behave like a vacuum that has “lost suction.”

There’s another thing many buyers don’t discover until something goes wrong:
DYSON HAS ITS OWN SERVICE CENTERS.

If your Dyson needs service, you may end up dealing directly with Dyson rather than simply bringing it to a local vacuum shop.

The nearest official Dyson service centers to our area are in Plainview, New York and Paramus, New Jersey.

And unfortunately, that’s something many people don’t discover until the vacuum actually breaks.

Now, none of this means Dyson makes a bad vacuum.

A lot of people like their cordless designs, convenience, and the fact that they’re easy to grab for quick cleaning.

But if you’re considering buying one, I think you should know the whole picture:

They can clog.

Reduced airflow can feel exactly like lost suction.

Repairs may mean dealing with Dyson’s own service centers. And depending on where you live, the closest one may not exactly be around the corner.

BEFORE YOU BUY A VACUUM, MAKE SURE THE BRAND HAS A LOCAL SERVICE CENTER.

That can matter just as much as suction power, battery run-time, or how good the online reviews are.

And if you already own a Dyson and have a question about whether it’s worth repairing, ask me in the comments.

ABOUT THE VAC GUY

I’m Tony, a vacuum technician at Willett Vacuum of Larchmont. I’ve spent many years selling and repairing vacuums, so I’ve seen what works well, what doesn’t, and what tends to go wrong as the vacuum ages.

Ask the Vac Guy is my way of sharing some of that experience with the neighborhood. If you have a vacuum question or a topic you’d like me to cover, put it in the comments. Who knows, you might just end up being the subject of the next column.