Vacuum cleaners tested and reviewed by Fred In The Shed

The latest and best mains powered Vacuum Cleaners (UK)

Tested and Reviewed by Fred-in-the-shed

For battery powered cordless vacs click here

Updated 7th September 2011

I have tested the following machines.

DYSON DC16, DC30, DC 31

Kirby G4 and G5

Exakt Dust Extraction vacuum for Powertools

Earlex Combi Powervac

Gtech SV01

DysonVacuum cleaners

Long term tests

My original DC01has retired to the loft but served me well and represented a major breakthrough in domestic cleaner technology (and a boost for UK inventors).

I have owned many Dyson vacuum cleaners and overall am pleased with the performance and love the fact I don't have to buy bags.

My long serving DC04 did develop a minor switch fault and I was a bit annoyed that Dyson would not provide diagrams or tell me how to take the machine apart to fix a simple problem. Dysons are designed to resist screwdrivers and only be opened by Dyson technicians. ( for safety reasons)

However Dyson do have a great website and customer service and offer long warranties now with all new machines.

Reasons for poor performance of Dyson Vacuums

I have no doubt that the Dyson Dual Cyclone system is the best and that overall Dyson vacuum cleaners are very reliable and effective.

If you hear someone moaning about the performance of a Dyson there are 2 likely reasons

1 They work for a rival manufacturer.

2 They sucked up their Hampster or failed to wash the filter.

From my own experience and from what repairers and shops have told me the main reason Dyson vacuum cleaners may lose suction and fail to perform is due to blocked filters or dust bars being wrapped up in pet hair or carpet fibres.

A vacuum cleaner needs to move air and dirt and breath. If the brush bar cannot move it cant beat the carpet and push the dust particles towards the filters and collection box.

Most Dysons have 2 filters, one before the motor to trap fine dust and one after the motor to make sure the air it pushes out is a clean as possible. (Pre and post motor filters)

This poor Dyson DC07 was thrown away as the owner said it was rubbish and didn't suck anymore. If she had removed most of her cat from the brush bar it would have worked a treat.
A word of warning!
Dyson vacuums are extremely powerful and are capable of pulling apart really cheap or worn out carpets.
Dyson vacuums also have a thermal cut out in case of overload. Many others just burn out. If your Dyson stops, just turn it off, let it cool a while and try again.

I own 2 Dyson DC07 vacuums, one I bought and one I repaired in 10 minutes after it was thrown away as it was dirty.
Dyson now give long warranties and pay more attention to quality control ( as mentioned in their adverts) The latest models also use "high fibre" plastic that is tougher and the type used in police riot shields - (said the Dyson man)
My current Dyson is a DCO7 and is even better as it has a HEPA filter and the easy empty mechanism reduces the amount of dust getting in your face when emptying the canister.

My favorite Dyson is the DC07 as it is robust and effective and easy to sue. It has 2 filters, one under the bin (post motor) which cleans the exhausted air and the main "pre motor" filter which is on the side and is made from washable foam. Keep this filter clean and your Dyson DC07 will suck like - "a sucking thing".

If you own a Dyson and use it a lot I recommend having a spare foam filter and to wash and change them over monthly to maintain 100% efficiency.

Other models of Dyson
The range has been expanded to include handhelds, lightweights, and cylinder models to cater for every floor type, household or lifestyle.
Although I am not able to test and review every model I am confident in the underlying patented technology of the dual cyclone that makes Dyson vacuums superior in suction and performance to most other makes.
Not having a bag does save you money but emptying the dust box is not as clean as a Hepa sealed bag.
In March 2008 Dyson released the new DC25 which has the motor in a ball to provide better manoeuvrability and balance. Also a slimline, lightweight version called the DC24, but this has considerably less power, which might not be so bad as I have heard reports that the DC25 is so powerful that it can pull apart cheap carpets!

These are the most popular models, the DC14 is my" no firlls" favourite
The new DC26 city has the highest power/weight ratio and fits on an A4 size piece of paper!

New Power take off Vacuum cleaners for saws and sanders

If you use a power tool that creates dust like this laminate cutting saw or a sander then a vacuum cleaner that includes a power take off socket will make the job much easier. It does this by saving you time not having to switch both of them on and off. When you switch on the saw or sander the vac switches on too!

When you switch off your saw or sander the vac runs for a few more seconds to collect all the dust and then automatically turns off too!

As the vac has its own extra power socket you can use it like an extension lead as well, even if you don't need the vac facility. This type of vacuum is usually an expensive product for professional users but this British made vacuum costs around £80 and will also suck up liquids too!
On top of this is can also be used as a blower and I even used it outside to suck up small leaves and debris from my lawn and decking.

The British made Earlex Combi Powervac is the perfect workshop vacuum as it has a power take off socket and does wet and dry!

see details on power take off vacuum cleaner

New Compact Power take off Vacuum cleaners for saws and sanders

This little vacuum cleaner can be used like any other vacuum but also has a power take off socket so you can use it as an extension for any powertools that make dust.

When you turn on the tool, the vacuum comes on automatically, which saves you running 2 cables and saves you time switching them both on and off.

This vacuum was designed for use with the Exakt precision saw and uses paper bags and a Hepa filter. It replaces a similar Exakt PV600 model that did not have Hepa filtration.

Exakt PV600 power take off vacuum

Lightweight mains Powered Vaccuum Cleaner

Latest test Gtech SV01

New "V- HEAD" design

Following on from the HV01 handheld vacuum Gtech have now made a larger mains powered version with a respectable 1300w motor.

The SV01 is a lightweight vacuum ( 4.7kg) suitable for all floor types but especially good on hard floors. The cleverly designed, pivoting , V shaped head cleans right to the edges and accelerates dust into the centre for increased efficiency. The head is relatively flat so fits well under furniture too

At about £70 this is a good value vacuum and a pleasure to use. It also has a pull out hose (which is a bit short) and a clear plastic bin that is very easy to empty. The easy access filter can be washed so running costs are low. Build quality of the plastic parts looks good and it is not too noisy.

I have been using this machine instead of my beloved Dyson for a while and for the hard floors it is clearly better. I love it !

Latest news! Ella my Polish Cleaning Lady has developed a strong bond with the new Gtech and had a strop when she had to to use the Dyson again!

The V shaped head speeds the dust into the extraction holes.
Pivoting head and light weight makes this a joy to use.
British design.

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The Best Vacuum Cleaner - My 15 year old Kirby?

This is my Kirby G3 vacuum cleaner. It is nearly 20 years old and still going strong. New Kirby vacuum cleaners are over £1000 and mostly sold at shows or during home visits. My advice is to buy a nearly new or well serviced one from e-bay as the Kirby sales technique is very pushy and has been widely criticised on consumer affairs programs.

On the plus side, the Kirby has phenomenal performance and the carpet cleaning attachment has made my carpets last years longer.

The best feature of Kirby vacuum cleaners is the durability. Kirbys are built like tanks and last forever. Parts are not cheap but always available. Over time the Kirby begins to pay back the initial investment and I am quite fond of my "old K"

Fitting the different attachments is a real pain, and requires lots of practice.

The bags are expensive, if Kirby made a cyclonic - no- bag version it would truly be the best vacuum cleaner around. However they would lose revenue on bags so I am not expecting one soon.

Numatic Henry - A cheap solution to Commercial cleaning

A no-frills vacuum cleaner that lasts and is cheap to run.

I know a lot of professional cleaners who use the Henry for vacuuming hallways and public areas in large residential complexes.

The Henry has been around years and has a reputation for being tough and effective. It has a superb cable rewinding facility and all parts and accessories are easily available. There are several models, from domestic to commercial use, and one especially for animal hair. The CVC 370 model does wet and dry vacuuming. Amazingly Numatic Henry vacuum cleaners are still made in Britain.

I don't think I have heard one complaint about a Henry and have seen some very battered ones still in use. This is the ultimate tried and tested product.

The bags are also cheap at about 35p each for the standard and 55p for the Hepa bags.

If your hose gets damaged or eaten by a dog you can replace the whole accessory kit for £18!

Compare this to £12- £20 for a Dyson hose

Standard - Hepa- wet-n-dry - animal hair

Home-Tek Steam Mop

The chemical free way to clean lino and tiled floors

I have owned 2 of these handy gadgets or over 4 years now and would not be without one. As a wheelchair user I tend to make a mess of my floors and taking my shoes off when I come home does not help!

A steam mop is basically a kettle on a stick pushing its steam through a microfiber pad. My first one came with small pads but these have now been improved and are larger and better. The hi Tec pad and hot steam make a superb job of cleaning away dirt and grime. I have 5 pads and put them all in the washing machine after using them

The home-tek steam mop is great on sealed surfaces like vinyl, lino and tiles. However I don't recommend it on laminate or thin wooden floors as the heat of the steam can damage the surface coating or warp the material

It comes with a carpet cleaning attachment with bristles on it but I found this did not work effectively on my carpets.

Some early y models like my ones suffered from a minor fault that caused leaks. One of my ones developed this but was easily repaired by my friend who opened it up and re-attached the small tube from the tank to the outlet. Despite this, the small tank capacity and short cable I do think the Home-Tek steam mop is a superb bit of kit that will pay for itself eventually by saving you money on cleaning fluids.

Get steamy on your kitchen floor!

braking news! - new type pads available with extra abrasive area for tougher work.

KARCHER WV50 ELECTRIC WINDOW VAC

A Totally New Way To Clean Windows

KARCHER WV50 ELECTRIC WINDOW VAC

This excellent new invention from Karcher of Germany is a sort of cross between a wet -n-dry dustbuster and a window squeegee.

Firstly you soap up the window using a sponge (or the spray gun and sheepskin supplied) and then swipe down the window with the vac and in seconds you will have a perfectly clean window with no smears or mess. All the dirty water is sucked into the integral tank and kept away from the window.

The Karcher WV50 window vacuum is great on tiles and cars too. I now use the Karcher every time I wash my car to dry it off quickly after rinsing. This stops those annoying water spots appearing.

I am a pretty hard person to please when it comes to new gadgets but this one beat my expectations and also impressed my window cleaning friend Chris and Polish cleaning lady (who calls me MacGyver)

You can see a short video of it being used at my house by clicking here.

The Karcher WV50 comes with a spray bottle with a built in cleaning head and can be used with just a drop of washing up liquid or you can buy special Karcher window cleaning fluid , designed for this gadget.

Great on car windows too!

Sadly this product appears to be discontinued

Ibot Roomba - Robot Vacuum Cleaners
Two of my friends have these excellent little bots and love them. I have spent some time studying them and am looking forward to further developments that will make them more suitable for my house.
Finally in 2011 I decided that the technology has improved enough and is reliable enough for me to try one.
Also the main supplier has now changed to a company I know and I am confident that the earlier reported problems with customer service will be resolved. Spare parts are widely avaialble and reasonably priced
I now own a top of the range Roomba 581 and love it.
Several models have already evolved ( including the i-Scooba robot mop) and most seem to be highly regarded by their users. They are best suited to uncluttered rooms . Most reports and reviews are positive but with any hi tech rechargeable product problems can arise. The I Scooba is more complex and as an older product is due for redesign.
As new batteries become more powerful and cheaper these machines will be more affordable and effective - just like the Robot mowers I have been using for 9 years. watch this space!
click here for Ibot Roomba and spares

Roomba 560 costs around £300

My top of the range Roomba 581 is around £370

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