Thoughts on cordless vacuums please

So what, I haven't a basic vac. My broom isn't a vac. it does not suck.

Just get a new battery.

and I can't see the point of a mains one when for what I want the cordless does the job.

Explains why you like cordless. And I'd guess it explains it for others too.

Have you ever bought a replacement battery for a power tool? Especially one a few years old?

I brought my portable vacuum after my mains one was causing problems not picking upo the dirt etc... there's was a split in the hose near the bottem that required a replacement. Then argos offered a part exchange so I upgraded.

No never had to. I've only ever known one person to need a new battery for their Apple laptop too and that was after 6 years. I don't worry about buyoijng anew lump of cheese if the one in the fridge gets a bit mouldy. I see every object as a disposable one. I can't think of anything other than gold that lasts forever.

in fact even your skin changes every month, or do you thinko you keep yuor skin throught your life.

Do you not buy products that have batteries in them, because they might need replacing.

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

We aren't over endowed with sockets particularly (gradually being added as things are done) but got enough sockets here for hoovering the house.

I like the our cordless because of what it does better than the mains one.

It's light, easy to use and to get into places. Because it's easy to grab and do a quick job, some things get done more often. It's great for doing sofas (we have cat's)

- eg with have a steepish back stairs, hoovering with the mains one is a faff, - I can't stand the hoover on the stairs, I can't reach all the way from the top with hose (which is where the hoover will be as at the bottom is the kitchen and the hoover doesn't get used in there normally. So there stairs often didn't get done.

But I can grab the cordless, stick the little motorized head on and do them easily, - then whizz along the back landing and the toilet, while I'm at it with the extension tube and main head.

For me the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and I find I tend to turn to the cordless first, unless I'm doing a more serious bout of vacuuming.

Don't really see the point of arguing about it really though. For me it is a worthwhile addition to the toolkit (gets used more often than my cordless drills). For others that won't be true -they may not have a use for it, want to spend the money, feel that a cordless vacuum is worth it,. etc. etc. and that's fine.

In message , "Dave Plowman (News)" writes

Actually I have once - I've got a few Bosch tools that all use the same NiMH 14.4V battery and one of them died - I got a spare 3rd party battery for a reasonable price, the oldest tool was probably about 8 years old?

As it happens I've found Dyson pretty good on spares for older machines, so there is a fair chance of there being a spare if I want one.

I really don't see this as any different from other cordless tools. They have less power, cost more, and have batteries that run down and wear out. But some of us use some of them because the advantages make it worthwhile for us

You don't have much experience of laptops, then.

Good for you. Probably stems from being able to purchase things for your employer. Doesn't matter if they are value for money.

I don't pay for new skin.

Not might. Will. But you are perfectly free to waste your money on anything you want to.

You don't use the cordless to vacuum the whole house. You use it for jobs that would be inconvenient or awkward with any mains powered machine, such as the top of pictures, picture rail, top of doors, that sort of thing.

Use the right tool for the job.

Obviously. So your point is what?

As did my original big Dyson. So what. As far as the cordless ones are concerned, we've only had ours for a few years so won't know for some more years how long it lasts.

I'm not getting the big vac out just to suck up 10 dead (or live) beetles in the kitchen.

In message , snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com writes

Indeed, which is rather my point.

A Dustette wouldn't really do the job that our DC59 does. for me the trade off's of it being a cordless tool is worth it. But, as ever, mileage varies :-)

t picking upo the dirt etc... there's was a split in the hose near the bott em that required a replacement. Then argos offered a part exchange so I upg raded.

Some people don't give a hoot about reliability or TCO, then expect handout s when life happens and they've squandered it all. And live forever wishing they had the money to do this that and the other.

NT

recently

Same here, takes the best part of a couple of hours to hoover most of the place. 10 mins is hardly long enough to clean up after a couple of holes being drilled.

And a fast charger that will fully recharge one in the ten minutes the other is in use or three set of batteries and two chargers. Still has to be a fairly "smart" charger to fully charge in 20 mins and not cook the batteries.

Probably not as a ready to use spare, so one has to jump through the recelling hoop. But I guess that's because I don't consider a duff battery pack an excuse to bin what is otherwise a perfectly functional tool.

Which is what the soft brush tool on a mains vac is for... B-)

We do have a battery vac but it's next to useless. Principally down to a cheap and nasty "charger" ie. mains to low voltage AC, a series diode and current limiting resistor. Needless to say the NiCds where shagged within 12 months. There is no indication of charge and no fall back to trickle.

The switch is also sliding soft brass, which wears and deposits a metallic film on what should be insulation. this gives a leakage path to discharge the battery in "off" and path that is always there.

One day I'll recell it with NiMH, give it a proper charger and think about what to do with the switch. It may then actually be useful but even new the runtime was barely long enough.

Dust pan and brush. Quicker, more reliable.

Course it is. And cleaning up after a couple of holes here, couple more the other side of the room is just what it's good at, much better than getting the full-sized machine out for.

If you're doing a full clean of most of the house, then use the big machine. That's what *it's* good at.

Our main vac is an upright. You can detach the handle and use it as a wand for (say) doing the stairs but it wouldn't reach the tops of doors or picture rail unless I held the whole machine in the air. F*ck that.

I can use the cordless very effectively to do the stairs steps, quite quickly. So they get done. With the main machine I can do what is probably a better job of cleaning the stairs steps, but it takes a lot longer and is a much bigger faff. So it doesn't get done, except perhaps very infrequently. So, the house as a whole is a lot cleaner since a more suitable tool is being used for many of the jobs.

The battery lasts 12 mins on the normal suck, 6 mins on high suck, or less for both if the motorised carpet cleaner/beater thing is being used. So what. I get bored with vacuuming in that amount of time anyway, so when it stops (and it stops dead), just park it back in its holder and it starts charging again.

What model is it. I spent £25 on one about 10 years ago thinking I'd use it for the car, but it's so weedy it hasn't been used for years. If you want something that works don't cheese-pare.

Actually a lot slower.

Yes me to some think the only important thing is suction maybe they use their mains ones for something else the Henry's are a favourite I hear for using in the back passage :-o

yeah how comes some don't think about the hassle factor of mains. You have to unwind the cord plug it in switch it on drag the appliance to where it's needed use it, wind back the cord. You'd have thought DIY'ers would understand since rechargale drills came into existance, we dont; all need to have tailing leads around our feet when climbing ladders or doing other sfuff more than a yard from a power point.

I can't stand my dyson on my front stairs or back.

Me too or to be honest idealy I'd like a nuclear version, where I can poin tto the area I want cleaned and it has enough suction to clean any area of the house while I sit on the sofa.

I'd only think it worht arguong with those that have used them.

yes I do probably more than you do. I work inb a uni where both staff and studetns have them, most upgrade long before they need a new battery. Most laptops can still be used even if the battery doesn't hold it's charge.

It does matter, and one of the reasons I've brought a dyson for work is because I have one at home. I don;t want to buy another crap vacuum because it's cheaper therefor 'better' value. If I want value I brough 2 dustpan and brushes. The best value drills are those that arent; powered you can buy them for under a fiver I have 3 here, so why do peole buy more expensive powered ones. ?

yuo do in energy, which is derived from the food yuo eat which costs yuo money, and what the f*ck do you think the dust is in your house ?

and yuo are perfectly entitled to wate money on buying a car with a battery that will need replacing.

uts when life happens and they've squandered it all. And live forever wishi ng they had the money to do this that and the other.

on stuff that actually matters, that makes a difference.

I can buy nearly a 1000 dustpan and brushes for that.

you've been ripped off,

It takes me about 30 seconds to dyson up when I drill a hole it takes me lo nger to drill the hole than dyson up the mess. Maybe you have one of those crap vacuums that take 10mins or you haven't sw itched it on or you're still using the Leclanché cell you got from the sk ip.

if you're really that crap this sort of thing.

Me niether, that's why they have replaceable batteries the same goes for ca rs, who dumnps a car because the battereis flat ?

but it's pretty useless due to the difficulty of getting it where you want it. Unless you''re pictures are at floor level.

buying a cheap crappy vac is noithing to be proud of is it ?

NiCds ! I ditched them back in the last milenium shortly after stonehenge was built. You'' be telling me next you had to take your horse to the nackers yard.

in them days man had only just manage to cross the atlantic by air.

depends how you use them, using them too vigously will me the dust gets airborn again and the last thing you want in a kitchen is beetle dust floating around unless you're using non atrificail red food colouring of course