26 April 2012

Riding the Vacuum!

What happens when you give a bunch of engineers the challenge of building a model drag racer from the parts available in a vacuum cleaner?

Via Core 77, the following too short video shows you what you get when those engineers work for Dyson's UK division:


On a side note, we have to give these guys some serious props for at least one of their vacuum cleaner designs. It's light-years beyond other models that Consumer Reports has named to be "Best Buys", but which are really craptastic. Here's why:

  • Better canister design for disposing of vacuumed "stuff". You don't need to stick your hands into any inaccessible nooks and crannies for the sake of unstopping the vacuum.
  • Consistent suction - it's what Dyson's vacuums are most known for, and they're still the best at it!
  • Accessory parts that don't fall off their mounts when bumped while in use.
  • Better built and longer lasting. It's one thing for a vacuum cleaner to be inexpensive, but it's not all that great a deal or all that inexpensive any more if you have to buy new ones to replace them after they wear out or break down in too short a time.
  • Waste heat disposal. You probably won't ever think about this until it's too late (you've bought the wrong vacuum and you're using it), but unlike certain vacuums whose designers apparently believe it's okay for waste heat to be vented on the user's legs, Dyson's designs don't do that!

There is however room for Dyson's product to improve. The one thing we would desperately wish for if we were shopping for a Dyson today is a power cord that's about 6 feet (actually 2 meters) longer than the current model, along with a more robust clip feature to secure the plug end of the cord in storage!

As these things go, those are very minor things!

Funny. We weren't going to review vacuum cleaners when we started this post....


And now it seems we're committed to marketing one! We won't complain though - it's a really good one!