Hi all, I've made the decision to move on from Dyson after a few good years as I've move to bigger and better things.
Thought I'd post to see if anyone had questions they'd like answered about Dyson, the products, what it was like to work for them.
If not, so long and thanks for all the fish.
For the most part, no - they looked after frontline staff by finding alternate work during lockdowns and provided full pay, which built a lot of goodwill. Unfortunately they did undo some of that later, but the role was pretty good overall.
Yeah mate got it after sending but didn’t bother changing as you’ll note it was after 11:30 and I was shattered. I work 7 days a week between my jobs so please forgive me if I’m tired in my personal time here.
I’m also sick of people making weak puns like this after years of hearing them multiple times a day
@Anthropomorphised: Not a dig, but why are you doing this if you are so tired and spend so much time working?
I admire your energy but surely you have better things to do when work is over.
@slipperypete: Fair question, I started a full-time role at a new employer some months back and wanted to spend some time setting myself up in a positive financial position. I’ve now saved up an amount I’m comfortable with as an emergency fund and am at a point that I value my personal time more than the small amount in extra pay from working at Dyson.
what was your role at Dyson?
Brand rep
What’s Dysons stance on unregulated/unapproved social media interactions by employees ? And are you allowed to bag out or praise competitor products?
Employees are allowed to voice opinions online, and provide their thoughts online - the main rule is highlighting that they're speaking as individuals, with their opinion and in no way reflecting or representing Dyson.
Staff have a lot of freedom for the most part, as long as they're being honest. i.e. In the workplace I often praised the Miele C2-C3, Sammy Jet 70 as good options for a lot of people. Equally, I criticised poorly designed products like the Miele Triflex with it's tangle prone head design, small bin and heavy weight.
Obviously we can't say anything re information that's under NDA, but nothing too crazy
In the workplace I often praised the […] Sammy Jet 70 as good options for a lot of people.
So when do you start with Samsung?
Leaving retail thankfully. Samsung still can’t beat the top of the range Dyson units so they try compete on value
Are the quality of Dyson products really top notch when compared against competitors? Or is it all about fancy design and branding?
I'll put it this way… if you want the best cordfree vacuum on the market, absolutely I'd say they are amongst the best. My general thought is that anything V11 and higher is a pretty good machine that should last a while if used correctly. I will note that a significant proportion of faulty machines that come back to Dyson in-store experts have not been cared for (i.e. filters never washed in years of use, always using max power on all floors, not cleaning floors heads of hair etc) until damage occured.
Machines V10 and older/lower in range are much more light or spot-cleaners and will last a long time if used as such, but will not last as main, whole house vacuums for the average family.
Not a fan of the ball vacuums personally, they're not terrible but the price has become hard to stomach over the past few years.
For air purifiers, they're good for people who want a 3 in 1 i.e. fan, purifier and heater, they're some of the better combination machines but better options are available for each category that specialise (i.e. only a purifier etc).
For hair care, I think the supersonic is great, airwrap is good for some hair types but struggles with others, and the corrale is too heavy in my view.
Just my thoughts, hope that answers.
What’s wrong with always using max power?
Thanks for the reminder to clean my filter though.
What’s wrong with always using max power?
Not sure what the official Dyson line is, but max is usually unnecessary for hard floors or some carpets (e.g. Flotex) . Batteries have a limited number of charge/discharge cycles; max consumes more power so you'll go through your limited cycles more quickly.
The higher current draw also heats up the battery more which degrades it. This is not dyson-specific, it applies to all lithium-ion-battery-powered devices.
It's uneccessary and causes stress on the battery through thermal expansion and contraction. To lift from Dyson directly "Your vacuum is designed to be used in Auto or Normal mode for everyday cleaning. These can be found and changed at the top or back of your vacuum. Max or Boost modes are meant for powerful, intensive bursts of spot cleaning. Using them constantly speeds up degradation of the battery. If your machine has Eco mode, run time is maximized for a longer clean."
Thankfully on units V11 and higher, there should be no need to use boost mode for floor cleaning imo, mostly just for crevices and car cleaning, or anywhere deep cleaning without mechanical agitation.
I would have thought Max would be able to be on all the time, no docs say that will damage the items.
Same with any models under v10, none say they are spot cleaners and not good for whole of house.
That means they are very over priced if that’s the case.
Your first point is incorrect, it is stated on Dyson's site and reiterated by all Dyson instore experts, the only people that are likely to omit that are retailer staff. It doesn't matter what brand you are using, you should NEVER run on max mode all the time as you'll trash the battery in the long run and shorten the battery's lifespan, that is the case for LG, Samsung and Miele too, just like you shouldn't always use launch mode in a Tesla for the same reason.
Calling it a spot cleaner is my view, many people successfully use V10 units as whole home vacuums, I prefer to recommend something that may be overkill in the short term to allow for moving to a bigger house, provide more than ample performance and ensure that any loss in battery life over several years doesn't present an issue to cleaning your home. Any good salesperson should do the same in my view to ensure that it suits you not only now but into the future.
@Anthropomorphised: Thanks for answering.
(I am going by our V7)
Owners guide online only says ..
getting to know Power Modes.
Powerful Suction Mode, the optimum balance of power and run time for everyday cleaning.
Max mode (nothing is written for it)
https://www.dyson.com.au/products/vacuum-cleaners/stick-vacu…
And the PDF only says … Two power modes
Toggle between Powerful mode – for longer suction – and MAX mode, for stronger suction. Just hold down the trigger and slide the control back and forth.
The vac seems fine, wife thinks it’s OK too. Apart from battery life, that is pretty poor … i suppose a trade off for making it cheap and weight.
The best accessory would be the small flexi hose so the car can be cleaned easy … should be standard in the box I think.
Did you get to try new products? Any staff discounts ?
Not typically before release, unless it's a completely new category of product. Every now and then there'll be a training day with hands-on time, but the company does loan machines for testing at home to provide staff with personal experience.
There are 3 staff discount codes provided to employees each year, 1 for vacuums, 1 for purifiers, 1 for hair care. Discount used to be more generous and flexible but has become smaller in recent times.
What's with the battery packs- do they have an unusually high failure rate?
I've seen a store that specialised in batteries gradually shift a lot of its business just towards the replacement of Dyson batteries. At the same time, I've had Makita/Bosch power packs last 5+ years of regular use.
What's with the battery packs- do they have an unusually high failure rate?
The V6 and V7 batteries have a poor design that lets the cells go out of balance. Other models should be fine. My V8 is several years old and still going.
Damn. That would explain a lot. Balanced charging is not a hard thing to do- I've messed around with hobby chargers and diy charging harnesses, it's astounding that the earlier models would have skipped something so fundamentally basic.
I'd agree with your assessment, I'd also add that marketing by retailers and salespeople convinced many customers that a V6-V10 would be all the vacuum that they'd ever need, whilst the batteries and suction power were simply insufficient other than in the boost mode that decreases battery runtime over an extended duration.
Luckily the V7 "advanced" units nowadays are just V8s with the better motor and battery, but I'd say V7 advanced, V8 and V10 are very good spot cleaners and small apartment vacuums, whilst the V11, Outsize, V15 and Gen 5 have much bigger and more durable batteries that seem not to fade significantly when used properly. For example my brother's v10 needed a new battery after 3 years, while my v11 is going strong at my parents' with the same runtime as new after 3.5.
your opinion on headphones from dyson ??
PR stunt.
Goofy halo product in my view, I think it's primarily to get media coverage but idk. I'd like to see them make a smaller pair without the purifier that just focuses on audio and noise cancellation
Does James Dyson smell nice?
Le Labo The Noir 29 ;)
A man of good taste.
Do you think Dyson products are overpriced?
Some of them are likely deliberately expensive to direct you to other models I'd think. Good thing is that the specials rotate so often that it's always only a matter of time before most models can be had for quite accessible prices (i.e. V11 recent pricing at or below V8 etc)
is the purchase of an aspirational vacuum cleaner beneficial to ones sense of self worth?
Let’s be honest we all know the answer to that one
What brand/model vacuum cleaner do you use at home?
I previously had a V11 absolute pro + but recently managed to snag a Gen 5, loving the upgrade so far.
Also have a V11 Outsize which my parents used, but now I swapped to the 5 they've "downgraded" to the smaller V11 as it's much ligher and more useable for the average person.
Thanks 👍
Thanks for sending me 3 Dyson v15s under warranty without needing me to send the others back
What was wrong with them that you needed 3 replacements?
He has 3 friends.
pretty much gave them to my MIL/FIL and my parents , just check the r/dyson reddit page and look up the faults people have had and call up and explain them, the dumber you seem the more replacements you can get
@Wiadro: Scumbags like you are why they're having to change policies and making a less seamless experience for other owners to prevent fraud. Thanks for ruining it for other people
Are you a dolphin?
Do you do to fish what dolphins do to fish?
What could possibly be bigger and better than Dyson?
Elon Musk’s unwarranted self belief
Did you ever get to see “the sphere”?
No, I needed to ascend to Operating Thetan Level 8 for that ;)
What are some features of the new vacuum cleaners that you think makes it worth upgrading from an older version? What are some new features that you think it's not worth upgrading?
Depends though, if you have a V11 absolute, I'd be very happy with that, if it's a V7/8 or older though there's a night and day difference in useability
Are any of the designs a bit of a gimmick, like the laser thing to see dust particle size and give you a count?
Any other things like that to try and sell new product?
Laser on the V12, Outsize and V15 is useless, the replacement LED fluffy optic on Gen 5 is incredible imo. I have a non-shedding dog and the amount of dust it shows she brings into the floor is nuts.
Whilst showing the dust count display is silly, it confuses from the real value of the piezo sensor. The real value is that it adapts the suction, boosting when needed but reducing when clean. In doing so it reduces people using the boost mode, and gives a deeper clean whilst reducing wear and tear on the battery from heating, meaning the unit should last longer before requiring a new battery.
As far as gimmicks, I'd highlight the headphones which fear monger about outdoor air quality whilst arguably risking projecting dirty air onto others if you happen to use whilst sick.
As far as gimmicks, I'd highlight the headphones which fear monger about outdoor air quality whilst arguably risking projecting dirty air onto others if you happen to use whilst sick.
Maybe it was designed with other countries in mind. Not every country has clean air like Australia or other first world countries.
Agreed but an N95 mask is much more suitable, effective, doesn't spread your bacteria to others and is much more within the realms of affordability of those living in poluted countries where $900 USD could be multiple months' wages. For reference the Zone is ~3x the median monthly wage in India, that's not a solution appropriate or likely to succeed in developing countries
Agreed but an N95 mask is much more suitable, effective,
It definitely is, but some people find N95 masks too stuffy and find the elastic bands uncomfortable.
and is much more within the realms of affordability of those living in poluted countries where $900 USD could be multiple months' wages
China is Dyson's second-largest market just after the US. There are plenty of poor people there, but there are also plenty of middle-class and filthy rich people there too, so it's probably not surprising that the Dyson Zone was launched in China and not any other country.
For reference the Zone is ~3x the median monthly wage in India, that's not a solution appropriate or likely to succeed in developing countries
Dyson products are clearly not aimed at the poorest people in third-world countries. They're aimed at the wealthier segment of the population, many of which are far wealthier than the average Aussie.
@eug: Sure, but the Zone doesn't actually properly block pollution from what I've seen, which is the main issue it's trying to solve. It's a product that overcomplicates the solution. Existing products like LG Puricare seem to do a more effective job of sealing and providing purified air at 1/6th the price, and there are many more available in Asia.
Most countries aren't China, it may succeed there and that might be enough, but most markets where air pollution is a serious concern don't have the number of highly wealthy people that China does.
Sure, but the Zone doesn't actually properly block pollution from what I've seen, which is the main issue it's trying to solve.
I'd be interested to see proper tests done on it, as opposed to non-technical reviewers who can only provide opinions. The idea is sound; creating a positive-pressure environment with filtered air should keep the environment around the nose and mouth clean, the same way clean rooms operate. But whether or not it works well in practice when applied to a head-mounted device can be a different story.
It's a product that overcomplicates the solution.
It's definitely an overengineered solution which would be pretty pointless in many first-world countries, but at least it brings something different to the table. I haven't experienced it, but I imagine wearing a mask in a country with up to 82% humidity at over 33 degrees C can get pretty muggy.
Existing products like LG Puricare seem to do a more effective job of sealing and providing purified air at 1/6th the price, and there are many more available in Asia.
The LG Puricare weighs 123g which is just a little lighter than the 135g of an iPhone 14 Mini. Imagine an iPhone hanging off your ears for a few hours. :)
In any case, the popularity of Dyson fans shows that plenty of people are willing to pay a premium for a unique design even if the performance isn't much different to a cheaper tower fan.
Most countries aren't China, it may succeed there and that might be enough, but most markets where air pollution is a serious concern don't have the number of highly wealthy people that China does.
I'm pretty sure Dyson isn't expecting it to be a mass-market product. I don't think anyone is. My original point is that I don't think Dyson are fear-mongering about outdoor air quality - I think people just forget that not everyone lives in a country where they don't have to think twice about outdoor air quality. That is also very likely why they picked China as the launch country for it. They have a huge market there and their air quality is famously deficient, although we had it pretty bad as well during the 2019/2020 bushfire season.
Maybe there will be a small market here for wealthy allergy suffers. There was a time when paying $650 for a hair dryer was utterly absurd after all. ;)
What do you say to all those Miele fans who swear that bagged is the only way to go?
We try not to entertain them too much
I'll put it this way… My parents had a C3 and loved it, but gave it to a refugee family when I gave them my old V11 Absolute Pro +. The Miele corded units are great, and the bagged units are good for those that never want to perform any maintenance of their machines beyond replacing filters and bags. I just think that with how quickly the cordfree market is maturing, the days of corded being the default are rapidly passing - If you consider that suction in the gen 4 motor went from 151AW in V10 to 230AW in V15, just consider what they'll be able to do with the Gen 5 design STARTING at 262AW… I think bagged will remain for those who want a familiar format and don't want to worry about the expense of corded units, but the shift is already very much underway in norms
My question is more generic. Is there a relation between motor watts and AW ? Could it be the vacuum has 2000 Watts but only generate very low AW due to inefficient motors ?
Yes, brushless motors for example would achieve a much higher AW per watt of energy consumed than a brushed motor, would also be affected by impeller design etc. brands used to create inefficient motors specifically to be able to advertise high power without tearing the carpet out
Sad to see you leave Dyson.
I would always reference or refer back to your Dyson Forums post when I was looking to compare the various models & SKUs of Vacuum Cleaners.
Cheers mate, will try to update with info available publicly to make sure we can all stay informed.
Which dyson is a bang for a buck ? Which can do all basics and last long.
Hey, so is the Dyson V8 Extra the same stick vac as the Dyson V7 Advanced, just extra accessories?
Yes, any v7 advanced model is functionally a v8
Thanks. Trying to decide between the 2. On Dyson ebay - the V7 Advanced is $349. Hoping it will come down more in price with EOFY. The V8 Extra down to $409 with ebayplus. Not sure if these sales are it for Dyson EOFY or more to come.
Anyway thanks for your help.
Do you have any idea why the lightcycle is going to return to Ausfralia? I know you’re not there anymore but maybe you know someone who does? And is it all that it is hyped up to be? Thank you.
I reckon they’re soft discontinued in Australia, they aren’t even called Lightcycle internationally anymore. No experience with them since 2019 so can’t speculate.
I’d say any v11, v15 or Gen5 is the go to these days, just depends on how fastidious you are in cleaning and whether you can cope with holding a trigger, and if you need the soft roller
Thanks so much for the reply. The soft roller what does it do and is that with the gen5? I guess this will be the best for multiple floors? (Carpet, Lino and wood?) or can the soft roller be purchased later? Thanks again
And based on your comments here the Gen 5 seems to be the way to go for cordless? We have an animal ball corded unit but everyone gets sick of plugging and unplugging to go from room to room. Lol.
Did working for Dyson suck?