With their stylish and innovative inventions Dyson have been at the forefront of the vacuum market for quite some time. Now with the release of the ball technology, Dyson have taken a leap forward with their new range of vacuum cleaners.
In the Box
Opening the box for the first time reveals that the Dyson is shipped in parts which fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Each part is protected by cardboard to ensure that it doesn't get damaged during transit. In the box you will find the main body, a ball joint, an active head attachment, the hose, nozzle, a bag of attachments, and assembly instructions.
Installing
While the prospect of putting the vac together is quite daunting, the instructions are nicely set out in picture format and are easy to understand/follow. This really helped make the assembly less painful and each piece fits together with a reassuring click. In no time we had a completed vac which we were itching to fire up!
When we pressed the red start/stop button for the first time and ran the vac over a small area of carpet, we were astounded by just how much dust/dirt was collected, even when the carpet didn't look particularly dirty!
Here comes the science!
This is really where the dyson's technology comes into its own... With using their Radial Root Cyclone technology it means that more dust and dirt is collected and it doesn't loose suction.
The latter gives a constant powerful suction, which along with a high dust removal rating, the ability to capture particles down to 0.5 microns.
A hygienic bin emptying system (more on this later) means that Dyson’s range are the only vacuum cleaners approved by both the British Allergy Foundation and Service Allergie Suisse - which is great for people suffering with asthma or from allergies.
Testing
In use the Dyson glides across the floor effortlessly and the ball joint really comes into its own when cleaning in awkward spaces. The maneuverability of the vac meant that we could clean in between the legs of chairs and further under the sofa/bed than we could manage with our previous vac.
Switching from hard floor to carpet and back again was made simple by the active head, which adjusted automatically to the height of the floor and the addition of a switch to turn the rotating brushes on and off was a great touch.
We loved the little stabiliser wheels which reminded us of an aircraft's landing gear because when putting the vac into the vacuuming position, little wheels lifted up and then dropped down again when returning it to an upright position to lock it in place.
However, we did feel that at times the vac seemed a bit flimsy when moving it from an upright position to the normal vacuuming position and we wonder how well it would survive under heavy use.
Yet there are some really thoughtful touches to the vac such as the button release of the bin meaning that the dirt collected can be emptied into a dustbin without making a huge mess - a simple press of the button and the bottom of the bin drops away like a trap door.
We have to admit that this does work a treat, however initially the release mechanism seemed quite stiff so we needed to make sure that we applied a bit of extra pressure to open the catch. This button release did not seem as intuitive to use as the trigger release on dyson's of old, but we are hopeful that the mechanism will ease after a number of uses.
Stairs
Vacuuming the stairs has always caused us a bit of a problem, because our previous vacs did not allow us to reach the top stair when we were stood at the bottom. But this is no longer a problem as the dyson boast a hose that can reach the top of an average set of stairs. Whilst we don't know exactly what an average set of stairs look like, we did find that it reached the top of our stairs without any major problems. In addition the light weight nature of the vac meant that we could lift it up and down stairs without a problem.
We should also point out that there are a few attachments included in the box, which do come in handy around the home, for example there is a long attachment which allows you to get to the gaps between the skirting board and the carpet. Dyson have added a nifty new feature to this on the new models where a brush is attached which you can slide up and down allowing you to brush out those nooks and crannies. All of these attachments can be fitted on to the main body of the vac which means that they are always on hand when vacuuming.
Also included as part of the package was a smaller active head which is designed for stairs and upholstery and we have to say that this extra attachment was a really useful addition to the Dyson's normal arsenal of attachments. However, this has to be stored separately meaning that we did forget we had it to use. It would have really been nice to see an extra attachment holder on the vac for this so that everything could be stored together.
Cleaning the Dyson
Dyson recommend that the filters in the vac should be washed every month, and for this to 
happen they need to be easily accessible, The first is located in the in the top of the bin and is accessed by lifting the handle up, which is simple to do and put back together. The second on the other hand is a little bit more fiddly in that it is located in the actual ball of the machine and you have to twist one of the sides to access it. You need to ensure that you keep twisting it until it lifts off and it does feel that you are twisting it for quite a while before it does come free.
Extreme Testing
We took the Dyson to visit the home of Balto the Alaskan Malamute, who has appeared in the Dyson groom review, to give the vac a really good test. Balto is a useful test subject for the vac, because he sheds a lot of fur, especially in the summer months, so the carpets at his home were covered in his fur. Using the Dyson over the floors picked up most of the fur from the carpets and his owners were really impressed.
However, we see one downside to this vac, which is the price. You could argue that at £369.99 the vac is rather expensive. Yet, if you are an asthma sufferer or have allergies, you can't really put a price on a better, cleaner living environment.
Who would have thought that a ball would make such a difference in the world of cleaning.... But after using the DC40 for a few weeks, we can really see and feel the difference that the ball makes and would have no hesitation in recommending the Dyson to others.
