Review on Dyson Outsize Cordless Vacuum Cleaner: Maximizing Cleaning Efficiency by Michael Godo

UPDATED: Dyson customer service is excellent! This has to be the best thing I've ever experienced. They are sending me a replacement because they don't want to risk machine failure if I use my V11 without a seal/washer. They report this problem to their engineers to solve it. I now vacuum like crazy after my beach days and clean up the sand around the house so efficiently that walking through the tough woods is a pleasure. I love this vacuum cleaner, it's so much fun to walk around with. I've also found that the top of the device can rest fairly firmly on the stands between touch-ups. So if I don't have a home base hanger there is an option, although I probably wouldn't risk doing this if there are kids or dogs in the house. First Feedback: I really wanted to wait before posting this review so I can get more use out of it, but after reading other reviews for clues I realize this is an ongoing problem. and I wanted to warn others! Before unpacking, I read the instructions including the following: HOW TO OBTAIN/LOCATE: * Charge for 4.5 hours or up to 100% * There is a red toggle switch on the front of the vacuum head. Set the switch to the middle position. This setting is ideal for daily cleaning to pick up coarse dirt and fine dust. I was so excited to run this baby after charging it overnight I only have experience with the Dyson with my hair dryer I love love love so I was really looking forward to using this vacuum. I launched it and was impressed by how the different modes automatically adjust as needed. The boost mode is amazing and really sucks up the fine sand that gets into our beach house. After vacuuming a room, I noticed that the brush heads weren't spinning. Not sure if they rotated at all so I took the brush head apart as shown in the manual, as another reviewer commented I found it difficult to put the brush head cover back on - didn't force it but tried again and again to get it back and keep the end piece flush so I can retighten the coin part of the screw. I finally got it, but I still don't have the pleasure of rotating the brush heads. After searching the Dyson website for troubleshooting tips and not finding a solution to this problem, I called Dyson, customer service gave me an option to call me back and they sorted it out within a minute. The woman started walking me through the troubleshooting steps and suddenly I saw that there was a small dark gray thin plastic washer/ring at the base of the shaft where the torsion head cleaner head shell was placed . Customer service insulted me a bit and tried to suggest that I should have used a screwdriver (I mentioned I had to get one but it was a flat head used only to insert the coin cap neatly!). She immediately offered to send a brand new cleaning head. I was frustrated that I couldn't play with my new device as it still worked damn well without the rotating attachments! I chose to vacuum with a small car/upholstery attachment and found it worked very well on stairs and in small spaces. In the meantime I checked out what the other reviewers had to say as I was a little worried that I might have done something to destroy this beautiful technology! I was entitled when I saw that others were already facing the same problem. Someone mentioned pulling out the broken parts of the disc/ring and as customer service didn't mention sending the cleaning head back I decided to give it a try and indeed after removing it with pliers the vacuum runs smoothly . A NOTICE. I don't know if this will void the warranty. I recommend calling Dyson and telling them it's a known issue and that the small washer/ring is to blame. I don't know if that's a clue, but washer/ring/gasket? There was a recycling symbol on the device. Perhaps this is an indication that this part should be removed and sent for recycling before sending to consumers? So now I have two thoughts: As another reviewer mentioned, is this ring/washer important to function, won't it damage the motor if I run it without? Second thought: COULD this be the part to deliver and remove? It sounds wrong but I'm wondering because the vacuum cleaner runs very smoothly without it. So, as far as the rating goes, this could have been a four-star rating if it weren't for the issue mentioned above. I love the suction power of this vacuum, it's AMAZING - beach sand, Australian dog fur, everything sucks up great in blow mode. Wooden floors are now crystal clear! I like the LCD screen that shows me what mode it's in and how long the battery life is. I like how easy it is to use and the weight is not too heavy even for a petite person. What I didn't like is that there is no way to stand alone, but you can't have everything - I don't want this vacuum to fall over if I have to stop for a minute. I also wish the base had the ability to mount a charging stand so I can move to where I put the base charger. My house has no electricity in a small closet and I don't want to put the charger outside. This may not be a problem for others, but be aware that you need somewhere with an outlet nearby. Right now when charging I just take the motor off my head and the vacuum wand so I know it won't fall anywhere or trip anyone on the ground.