How's your day?

[MargieH 7,394]

Ben, do you wear a mask over your stoma?

[benjamin1945 15,496]

The answer to that is No Margie...however i do wear a Neckerchief all the time plus a button over the stoma that controls my speaking and breathing,,,its amazing how many of the health professionals know nothing about it.

                    Had a big disagreement with one of the health staff at City hospital the other day,,it  was obvious she knew nothing of my particular problem,,and instead of letting me explain kept talking over me,,,if my button gets blocked in any way i cannot breathe,,so have to remove it then i can breathe in a fairly normal way thru the Stoma,,my voice is enabled thru my breathing,,so after a few words i have to take a breath........i removed my button because it became blocked,,at this she raised her arms in horror,,i was furiuos,,and in the end ended my Consultation....

[DJ360 6,353]

In contrast to the real issues confronting Ben and others on here, I do feel a bit wary of moaning.  Still here goes...

 

Apart from some very warm and dry weather early in Spring, and last week's 'Two Hot Days and a Thunderstorm', the weather here on the west facing slopes of the Billinge Massif, seems to have settled into a pattern of wind, wind and more wind..since at least Christmas.

 

Regardless of what the BBC online forecast says, it was windy yesterday and windier today.  Several times I've had to cover my Runner Beans with fleece to prevent the wind from causing the leaves to spin like propellors until they break off.  My experiement with a new location for them has not been a success. I've just spent an hour adding additional staking and support to assorted border perennials. I've also had to stake all of my Sunflowers, which were deliberately left unstaked on the advice of Monty Don..'in order to develop strong stems'... That worked...

 

On the upside. The weather has forced me inside and compelled me to start the redecorating for which I purchased all supplies needed way back in March.  I've replastered the corner where the internal soil pipe was removed and am about to start washing down the walls.  They were only just decorated when I decided to have the horrible ceiling artex plastered over...  The walls only need a quick wash down, but the ceiling and corner are raw plaster and will need thin coats to get started.

 

To add to the fun, after I'd finished rubbing down a layer of 'Easi-Fill' yesterday, I reached for the trusty Vax Mach Air which has been a cheap but effective vacuum for some years now.  On switch on.. it made a very sick growling noise.  A quick recce showed that the motor housing was lit up like Blackpool illuminations with spectacuar sparks, and a very strong smell of burning.  My guess is something along the lines of a brush assembly falling apart. I think it will most likely self imolate if 'fired up' (pun intended) again.. So.. Time for a new machine. I'm well past the days of nursing poorly appliances to save a few quid. 

 

General advice seems to be that cordless machines don't really have the power or run time. Many people recommend the Shark range, especially the 'lift away' types.  But any recommendations (barring Dyson) would be considered.

[DJ360 6,353]

1 hour ago, benjamin1945 said:

The answer to that is No Margie...however i do wear a Neckerchief all the time plus a button over the stoma that controls my speaking and breathing,,,its amazing how many of the health professionals know nothing about it.

                    Had a big disagreement with one of the health staff at City hospital the other day,,it  was obvious she knew nothing of my particular problem,,and instead of letting me explain kept talking over me,,,if my button gets blocked in any way i cannot breathe,,so have to remove it then i can breathe in a fairly normal way thru the Stoma,,my voice is enabled thru my breathing,,so after a few words i have to take a breath........i removed my button because it became blocked,,at this she raised her arms in horror,,i was furiuos,,and in the end ended my Consultation....

 

Sounds like grounds for a complaint Ben.

[benjamin1945 15,496]

Daughter suggested the same Col,,,,but i'm loathed to do so,,,think the NHS have enough on at the moment,,however i am still angry,,and am still considering.

[LizzieM 9,232]

Really sorry to hear of your recent experiences Ben, you have enough to cope with without ignorant jobsworths stressing you out.   Hope you have easier days from now on. 

[LizzieM 9,232]

DJ, we’ve got a Gtech AirRam K9 vacuum cleaner and like it as much as one could ‘like’ a vacuum cleaner.  Actually it’s the second one we’ve had, the first machine had a dodgy on/off button and rather than pay probably £50+ to get it fixed we ordered a new machine.  Still got the first one though.  The only issue we have is that it has to be emptied regularly.  We have had Dysons before and the Gtech is so light and easy to use compared to the cumbersome Dyson.  

[radfordred 6,278]

Replaced our 20 year old Miele with a cordless double battery Shark Ninja, never seen Mrs Red so happy, took it round her mates & her Mums to show them how much dust was on their carpets, beds & curtains! Cost me a new stair carpet when it found a tread & sucked up about a 6 foot length of wool 

 

https://www.trustedreviews.com/reviews/shark-duoclean-anti-allergen-truepet-and-flexology-if260ukth-cordless-vacuum-cleaner

[LizzieM 9,232]

Looks the biz RR but I’m not sure I could bring myself to pay £500 for a vacuum cleaner, mind you, we’ve bought 2 at £250 each in the past 4 years!   

[DJ360 6,353]

Thanks for recommendations folks.  I'd go cordless if it was my choice but Mrs Col is adamant she wants a corded machine.

[Oztalgian 2,859]

I have decided to go electric cordless wherever possible, no more extension leads that somehow manage to tangle themselves up whilst hanging on a hook. They always get caught on the slightest lump or obstruction and if you have to use more than one to get to far flung parts they are forever coming apart at the join. This does not include them tangling around your feet and being in the way of what it is you are trying to do. No more difficult to start mowers, trimmers, chainsaws etc or getting everything ready for a job and find you have no fuel or have plenty of fuel but the wrong sort, 2 stroke vs 4 stoke. Just clean it down and plug it in to the charger when finished, jobs a gud un.

[Brew 5,007]

For some reason we have several. The most recent is a Dyson (corded), preceding that was a G Tech Ram, useless on carpet, OK on tile and  preceding that a Shark. Quite  powerful and I liked it but I have to admit it's the heaviest machine we've ever had and sent it back. The upstairs machine is a £49 Vax and does just as good a job, as far as I can see, as the expensive ones.

[Cliff Ton 9,955]

Does anyone have anything good to say about Dyson ?  Never owned owt by them, but that's partly because I've never seen any favourable comments on Dyson products.

 

They seem to have a working life of around a couple of years - if you're lucky - then they self-destruct or become unrepairable. Dyson seem to trade on being a fashionable name for people who buy designer labels without considering the real world.

 

All the evidence seems to indicate that the cheaper products by other manufacturers are better.

[nonnaB 4,752]

CT I have a cordless Dyson and have had it for about 5-6 yrs. The only thing was a new battery but apart from that I'm happy with it. We have tiles throughout the house so it flits through daily without problems. It has about 1/2 hr battery life each charge and for me that's enough. I have a robot permanently in the bedroom which goes on automatically every day. If I'm in a hurry I sometimes leave it to wander aimlessly as the rest is open plan. It has 2 powers normal and boost. My Philips vac is so cumbersome that it's there collecting dust , I don't like it all . Mind you it's very old and was always getting the cord twisted and under my feet , then when the cord rewind went crazy I bought my Dyson. My son also has one for his restaurant which he finds handy instead of having to search for a power point that is never in the right position and tripping over the cord.

But we are all different and what suits one doesn't suit the other. 

As we have have 3 dogs plus my daughters dog I look after during the day it's been a godsend. I empty it every day and at least every 2 weeks I take it to bits and give it a good clean.

[Commo 1,291]

An endorsement for Dyson vacuum cleaners. Had ours for over five years and it is still as efficient and effective as it was when new.

My daughter has a Shark upright which is very good, but seems somewhat more aggressive on carpet pile than the Dyson!

[Beekay 4,275]

When I was Head of maintenance,about three years  before I retired, I bought six DC01s for my cleaners. The two year guarantee suddenly became six months because they claimed that our use was classed as commercial and not domestic,(even though they were used in the residential bungalows). Within the first year, all the wheels started collapsing and then the hoses started splitting. Didn't keep them much longer, just had to cannibalise some machines to repair others. And what about the ludicrous prices of their fans ?

[Oztalgian 2,859]

When we downsized on retirement around 4 years ago we bought a Dyson V10, the latest model at the time and have to say it has been brilliant, used two or more times a day after visits from the dogs, grandkids or me bringing in lawn clippings on the bottom of my boots. We have a mix of carpets and tiles and get a run time of 45 mins on normal and 15 on max power. When finished empty it and plug it in to the wall mounted charger. Just had to invest in a new battery so no complaints here. You just have to clean the filters periodically which you should do on mains powered machines any way

[siddha 797]

We have used Dysons for some years without problems. I find them simple to use and maintain.

[nonnaB 4,752]

Just an extra on the likes and dislikes of Dyson. My daughter has an upright corded Dyson which I borrowed some years ago and it's so heavy. It felt as though it had got a mind of its own, just like supermarket trollies that don't go where you wanted them to go.

[Cliff Ton 9,955]

Interesting to see a majority of positive opinions about Dyson.

 

It seems to prove the theory that people who post opinions on websites only do so when they have something to complain about. Those who are happy and have nothing to complain about don't bother telling anyone.

[MargieH 7,394]

We have a dyson and find it very efficient.  It's the second one we've had.  The only negative is that it is heavy

[DJ360 6,353]

Can only report our own findings.  A Dyson DC-04 purchased years ago.  The on/off switch failed in weeks though it was replaced f.o.c. The whole machine was heavy and cumbersome, and Mrs Col also complained about the amount of heat it threw out, which to me is a sign of inefficiency.  The 'pull out' extension was also poorly designed in that it was easy to split the hose against the sharp edge of the tube.  We avoided that but a neighbour went through new hoses like smarties.

Over time the whole 'cyclone' assembly slowly clogged up with solidified dust and needed stripping right down, washing out, drying etc. But most tellingly.. bits literally started breaking.  Assorted clips, removable covers etc. just fell to bits.

 

The Vax we are about to replace has been great value for money. Good suction, very light weight etc. Filters are not great though and relacements.... when I could find them.. seem to have clogged much quicker than the originals. I think that the Vax machines need to be treated very much as disposable.  If you get more than 2 years out of them , treat it as a bonus. I'm sure we've had at least 6 years out of ours so no complaints.

 

The G-Tech machines look good but I've heard (unconfirmed) reports that build quality isn't good.

 

I think, as Nonna points out above... a lot depends on your circumstances. Some people have uncluttered open plan rooms which can be whizzed through easily, even more so if you have solid flooring as opposed to carpets.

Sadly, that's not us.  I have a constant battle to try to keep floors free from piles of records and books etc. I'd like more reecord storage but Mrs Col has it al full of books. Mrs Col likes clutter.. or at least doesn't seem to notice it.  I hate it but have to live with it because all of our cupboards etc., are rammed full with stuff which will most likely never get used, but I'm not allowed to 'skip' it.

[Beekay 4,275]

For a few years now we have used an Orek upright (as used in posh hotels, or so the advert says). When we bought it, you got a free portable cleaner complete with carrying strap. The advert on tv showed the portable lifting a bowling ball. I can vouch that this works, the suction is phenomenal. 

[philmayfield 5,364]

We’ve got a Sebo as our main wired machine. It’s supposed to be one of the best. My wife said it wasn’t picking up very well last week. No wonder - absolutely every pipe and every orifice was blocked solid! It’s perfect now after a bit of attention. We also have a Bosch battery powered which is excellent and much lighter than the tank-like Sebo. We also have a hand-held G Tec battery operated which is handy for the stairs. We had a Dyson once but didn’t like it. We had the service engineer round twice during the warranty period. All Dyson stuff seems grossly overpriced. No wonder James Dyson is a bigger landowner than the Queen!

 

[Brew 5,007]

Dyson seems OK here but they are a bit like Apple products - way overpriced for what they are.

A voice who must never be ignored has just said "them wot use it most should get to choose".