Best 12v vacuum cleaner for narrowboat that's NOT a Dyson?

[Jim Batty]

What's the best 12v hand-held type vacuum cleaner you've come across, at a reasonable price, for use a couple of times a month on dusty and cat-trodden carpets?

 

(My beef with Dyson is that the trigger switch on our £170 'Animal' cleaner packed up after less than 20hrs use. As it's out of warrenty all Dyson will offer are modular replacement parts totalling £135.)

[Kwacker]

There are no decent 12v cleaners, you'd be better off tying a duster to a mouse.

Come to that, none of the rechargeables are much good either, certainly not the Bosch Athlet nor the Dyson V6, both of which I have the misfortune to own, and are utterly useless.

If you have a reasonable inverter, a £29 mains, bagged cylinder vac. will be easily the best option, I bought a little Daewoo that works a treat on the boat.

[MtB]

There are no decent 12v cleaners, you'd be better off tying a duster to a mouse.

Come to that, none of the rechargeables are much good either, certainly not the Bosch Athlet nor the Dyson V6, both of which I have the misfortune to own, and are utterly useless.

If you have a reasonable inverter, a £29 mains, bagged cylinder vac. will be easily the best option, I bought a little Daewoo that works a treat on the boat.

 

 

Must have been something wrong with your then. Mine is AWESOME, with equal suction power to any mains vacuum cleaner I've ever owned.

 

My bet is the cone filter on yours was partially blocked. Mine blocks up with irritating rapidity, which is turning into a reason I'd no longer recommend the V6.

 

Only happens on the Dyson V6 in the boat though, not the one I have in the house. I blame the fine ash dust which billows out of the hateful Boatman Stove whenever I do anything to it.

[Nightwatch]

Hoover?

[pquinn]

What's the best 12v hand-held type vacuum cleaner you've come across, at a reasonable price, for use a couple of times a month on dusty and cat-trodden carpets?

 

(My beef with Dyson is that the trigger switch on our £170 'Animal' cleaner packed up after less than 20hrs use. As it's out of warrenty all Dyson will offer are modular replacement parts totalling £135.)

Yes, i was having this trouble with the trigger on my dyson for a while and lost the rag with it last Saturday. I gave it a couple of good whacks on the back of the head and it decided to go back to work.I can only conclude that there was some dust or something on the trigger mechanism. Go on give it a few slaps, even if it doesnt start working again it will make you feel much better about buying it in the first place. The next time my one stops working i wont bother with the GBH, i swear i will murder it with extreme predjudice.

[MtB]

I hope you two realise the vacuum motor cycling ON/OFF/ON/OFF every two or three seconds on a V6 is an error code or 'user warning' for a blocked filter, not a failing switch?!

[Kwacker]

The Dyson is brand new, no blockages. Suction and pickup are about 1/2 that of the £29 mains cleaner, if you try to clean properly with it the battery overheats after about 5 minutes use and it all goes horribly wrong when you come to empty it, especially if you have sucked up any cobwebs. Dyson is always banging on about design, well it's back to the drawing board as far as I'm concerned, I genuinely feel as though I've been had!

The Bosch Athlet is fine on hard floors, pretty well useless for anything else and just as horrible to empty, but at least it was cheaper.

[cuthound]

We use a mains Electrolux car and stair vac. Brilliant bit of kit, effective, relaible and with cheap spares. Only problem is that you need an inverter.

[Jay4424]

Makita do one

[Guest]

What's the best 12v hand-held type vacuum cleaner you've come across, at a reasonable price, for use a couple of times a month on dusty and cat-trodden carpets?

 

(My beef with Dyson is that the trigger switch on our £170 'Animal' cleaner packed up after less than 20hrs use. As it's out of warrenty all Dyson will offer are modular replacement parts totalling £135.)

 

Dyson don't do 12V cleaners anyway.

 

The reason being you will have more success on 12V if you used an asthmatic duck to suck up the dust.

 

Ed - correction - it seems however you can recharge their rechargeable ones using 12v

 

http://www.dyson.co.uk/vacuum-cleaners/accessories/cordless/in-car-charger.aspx?pid=DC34

Edited May 10, 2016 by MJG

[magnetman]

I use a Makita 7.2v vacuum cleaner. Still available new I think

 

It runs on makita 7.2v stick batteries (old type). I also have the Makita drill,jigsaw,sander,angle drill and angle grinder running off the same 7.2v stick batteries.

 

Would probably be a bit awkward if you only had the vac but with the other equipment it all works out quite nicely.

 

It is a good vacuum cleaner. I think they do them for most other voltages so if you happen to use a makita power tool anyway you may be able to get a 'bare' vac for it.

 

They do a 12v one which runs on makita 12v batteries - I suppose directly wiring that to the boats 12v supply may work? Might be safer to use the 14.4 version .

Edited May 10, 2016 by magnetman

[Sea Dog]

Dyson don't do 12V cleaners anyway.

 

The reason being you will have more success on 12V if you used an asthmatic duck to suck up the dust.

I'm not sure asthmatic ducks are available in 12 volts. The last on we had was for emptying the ash tray on an old BSA motorbike which had 6 volt electrics iirc.

[magnetman]

I have always been amazed how Dyson was able to base it's entire marketing campaign on a blatant lie.

 

Won't lose suction.

 

Um. Yes it will

 

I know cleaning the sponge filter sorts it but it -does- lose suction

Edited May 10, 2016 by magnetman

[Mike Jordan]

Dyson- high priced plastic made abroad by cheap labour.

[Guest]

Dyson- high priced plastic made abroad by cheap labour.

 

But effective and reliable none the less.

 

(other opinions are available)

[Nightwatch]

We bought a sweeper from a charity shop years ago. We have two dogs that drop hair all over the place. The sweeper does a first class job. End to end of the boat requires at least two empties.

 

We either have a muckie boat or a very efficient sweeper.

 

Martyn

[Sea Dog]

But effective and reliable none the less.

 

(other opinions are available)

I agree - other opinions are available. Have you seen those Dyson hand dryers that they claim will dry your hands in 10 seconds? That'll be the longest 10 seconds of your life - and if that doesn't at least tell you why not to buy a Dyson watch....!

[Neil Smith]

 

Dyson don't do 12V cleaners anyway.

 

The reason being you will have more success on 12V if you used an asthmatic duck to suck up the dust.

 

Ed - correction - it seems however you can recharge their rechargeable ones using 12v

 

http://www.dyson.co.uk/vacuum-cleaners/accessories/cordless/in-car-charger.aspx?pid=DC34

It wont work on the v6 animal though.

 

Neil

[magnetman]

 

But effective and reliable none the less.

 

(other opinions are available)

I found my DC05 in a bin by the cut on the kennet and Avon in 2001. Completely clogged with coal ash. Cleaned it up and it still works and does get used for some pretty bad jobs like spring cleaning the coal fires !! Not one for general indoor duties so it hasn't got too many hours on it.

 

I think it was a UK made one don't know ud that made a difference. Does lose suction but clean the sponge and its fine. I have also partly covered the pressure relief valve with Duck tape

 

I wouldn't buy one.

I agree - other opinions are available. Have you seen those Dyson hand dryers that they claim will dry your hands in 10 seconds? That'll be the longest 10 seconds of your life - and if that doesn't at least tell you why not to buy a Dyson watch....!

Horrible unhygenic things. I used one once at a pub and my hands were blown against a little yellow rubber strip where I am guessing everyone else's hands have been blown against and all the detritus from their hands is forced as the air flow is sideways. Ridiculous. If you want to dry hands blow the air downwards into an open area not sideways !!

 

wtf /rant mode off/

Edited May 10, 2016 by magnetman

[lexicon]

 

Dyson don't do 12V cleaners anyway.

 

The reason being you will have more success on 12V if you used an asthmatic duck to suck up the dust.

 

Ed - correction - it seems however you can recharge their rechargeable ones using 12v

 

http://www.dyson.co.uk/vacuum-cleaners/accessories/cordless/in-car-charger.aspx?pid=DC34

Does anyone know if this will work with a basic v6 model?

[Joe the plumber]

For what it's worth, I've got two of these, one in my van and one on the boat:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Makita-DCL180Z-li-Ion-Cordless-Cleaner/dp/B00H5M1FW8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462896670&sr=8-1&keywords=makita+18v+vacuum

 

They're great, although they need emptying frequently. Of course you also need the batteries and charger which can add up to £140 to the price. However you are then open to the world of lovely Makita 18v tools, which are addictive!

[Guest]

Does anyone know if this will work with a basic v6 model?

 

The compatibility is on that link.

 

DC30, DC31, DC34, DC35 and DC44 handheld and cordless vacuum cleaners

[Murflynn]

we bought a Dyson V6 a month ago.

it is so good that I rarely bother with our corded Dyson any more.

OK, it won't clean a 4 bedroom house with carpets in all the rooms with a single charge, but if you want to clean the stairs, the car, or collect up some debris in the kitchen, it is second to none - incredible suction, and so light!

[MtB]

we bought a Dyson V6 a month ago.

it is so good that I rarely bother with our corded Dyson any more.

OK, it won't clean a 4 bedroom house with carpets in all the rooms with a single charge, but if you want to clean the stairs, the car, or collect up some debris in the kitchen, it is second to none - incredible suction, and so light!

 

 

I predict you'll get thoroughly pished orf with cleaning that stupid little cone filter though...

 

I've bought a few spare ones for mine, so frequently do they need rinsing out. And when wet, they cannot be used. Guess how I know...

[bigray]

I can't comment on the handheld Dyson models however the normal domestic ones are overpriced and not good at best.

 

We replaced ours with a Henry which is a lot better and excellent with dog hairs. When I had a pub we had a couple and even with all the broken glass they never let me down.