My rating: Five Stars
Dyson have come up with some great technology over the years, but the straightforward Dyson DC07 Origin vacuum cleaner remains the best seller, not least because it's the model where they seem to have perfected the basics.
At the time of writing (Autumn 2007), the DC07 was £199.99 in Dyson's online store but not as expensive elsewhere, and cheapest of all at Amazon UK, where it was 30% off
The Dyson DC-07 was introduced back in 2001, and was the first with "Root Cyclone" technology, which is still the basis of the company's designs. Many have followed since, and some of those superseded, but the DC07 just goes on and on. And why not? It's the one which everyone likes and recommends, and it continues to be the best-seller.
Earlier Dysons, including one which we owned, may have been "bagless", but emptying the dust canister was a bit fiddly. The DC07 sorted this out. One button releases the whole body (see second photo) and a "trigger" opens the bottom of the canister once you're holding it over the bin. It really is straightforward, and easy for anyone to do. As with other Dysons, the clear canister shows you all the dust, so you know at a glance when it needs emptying. More importantly though, it makes you realise how much dust there was on the carpet, always a satisfying feeling.
The DC07, like any decent vacuum cleaner, operates straight out of the box, and comes with three heads to go on the end of the "wand". If you need to use this hand tool (see bottom picture), it can be used very simply just by pressing one big button, pulling the "wand" out and pushing-on an appropriate head. The flexible hose seems to extend forever, and we can actually get to the very top of our stairs - with the main unit parked at the bottom - using this. However, to do so you really need to pull out the "wand" from the hose and reverse it so the handle is the right way around and it becomes a proper tool. We do this for vacuuming the stairs, but if we just notice something which needs vacuuming quickly above floor height, we tend not to reverse and assemble the whole tool, we just whip out the wand and slide it back in again. Very slick. Many people I know with Dysons never bother to assemble the tool properly at all.
The DC07 is pretty powerful - certainly the technical reviews I've read in the past have scored it well on its suction power and general thoroughness. It's a little on the heavy side, but that's the price you pay for any powerful upright vacuum cleaner. The weight has never bothered me, but crucially it doesn't seem to bother my wife either - some vacuum cleaners we've had in the past have irritated her with their weight.
In terms of maintenance, Dyson's designers have made it fairly simple to keep your machine in tip-top condition. There's a filter which needs cleaning every few months, and you do this by pulling it out (it's a little like a circular sponge) and washing it in water. I bet many people don't ever do this, but it seems to make a difference to me, and Dyson certainly recommend it. Almost every part of the machine is accessible, making it easy, for example, to remove obstructions which have got caught in ithe internal pathways (that'll be another 5p coin then).
In summary, if you're looking for a simple, mainstream vacuum cleaner, and you haven't got any extraordinary requirements, you'll be happy with the Dyson DC-07. If others have to use it (wife, husband, kids, etc), they'll all be pretty happy with its simplicity and how well it clears up. And I can also tell you that if you have professional domestic help in, they'll look upon it approvingly, which is always reassuring.
Buying Guide
Firstly, have a quick look at Dyson's online store to check the price there is £199.99. If it is, close that window on your PC and move on over to Amazon UK,
Product information on the DC07 Origin at Amazon UK