back to article Daddy Dyson keeps it in the family and hoovers up son’s energy biz

Blighty billionaire inventor, philanthropist, and land owner Sir James Dyson has snapped his son's energy efficient lights company, Jake Dyson Products, placing Dyson Junior in pole position to take over the family biz. In an interview with the Financial Times Dyson said: “I want the business to remain a family business." He …

  1. Chris Miller

    Jake has inherited approximately 50 per cent of James Dyson's genetics

    One is reminded of George Bernard Shaw's response to an offer to father a child with a beautiful actress: "But what if he were to have your brains and my beauty?"

  2. x 7

    "El Reg also estimates Jake has inherited approximately 50 per cent of James Dyson's genetics"

    I'm sure I read somewhere that Dyson senior was investing in cloning research

  3. Richard Ball

    The emperor's new hoover

    He does well for a person who has un-invented so many perfectly good things.

    We have a vacuum cleaner that doesn't pick up visible dirt, whose flexible pipe contracts in a most annoying way, that makes a bloody racket, jams up with hair and that is now held together with gaffer tape.

    Just give me back my Hoover please.

    Salesmen have taken over the world.

    1. Dan Paul

      Re: The emperor's new hoover (HINT: He's still nekkid)

      As the saying goes, there's a sucker born every minute; (especially in a Dyson factory.)

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The emperor's new hoover

      Seriously? My old Hoover was shite, needed a bag which was a fucking pain, and was a cumbersome beast. My Dyson rips up everything, including badly tacked carpet. I fucking love it.

      1. Fungus Bob
        Coat

        Re: The emperor's new hoover

        " I fucking love it."

        As long as you don't love fucking it.....

        Mine's the one with "Oversexed Rugsuckers from Mars" in the pocket.

    3. PNGuinn
      Thumb Up

      Re: The emperor's new hoover

      Yeah, the old diecast Junior. Replace the 90 degree twist o-ring drivebelt occasionally, clean and dehair and regrease the beater drum bearings even more occasionally and the brute will go on almost forever. AND it'll get under places you couldn't get a Dyson even if you smashed it into tiny little bits. (A month's normal use?)

      The onlly upright I know that can cope with a border collie in moult.

    4. IHateWearingATie

      YMMV

      My Dyson hasn't broken which is a surprise given the amount of plaster dust, rubble and other unsuitable crap I've thrown at it over the years. always impressed with the industrial design making it easy to take apart and find the random kids coloring pencil that it has sucked up

    5. MrXavia

      Re: The emperor's new hoover

      I find the opposite, the handheld I have is great for cleaning up small messes, the upright is great for main cleaning, and when something does break, Dyson just sends replacement parts out! YES they support the customers! I know its shocking, the Dyson is repairable!!!!

      I am looking forward to seeing what they come up with for a robo hoover, my LG is pretty damned good, the only robot vacuum on the market that actually vacuums rather than sweeps! (well it was when I brought it!)

    6. Captain Scarlet

      Re: The emperor's new hoover

      "that doesn't pick up visible dirt"

      Change the filter for a few quid, problem solved

  4. wolfetone Silver badge
    Coat

    Missed point

    Could James Dyson be King then as he owns more land than the Queen?

    Imagine the ceremony. Him there on the throne, crown on head and the ball and sceptre in either hand. Then the Archbishop asking him to lift his legs up while he vacuum’s the rug with the Royal Dyson DC69 (or whatever model - it's up to them).

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I never forgave James Dyson for moving his manufacturing to the Far East after going on about how much he is supporting British industry. It hasn't made his vacuum cleaners any more affordable.

    1. Mark 85
      Facepalm

      Oh.. you thought that move would be for making products more affordable??? You forgot the profit motive... tons of profit motive.

    2. Alfie Noakes

      ...but it kept him in business, so he could keep many, many, R&D jobs in the UK, along with the IP for today and tomorrow!

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Yeah but only a mug buys brand new dysons. Get a returned model from the UK factory. If it breaks and is returned they generally send a new one out whilst the old one gets full service and parts replaced and because that's done in the UK its better than a brand new one. Grade B is the best, I had £95 knocked off the price.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Yeah but only a mug buys brand new dysons

        After 5 years of heavy use I have concluded that the best Dyson is, in fact, a Vax.

        1. Chris G

          Re: Yeah but only a mug buys brand new dysons

          The best vacuum cleaner in the world in my opinion is British made Kerstar http://www.mwcleaningsupplies.co.uk/Products/VacuumCleaners/KV45%252F1W%252FD

          One will cost you over £350 but will literally last a lifetime and is designed to be repairable. I have used them on site, wet or dry and they are almost unstoppable. A mate of mine used to sell and repair them.

        2. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

          Re: Yeah but only a mug buys brand new dysons

          Is that Vax the 11/780 or the 11/785?

          A place near me sells re-con Dysons from 95 quid. I got mine from there 10 years ago. Still going strong.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Is that Vax the 11/780 or the 11/785

            11/780 obviously, the 11/785 doesn't suck so much.

      2. Richard Ball

        Happily, that's how we came by ours. Its only redeeming fearure was that it wasnt quite do damn expensive.

  6. x 7

    you ever tried cleaning the guts of a computer with a Dyson?

    Total PITA

    1. P. Lee

      >you ever tried cleaning the guts of a computer with a Dyson?

      >Total PITA

      Stop it! you'll have noobs zapping their CPUs with 10,000v of static.

      1. x 7

        does that still happen?

        I don't think I've heard of a case in probably ten years - modern PCs seem a lot more resistant to static than the pre-pentium models.

  7. Mystic Megabyte
    Happy

    I found a Dyson DC01 in the dump with the mains lead cut off. Next to it was a Flymo with a very long lead. I can now clean my whole house without changing sockets. I've been using it for about 10 years, lots of spares to be had for free or on eBay. It's great for slurping up dog hair, a borderline collie is the culprit :)

    1. x 7

      so the flymo just chops the hair up into strands so short you can't see them?

    2. Zog_but_not_the_first
      Thumb Up

      I used a DC01 bought for sixpence to vacuum up the crumbling pointing from a patio. Still going strong.

  8. Martin 47

    I am quietly proud of the fact that I have no idea which vacuum cleaner is best.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    DC04 still going strong after 15 years...

    If you wash the filters under a tap a couple of times a year, the thing should last forever. The only problem I've had is the darling wife wrapping the cable up too tight, which split the cable sheath. I shortened the cable by two inches and yelled at the wife and it's been fine for 10 years.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "...and it's been fine for 10 years"

      I'm glad to read your wife is ok after you 'learned her'. Out of interest, how's the Dyson been?

  10. Elmer Phud

    But can a Dyson suck plaster off walls and also survive several excursions down the stairs and still be happily working witho problems?

    Henry -- cheap, powerful, possibly nuke-proof.

    1. werdsmith Silver badge

      Dyson - in upgright mode on domestic carpets it is excellent, using the attachment hose it is hopeless.

      Henry - Picking up DIY rubbish and domestic detritus it is excellent, on domestic carpets it is totally and utterly shite with the standard brushhead (which wears out domestic carpets). Even with the optional turbo-head it is a bit better but still comes up short.

      So you need both.

    2. SolidSquid

      Number of times I've seen a Henry being used in offices or by cleaning crews is ridiculous for something that's supposed to be a consumer model

      1. Tom 38

        Number of times I've seen a Henry being used in offices or by cleaning crews is ridiculous for something that's supposed to be a consumer model

        Who says Henry is supposed to be a consumer model?

  11. -tim
    Coat

    Who is keeping score?

    He gets points for making prototypes out of cardboard. The fact that his core tech is based on the same concept as a 1956 Filter Queen tech costs points. Since the old school metal one moves far more air at nearly the same pressure, the new plastic stuff isn't such a winer. Dyson also loses points for failing to certify any of their modern hepa filters. Is an H14 or U15 that hard to put in the marketing materials assuming the modern ones can even get close?

    /mines the one with the vacuum gauge in the pocket

    //and the dust in the other

  12. crayon

    "... moving his manufacturing to the Far East after going on about how much he is supporting British industry. It hasn't made his vacuum cleaners any more affordable."

    Well if it's any consolation to you, Dyson stuff costs more in the Far East than they do in the UK.

  13. hi_robb

    Just a word of warning!

    The dyson ball cleaner shouldn't be used as it's name suggests...

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