I have a new wand… it’s magic!
Well, actually, it’s not brand new, just new to me, and the magic thing is that it’s so easy to find such things via the internet these days. Say what you will about the challenges of using ebay, it is a great way to access people who sell useful things secondhand, in particular to source secondhand spares from breakers.
Cracked!
The other day, whilst Mr Snail was doing the vacuuming, yet another part of our Dyson broke… the wand this time. Sadly, it wasn’t in a place where a repair was feasible. The model we own is so old (it’s an original DC01), that not all spares are available now (as, for example when the base plate cracked). In the case of the part we needed this time, you can get new replacements (no not from Ollivander’s, but from proper, expensive spares suppliers) but you can also get them from breakers for (as it turns out) a third of the cost.
So, Mr Snail got searching and ordered. The place it came from felt it necessary to explain that the items they sell may be scuffed and could be dirty and not to complain if they are, but we were happy with that, just as long the wand really did come from an old Dyson that was no longer working. In fact, when it arrived (very promptly) the part was only very slightly scuffed and had hardly dirt on it at all (we will soon rectify that). And best of all it was fitted easily.
So, that’s one more thing that we’ve done for Zero Waste Week – bought secondhand so that we could continue to use an existing appliance rather than bin the whole thing and buy a new one. What shall I do tomorrow, I wonder?
-oOo-
Just in case you’re wondering about the title, see here
The Snail of Happiness 
nanacathy2
/ September 3, 2014Oh how I miss my ancient Dyson, repaired numerous times using bits found at car boot sales, until it got beyond repair. Well done on keeping yours going, the EU directive has impacted hard on Dyson cleaners. I look forward to what you do tomorrow. I shall be distributing surplus plums around the neighborhood.
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ September 4, 2014We really don’t want to have to replace it and, currently, it’s only bits of plastic that are cracking. In the days when we bought it, it was a big purchase, but t has been worth every penny. I know that it was bought before 1999, but I’m not sure when… in those days they were making them in the UK.
LikeLike
katechiconi
/ September 4, 2014I had to leave my Dyson behind when I emigrated – it was just too hard to get all the dust and stuff out of it in order to satisfy the Australian Quarantine guys, who insist on sparkling perfection… It went to a good home, but I miss it! And here they are iniquitously expensive.
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ September 4, 2014I gather the new ones are not as good as the originals… I just hope we can keep it functioning for a good while yet.
LikeLike
davidprosser
/ September 4, 2014I live on ebay. It makes so much sense to look there for things before hitting the shops for new parts. With the Dyson being banned in future you’ll have to keep the old one going until James Dyson comes up with a good one working with a less powerful motor.
Well done on getting what you need.
xxx Massive Hugs xxx
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ September 4, 2014I’m sure James Dyson will be on the case, but let’s hope we don’t need a new one for a good few years yet
xxx
LikeLike
cambridgearomatherapy
/ September 4, 2014Our machine predates Dyson lol.
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ September 4, 2014Wow – now that is an achievement. We bought our Dyson when its predecessor became just too expensive to repair again. It is not a choice that we have regretted.
LikeLike
Nice piece of work
/ September 4, 2014Didn’t wonder about the title at all !!!
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ September 4, 2014It was originally called ‘abracadabra’, but then I decided to modernise!
LikeLike
Nice piece of work
/ September 4, 2014My daughter was 4 when Harry Potter hit the scene, so our timing was spot on 🙂
LikeLike
nataliec1603
/ September 4, 2014I bought my first dyson for £30 as a refurb from eBay! When it started making loud cracking noises (after about a year) I called the guy who I bought it from, who then asked me to hold my phone up to the dyson whilst it was making the noise! He told me what the problem was, what to buy to fix it and how much it is on eBay! So I even saved on any diagnostic bills!
I am a big fan of both eBay and dyson 💕
LikeLike
The Snail of Happiness
/ September 4, 2014Great story… and what an amazing diagnostician!
LikeLike
narf77
/ September 6, 2014We still have our original dyson and love it. I must admit that I only use it on very rare occasions as we pulled up most of the carpets when we moved in and all of the tiles and went back to the hardwood floor and I spend my days sweeping…sweeping…SWEEPING in order to cope with all of that detrius but my sweeping is exercise without the electricity so not only will the dyson live longer, but so will I! 😉
LikeLike
katythenightowl
/ September 7, 2014We made do with whatever second-hand hoover we could get, until we bought our first, brand new, Dyson in 2001 – the DC07!
We’re still using the same machine, as noisy as it is, but do hope to keep it going for many more years to come 🙂
But I most definitely have to give a ‘hats off’ to anyone who has kept the original DC01 going strong this long 🙂
LikeLike