I bought the 10" model the last time it was on Woot. I was skeptical when these came out but I actually tried one in a store and was impressed. BUt like most people, I thought it was way too expensive so when Woot had the 10" model for $169, I grabbed it (sadly, Amazon had a one day sale where it was only $129 just a week after!!!).
Well, I'm duly impressed and it actually surpassed my expectations. It has replaced my Vornado as my daily fan. I base this opinion on performance only and not on aesthetics or the Dyson name. Here are some points:
- I never considered "buffeting" a problem but the smooth air transfer of this Dyson really does make a difference. It's more "natural," i.e. like the wind.
- The aerodynamics that Dyson claims are true, and that's what amazed me most. It really does multiply the air flow -- A LOT. If you take off the multiplier ring and just rely on the small-bladed fan in the base, you could hardly feel any air movement about a yard away. Even on high, the thrust is weak. Yet with the ring, I can feel the air about 10' away. And the dispersion is rather wide.
More proof of the multiplying aerodynamics can be seen simply by putting a strip of paper in back, within the perimeter of the ring. You can see it being pulled forward despite there not being any blades parallel to the air current. That proves that air movement is multiplied beyond what is coming out of the holes in the ring (from the base fan).
Yet more proof can be seen if you put a strip of paper outside the ring. It too will be pulled forward, albeit not as vigorously as the strip inside the ring.
The addition of air movement inside and outside the ring is why Dyson calls this an air multiplier. This is more efficient than normal fans, where the only air movement is what is directly moved by the blades.
- the above means that this Dyson is more energy efficient than a normal fan
- The oscillation is very smooth, mostly because it's so light. Normal oscillating fans use gears to move a very heavy head (where the motor resides). That not only requires a lot of energy (torque) but the gears break easily. Because the Dyson's motor is on hte base, the only thing it needs to oscillate is the very light hollow ring. That means most of the energy is used the base fan, and very little energy is used for oscillation.
- It's extremely light and can be easily moved from room to room. I can lift the 10" model with my pinky. This floor model is obviously heavier.
- Cleaning is much easier. No need to disassemble grilles and blades. You can simply wipe the ring and base with some mild detergent. I will say that the air holes in the base are getting somewhat grimy and clogged with dust,
- The ring twists off easily making storage simple. I can easily put the 10" model beneath my bed,
- Placement is easy. I sometime place it on its side on my bed.
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BIGGEST NEGATIVE:
- It's nosier than a normal fan
- You also can't mountit on a wall.
