Dyson Refurbishing, Is it worth it for the money

[Elgin]

I would never try to make a business out of it sadly, as much as I would like to. I make some cash doing it, but man maths does help explain the figures. Plus I can do it at home, so no cost to run it.

Being picky with machines helps, I don't buy job lots anymore, just the odd £10 machine that needs new filters and a full stripdown and refurb, then sell it for £60. Even then if I charged for my time it would never work out, but I write that part off as 'enjoyment' and everyone's happy!

Yeah we gonna get the couple 10 pound ones that pop up round the corner that needs a clutch turning on and its fixed! loads of them near us., Quick assesment, full stripdown, then rebuild with decent parts and sell on for a couple pounds

[MVacs]

I would never try to make a business out of it sadly, as much as I would like to. I make some cash doing it, but man maths does help explain the figures. Plus I can do it at home, so no cost to run it.

Being picky with machines helps, I don't buy job lots anymore, just the odd £10 machine that needs new filters and a full stripdown and refurb, then sell it for £60. Even then if I charged for my time it would never work out, but I write that part off as 'enjoyment' and everyone's happy!

You are as meticulous as we are - if not more so. Most people do the bare minimum.

[GeorgeJ]

I find this conversation amusing.  I'm in the USA and have recently gotten into restoring them (only worked on a few), but I know darn well it's not something I could make a living off of.  My max spend to pick up a decent unit would be about $30USD (perhaps $40 for a good quality DC14).  I'll put in new belts, new bearings in the beater bar, replace any filters which need it and do a full disassembly/washing.  I can't get much more than $100 for a flip, so the $/hr winds up being significantly lower than my day job...  but, I find it fun.

My latest project is a $25USD DC33 which the previous owners apparently used to vacuum up dog-urine-soaked carpet deodorizer.  LOTS of washing (3 hours of scrubbing) and soaking the internal hose in oxyclean and vinegar to get the odor out, new belts and new bearings and I have a machine which looks brand new.  Tonight I wash the fan and the main body.

But yes, the parts are getting expensive.  If someone has one for sale with a dead motor or broken bin, I'll offer them $10 for the parts donor.  Anything more and they can keep it.

[GeorgeJ]

I would never try to make a business out of it sadly, as much as I would like to. I make some cash doing it, but man maths does help explain the figures. Plus I can do it at home, so no cost to run it.

Being picky with machines helps, I don't buy job lots anymore, just the odd £10 machine that needs new filters and a full stripdown and refurb, then sell it for £60. Even then if I charged for my time it would never work out, but I write that part off as 'enjoyment' and everyone's happy!

You are as meticulous as we are - if not more so. Most people do the bare minimum.

Because I do this relatively infrequently, I try to do the best job I reasonably can...  I have to assume I'll be stuck with the vacuum for myself 

[Elgin]

I would never try to make a business out of it sadly, as much as I would like to. I make some cash doing it, but man maths does help explain the figures. Plus I can do it at home, so no cost to run it.

Being picky with machines helps, I don't buy job lots anymore, just the odd £10 machine that needs new filters and a full stripdown and refurb, then sell it for £60. Even then if I charged for my time it would never work out, but I write that part off as 'enjoyment' and everyone's happy!

You are as meticulous as we are - if not more so. Most people do the bare minimum.

Because I do this relatively infrequently, I try to do the best job I reasonably can...  I have to assume I'll be stuck with the vacuum for myself 

wether or not you keep it shouldn't really make  a difference to the quality you refurbish the machine to

[beko1987]

I always think that if the person who buys one of my machibes/brings it in for a refurb is undercover for watchdog or summat. What if I don't replace the slightly worn but generally ok clutch belts and they make a thing about it? What if they spot the bit of dirt I miss?

Plus my no questions asked about them breaking helps. If a machine I've bought for a fiver blows its motor up a month later, I just buy and fit a new one, never had an issue, and it helps build a good reputation

[GeorgeJ]

I would never try to make a business out of it sadly, as much as I would like to. I make some cash doing it, but man maths does help explain the figures. Plus I can do it at home, so no cost to run it.

Being picky with machines helps, I don't buy job lots anymore, just the odd £10 machine that needs new filters and a full stripdown and refurb, then sell it for £60. Even then if I charged for my time it would never work out, but I write that part off as 'enjoyment' and everyone's happy!

You are as meticulous as we are - if not more so. Most people do the bare minimum.

Because I do this relatively infrequently, I try to do the best job I reasonably can...  I have to assume I'll be stuck with the vacuum for myself 

wether or not you keep it shouldn't really make  a difference to the quality you refurbish the machine to

I agree.  There is a difference between "repair" and "refurbish".   I find it more fun and rewarding to do a full disassembly, cleaning and replacing everything shoddy.  Anyone can just slap in new belts.

[GeorgeJ]

I would never try to make a business out of it sadly, as much as I would like to. I make some cash doing it, but man maths does help explain the figures. Plus I can do it at home, so no cost to run it.

Being picky with machines helps, I don't buy job lots anymore, just the odd £10 machine that needs new filters and a full stripdown and refurb, then sell it for £60. Even then if I charged for my time it would never work out, but I write that part off as 'enjoyment' and everyone's happy!

You are as meticulous as we are - if not more so. Most people do the bare minimum.

Because I do this relatively infrequently, I try to do the best job I reasonably can...  I have to assume I'll be stuck with the vacuum for myself 

wether or not you keep it shouldn't really make  a difference to the quality you refurbish the machine to

I agree.  There is a difference between "repair" and "refurbish".   I find it more fun and rewarding to do a full disassembly, cleaning and replacing everything shoddy.  Anyone can just slap in new belts.

The belts are also rather cheap.  I just bought a set on Amazon for $4.50USD (Here's to hoping they aren't trash.. but I'm giving it to my brother in law, so he can deal with it if they shred in 6 months!  ).  It would be silly not to replace them when you're pulling it apart, anyway.

[Elgin]

I would never try to make a business out of it sadly, as much as I would like to. I make some cash doing it, but man maths does help explain the figures. Plus I can do it at home, so no cost to run it.

Being picky with machines helps, I don't buy job lots anymore, just the odd £10 machine that needs new filters and a full stripdown and refurb, then sell it for £60. Even then if I charged for my time it would never work out, but I write that part off as 'enjoyment' and everyone's happy!

You are as meticulous as we are - if not more so. Most people do the bare minimum.

Because I do this relatively infrequently, I try to do the best job I reasonably can...  I have to assume I'll be stuck with the vacuum for myself 

wether or not you keep it shouldn't really make  a difference to the quality you refurbish the machine to

I agree.  There is a difference between "repair" and "refurbish".   I find it more fun and rewarding to do a full disassembly, cleaning and replacing everything shoddy.  Anyone can just slap in new belts.

The belts are also rather cheap.  I just bought a set on Amazon for $4.50USD (Here's to hoping they aren't trash.. but I'm giving it to my brother in law, so he can deal with it if they shred in 6 months!  ).  It would be silly not to replace them when you're pulling it apart, anyway.

Back in 200* before we hit the 201's we were always buying belts since someone under the name of Elgin kept hoovering socks when they were 4 with the silver and lime DC04, belts were good, I even replaced them myself at about 6 and if I remember they were about £1.60 for a 2Pc pack. I also remembering when Dad had enough of the old DC07 Animal and that noisy clutch every time he hoovered because of our "Bodge job duct taped carpet" so he went outside at about 7:30PM smashed the clutch to pieces to remove the belt and stuck is on the non clutched 04, and guess what, of course it snapped straight away because A) the brushroll housing was bent B) the belt was too tight because it was a clutch belt instead of the normal larger fan belt

[RustySkull]

There are too many stupid and fussy people about, it was those who made me close my iPhone and computer repair company as they were moany and just wouldn't go away.
I now enjoy the quiet life driving plant, but that's beside the point... My point is too many people aren't like they were years ago and they want to moan about stuff, they will pick anything to complain, because people love to complain.
This will kill any company that isn't already big, Sir MVacs can deal with this issue because his company is already big and it can deal with a few moany people, where as a new company needs every single good word, and if one or two people spreads a bad word it'll kill it.

No matter how well you do the job and even if your work is 100% perfect, people will complain and want more, that's because they are all fools in today's society so my advice is to find a job he enjoys and just do that... Don't own your own company if you want a quiet life.

[ryevac]

Not worth it if the motor, filters and cable all required for example.
I buy 14's in complete for £6 ish but with knackered motors, refurbing these is ok, but selling to customers who's vac's are beyond ecenomic repair eg, vax or zanussi's. I also intend to have at least a couple to use as loan vacs for commercial customers.

[Elgin]

There are too many stupid and fussy people about, it was those who made me close my iPhone and computer repair company as they were moany and just wouldn't go away.
I now enjoy the quiet life driving plant, but that's beside the point... My point is too many people aren't like they were years ago and they want to moan about stuff, they will pick anything to complain, because people love to complain.
This will kill any company that isn't already big, Sir MVacs can deal with this issue because his company is already big and it can deal with a few moany people, where as a new company needs every single good word, and if one or two people spreads a bad word it'll kill it.

No matter how well you do the job and even if your work is 100% perfect, people will complain and want more, that's because they are all fools in today's society so my advice is to find a job he enjoys and just do that... Don't own your own company if you want a quiet life.

You drive plants???????

[MVacs]

Not worth it if the motor, filters and cable all required for example.

We routinely replace motors and very often cables. People will pay proper money for a machine that is done right. Our recon DC14s in the shop are £115. They need to be that for the work that goes into them. They represent good value at that IMO.

[Elgin]

Not worth it if the motor, filters and cable all required for example.

We routinely replace motors and very often cables. People will pay proper money for a machine that is done right. Our recon DC14s in the shop are £115. They need to be that for the work that goes into them. They represent good value at that IMO.

Well I got a DC33 in to sell on - but it may be a scrap for donor since the max I can spend on it is 20 quid (I dont have too much money thus why I refurbish dysons) and it needs a new motor, filters and clutch.... May just buy a new motor for the 33, keep it for myself and sell the 07? Depends on if I can get the clutch working and clutch convert my 07 origin and then non-clutch convert the 33 since I prefer the DC33 but I want a non-clutched for the big jobs since they work better on carpets

[Elgin]

Not worth it if the motor, filters and cable all required for example.

We routinely replace motors and very often cables. People will pay proper money for a machine that is done right. Our recon DC14s in the shop are £115. They need to be that for the work that goes into them. They represent good value at that IMO.

Do you make sure its a genuine plug when you sell the machine? I had a DC14 that I sold to my nan, the plugs pins were slightly damaged so didn't fit in right so since the cable was ok I just chopped the plug and lobbed on a random white one I had - I only gave it to my nan but since its going out to one of the public do you think it should have a proper plug or not matter?