What Cool or Good value items DON'T come from China ?

My dear wife.
Conceived and manufactured in Anaheim California.

:green:

[quote author="Echo North"][quote author="SSLtech"]Dyson airblade.[/quote]

Have you used this beast Keith? I'm a little confused by it...is it supposed to be a commercial or residential product?[/quote]
It can be either, though it's conceived to be commercial. It'd probably be rather noisy for home use.

I discovered it on a recent trip to England, and my first impression was that it dried your hands faster than either paper towels OR (much) faster than the standard evaporation-style hot-air drier, also MUCH better than a hot-air drier, but perhaps still not quite as well as paper towels.

The first time I saw it, (walking into a bathroom at Debenhams) I thought it was a pull-down baby-changing table. -Only after I had washed my hands and looked around for something resembling either a paper towel dispenser or a hot-air drier, was I forced to confront the beast, and discover what it really was...

-Once I got back to work, I revised my opinion: -I actually carefully considered just HOW dry paper towels get your hands, and realised that they're ALWAYS still slightly damp afterwards, (just nowhere near unsatisfactorily damp as with evaporation driers) and I realised that the airblade is actually faster AND better than both paper towels AND hot-air evaporation driers.

there are a couple of Youtube videos of it out there, including a 'fan interview' with the inventor.

-It truly is fantastic; -That Dyson bloke is an extraordinarily clever bugger!

Keith

I noticed that the Dyson Vacuums give mediocre results in the Consumer Reports test regimen. Kenmore, Eureka, Riccar, and Hoover fare better, and for less money. One of the better testing Hoovers is only $70.

-See that's just plain wierd...

I didn't want to spend the money until I tried one...

Damn thing made a believer outta me!!! -Just about murdered our $100 hoover...

Keith

Definitely odd.

Our environment is pretty extreme...3 cats and 1 large dog...we've seen some vacuum cleaners die, fail or just not work. The Dyson has been a champ for 4 years now.

Mike

Chippewa boots U.S.A

I wear them and nothing else when I solder

http://www.llbean.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?page=katahdin-iron-works-engineer-boots&categoryId=49464&storeId=1&catalogId=1&langId=-1&parentCategory=503393&cat4=503383&shop_method=pp&feat=503383-sub2&np=Y

[quote author="Emperor-TK"]I noticed that the Dyson Vacuums give mediocre results in the Consumer Reports test regimen. Kenmore, Eureka, Riccar, and Hoover fare better, and for less money. One of the better testing Hoovers is only $70.[/quote]

I saw that Consumer Reports rating. I bought said Hoover (Best Buy). It sucked (or didn't suck as the case may be) after one year of service. When I called them to have it fixed, with shipping it would have cost me like $125 to have it looked over and likely replaced with a refurb unit. I decided that it wasn't worth saving my $70 vacuum that never worked all that great to begin with.

I bought my Dyson Factory Reconditioned from Amazon for $279. That price break makes it actually cheaper than the higher rated models, and like I said, I don't how they are testing these things over there, but there is NO POSSIBLE WAY that Hoover even comes close to the carpet performance that this thing has.

I also appreciate elegance in design. It's lighter than the others on the list. I really like the fact that I can empty the chamber without actually having to put my hand in any of the dust and dander and crap that's inside. The way the extension hose works is pure genius. The attachments actually HELP not hinder. I also feel like it's built very well (ABS impact resistant vs the hoover plastic crapola). I know it's weird to feel so strongly about one's vacuum but this is a truly inspired piece of machinery.

That said, tho... Consumer Reports in all other regards is one thing that China will never produce. I live up the street from their headquarters and their annual open house is quite impressive. I'll find out when the next one is and I'll be sure to post it here.

I'll also be sure to attend the vacuum seminar next time, believe you me.

[quote author="mushy"] I know it's weird to feel so strongly about one's vacuum[/quote]

LOL. I'm there with you.

Mike

I just looked online to see if they listed any of their testing methods, but I couldn't find any. However, I did notice that most of the user ratings put the Dyson higher than the others that CR listed above the Dyson.

I guess CR can't be spot on every time.

Does anyone in the US remember door-to-door vacuum salesmen? We had one come to our house when I was a kid. When my mom opened the door, he threw a dirtball onto our entry-way carpet and then asked her to clean it up with her vacuum. She made him vacuum it up with his vacuum and then kicked his ass to the curb. I can't imagine that approach actually working on anyone.

-Chris

[quote author="Emperor-TK"]
Does anyone in the US remember door-to-door vacuum salesmen? We had one come to our house when I was a kid. When my mom opened the door, he threw a dirtball onto our entry-way carpet and then asked her to clean it up with her vacuum. She made him vacuum it up with his vacuum and then kicked his ass to the curb. I can't imagine that approach actually working on anyone.

-Chris[/quote]

Holy crap would I be pissed! That guy would have had a boot so far up his arse. No wonder why you don't see those guys anymore.
They do exist still. My friend was unemployed a few years back and had a go at doing that for about a week. I was so laughing at all his sad attempt stories. Lol

[quote author="abby normal"]
They do exist still. My friend was unemployed a few years back and had a go at doing that for about a week.[/quote]

Wow! I would have thought they'd gone the way of the door-to-door encyclopedia sales man.

Mike

Yup,, I remember the vacuum cleaner sales spiel.. Our guy vacuumed up several years worth of dead skin cells from a mattress. A pretty impressive demo since nobody I know vacuums their mattress. :roll: As I recall he didn't close the sale, but my mom let him clean the house until he lost interest.

JR

[quote author="JohnRoberts"] As I recall he didn't close the sale, but my mom let him clean the house until he lost interest.

JR[/quote]

That's SO female !!!!