The dolly won't roll, or comes apart on its own

This is the cheapest page of the lot: the three parts that make up the dolly cost 51,80 € together, and they fit without special tools. It is worth putting right straight away, and not only for convenience — a machine that won't roll gets dragged by the hose, and the hose comes away from its end fitting. A broken dolly is the number one cause of broken hoses.

1. The wheels

Two things happen over the years. Hair winds around the pin until the wheel stops turning and starts to skid — from then on it wears on one side only and goes flat, and the machine limps and marks the floor. Or the wheel splits at the hub.

Turn the machine over and spin them one by one with a finger. Any that don't spin freely, or that turn in fits, are due. They are sold singly, but if one is worn the others have covered the same ground: you may as well take more than one in a single shipment.

2. The pedal

This is the part that releases the body from the base. When it breaks it does one of two opposite things: either the body releases on its own while you are dragging the machine, or it won't release at all and you have to force it. Either way, it is the pedal.

3. The base

The base usually cracks in one of two ways: lifting the machine by the body while the base is still clipped on, or letting it drop off a step under its own weight. The crack starts from the mountings. If the base is cracked the pedal no longer finds its stop, and changing the pedal alone solves nothing.

In what order

If the machine doesn't roll properly, wheels. If it releases, or won't release, pedal. If you have already changed the pedal and the problem comes back, look at the base: it was the base all along.

Not sure which one it is

Photograph the dolly turned over, with the pedal clearly in view, and send it to us on WhatsApp.