Although I don't own one, I really like them and was wondering about this history of them. From what I've seen they started making them around 1978/1979 but I'm not sure. And I'd like to know when they started making the concept II, also when did hoover stop producing this model? I'm 19 and I think I remember seeing one at K-mart when I was about 3 years old.

The Concept series came out in 1978 replacing the Dial-A-Matic as Hoover's top cleaner.
The U3101 model was the un-official 70th anniversar model.
The Concept was new from the ground up: Motor, fan, and brush roll all quite different from anything before. This was also Hoover's first really popular upright with a cord reel. There had previously been three cord reel Convertible models(2 for JCPenney and one of Hoover)
The Concept II came out in 1983, and featured the little Help Mate vacuum in its front, a hint of the on board tool craze that was yet to come.
The Concept series ran until 1992 when it was replaced by the PowerMax line.

thanks for the info, I was guessing that the concept was a replacement for the dial-a-matic too. I love the look of concept ones, especially the green ones. I wish hoover still made them.

Yes, you are right in that the Concept series replaced the Dial A Matic line in 1978. Hoover foolishly sold the clean air design to Panasonic. The Concept was a very aggressive cleaner with the all new quadraflex agitator. Many of these machines are still in use because they were so effective and so well made.

--Tom

coming from somebody who is very critical of cleaner quality and performance, i'd like to add that, IMO, the Concept/Powermax deserves to stand beside Hoover's 60-series and Convertible-series models as the best ever made. the Concept looks plastic on the outside, but is a very serious cleaner on the inside. i find almost no evidence of skimping or cost-cutting on Hoover's part in the manufacture of these models. quality and performance were obviously priorities with this design.

i had a four-amp model of Concept One, and even at this (relatively) low amperage, this machine was a powerhouse cleaner!

btw, from what ive seen in the old adverts (i was a small child when the machine was popular) the Concept was not an inexpensive machine. even the BOL model was close to two-hundred bucks, wasnt it?

do not clean carpets...a good brush and airflow do.
The Concept One had both, and it was/is an amazing performer

I just found a very nice light blue one on ebay, I put a bid on it :)

David,
When the Concept debuted in 1978 its list price was something like $279.95 for the TOL U3101. You could buy it in most stores for around $239 and on sale for about $200. The U3101 also included a set of deluxe attachments.

In the middle 80's you could buy the cheapie model U3109(tan/rust color, no cord reel or headlight) for about $180 regular price at places like Kmart and Venture.
I have some catalogs at home I can verify prices tonight.

Could you please scan them and post? If its too much of a hassle you don't have to though.

Here's my three Concepts, bottom,middle and top of the line, The green one is just like the one I talked my Grandmother into buying when they came out,It replaced her Dial-a-Matic,We wanted a blue one but all they had was green,I like the green one best now, when I got the blue MOL it had a bad fan that was melted into the housing,it had only 3.8 amps,I found a really beat up later model powerdrive model with the 7.1 amp motor and put it in the blue one,It really doesn't need the powerdrive it almost pulls itself. The tan and rust one was last Fridays thrift store find. The picture looks really distorted on my computer. Mark

The pic looks ok once it posted,the date was not set,I also got this camera,its fancier than my old one,so I'm still figuring it out. Mark

the blue one looks exactly like the one I'm bidding on, very nice. The green and rust ones look great too, I like the striped bag and the little stencil design on the front of the green one.

Thanks, The one your bidding on looks nice too,I just got the tan one and haven't cleaned or polished it,they clean up nice with Mothers Brand Polish,and others. Good luck, hope you win it. Mark

The green one is very nice. I have two blues and that's all I ever seem to see

hmmmmmmm. I guess it's gonna take me a few more years to appreciate the "beauty" of these machines.......!

Why Charles, aren't they Dysonian enough for ya LOL

They're the last of the Hoovers I like. Once the Windtunnel came out next it was game over for me.

What's the round red button on the handle for? The one that I'm bidding on has one too and I can't figure what its for.

The red button is to disable the power drive. Used for delicate rugs or to push it with the motor off.
Nicholas

thanks for the info.

I just found this 1980's hardware commercial on youtube that shows a light blue concept, thought I'd share:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjAdcfr7dN0

my blue ones have that little flourish on the front like the green one above. Note my cord rewind button on this one is blue.. on my other one it's red

the little flourish must go with the striped bag models? It also seems like only the earlier models have the flourish but I'm not sure.

Thanks for asking about this, Casey, I've learnt a lot from this tonight! Concept Ones are very rare in the UK, I only know one collector over here with any. Looks like that flourish only appeared on the Power Drives, Pete's blue C1 looks like a different model to Mark's machine.

I never knew they were held in such high regard! I've never used one, and had always assumed that they were a bit of a backward step after the ahead-of-its-time Dial-a-Matic was discontinued in North America, and all that plastique gave me the impression it was one of the first of the cheapie built Hoovers. It appears I assumed wrongly...

Are they heavy cleaners? Like DAM heavy? Hope someone gets a chance to Youtube one of theirs, I'd be fascinated to see it.

Here's a brochure page from the UK in 1981 (taken from Hooverland, hope Steven the OP doesn't mind), showing both models that were available then, along with the smaller Junior Deluxe. We also got the Green Power Drive, but no Concept Twos.

thanks for posting that, I was looking for some brouchures like that around the internet.

Simon, they are very heavy much like the Kirbys are but when locked in the upright position they are easier to tilt backwards and roll out of the closet. The Eureka self propelled on the other hand are noticeably lighter I found but do not tilt backward to roll very easily out of the closet. The old lady I got the Eureka from said it was just too heavy for her to use anymore. Lifting any of them is out of the question for most older woman

almost as heavy. actually i get the impression Hoover purposefully addressed some of the DAMs shortcomings with the Concept, like the wheels and handle strength. in this regard the Concept is an improvement over the DAM. and the lighter weight of the plastic components in the nozzle is also something of an improvement. the DAMs nozzle was IMO too heavy for a floating nozzle design.

thanks Simon for the cool image.

ok Hoover fellas, its time to open the faucet all the way. shower us with Concept literature please!

They were probably scarcer in the UK because of the price. They weren't cheap either in the US or Canada when new but they were no doubt less expensive over here. I recollect looking at some small appliances when I was over there in the 70's and was amazed at how expensive things were. Now I look at UK store websites and the prices are much more in-line with ours.

yeah, I'd definitely appreaciate if you guys kept the scans coming, especially any U.S. stuff that you have :).

Your blue one is very nice too,thats the color I wanted when we bought Grandma's green one new,but they only had green ones in stock,its a keeper,for sentimental reasons,I like it now. Hoover really fixed that wobbly handle problem they had with the DAM on the Concept,you can barely take one of these handles of if you try. Mark

Is the one you are bidding on a powerdrive model? if so the small button on the handle disengages the drive,and the larger button near the cord is the release for the cord rewind. Mark

One day my dingy blonde Aunt went to vacuum for Grandma,she had never used or maybe never seen the concept before,she thought she had to keep that button on the handle pressed in to operate the vacuum,much to here suprise,it was more work than she thought,she said,I don't know how you use that thing,it almost broke my arm trying to keep that button pushed in and pushing that heavy thing at the same time. LOL

yeah, I'm pretty sure that it is

I think only the powerdrive models had the chrome handle the others were all painted metal, could be wrong tho.
The other thing you have to watch out for when you let someone use any Hoover or Eureka is the tendency for them to try and lift or pick it up by he sliding handgrip, not so good.

the one I'm bidding on has a white painted handle.

Yes Pete, I think a C1 brochure pops up on here as POD from time to time, and mentions those big wheels!

Mark, suprised your poor aunt didn't pull a muscle! I know my DAM Power Drive is hell to push with the drive disengaged, especially on maximum suction. Physiotherapy ahoy!

I did see a C1 in the UK where the handgrip had snapped off, was that common with these? I know several European Hoover cleaners with moulded plastic handgrips suffered with them breaking off where they enter the handle shaft.

I can't speak for the Concept Ones, but in 1977 the imported DAM Power Drive cost £121 new, while the UK Senior was £77 and the Junior (the bestselling cleaner in the UK at the time) was £57. I guess the Concept One would have been even more expensive with the added complexity of the cord rewind on some versions, plus all Concept Ones were imports from the USA, so presumably the shipping costs and import duties further upped the price.

Incidentally, in the Which? report where I found those prices, one of the cheapest uprights at £37 was the McDonald Super, which is basically an Oreck. How times change!

The Concept One was only sold for a very short period over here. A 1979 brochure I've seen still has DAMs, the C1 features in the 1981 brochure I posted the image from, but then they vanish by 1983, when the Turbopower (Sovereign) range was introduced. After that, the only large Hoover upright in the UK was the Powerplus (ie Decade 80 equivalent) until the introduction of the Turbomaster (Innovation) circa 1990.

Si

The Concept sold here from 1978-1992. The deluxe U3101 was the unofficial 70th anniversary cleaner, and was heavily advertised.
My own opinion is the first Concept series(1978-82 models U3103, U3103, U4201 and U4203) were the best of the bunch as far as quality is concerned.
My favorite Concept One is the U3305 in grey, always liked that model, even bought one brand new.
One thing I never liked though was the damn needle bearing on the belt side of the motor, that made the Concept very LOUD, and it only got worse with use. I don't know why they didn't do a ball bearing instead, it would have made them much smoother and quieter!

I have two of the green power drive model with the striped bag, but somehow, I've always preferred the clean air design of the Dial-A-Matic. To me, they really cheapened the machine when they made the base of the Concept One out of plastic. Nothing would make me happier then to see Hoover revive the Dial-A-Matic, as they did with the Constellation. But with TTI at the helm, it's anyone's guess what they're gonna do. I agree with Petek, while it was one of the last U.S. made machines, the Windtunnel was a bomb.

i do agree Hoover would have done best by refining the DAM design rather than introducing an all new fan first machine.
but as it is, IMO, the DAM is just too flawed to compare favorably to the Concept. and considering that Hoover considered the cord reel an important feature of the Concept series, i think they had no choice but to use plastic in the nozzle. imagine the weight of a cord reel/power drive Concept with a metal nozzle!

and about the Windtunnel, sure it is an inelegant machine. i never liked their look, but its very effective and is more durable than other machines. it may not compare favorably to vintage machines, but i would hardly consider the Windtunnel a poor machine.

Well, you're over 21, and certainly entitled to your opinion. I have a Windtunnel, and IMHO, it's heavy, clunky and doesn't clean any better than alot of other vacs out there. Not to mention the fact that they are a pain to service, especially with the dirt sensor.

thanks for all the info everyone. just bumping to keep the thread going.

I checked a website to convert those old 70's prices into 2006 prices and it's quite interesting
That $239 (1978) Concept would be the equivalant $738 (2006)

The 1977 UK Powerdrive DAM at 121 pounds = 519 pounds (2006)

I was thinking that they would have been pretty expensive back then.

Swiveltop, I have that exact same Concept One, a U3105. AWESOME machine, 2 speeds, Power Drive, and cord reel. Runs beautifully and cleans great of course. The funny thing is I also have a BOL U3109 from September of '91 (judging by the serial #), 1 speed, no headlight or cord reel, and it's LOUD! Noisy and vibrates just like a plastic-base Convertible, far cry from the U3105.

Si, I find that the Power Drive Concepts weigh slightly less than the equivalent DAMs.

I agree with Karl on the WindTunnels. Well intentioned, but came out as crap to the 10th power, IMO. Very cheaply made and noisy. The $49 Nano Lite is better than those. I have yet to see a WindTunnel 2, but it looks like a kludgy monstrosity. That and the fact that the bagless WT2 has that damn "self-cleaning" filter that clogs FAST...why couldn't they put the cyclonic Fusion/Mach 5/etc. guts in that one?

Any chance of a link to the conversion site?? :)

Seamus

Yes, it's called Measuring Worth and it works as you'll see for UK and US dollars up to 2006, you can choose various methods, consumer price indexes, Values etc.

In 1963 the 1334A Hoover Junior was advertised at £27/17/6(£27.87)

In todays £s thats £403.15- or $800 odd!!!

No wonder they dont make em like they used to !!!

Seamus

In 1977 My U6033 Powerdrive was £109.99

Thats £472.19 or $940ish

Could Hoover sell a TOL model for that now??

LOL!!

Its not vac related but as a lot of ppl here have a crossover interest in washers its kinda relevant..

In 1961 a 3224 Hoover Keymatic was £120 give or take......

Thats- wait for it!!!!!!

£1845.10!!!!!

So about $3600!!!!

Can you guess why you had to be rolling in it to have one lol!!

Seamus

Hi, Does the wintunnel have the same motor as the twin chamber bagless?,these bagless vacuums are really messy,I took the motor out of mine and put it in my Elite that had a bad motor,the twin chamber bagless was one someone put out to the curb,it was all clogged up and dirty,but the motor was still good,I didn't want to clean it either,so I decided to part it,and when I took the handle off I noticed it had the same motor as the Elite,but was 12 amps.,here's the the twin chamber base and the old Elite motor.

Heres the Elite all fixed up exept I lost the headlight lens,it's in the garage somewhere, anyway I got this one several years ago and thought it was a really cheap disposable vacuum,so when my brother needed a vacuum this was the only one I would part with,well recently it came back with a broken fan and housing and the same bag that was in it,solid as a brick,so now it has 12 amps instead of 5 and it pulls the carpet up and really grooms it.I think these are still better than any of the new Hoover uprights. Ok back to the Concept topic. Mark

That's a nice early Elite. Never seen one quite like it. As a matter of fact, now that I'm actually looking for them at yard sales and flea markets, I don't see many of the early Elites at all. Speaking of Elites and Type "A" bags, did the type "A" bag originate in 1978 for the Concept series? I've seen lots of later Convertibles that take Type "A" bags, and was wondering if any pre-dated the Concept 1?

well, I just found one at the junk store this weekend. if someone else here is interested, theres one one ebay:
item # 160169097298

Okay, but that's a Concept I. In fact, I see a few of them on eBay now. How about some early Elites?

early Elites are not too common on eBay. i see them kinda often at thrift stores.

btw, the type A MAY have debuted one or two years before the Concept. remember, the first type A Converibles (the "Elite" models) had a slide on bag holder. think the Concepts all had a push-on fill-tube. didnt the "Convertible Elite" appear in 77? 76?

All this talk about Concept I's has prompted me to bring my green and white U3105 out of storage, and put it back into use. Having sat for 11 years, it needs new belts, new bulbs, and one of the power drive wheels is loose. Can anyone tell me the production dates of this cleaner? Mine is serial number 00127733. Thanks.

I just obtained a Hoover Concept One from a vac dealer out my way-it was traded in towards a new Meile canister.I bought it for 20 bucks-was a TOL model-burgandy in color-the machine didn't run and had a broken roller brush belt.I took the machine aprt reconnected the inner power connectors-now it runs-will have to get a belt for it.the power drive works OK.The machine also has a "power Surge" button along with the power switch on the handle.for my 20 bucks the motor runs smoothly and the Power surge works.I feel these were the last of the good machines Hoover built.I do like the Convertibles better.when I get a new brush belt-will comment more.

Does anyone have that picture from when the concept was the vacuum of the day here? It was just a few days ago and I forgot to save it.

pod

I just noticed. The brown one is less deluxe, minus the chrome handle and cord reel. It has hooks on the handle for the cord which is conventiently missing for the photo op.

Until a few weeks back I was a Power Drive virgin. There were no relatives with uprights in my family. This is Pete's 2nd U3101 that he sent back with me...so he would have room for more foundling uprights, as we see. :-)

Anyway, I am just luving this Hoover. Tonight I am taking down the shelf unit here in the Computer room and putting up the new one. There's simply no other place to put it right now until I do a major furniture shiftaround. I do so want to see all the cylinders lined up like Weapons of Mess Dustruction...and hoses hung by the chimney with care...

Pete, remember how you thought the vac was behaving oddly? Well, as usual I had to take it all apart last night to see how it works - engineering minds need to know. Amazing! So simple and rugged.

The two bolts holding the right side of the powerdrive transmission in place to the side frame had fallen out from vibration probably, causing the right tractor wheel to rub against the fan casing. Replaced them from the self threading screw jar and now the vac skitters across the rug easily and leaves such a nice path. On a smooth floor it literally tugs me along like a large dog. The edge brush got all the Kitty Litter crumbs against the baseboard in the pantry. No more stooping with the whisk. LOL

Thank you so much for this. I'm calling it my bionic arm vac, its so powerful. Really a hoot to drive around. Its an All Terrain vacuum.

Last of the great Hoovers they are imho and downright fun too.
And they look nice. In fact I think when they stuck that minivac on front for the Concept Two they uglified it somewhat.

How do you feel about the Concept's final incarnation - the PowerMax? I just noticed on mine they blocked off the speed indicator which the Concept II had. Also, by this point, the transmission housing was made of plastic, and made in Mexico - a sign of things to come.... :-(

Got belts for my Concept-It now works well.Still like the Convertibles better.They are more refined.I do use the Concept on occasion.Good to have one in the collection.Don't care for its all plastic construcion-kinda flimsy.

Jeff made an interesting observation of the docked hand vac having foreshadowed onboard tools. I was in grade school when they debuted, but my first awareness of an upright with integrated hose and tools was the Regina Housekeeper that follwed the Hoover a couple years later. Is that accurate?

The Concept II(1983)kinda sorta was a prelude to onboard tools, in that Hoover advertised it as being a "self contained" machine. The Help-Mate that rode along in the cleaner's front could be fitted with a dust brush or crevice tool, so you could technically do above-the-floor cleaning, and not need the seperate attachment set. I don't know that I'd want a Help-mate to clean dog hair off the couch(a Concept's tool suction was not all that great either)
The Regina Housekeeper was the first upright with on-board tools, that was 1986, and the course of floor care was changed forever.
Prior to the Housekeeper, I know of only two uprights that you could vacuum carpets with and still have the hose attached. One was the Hoover Dial-A-Matic, the other was the GE/Premier soft bag uprght.

I've heard there was a commercial version of the Hoover Concept, with an orange bag, does anybody have pictures of one? A friend told me about it and I was wondering.

what a great phrase, Dave! I think I'm going to have to start using that!

On the subject of onboard tools, I believe Jack's site has a 1930s Hoover patent for just that! It's a shame it never made it to the market then, as after having a go on my mum's Dyson Dc07 (the shame!), I have to admit that they're a lot less hassle than even the easiest to fit tools.

Si

yes there was one, called "Commercial Power Drive" I have one, I'll try to post pictures tonight

I never knew such a machine existed. Too bad Hoover never produced a commercial version of the Dial-A-Matic. Could we see some photos of the Concept Commercial? Thanks.

My grandmother purchased the blue Concept I. If I am remembering correctly it came with the deluxe tool set. Does anyone else think they were very very loud? I kept her machine but never use it because it is so loud and always smells like dust. I thought it cleaned the carpets almost too aggressively. The tools were hard to connect. I guess my age is showing but my mother has (and is still using) a Hoover dail-a-matic powedrive and it seems so much more refined. It has enclosed bag,much quieter,has more tool suction and a storage bag for the deluxe tools. The Concept was the first Hoover that to me didn't sound like a Hoover. Does anyone remember,I think the Concept came in a very strange triangular box? The tools are still in the their box and it is triangular shaped too. Were all Concepts loud or was just our blue 3101 loud?

I don't recall there ever being a tool set for the Concept One, where would they connect?

A convertor surely? that would fit over the roller brush.

Yeah, that wasn't a very good system at all. Compared to how easy it was to attach the hose to the Dial-A-Matic, I think Hoover took a step back with the Concept line. And yes, they are noiser than the DAM, as the DAM was an all-enclosed design. Now that I've put my U3105 back into regular use, I can hear the difference. Of all the Hoover uprights, I tend to like the non power-drive Dial-A-Matics the best. The transmission makes them just too heavy.

does anyone know when exactly the u4205 was made? I have the one with the avacado green bag and handle. From what I've seen it was between 1978 and sometime in the '80s but I'm not sure.

Here it is, only one I know if in a collection too.

hood detail

triple layer bag system too

I have always been under the impression that you were either supposed to use either the cloth or inner paper bag, not both.

Jeff, you are truly one of the biggest Hoover experts I've ever encountered. I am in complete awe of your beautiful collection and extensive knowledge.

Missed this one... interesting.

I suppose using both would give you that extra bit of filtration ;p

Which is always good I guess.

I have both in there to keep the cloth bag clean.

I noticed this yesterday on our local Craigslist:

from the middle-late 80's. It was the basic no frills powerdrive model, about $180 new.
In the last two weeks I have seen two of those in the junk stores.