I just noticed ,,,

Scenario:

If you (or anyone) or I decided to move somewhere else...

...different State, Province or Country; does that in & of itself change us?

Vacuums by Kirby/Scott & Fetzer have been built at the same location in Cleveland for 91 years. They have not relocated; expanded yes, including Andrews, Texas.

As I mentioned prior, a lot of the issues involve the vendors. The 3M� company who makes the Filtrete furnace filters moved. You don't just 'disown' the product or feature if you're not able to secure a 'local' source, do you?

Another scenario:

If you or I had children & 'they' decided to move somewhere else... (We won't discuss why they desperately moved away. Hmmm... ~~lol~~)

...different State, Province or Country; do 'they' get disowned because 'they' are not 'local' anymore? (I did say local, not loco!!! ~~lol~~)

Sometimes 'things' just happen. As long as the 'kids' maintain their good upbringing where 'they' live; it's much the same in that, as long as Kirby holds these vendors to the high standards we have come to expect, we will have to deal with it.

As for for the pricing, you guys/gals are able to get the bags thru me for:

6pk ARF HEPA white bags (Orig style) = $16.42
6pk ARF HEPA white bags ("F" style) = $17.25

9pk HEPA paper bags (Orig style) = $16.83
9pk HEPA paper bags ("F" style) = $17.99

I think you'd be hard pressed to find 'generac' bags for much less than those prices, & be of the same quality. (mho)

I think once you'd tour the factory, anyone would see & understand the higher quality standards that Kirby puts into their products & expects from their vendors. And, holds them accountable for as well.

On a side note, as for Kirby's negotiating with vendors, I think they do a pretty good job of it. Most of you are probably familiar with the name Flitz (polishing products). I retail price the product for less than auto parts stores locally bring it in to their stores wholesale. I even checked with buying direct from Flitz as a product distributor, (they are about 50 miles from me), & it would've cost me more. Go figure. ~~lol~~

Cheers & hagwknd all,

Bill


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Post# 116797 12/3/2010 at 14:47 (4,890 days old) by jfalberti (Visalia, CA)
Checkrate/Likes I bought a six pack of Kirby Hepa bags for my G4/UG DE (Genuine Kirby) and reading the package, it says the bags are made in China with US materials. Please tell me this isn't a sign of the times for Kirby. Is anything else on the Kirby made in China?

Post# 116798 , Reply# 1 12/3/2010 at 14:49 (4,890 days old) by eurekastar (Amarillo, Texas)
Checkrate/Likes The bearings are made in China and Japan. Some of the motors are made in Mexico, along with some switches.

Post# 116801 , Reply# 2 12/3/2010 at 14:54 (4,890 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)
Checkrate/Likes We have been doing these little tricks for years! Pulled the stereo out of my 93 Buick several years back, you guessed it, Mexico!

Post# 116827 , Reply# 3 12/3/2010 at 17:34 (4,890 days old) by a007kirbyman (--->> Originally My Mom <<--- (now Wisconsin))
Checkrate/Likes *Disposable bags & China...* Hello Joe. I spoke with one of my 'contacts' at Kirby regarding this a year & a half ago or so. Whenever & as much as possibly, Kirby strives to deal with "American" sources. Part of the problem herein lies with the vendors. Years ago, "3M�" exclusively made the Allergen Reduction Filters (ARF), the white polypropylene bags. [These bags are NOT made of 'cloth' like some sellers list them as.] Somewhere along the way 3M headed for Mexico. Kirby had a couple vendors in the States then making them, I believe one was in the Carolinas, the other in Illinois. The company in Illinois, I understand went bankrupt. You (any business) have to have sources you can depend on. Kirby even checked on doing them themselves; however, that wouldn't have been practical it turned out. One of Kirbys primary concerns, is to continue to build quality. The machines themselves are still built in Cleveland, OH & Andrews, TX; and as long as the 'quality standards are being met' by the vendors, I guess one has to go where the sources are available. I do not carry (stock) near the parts I used to (as I don't need to) for recent models, as the quality has so improved even from what it was before. That combined with how quickly I receive my orders from Kirby. Some of this is not new, news either. There have been certain parts coming from Germany, Japan, Mexico, etc., for decades. As I have indicated, my main concern is that Kirby & Kirbys vendors, continue to maintain parts & products to a higher standard. In closing, one of the batches of bags Kirby had produced were entirely made in the States, & the label packaging accidentally was printed "Made in China, with US materials" when such was not the case. I guess proofreading missed it. ~~lol~~ Frankly, the bags are disposable, so in keeping with that, they should be made somewhere else!!! What do you think??? ~~lol~~ Cheers & hagwknd all, Bill

Post# 116830 , Reply# 4 12/3/2010 at 17:51 (4,890 days old) by jfalberti (Visalia, CA)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *Thanks, Bill* For putting it in perspective. You are right, it does make sense. As long as Kirby remains the quality machine it is, and parts that are farmed out are up to Kirby's standard, then all is good. I just keep hearing how things made in China are cheap junk, and I never thought about it the way you said. On another note my UG DE arrived Monday, but because of illness it is still in the box. I hope to unbox it this week-end. I can't wait.

Post# 116838 , Reply# 5 12/3/2010 at 19:23 (4,890 days old) by gusherb (Chicagoland)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Keep in mind that it's the companies sourcing out these things made in China that are in control of the quality of the final product. I've found quite a few certain things made in China that are actually of pretty good quality compared to most stuff you see come out of there.

Post# 116854 , Reply# 6 12/4/2010 at 01:06 (4,889 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes *Good points Bill, but I don't like it either way.....* I don't like the thought of owning an expensive, quality vacuum like a Kirby & still have to put up with using OEM bags that are 'made in china'. When I see the 'made in china with us materials' label on the Kirby bags, I feel MUCH less guilty about buying the aftermarket replacement paper bags, knowing full well they are made there too, probably just as good quality.....and don't put as much of a dent in my wallet! After all, how do we know for certain the paper in the genuine Kirby bags really is from the US?

Post# 116895 , Reply# 7 12/4/2010 at 14:16 (4,889 days old) by a007kirbyman (--->> Originally My Mom <<--- (now Wisconsin))
Checkrate/Likes *Quality...* Scenario: If you (or anyone) or I decided to move somewhere else... ...different State, Province or Country; does that in & of itself change us? Vacuums by Kirby/Scott & Fetzer have been built at the same location in Cleveland for 91 years. They have not relocated; expanded yes, including Andrews, Texas. As I mentioned prior, a lot of the issues involve the vendors. The 3M� company who makes the Filtrete furnace filters moved. You don't just 'disown' the product or feature if you're not able to secure a 'local' source, do you? Another scenario: If you or I had children & 'they' decided to move somewhere else... (We won't discuss why they desperately moved away. Hmmm... ~~lol~~) ...different State, Province or Country; do 'they' get disowned because 'they' are not 'local' anymore? (I did say local, not loco!!! ~~lol~~) Sometimes 'things' just happen. As long as the 'kids' maintain their good upbringing where 'they' live; it's much the same in that, as long as Kirby holds these vendors to the high standards we have come to expect, we will have to deal with it. As for for the pricing, you guys/gals are able to get the bags thru me for: 6pk ARF HEPA white bags (Orig style) = $16.42 6pk ARF HEPA white bags ("F" style) = $17.25 9pk HEPA paper bags (Orig style) = $16.83 9pk HEPA paper bags ("F" style) = $17.99 I think you'd be hard pressed to find 'generac' bags for much less than those prices, & be of the same quality. (mho) I think once you'd tour the factory, anyone would see & understand the higher quality standards that Kirby puts into their products & expects from their vendors. And, holds them accountable for as well. On a side note, as for Kirby's negotiating with vendors, I think they do a pretty good job of it. Most of you are probably familiar with the name Flitz (polishing products). I retail price the product for less than auto parts stores locally bring it in to their stores wholesale. I even checked with buying direct from Flitz as a product distributor, (they are about 50 miles from me), & it would've cost me more. Go figure. ~~lol~~ Cheers & hagwknd all, Bill

Post# 116906 , Reply# 8 12/4/2010 at 16:38 (4,889 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes *Good points, Bill.....* I don't blame Kirby for outsourcing the bags at all. Lets face it, most vac manufacturers don't make their own bags anyways. And they can't help it if a supplier decides to switch where they manufacture their products. I just don't like that the bags are being made in China. And, I'm pretty sure Kirby could have found an American supplier for the bags that would still have been cost-effective. And, I personally wouldn't mind paying an extra $2 or $3 bucks to buy American-made bags. I just don't trust the Chinese worth a darn, & will support North American manufacturers & buy North American products wherever possible. But when the genuine bags are being made in China anyways, if the generic bags are just as good, I am not gonna be foolish & spend more than necessary. On a side note....those are very good prices for the bags you have there! My local Kirby dealer in Toronto wants $32 CDN for the 6-pack ARF HEPA bags, $29 per pack if you buy a caselot. I don't think he could possibly match your prices, so we might just have to do some business in the future.