Longevity Of Current Cleaners


Forum Topics & Rules Manuals & Literature	New users Click-here to sign-up

Thread Number: 12935
Longevity Of Current Cleaners

[Down to Last]

Post# 138035 5/30/2011 at 13:39 (4,714 days old) by bagintheback (Flagstaff, Arizona)
Checkrate/Likes I read reviews on current vacuums online often and I have noticed two things: When people describe why they replaced their old vacuum, it is mostly because it won't pick up. We all know that this is a clog or a stretched belt. So they go out and the product they are reviewing and say it pulled out breath-taking amounts of dirt and such. The other statement is some of them reuse bags. So they abused it. There is one other, and that the vacuum caught on fire, and it always seems to be Eurekas too. But that is the manufacture's fault. So lets say I go out and buy a $100 Target vacuum today and I keep the utmost care of it. I use it regularly as if it was my only vacuum. How long do you think it would last?

Post# 138036 , Reply# 1 5/30/2011 at 13:45 (4,714 days old) by twocvbloke ()
Checkrate/Likes A year at most, once the warranty's gone, it'll break down, they always do... Pretty much everything made today is made to fail, it's built cheap, sold cheap, and repairs, no, not cheap, are really expensive, so, they churn out more cheap stuff, so you buy cheap ans start the chain again, very wasteful, both ecologically and financially...

Post# 138050 , Reply# 2 5/30/2011 at 17:59 (4,714 days old) by godfreys_guy (Melbourne, Australia)
Checkrate/Likes *Two Words - HEPA Filter* These filters put too much stress and strain on the airflow of the vacuum, causing it to get hotter. Also bagless, Miele last just as long as they used to... guess what - no bagless.

Post# 138051 , Reply# 3 5/30/2011 at 18:22 (4,714 days old) by mark40511 (Lexington, KY)
Checkrate/Likes I thought Miele's had hepa filters? Are you saying they don't?

Post# 138052 , Reply# 4 5/30/2011 at 19:00 (4,714 days old) by henry200 (Saint Paul MN)
Checkrate/Likes I could tell no difference in how hot my Miele ran with the hepa filter, or the lesser "clean air" filter. Obviously if either kind of filter was never replaced that would affect the vacuum's longevity but, that's a user issue, not a manufacturing quality issue. I had a Filterqueen for about 30 years which always ran very hot to my way of thinking but the motor was built to handle it and never suffered as a consequence. I bet some of these inexpensive bagless machines would last at least a little longer if their filters were properly maintained. For some reason people read "bagless" and think "maintenance-free." If it were more obvious from the advertising, packaging and store displays that these machines still have filters that need to be washed or replaced, that might influence peoples' decisions on what to purchase. This is one reason why I've always thought highly of the good old Electrolux automatic shutoff. The darned thing won't let you go too long on a full bag and risk burning out the motor. It seems more idiot-proof when it comes to user negligence. Neil

Post# 138056 , Reply# 5 5/30/2011 at 19:32 (4,714 days old) by Trebor ()
Checkrate/Likes *Man's desire...* to make things idiot proof is exceeded only by the universe's capability to make increasingly more clever and more determined idiots.

Post# 138058 , Reply# 6 5/30/2011 at 19:40 (4,714 days old) by vacman117 (Chicago, IL)
Checkrate/Likes I believe that if a vacuum is well maintained for its lifetime then it will last for years! There is no reason why it should not. People always say their vacuum is "broke" when it is something so simple and so minor. I know people that are still using the original Eureka Whirlwinds and the first bagless Bissells. Those are about 8-9 years old!

Post# 138060 , Reply# 7 5/30/2011 at 19:45 (4,714 days old) by henry200 (Saint Paul MN)
Checkrate/Likes *man's desire...* Trebor, that is so very true.

Post# 138062 , Reply# 8 5/30/2011 at 19:56 (4,713 days old) by twocvbloke ()
Checkrate/Likes To quote Einstein: "Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."

Post# 138065 , Reply# 9 5/30/2011 at 20:42 (4,713 days old) by Trebor ()
Checkrate/Likes *Einstein....* is one of my favorite historical figures

Post# 138091 , Reply# 10 5/31/2011 at 00:47 (4,713 days old) by jfalberti (Visalia, CA)
Checkrate/Likes *I believe I said that before* As much as man tries to make everything as idiot proof as possible it is only offset by the Universe's desire to create bigger and better idiots.

Post# 138103 , Reply# 11 5/31/2011 at 10:13 (4,713 days old) by Kirbysthebest (Midwest)
Checkrate/Likes I think when they try to make inexpensive, they make cheap. You end up paying the same in the long run. I have a Kirby Omega that will be 36 years old the end of this month. Everything is still original except belts and brush rolls. My Ultimate G will be eight years old in December, still going. My sister is on like her 20th Wal-Mart plasticvac. My brother buys his wife a new plasti-vac just about every Christmas. I tried gifting them a new Royal Powercast when they bought their new house. "Too Heavy" My sister-in-law still uses the plasti-vacs, and the Powercast sits in the clost.

Post# 138105 , Reply# 12 5/31/2011 at 12:02 (4,713 days old) by Sablekid ()
Checkrate/Likes I have plenty of vacs but I even use one of my Ds 50's on a regular basis....around 50 years and still does the job? But I have to fix the one at the restaurant I work at about once every week...a cheap plastivac with a Hepa...and they wont buy one of my Royals because its not bagless.................

Post# 138109 , Reply# 13 5/31/2011 at 13:14 (4,713 days old) by twocvbloke ()
Checkrate/Likes SPeaking of long lasting vacs, add to the list my Hoover Junior 1334, about 50 years of service, minor repairs over the years, and it's still giving service today... :) Compare that to the Vax I salvaged and I highly doubt that in 50 years time that the Vax would even be in one piece, let alone working, that's the problem with cheap plastics, after a while they lose strength, they suffer from "plastic fatigue" and you get those spiderweb cracks appearing, and then the inevitable splits at the most stressed areas, and finally, the thing falls apart, happens to everything using plastic for the casing or structure, not just vacuum cleaners, I've got a Compaq Armarda laptop upstairs that's screwed cos the plastic casing just fell apart around the screen hinges... So no matter how well you look after it, the problems still lie with the plastic...

Post# 138111 , Reply# 14 5/31/2011 at 13:28 (4,713 days old) by bagintheback (Flagstaff, Arizona)
Checkrate/Likes I would not blame everything on plastic. There are many plastic Hoovers, such as Concepts and later Convertibles, that are still very durable. Dysons, Riccars and many other brands use plastic and can last years. I say it depends on the grade on plastic. Very cheap plastic is used on most vacuums today.

Post# 138115 , Reply# 15 5/31/2011 at 13:49 (4,713 days old) by twocvbloke ()
Checkrate/Likes Well, depending on what plastics are used, some can last longer than others, but like you say, cheap vacs use cheap plastic, and those are the ones that people buy, use, break and throw out only to be replaced with another which they use, break and throw away.... It's not helped with the high prices of some major brands, people look at those and think "What can they do that this one at a quarter of the cost can't?", I get that all the time with people thinking I'm insane wanting "quality" vacs rather than cheap high-wattage screamers, and then later they come to me wanting their vacs repaired, and I like to think to myself "Well, was it really worth you saving all that money for this?", someday I'll say that to them, but for now, I'll let them try and work it out themselves... :)

Post# 138189 , Reply# 16 6/1/2011 at 17:44 (4,712 days old) by floor-a-matic (somewhere)
Checkrate/Likes *Today's Plasti-vacs* Made in China--so 100% P. U! I wouldn't touch any of today's plastivacs (even with 1,000 Lux wands connected together) at all. Thank God I own only vintage vacs; when I need a "new" vac, I'll get another vintage vac.

Post# 138196 , Reply# 17 6/1/2011 at 18:02 (4,712 days old) by twocvbloke ()
Checkrate/Likes Well, anything made in China is just rubbish, my new phone's charger, made in china, is broken already, and it's not even 4 months since I got it!!! :S Some say that china has the best engineers in the world, but given what they put out, I'd disagree, they have the best Reverse-engineers yes, but actual engineers that can come up with their own designs, nope...

Post# 138208 , Reply# 18 6/1/2011 at 19:26 (4,712 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)
Checkrate/Likes I bet what they design for themselves is just fine!Probably just think of us as buyers of low price only.

Post# 138224 , Reply# 19 6/1/2011 at 20:01 (4,711 days old) by twocvbloke ()
Checkrate/Likes Looking at the stuff they have there, I don't think they even design for themselves, they have cars built from cast-off old western models as well as look-alike knockoffs, they have mobile phones based on leading western brands, they take western brands, buy them out, ship the equipment over there and cause brand confusion (like Hoover Decade80's dressed as Royals), and of course, they make things so cheaply that they wouldn't pass any form of western safety inspections... Infact, I'm just fiddling with a cheap chinese lava lamp right now, they decided that plain cardboard, without fire retardants, in a really hot lamp base was a smart idea, says it all really...

Post# 138233 , Reply# 20 6/1/2011 at 21:45 (4,711 days old) by Jayelux (Dallas, TX)
Checkrate/Likes *ROC* I just super-glued the Perfect canister's hose assembly back together. This vacuum is the Electrolux copy where they got everything right but the quality. We don't have to worry about the Chinese until they start copying Deming. Jay

Post# 138268 , Reply# 21 6/2/2011 at 02:04 (4,711 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)
Checkrate/Likes Chinese factories-put it simply--the items they build to send to the US-the Chinese workers are building an item they are never likely to use or buy.Now when those same items were made in the US by US workers-they would be likely to buy and use the items they built.So the US worker will put that extra effort into building that item-"I am going to make this as though I am going to use it myself!"And the Chinese workers need to be closely SUPERVISED or they will make a shoddy quality product.I have seen some real nice things made by them-and some crappy things.

Post# 138270 , Reply# 22 6/2/2011 at 02:59 (4,711 days old) by mark40511 (Lexington, KY)
Checkrate/Likes I'm not sure....... I'm definitely one of those people who take care and maintain my stuff. Speaking of my Kenmore canister......Maintaining doesn't help. Within two to three years the cord starts to fray at the bottom and the direct connect develops electrical shortages in them. I guess I would consider a 189.99 Kenmore Can a cheap plasticVac Sure, those can be replaced, but most people (I wouldn't think) would bother to repair it.....

Post# 138372 , Reply# 23 6/3/2011 at 05:11 (4,710 days old) by motojoejo (MO)
Checkrate/Likes I agree that it's not all plastic fault but quality of plastic and it's bracing on the inside frame. Companies like Simplicity and Riccar still prefer to use metal where it counts - fans, brush rolls and even the bottom plate. The Chinese are very capable of building a quality product but the factor of cost plays into what kind of quality is produced. Meaning- a corp. says to make an inexpensive vacuum for X amount for wal mart or such and in return the factory designers make choices on what to cheapen or cut cost on to fit the budget. That's why so many factories closed in the U.S.- consumers wanted the cheapest prices which rules out high cost American labor. In your regular non vacuum loving guy or gal on the streets view " why pay high dollar for just a vacuum when I could have a cheap vacuum, more money for a flat screen tv and sound system for the same price thanks to Wal Mart?" The average person is all about fast, easy and convince. Hence all cheap sqweaky plastic vacs having cheap on board tools which usually still get lost with use. Most of us here love the ritual of going and picking out the perfect vacuum for the task and using it. I for one love the ritual of using one of my Rainbows but for a non vac lover that ritual is a pain. Most people glance and see word like bagless and think I don't have to buy any bags ever plus on board tools plus a low price to be able to have cash left over for more stuff. Also the wow factor which means vacuums with tons of features and gadgets on them. It has to be made of plastic for cost and weight. Look at how much plastic is in a dyson and think if it was made of aluminum- that would be one heavy beast of a machine so it's only practical it be made of high grade plastic. To finish my long winded comment- my sister has owned roughly 12 Wal Mart specials with in the past 16 years. From Hoovers, Eurekas, and Bissels she finally decided to pay more and buy an Oreck from a mall kiosk. She has had this vacuum the longest due to the fact that ten year service program tends to the vac for her. The local dealer not only changes her belts and checks for clogs but changes her bags too. Plus this vac has less stuff That can break on it. She just wants to pull it out, vacuum for ten mins and throw it back in the closet like most people. Atleast with cheap wasteful vacuums we get new eye candy on the shelves at Wal Mart and repair shops can make money constantly fixing them. There's always a positive side to be found.

Post# 138373 , Reply# 24 6/3/2011 at 05:31 (4,710 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)
Checkrate/Likes Stores make the most money SELLING the cheap eye candy plastivac-dumpster vacs.Most repair shops will suggest-or if the shop sells vacuums-buy another machine.The cheap old one gets dumpstered.for the cost of repairs--lets face it--you could buy another cheapo vacuum.Most of the cheap vacuums are difficult to repair-hard to take apart and put back together.

Post# 138383 , Reply# 25 6/3/2011 at 08:05 (4,710 days old) by jfalberti (Visalia, CA)
Checkrate/Likes *I just bought a WindTunnel Bagless* brand new a little over a month ago, and it says it was made in Mexico. Seems to be well made, and I'm sure if I take care of it, it'll last. Some others are so cheaply made that it seems when it breaks they want you to replace it instead of try to get it repaired. I guess that's the throw away society we live in now. Throw away and buy new instead of repair. What a waste. No wonder the landfills are over flowing.

Post# 138385 , Reply# 26 6/3/2011 at 08:35 (4,710 days old) by Trebor ()
Checkrate/Likes *The problem is deeper than the landfills....* Just about a century ago the concept of consumerism was born, that is to say the idea that people could be nudged by advertising into buying things to fill needs that could never be satisfied. Aldous Huxley's novel 'Brave New World' coined the phrase 'The more stitches the less riches' As recently as 1971, 25% of all women's and children's garments were still sewn in the home, but by then all America manufacturing of sewing machines had all but ceased (yup, Singer was largely offshore by then) Home repair, woodworking, automobile maintenance were routinely performed by homeowners. People felt a great deal of satisfaction in doing things for and by themselves. Now, satisfaction is fleeting and ephemeral because it is purchased. We no longer value labor enough to pay for it, and so it is devalued. (The original meaning of 'discount' is to devalue,dismiss or ignore) It did not seem like such a big deal when we were devaluing the labor of people who were half a world away. Plenty of people in the US still had good paying jobs to buy plenty of goods. Not so anymore. We can no longer afford to spend our way out of recession, even buying cheaper foreign made goods on credit. The average family works more hours, has less savings, and less life satisfaction than previous generations. The answer, I believe, lies in rediscovering the intrinsic satisfaction in exercising creativity and being involved in meaningful service to each other. More of the same cannot and will not 'fix' the economy it is our attitude about the purpose of life and the sense of entitlement we have fostered that is at the root of our economic malaise. Trebor

Post# 138419 , Reply# 27 6/3/2011 at 18:00 (4,710 days old) by Sablekid ()
Checkrate/Likes That last response was amazing I wish more my age thought the same.

Post# 138433 , Reply# 28 6/3/2011 at 21:29 (4,709 days old) by Trebor ()
Checkrate/Likes 1 *The reason more people do not think along the lines...* you so generously complimented is because they have not truly been challenged to do so. The very process of thought is drowned out by constant over-stimulation of non-stop music, video, texting. But one person can make a difference. When people ask "Why don't you have the latest gizmo/gadget?" I reply, "Because I am not ready to replace it. The one I have works perfectly well." Or. "Because acquiring it will not make me any happier or add anything of meaning to my life." Or "These jeans are on;y 18.00!" and you reply "They were sewn in Bangladesh by a 14 yr old working 60 hrs a week without overtime or benefit who shares a room with three other people, and a bathroom and a hotplate with 30 other people. You buy them if you feel good about it, I can't" I try not to shop at Wal-Mart. I get odd looks from people of my generation, too, but then again, sometimes I see the light of realization go on, and someone realizes their buying choices have an impact. The most amazing shift happens when we realize that when our dollars are courted on soley the basis of the lowest price, the merchant is not selling, but buying, buying our freedom of choice, our compassion for our fellow man, and our birthright to self-determine our destiny. Every dollar spent on the status quo is a vote for the status quo. Take heart, sablekid, you too can make a bigger difference that you realize. Trebor

Post# 138440 , Reply# 29 6/3/2011 at 22:01 (4,709 days old) by Sablekid ()
Checkrate/Likes 1 I agree much so! Its just strange to have this same thought pattern amongst people of my own age who do the exact opposite! I think things will change eventually for the better These are unfortunate times and sometimes it takes something bad to force something good. At least, thats what I'd like to think is happeneing now!

Post# 138444 , Reply# 30 6/3/2011 at 22:34 (4,709 days old) by Trebor ()
Checkrate/Likes 1 *Of course...* it seems strange to have different thought patterns than the majority of your peers, but you cannot force yourself into the mass mold. It doesn't work. I can only suggest that you be yourself, and to allow others be who they are without judgement of their beliefs. You will attract the attention of one who is ready to stop being just one more sheep in the flock, and you'll be ready, Sablekid. Trebor

Post# 138459 , Reply# 31 6/4/2011 at 01:33 (4,709 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)
Checkrate/Likes Home made clothes and DIY jobs-this is going by the wayside-have you priced fabric and lumber for those DIY jobs?Its now CHEAPER to buy the clothing or furniture than to make it yourself.And do folks have the SKILLS to DIY?Most now do not.I just thought of it-you can buy inexpensive tools from Harbor Freight-but what good is that when the price of lumber is thru the roof?One fellow who retired from the workplace I am at-is an avid woodworker.He was building a desk for his daughter.The price of the lumber exceeded that of any desk you could buy.BUT--the desk he made would mean more to his daughter than one bought from a store.So that is a thought.The main DIY tool-Shopsmith-I haven't seen a demo of one at Lowes for a few years now.Used to be a few times a year.And the tool dept at Sears is shrinking.I can do the woodworking-but would have difficulty in making clothes.And good lumber is getting harder to find.Again you end up paying a contractor to do the job.-or buy the furniture from a store.For Shopsmith and it competitor-Super shop-getting these is less convenient.You have to have them shipped to you-and the price of shipping is high.You have to pick the machine up from the truck ship depot-then haul it home-You have to find someone with a pickup or van-and then assemble the machine from the crate.Requires two or more people to do.So it less convenient.When the Shopsmith was sold thru Lowes during the demo-they would delivor it to you all assembled and ready to go.And parts of the Super Shop are made in----China!the Shopsmith is built in the US.and they take pride in that.

Post# 138470 , Reply# 32 6/4/2011 at 07:28 (4,709 days old) by blakaeg (NW London, UK)
Checkrate/Likes Chinese goods are quite capable of lasting and being of good quality. I have a phone, chargers etc all made in China that have lasted years and years. My Dyson handheld charger is made in China. No probs, the vacuum is made in Malsaysia, Ive not had any probs. Its funny how everyone says how crap Chinese goods are when they buy Iphones for a lot of their hard earned cash etc that are all made in China.

Post# 138471 , Reply# 33 6/4/2011 at 10:33 (4,709 days old) by Trebor ()
Checkrate/Likes 1 *What you say is true...* Tolivac, and it proves my point. We did not suddenly appear in this situation overnight. Cheaper = better? NO! It costs a bit more to buck the trend, and yet, that is precisely what me must do to if we want to be free of this economic oppression. The more we can make, repair, create, and grow to supply our own needs and those of our neighbors, the more we free ourselves from dependence on huge manufacturers, conglomerates, and retailers. People have lost skills that used to be passed from one generation to the next because they have allowed themselves to be seduced into believing that material possessions equal self-worth, happiness, and life satisfaction. The ShopSmith is an investment, yes lumber is not cheap, but someone who invests in a ShopSmith and learns to use it is gaining skills he/she can pass on while creating items of usefulness. The time shared while teaching and creating is interaction and bonding of the highest quality as opposed to passively soaking up the drivel broadcast on 536 channels of Satellite Digital HD. I recently purchased a Swedish loom. I chose carefully after 2 years of research. I could have had a computerized dobby and/or a fly shuttle, but I did not want to be a production weaver. Those items can be added later, should I choose them, but I am in control. The joy of touching, using and appreciating items actually hand crafted by another human being, especially one who is close and dear, is beyond price. We need desperately to re-learn the value of the simple joys of living, instead of attempting to purchase them. Joseph Campbell talked about the pornography of our materialism. We buy for the sake of buying and having, but the luster quickly wears off, and the cycle repeats. For over a century we have been hypnotized through advertising and peer pressure to conform to this idea of working to spend to acquire, to lust after more, to work more, to spend more... There is nothing wrong with wanting things, and working to achieve them. The problem is that we are discouraged form asking "WHY do I want this? What makes me believe I will enjoy it and derive satisfaction from its use? What must I invest of time, effort and money to maintain it?" If you resent the time, effort, or money (including monthly payments) spent to acquire something, it was not a beneficial purchase, change your attitude, or sell the item. The ability to purchase anything, at anytime has morphed into a God-given right. How much energy is wasted building and maintaining shopping malls stocked with merchandise? The retail machine must constantly stimulate the urge to buy, buy, buy to keep itself alive. But what if enough people said "no" I am not buying today? Instead of unbridled, unlimited production, what if things were produced on demand? Manufactured items produced in limited runs, secured by deposits, delivered when paid in full. Blasphemy, you say? We have reached the tipping point. Manufacturing has become so sophisticated we need not produce things in huge runs to be cost effective, we simply need to know how much to produce, and when. The specialization of production has not been developed to its maximum because we have not moved in that direction. The more individuals that wake up and take back their autonomy by not spending mindlessly, the more the manufacturing/retail machine will response to the market pressure exerted. Ultimately, we will have to redefine what our lives mean and are worth if we step off the work, spend, buy treadmill. This does not mean not spending, it means spending consciously in support of values of fair compensation, resource conservation, and worthiness of human labor and creativity. Trebor

Forum Index:

Other Forums:

Comes to the Rescue!

Woops, Time to Check the Bag!!!
Either you need to change your vacuum bag or you forgot to LOG-IN?
Discuss-O-MAT Log-In

New Members Click Here To Sign Up.

automaticwasher.org home
Discuss-o-Mat Forums
Vintage Brochures, Service and Owners Manuals
Fun Vintage Washer Ephemera
See It Wash!
Video Downloads
Audio Downloads
Picture of the Day
Patent of the Day
Photos of our Collections
The Old Aberdeen Farm
Vintage Service Manuals Vintage washer/dryer/dishwasher to sell?
Technical/service questions?
Looking for Parts?
Website related questions?
Digital Millennium Copyright Act Policy
Our Privacy Policy