Thread Number: 19926
Are We Ever Going To Get Any Decent Bagged Upright Vacuum Cleaners In The UK? |
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Post# 222976   3/10/2013 at 19:14 (4,058 days old) by AlexHoovers94 (Manchester UK)   |   | |
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Does anyone think that we are going to eventually get some good bagged uprights here in the UK? There must only be about five or six bagged uprights sold in Argos anyway and the only decent one in there appears to be the Miele S7. I would like to see more bagged uprights sold in the UK, there are just too many crapy bagless upright, although, company's like vax and Hoover are making more efficient cyclonic cleaners but I would still love to see some more bagged cleaners from them. Vax doesn't even offer one bagged upright, they are all bagless and stupidly those low efficiency cyclone vax's continue to sell. Hoover only have one bagged upright, the purepower, which really should be scrapped as it is getting outdated. So, if any UK vacuum companies are reading this (probably unlikely) come on, get us some good old bagged cleaners back on the market, we should at leas have a choice, right? Half and half, aye, half your uprights bagged and half your uprights bagless. Alex. |
Post# 222981 , Reply# 1   3/10/2013 at 20:05 (4,058 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)   |   | |
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Post# 222984 , Reply# 2   3/10/2013 at 20:29 (4,058 days old) by AlexHoovers94 (Manchester UK)   |   | |
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Electrolux only sell those crapy cyclone uprights. Vorwerk do sell bagged uprights but they are very expensive and I am sure are only sold door to door. Bissell only sell bagless uprights, honestly we are bombarded with bagless uprights and even the company's that do offer bagged cleaners only offer one or two and not a range like they do in bagless. I am wondering when the bagless novelty will ware off!
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Post# 223049 , Reply# 3   3/11/2013 at 07:43 (4,057 days old) by ultraperformer (Derbyshire, UK, Europe)   |   | |
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Post# 223076 , Reply# 4   3/11/2013 at 11:34 (4,057 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)   |   | |
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Yeh we have voreworks, but they aren't very good at all in my opinion, we've got hoover pure powers which aren't too bad for a basic cleaner. And if course we have sebos! |
Post# 223087 , Reply# 5   3/11/2013 at 12:46 (4,057 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)   |   | |
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Electrolux should definitely return to importing 240 volt versions of North American Sanitaires for the domestic market in Europe - they were doing this at some point in the past.
These are really some of the best, classic, fan-first uprights for deep cleaning of carpets. They are the true legacy of the high performing Eureka F&G uprights of the 1960's and 1970's... |
Post# 223095 , Reply# 6   3/11/2013 at 14:06 (4,057 days old) by thekirbylover (Warrington, cheshire )   |   | |
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Sebo make upright bagged the X series offer little performance in my opinion I've used yours and I've used one of my friends, but the Felix series seem to be pretty good I posted a picture to the one I own, don't you think its weird how when bagless machine'S hit the market the prices of bagged machines were cheaper, but now the tables have turned and the majority of bagged uprights have risen above the prices of bagless
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Post# 223101 , Reply# 7   3/11/2013 at 14:17 (4,057 days old) by AlexHoovers94 (Manchester UK)   |   | |
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Just in my experience I struggle with that stupid computer controlled height adjustment, I find it can sometimes brake away from the carpet when going over little bumps but when it is in contact with the floor, it is really good. I know it is supposed to always keep the optimum height and compensate for brush ware, but for what it's worth, I would rather have a KNOB! HA! |
Post# 223104 , Reply# 8   3/11/2013 at 14:29 (4,057 days old) by thekirbylover (Warrington, cheshire )   |   | |
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Post# 223153 , Reply# 9   3/11/2013 at 16:24 (4,057 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)   |   | |
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Post# 223159 , Reply# 10   3/11/2013 at 16:36 (4,057 days old) by thekirbylover (Warrington, cheshire )   |   | |
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Post# 223855 , Reply# 11   3/16/2013 at 15:11 (4,052 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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Alex, there are plenty of bagged uprights - aside from SEBO's X series, and Felix there's also their BS commercial uprights that are seen in department stores; Karcher's own versions of old SEBO uprights plus their own (or whoever they are dealing with now) versions. There are plenty of decent ones but it depends on what you term as "decent," or what you can put up with.
Electrolux's Powerlite is a cheap built upright vacuum that has been on sale for years and in slightly different colour versions as well as ones featuring a longer stair hose and pet version with a mini pet hair tool. I had two for rental properties I owned and they did well apart from one of the uprights having a failing/slipping height adjustment dial. They feel like plastic injected mouldings though and they're not the best built - but they do the job they are intended to offer and I'd settle for one of them again instead of the dreaded Hoover Purepower as the Power lite lives up to its name against pushing a bag of potatoes across the floor. Panasonic UK offer their old uprights with the 2 drive belts and auto adjustment but they're good basic machines with only a few downsides and the latest one I bought is an eco-low power version which is a newer model that takes a dust bag and uses one drive belt. Vax actually do produce a bagged upright, or rather off the back of TTI - they did the bagless version and offered both types to Argos to sell under their Argos Value brand - the bagged version VU-201 and the bagless version VU-101 in 2010. Vax's bagless version came under the Essentials tag and carried the model number VEU-101. Other brands include catalogue brand names such as Swan (their canisters used to be rebadged U.S Eureka machines) and Russell Hobbs who use Chinese built outside trader company vacuums - and again if you can put up with some design weaknesses AND add in maintenance, they'll either be something you love or loathe. Dirt Devil Europe (NOT the same company as U.S) offered a Vax/TTI based design seen years ago under the original Widetrack bagless upright, but gave it a bag door and changed it to bagged type. As for UK companies - well there aren't any anymore apart from Numatic. Ultraperformer - SEBO's K3 Premium and D4 Premium cylinder vacuums have power nozzles and electric handles... have you tried them? |
Post# 223940 , Reply# 12   3/17/2013 at 04:56 (4,051 days old) by hoover119dude (england)   |   | |
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i miss the good old days when i was younger. mom used to turn on the old hoover and the bag used to inflate. now everything is bagless or paper bag encased in cheap plastic bag compartment. companies should remake some of the older models. i know they would out sell these cheap crappy foriegn made vacs. if only they would give us a chance to do it. that is why i love my hoover junior 119. was a very successful model that sold in great numbers. that was a sign of quality. BRING BACK OLD STYLE CLEANERS.
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Post# 223979 , Reply# 13   3/17/2013 at 12:48 (4,051 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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Well there's always Oreck, don't forget. The outer bags on them inflate or the cheap rendition, the Hometek Light n Easy if you can find it. I had the Hometek, it was just like an Oreck XL (my parents had one many moons ago) though cheaper made plastics. Still, I found it a much better performer than the lousy Hoover Junior stick vacs I had. |
Post# 223999 , Reply# 14   3/17/2013 at 15:12 (4,051 days old) by AlexHoovers94 (Manchester UK)   |   | |
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Post# 224025 , Reply# 15   3/17/2013 at 17:10 (4,051 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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Post# 224028 , Reply# 16   3/17/2013 at 17:23 (4,051 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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I don't think that's ever going to happen.
You have to remember that we, as vacuum cleaner enthusiasts, see things in a completely different light to the general consumer. We notice things about a cleaners build quality, design pro's and con's and performance that your average vacuum user wouldn't.
Thanks to some incredibly clever marketing on Dyson's part, we're now in a world obsessed with bagless cleaners. Everyone seems to have been fooled into thinking bagless is better. Whereas we know this to not always be the case, the general consumer doesn't (and more than likely doesn't care). Because we all have quite a deep rooted interest, we have taken the time to study these cleaners and get to understand the advantages of both designs, whereas somebody walking into Currys has only seen claims made by a company on a 30 second advert and immediately assumes that to be correct.
Vacuum manufacturers have also fooled the general public into thinking that higher motor wattage = better performance. So a customer standing looking at 2 vacuums in Currys, both retailing at £100, one that's 1200w and the other that's 2100w is going to choose the 2100w cleaner, because their brain instantly goes "HIGHER WATTAGE, MORE POWER, MORE SUCTION". It's quite a logical approach, but not necessarily correct.
It was only a few years ago that Maytag relaunched the Hoover Constellation in a slightly more modern format with HEPA filtration and an air driven turbobrush, but they were discontinued after less than a year due to underwhelming sales.
A 250w, bagged cleaner just wouldn't sell in todays market, so I don't think we've any chances of seeing a return to the older styles.
It's also important to remember that the companies making these classic cleaners - Hoover, Electrolux etc - are either no longer operating under the same business model or indeed no longer operating at all. Hoover haven't been Hoover since 1995 when Candy bought them out, and Electrolux have had that many move-rounds and re-models, it would be impossible to accurately reflect them all.
Also, Oreck/HomeTec better than a Junior? *Snigger*, alright then....;) This post was last edited 03/17/2013 at 17:39 |
Post# 224051 , Reply# 17   3/17/2013 at 20:04 (4,051 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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On the basis that some commercial brands are still producing uprights with soft bags, I think its only a matter of time before Argos, Currys etc bring in commercial uprights. John Lewis are already considering to bring in the Sebo BS series for their domestic buyers.
You can snigger all you like though regarding the Junior - Whilst I love the Hoover Junior outright, for a more convenient clean around a home, the Oreck models have a much longer power cord, higher filtration bags and a far simpler design. Also, the base Oreck model that is currently selling on the UK market has a 350 watt motor, 100 watts more than what you claim wouldn't sell. If Oreck were doing that badly in the UK, they'd have sold up by now, Chris - evidently a small portion of UK buyers are buying these machines and Orecks are still one of the alternative choices for hotels.
As for high suction power, Vacuum brands have just been following the crowd for years - the UK are a perfect example for falling for USP false advertising on a number of things; one reason alone to why Flymo added the word "Turbo" to a lot of their existing lawnmowers - people associated it with cars and car brands themselves tarted up base engine models with cosmetic "go faster stripes," and added on garish spoilers in an attempt to make the base brand model more appealing whilst pushing buyers to consider that a 2.0 engine was the one to have instead of a 1.4.
And the Maytag Hoover Connie you refer to, the Maytag Satellite came with a 2000 watt motor. UK buyers are conditioned into thinking that the higher the figure, the better it is. (Click link for old QVC video).
CLICK HERE TO GO TO sebo_fan's LINK |
Post# 224083 , Reply# 20   3/18/2013 at 05:00 (4,050 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 224084 , Reply# 21   3/18/2013 at 05:05 (4,050 days old) by vintagerepairer (England)   |   | |
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There is plenty on the Google which backs up the comments made here about wattage and regulation, but nothing can I find which says the proposals have been voted through. Can anyone enlighten me further? |
Post# 224087 , Reply# 24   3/18/2013 at 05:49 (4,050 days old) by AlexHoovers94 (Manchester UK)   |   | |
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Kirbys are great, they are a bit big but they do a great job in either the carpet or hose mode.
Oh and by the way an Oreck or Hometeck is NOT better or anymore convenient than a Hoover Junior, and I don't know why everyone classes the Hoover Juniors as a stick vac because they are not, they are uprights! |
Post# 224093 , Reply# 26   3/18/2013 at 08:22 (4,050 days old) by kirbymodel2c (Nottingham, England)   |   | |
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Well Kirby's are built a hell of a lot better than the vacs you buy from stores.
There quieter than allot of the modern screamers you get. As well as great performance at a fraction of the wattage. Value for money is different to different people. Esp when you consider the true versatility of the Kirby. People have got use to paying bugger all for there vacuums like most household appliances. Esp when you use to pay a months wages on allot of vacuums at one point. I mean what is a average months wages now in the UK... Also there not as heavy as some people might think esp if you don't over fill the bag.As well as carried in the correct manner:o) James:o) |
Post# 224098 , Reply# 28   3/18/2013 at 09:10 (4,050 days old) by NYCWriter (New York City)   |   | |
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Post# 224105 , Reply# 29   3/18/2013 at 09:34 (4,050 days old) by ultraperformer (Derbyshire, UK, Europe)   |   | |
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Post# 224114 , Reply# 30   3/18/2013 at 10:08 (4,050 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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@NYCWriter...
Here is a picture of my living room. Using a Kirby in it is near impossible. My house is a back-to-back, 2 bedroom terraced house. This tall, narrow style of housing is VERY popular in the UK, especially in old mining and mill towns in the North. I actually grew up with a Legend 2, though it barely got used as my Mum hated it. She would also use our old Panasonic in favour of the Kirby as it was lighter, quieter, more practical and much quicker. We had a 4 bed, semi detached house over 3 floors and the Kirby was still too big and awkward to get around everywhere, especially in the dining room trying to get around the chairs and table and on the L-shaped landing going between bedrooms. Of course, there are other factors to take into account, such as: - The size/shape of the house (lots of corners? No good for Kirby!) - The type of flooring (low pile, stuck down, hardwearing carpet and laminate flooring is becoming more and more popular, especially in rented houses. Again, no good for Kirby) - The age, gender and abilities of the user - imagine an 80 year old lady lugging a Kirby around! - The income of the user (I certainly couldn't afford to buy one new! I'd only be left with about £350 in which to pay my rent, bills, buy food and travel to work with for the month!) |
Post# 224123 , Reply# 31   3/18/2013 at 10:50 (4,050 days old) by AlexHoovers94 (Manchester UK)   |   | |
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I live in a three bedroom semi-detached house and it is a little big for my house but certainly useable, if my house was amaculate and everything was in it's place then it would be just fine at manouvering around things. For a similar (same...:p) job I would rather just use one of my Hoover Turbopower 1's. Even in American homes are Kirby's still not clunky and heavy to use? No mater how big of a space I was cleaning with a Kirby I would still think it was clunky.
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Post# 224129 , Reply# 32   3/18/2013 at 11:19 (4,050 days old) by NYCWriter (New York City)   |   | |
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Post# 224132 , Reply# 33   3/18/2013 at 11:33 (4,050 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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Thanks Matt :).
My house is pretty small, even by british standards, but it's an old victorian terrace. At one point, the whole of england would have been convered in rows and rows of these small houses. Some have since been demolished, but there are still lots around, especially in the north. All over England there are rows and rows of these style houses |
Post# 224133 , Reply# 34   3/18/2013 at 11:48 (4,050 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 224137 , Reply# 35   3/18/2013 at 11:56 (4,050 days old) by NYCWriter (New York City)   |   | |
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Post# 224138 , Reply# 36   3/18/2013 at 12:00 (4,050 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 224147 , Reply# 37   3/18/2013 at 12:46 (4,050 days old) by AlexHoovers94 (Manchester UK)   |   | |
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Post# 224153 , Reply# 38   3/18/2013 at 13:38 (4,050 days old) by kirbymodel2c (Nottingham, England)   |   | |
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Actually a Kirby cleans low pile carpet,carpet tile etc VERY WELL,and a Kirby can clean smaller house just as well as any off the shelf vac,esp with it wide range of accessories. Lots of Kirbys have been sold to smaller home owners.
My friend Ken who was a factory distributor even sold a few to people who lived in caravans:o) We have a 3 story house that is quite narrow and is more full of furniture than most house.(Mum loves the packed house look)A kirby manages wonderfully. My friends Pete and John have had a Kirby Legend II in their small two up two down house for years. The G series floor head are only around 1 and a half/2 inches wider than a Dyson DC07,Electrolux Vitesse,Vax mach 7 etc and the optional small nozzle was available on the pre G series. Age can be a factor with any vacuum, again most 70/80 year old ladies I get in my shop struggle picking up the X series Sebos....Not to mention Vax mach 5/6/7 ,some Dysons, Miele uprights etc. Also a Kirby is easier to use shampooing carpets than the Bissell Pro heats etc. Some of the TOL Bissells cost £399. I think vacuum cleaners are a question of personal choice. What some one loves others will hate. James:o) |
Post# 224156 , Reply# 39   3/18/2013 at 14:06 (4,050 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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Alex - the "Hoover Junior" stick vac was released a few years ago, nothing more than the European "Athyss" stick vac that Hoover UK thought would be a good idea to rename "Junior," after the famous soft bagged upright - nothing at all to do with the fact that Hoover were just desperate to make sales of course. Two models were launched, a burgundy deep red with suction only floor head and a black model with a turbo brush. Im sure there are plenty of archive threads regarding that stick vacuum.
As for Kirby, yes they are traditional and original but in the UK they are well over priced which is often out of reach for many buyers. As for capping power on vacuum cleaner - well, I don't see the point in the government passing legislation to cap power levels when you consider that rapid boil kettles use 3000 watts at a time or the electric hobs that you get in fitted kitchens with 3000 watts, there's really no point in reducing vacuum cleaner's wattage - there are already vacuums on the market that have 1000 watts or less, it's just that consumers have yet to realise who they are and what type they offer. |
Post# 224161 , Reply# 40   3/18/2013 at 14:58 (4,050 days old) by AlexHoovers94 (Manchester UK)   |   | |
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Post# 224205 , Reply# 42   3/18/2013 at 21:34 (4,049 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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Yes I did initially,...
But I think you confused yourself - my post initially referred to the Hoover Junior stick vac which you hoped wasn't the actual older dirty fan Hoover Junior. But then I referred to that model in a response post from Gary (hoover119dude) who mentioned the good old days when the outer bag used to inflate - and I responded with the Oreck uprights as they still do that. I also referred that Oreck and Hometek have one up on the Junior dirty fan vacs - high filter bags, longer power cord, able to clean hard floors because of the lack of beater bars - but more importantly Alex, the more I think about it, the Oreck is still on sale - Hometek sales are sporadic, often those bagged uprights come and go - but you can't say the Hoover Junior is on sale anymore - unless you count the refurbs and the ones that collectors have beautifully restored over the years. Now I'm a stalwart dirty fan Hoover Junior fan and I dislike the Oreck XL BECAUSE OF MY EXPERIENCE with the older model with the bag that sticks onto the dust channel. However, that hasn't stopped me from trying newer models that have the push in bag holder and they're far better in so far as not requiring to be cleaned out because of the bag holder alone. Oreck's aren't perfect - but in this "modern" day and age where most homes now have a mix of hard floors and carpets, the Oreck concept works well if all you need is a quick clean to sprint around and do floor clean up. Sadly in my experience, the old Hoover Juniors with the metal beater bars just can't be used on hard floors - unless of course you want damage intentionally! VR - the only report I've seen regarding legislation is the report that has been mentioned a lot on here in other archive posts - see link. It was Chris who initially brought up the thread (www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-...) newspaper link below. CLICK HERE TO GO TO sebo_fan's LINK |
Post# 224215 , Reply# 43   3/18/2013 at 22:51 (4,049 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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Starlightsam - a very good point and I see where you're coming from. However, therein lies the possible factor that a higher powered vacuum will lift far more dust in a shorter time than a low powered vacuum OR dependent on the type used at the time with the same consideration for the type of floor head etc you intend to use.
But what happens if you use a kettle 5 to 10 times a day to make endless cups of tea or coffee - particularly if you like your water to be hot to drink? Counter in the amount of times you use a small appliance like a high energy kettle a day and a high power vacuum cleaner can be used in the same amount of time it takes to boil as many mugs of tea or 1 litre of water. This is where I'm afraid, the question of so-called "Eco" kettles are a full of false promises - if the rating plate reads 3000 watts, it isn't eco friendly, no matter how much you fill the water level up to, even if smaller amounts need less power to boil, they're still using that 3000 watts the moment it is switched on - what buyers don't realise is that they can buy the cheaper 2200 watt kettle but at the expense of less convenient features (a bit like bagged uprights on the market today where features that were once present have now been taken out) such as concealed elements or rotational bases. My theories surround the amount of energy that is wasted by powering up appliances in the first instance - from dishwashers to tumble dryers, to washing machines and the appliances that are constantly left on like the fridge freezer. Eco branded appliances are not eco-friendly in my experience (see previous thread with my experience of my Bosch dishwasher as a classic example - the Eco setting takes a far longer wash time than the three other programs). My daily appliances such as the microwave oven is switched off at the wall. I don't take delight in programming the digital clock knowing that the oven is effectively on standby mode, still plugged in and still supplying that small quota of energy before it is actually used. To some of the younger members on here where mummy or daddy pay the bills in your home, then you don't have to worry your head about energy costs. However my parents are both deceased and I pay all my own bills being a single adult; i often find myself vacuuming in the early hours as that's when my power goes on half rate! During the day if I need to do a quick clean, the cordless Gtech gets taken out. The cost of central heating is so high that my heating only goes on three days a week and my parents house of which I inherited has an old boiler system with radiators that can't be switched off individually. Thus I have to use portable convector "pipe" radiators (they're a new range from Dimplex called Eco radiators) just to heat the room I'm in rather than heat up the whole house and waste the energy in rooms I'm not using. Eventually once I've saved up a bit, I'll be installing much better boiler system, but by then I also intend to move out of Scotland once and for all, too. But then you know what its like if you're a collector. Sometimes for that bit of luxury you can't help but use a vacuum cleaner just for the fun and sheer enjoyment of it..during the day. Even if brands begin to launch vacuums with lower motors, they still need to address sealed suction and airflow. Some brands are worse than others for this, even for those who produce bagged vacuums. Interestingly, Alex - can you determine what you mean "decent" from your first post, please? It is nigh difficult to know what you mean, otherwise. |
Post# 224249 , Reply# 45   3/19/2013 at 10:25 (4,049 days old) by NYCWriter (New York City)   |   | |
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... Kirbys (and Royals, for that matter) aren't any more "bulky" than those plastic screaming nightmares sold at the big box stores.
And in terms of your electric bill ... if your choice of vacuum really makes that much of a difference on the monthly bill, you have bigger financial problems than which vacuum to buy. Seriously. Unless your vacuum is running constantly 24/7 like your refrigerator or air conditioner, the dollar difference is negligible. |
Post# 224253 , Reply# 46   3/19/2013 at 10:58 (4,049 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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That is a good point NYC -which in turn is why there is no need to have a stipulation or silly law concerning high power vacuums - at least as buyers we have a choice as to what to use and not cut down by the energy "wastage" a vacuum cleaner with a high power motor runs away with. Or for the fact that as buyers we can still buy bagless as well as bagged vacuums.
The argument or perhaps reasons behind it is flawed when taking other considerations and high energy appliances into the equation. |
Post# 224256 , Reply# 47   3/19/2013 at 11:37 (4,049 days old) by NYCWriter (New York City)   |   | |
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... I don't know how things are in the socialist U.K., but here in the U.S., as long as I pay my electric bill, I'm entitled to use AS MUCH ELECTRICITY AS I DAMN WELL PLEASE.
Yes, that includes burning incandescent light bulbs (I absolutely refuse to use CFLs, which actually cause damage to our DNA, as well as a host of other health problems). And yes, I use a calculator that PLUGS INTO THE WALL. Deal. |
Post# 224564 , Reply# 50   3/21/2013 at 14:35 (4,047 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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I really wish people would learn that the reason a motor overheats is possibly because the airflow is being restricted or if the filters require to be cleaned. A lot of of that ignorance isn't helped by brands who continually to offer high power motors with very little heat insulation.
You've hit the nail on the head with canisters with PN's are concerned - I too find them bulky to use and much prefer the faster speed that lighter suction only heads employ (or air driven turbo brushes If I have to use them.) Alex - still waiting to know what you term as "decent" in an upright. |
Post# 224569 , Reply# 51   3/21/2013 at 14:50 (4,047 days old) by AlexHoovers94 (Manchester UK)   |   | |
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A decent vacuum in my opinion is any vacuum cleaner that is clean air with a good brushroll - the NEW Dysons, Sebo's, 80's/90's Elctroluxes Hoover Turbopower 2's.
A very good vacuum would be something on the lines of an older Hoover - Turbopowers, Turbomasters, Juniors, Seniors, Kirbys infact most dirty air cleaners are very good carpet cleaners. |
Post# 224619 , Reply# 52   3/21/2013 at 23:28 (4,046 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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Mmm, some obvious choices there - I guess its different for everyone. A decent upright vacuum for me comes down to:
It is difficult to judge older uprights such as the ones you've suggested from the 80s/90s as they are in short supply and only way of purchase is either from a collector or someone who just happens to be selling an old one on auction sites - but at the detriment of an abused life etc.
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Post# 224649 , Reply# 53   3/22/2013 at 06:15 (4,046 days old) by AlexHoovers94 (Manchester UK)   |   | |
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Post# 224965 , Reply# 54   3/24/2013 at 10:43 (4,044 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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So, moving on from that, let me give you an obvious example of what I consider to be closest to the more modern upright bagged vacuums we currently have, or the machines I once had: Hoover Turbopower 2 U2464 or Hoover Turbopower 3 U2812.
All things considered with the higher grade spec of the autosense etc, my main gripe with the TP2/3 series was largely its weight. I found as I got older and started to grow that when I bottomed out at 6ft, the natural position to use the uprights made me stoop more when pushing and pulling them across carpets and I was never that quick with those uprights when it came to cleaning despite the high power. The handle also "started" to appear smaller as my hands became a bit bigger and thus began to get uncomfortable to grip.
I think Hoover had the best time at the time when the TP2 and 3's were on sale. However, if they appeared on the market now with a somewhat lighter weight, easier to push design and longer, more comfortable handle, I'd probably be interested, again. The Purepower in my experience is not the best replacement.
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Post# 225656 , Reply# 56   3/30/2013 at 07:18 (4,038 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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I have never tried Vorwerk but I would like to. The price of the new ones put me off and from what I've read on here as well as reviews, a lot of owners have since traded up to the Sebo Felix, which is understandable as both machines swivel. Plus in the UK, Vorwerk bags can be difficult to source. Its worlds away from the Panasonic upright I bought recently but the two share the same problem of finding dust bags, even if the Panasonic is beginning to get better for bag availability.
That is the problem with a lot of brands - unless they have a large network of spares in place already, it is difficult to find dust bags unless you go for the copy ones and half the time they're never as good as the originals. Some copy bags are good though. I used to use copy bags for my Moulinex Powerstyle cylinder vac in the mid 1990s. This is where the Purepower fights back - plus I had an early one in the 1990s, a Lifetime model that came with a permanent re-useable material dust bag that could be washed, dried after use and refitted.
I also had the Argos bagged upright for a time and it only used exclusive bags from Argos. The upright still sells and though its made of flimsier plastic than the Purepower, its a decent effort for the cost price, not bad suction and wonderfully light to push across carpets. Again though the downside is that you have to buy a lot of bags to make the purchase worthwhile as opposed to perhaps in a couple of months when you may need more bags and then find that Argos have sold out etc.
At least with Hoover's dust bags (Purepower etc) you can use the existing bags that Hoover sell. They'd have no worries in that respect producing what they already have - but at the same time they could develop a much better bagged upright to replace the Purepower. |
Post# 225712 , Reply# 57   3/30/2013 at 16:06 (4,038 days old) by andy-lux ()   |   | |
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@Turbo500. Even my house is relativly small for a Kirby. But i do find that a Sebo 360 does a pretty good job of even the shortest pile of carpets |
Post# 226105 , Reply# 58   4/2/2013 at 12:37 (4,035 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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Post# 226184 , Reply# 59   4/2/2013 at 22:26 (4,034 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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So I bought the Vax VCU-02 for £39-99 brand new. Sealed in a box and took me all of a minute to put together without reading the user manual. Unlike Oreck, you get 32mm pipes with this vacuum that act as the first and secondary spine separated by a grab handle at the rear before the handle is already attached. Thus the suction channels are wider as well as the main dust bag channel before the bag inside the soft outer cover. Following on before with my previous posts, here's a quick report:
Downsides - After running around the house with it, I checked the bag briefly to find that it picks up a lot of dust but sometimes the dust ends up escaping out of the bag onto the black plastic bonding wall that holds the dust channel in. Vax claim that the outer bag is a HEPA type but it feels like a plastic bonding has been added inside the outer bag. In normal use, there isn't that much air that comes out of the bag when it inflates though, which is always good.
Lastly - is it better than a reconditioned Hoover Junior? For all round performance, I'd say yes, but you lose the style that the Junior exudes as well as cheaper running costs and spares.
Having read a few reviews on this product already, my only fear is that the Vax will either break down in a short time or something may go wrong with the handle as it doesn't seem to have a good reliability record taking the UK reviews into account.
Still for £39-99, I 'aint complainin'! |
Post# 226995 , Reply# 60   4/6/2013 at 13:24 (4,031 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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Post# 227001 , Reply# 61   4/6/2013 at 13:53 (4,031 days old) by AlexHoovers94 (Manchester UK)   |   | |
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Post# 227114 , Reply# 62   4/7/2013 at 01:01 (4,030 days old) by spiraclean (UK)   |   | |
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Those Vax commercial uprights are a great Oreck alternative. Similar design and handling, pretty much the same weight, yet can be had for as little as a tenth of the price... what's not to like? Even if it only lasts a few years it's still cracking value whichever way you look at it. And judging by how quickly the bag fills I never had any complaints about its performance.
Just one thing to watch out for, don't be tempted to use this cleaner on a sheepskin rug. I lent mine out to a neighbour who did exactly that, and wondered why it had very little suction afterwards. Turns out the Vax was gobbling up loose fibres at such a rate they became caught around the fan blades. Opening the cleaner up to access the motor is fairly simple however, and once I'd pulled the big wads of fluff out of the fan chamber everything was back to normal again. |
Post# 227218 , Reply# 63   4/7/2013 at 13:30 (4,030 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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Alex - sorry for not adding but yes that's my wee video.
Thanks Spira for that additional info. What you describe with the sheepskin rug happened exactly with my parents XL upright, only it used to bring off the belt at the same time, hence previous posts from me saying that the machine had a hunger for drive belts. At the time Oreck UK showed a video showing the Oreck XL doing these kinds of rugs which was a bit of false advertising. I used my Vax VCU-02 again today and I absolutely love it. Just a slight minor wish that Vax would have offered a similar looped handle to the Oreck but above all else, its a super lightweight upright - I really wish the ones that the U.S members have on here, ie Simplicity etc were offered in the UK. I think they'd be a market for it, filling in the need for those who miss the inflatable soft bag dirty fan "base line" uprights. I certainly prefer using it than my Panasonic MC UG522 I recently bought. |