Thread Number: 20540
Weird Test Drive? 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 230034   4/26/2013 at 01:30 (4,017 days old) by wxman ()        

My wife and I went to a local vacuum store to test drive Simplicity Symmetry Premium. They also had a Synchrony Deluxe on display. As part of the test, a cup or two of sand was dumped on a rug. After a pass or two with the Symmetry, they did a few more with the Synchrony to show how much more it would pick up. Then both my wife and I made several more passes over the same area with the Synchrony. I was quite surprised that even after what was likely 15-20 passes, there was still considerable sand evident in the rug. With each pass we could see a lot of sand suspended just ahead of the vac. Would have thought a brand new higher end vac would be more efficient than that. Is that unreasonable or is it more likely that that specific unit was a dud?

Post# 230040 , Reply# 1   4/26/2013 at 02:33 (4,017 days old) by electromatik (Taylorsville, North Carolina, U.S.A.)        

That is a little surprising. Let us remember that sand is somewhat more difficult to remove than dust and household dirt. The particles are jagged and are far heavier and it takes a vacuum some effort to agitate them out of the fibers and then suction them away. I watched an Electrolux salesman do this test at a local shopping mall years ago. He let the customer vacuum it up. After a few passes, no more sand jumped out and he got down on hands and knees and spread the carpet fibers and flicked them with his fingers and there was no sand particles apparent. I would think a vacuum operating fully would be able to remove sand unless it is quite weak in air flow and agitation. The only thing I can think of that would cause that would be that they had not changed the bag or filters frequently and the suction was weak because of it. Perhaps another issue could be the brushroll or belt was worn out or not adjusted properly. If after 20 passes you still saw plenty of sand, something was not right with the unit. I HOPE because I would hate to think it was that weak.

Post# 230047 , Reply# 2   4/26/2013 at 06:12 (4,017 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

Maybe the floor nozzle height was not set correctly.

Post# 230056 , Reply# 3   4/26/2013 at 08:22 (4,017 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

dysonman1's profile picture
I actually know why. It's the reason we stopped using sand to 'test' vacuums in front of customers. For one, the concentration of sand in that section of the rug is thousands of times higher than it would be naturally. There are so many yarns in a carpet that allow the sand to sink to the bottom. Plus, in testing, NO vacuum can remove all the dirt from a carpet.

The Synchrony is one model I NEVER sell to a customer. I hate working on them, they're trouble prone, and have somewhat weak hose suction (only 60 inches of lift - like a model XXX Electrolux from the '30's). Far better to get the Symmetry. Easy to work on, bullet-proof, and they do clean very well. Unless you live on a beach front property, the Symmetry is the one to go for. Take it from someone who actually works at the factory where they're made.

Post# 230152 , Reply# 4   4/26/2013 at 19:04 (4,016 days old) by JDrums0789 ()        

Was it done on a rubber backed rug? Sometimes I've found with high suction machines is that they create a seal with the rubber backing, effectively killing the air flow and any sort of cleaning ability. Its on those circumstances that a cheap vac will often outclean a high end model.

Post# 230194 , Reply# 5   4/27/2013 at 03:49 (4,016 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

Sand in rugs-Mike used to work at a vacuum shop that was near Cape Hatteras out here-Sand was tracked onto the carpets all of the time from folks going to the beach.So,yes,there could be lots of sand in beachfront property home carpets.A trade in Sebo vacuum I got from a Kirby dealer-its bag was full of primarily sand.Mike actually bought that machine back from me-he showed me the mark he put in it from when he sold it to a customer several years ago. That customer lived on the beachfront.He couldn't beleive someone traded it to a Kirby.Direct air vacuums suffer if they are used in a sandy enviornment.The sand erodes fans and fancases.The fine sand here does that,too-but less so than beach sand.And in New Bern Demoed a TriStar in a prospects home-again picked up mostly sand-the family went to the beach close to there often.They bought the vacuum.At ECU-the university here-the very fine sandy dirt here erodes plastic sanitaire fans quite quickly along with the fancase-Bill used to put retrofit metal fans in the Sanitaires and Steel fancase liners.MUCH BETTER.The machines lasted longer.I am about 60 miles from the beach-the sandy soil here is very fine-but can be abrasive.Kirby fans get eroded here,too.The ECU has a large fleet of Sanitaire vacuums-son't know who takes care of them now since Bill died.

Post# 231009 , Reply# 6   5/2/2013 at 23:24 (4,010 days old) by wxman ()        

Wanted to close out this very helpful thread. The wealth of knowledge is amazing. In response to your comments, the models in question auto set the carpet height adjustment and the carpet was likely rubber backed...I think it may have been a commercial entrance rug. We decided to go to a Riccar dealer (our only other option) in a nearby town, and test drove their Symmetry clone. For kicks we had them pour a small quantity of sand and saw much better results (pink sand on tan berber carpet this time :-) They threw in a metal bottom plate and some bags, and it found a new home. We're very, very pleased with the results. The carpet looks great, and it is much quieter than the other vacuums we had. Thank you all. -Paul

Post# 231034 , Reply# 7   5/3/2013 at 07:51 (4,010 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        
Enjoy your new Vibrance...

 dysonman1's profile picture
The Vibrance is an awesome vacuum. At the Outlet Store, here at the Factory, we sell tons of them. Never had one come in for a repair due to a defect. You'll have your new vacuum for over a decade. Just change the belt once every year or two and it will be the most dependable vacuum you ever had. Congratulations on a GREAT choice.



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