Thread Number: 25385
Interesting looking new Vax |
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Post# 285352   6/19/2014 at 04:36 (3,596 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/pa...
This caught my attention while I was just browsing on the argos website. For some reason, very new products, well vacuums at least, have a tendency to appear at argos.co.uk, sometimes before they are even on the manufacturers website. Anyways, check out this vax. It looks like a normal air upright but notice the floor head. Is looks like seamless strips of thick, possibly stiff bristles, which look very similar to dysons dc50 floor head. Would these also mean the soleplate has none of those horrible thin plastic slits ? Another thing that caught my attention was the energy rating, but they do not only give energy rating and kw/h consumption, but also pick up performance ? This could make buying vacuums a lot easier and give people more confidence. They have given this vax an A ! Some of the vax cylidners on here are D, so im guessing argos, or some institution are doing these now. Very interesting stuff. |
Post# 285355 , Reply# 1   6/19/2014 at 07:47 (3,596 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 285357 , Reply# 2   6/19/2014 at 09:31 (3,596 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)   |   | |
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I have to wonder with the new energy regulations in Europe, whether this means we will see a return to double-stage motors being used in vacuums. Yes, I know that the fans in motors were changed to have more blades on them & increase suction/airflow with using only 1 fan instead of two. However, what I am thinking is, with the requirement for lower energy consumption, would the motor manufacturers perhaps try to take these new-style fans used in single-stage motors & design them to work in a double-stage motor to produce more suction/airflow at less amps & wattage used. Would be nice to see double-stage motors more commonly used in vacuums again since they use lower RPM's & have longer armature & carbon brush life.
Rob |
Post# 285358 , Reply# 3   6/19/2014 at 09:31 (3,596 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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I don't dislikes Vax, although some of their models leave a lot to be desired, the air powered I had was very disappointing, but I did have an air 3 max which was the best vax I have used. Brushroll was very stiff, fantastic suction, decently built, good machine.
I guess vacuum manufacturers will now focus on better floor heads and brush bars to combat the lower wattage restrictions, which is no bad thing. We could well end up with better performing vacuums. A well designed floor head with good agitation is worth slightly more than a vacuum with good suction, at least that's what I think. I don't even massively dislike TTI. They aren't Chinese, but Hong Kong, which does make a difference I assure you. |
Post# 285367 , Reply# 4   6/19/2014 at 10:57 (3,596 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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Post# 285368 , Reply# 5   6/19/2014 at 11:04 (3,596 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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Very true. In the perfect world, it would be a combination of strong suction with good agitation. Whether modern vacuums have got more powerful as regards actual suction power is subjective, but we are now used to vacuums with, let face it, suction which wasn't around 30 years ago for example, but we didn't notice because vacuums, especially uprights, had very good brushrolls.
So the task is for manufacturers to focus on efficiency, low powered but high performing motors. Now I don't know what watt ratting the motor in this vax is, but it would be a good thing for manufactures to go back on focusing more on the agitation. Maybe we will see the re-introduction of powerhead nozzles in Europe for cylinders ? |
Post# 285383 , Reply# 6   6/19/2014 at 12:51 (3,596 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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In a perfect world and if they had sense, Hoover wouldn't really have to re-engineer much - after all they still have the blueprints to their original vacuums, one would assume.
Very few have said it - but there's a good idea now to bring back the classic uprights of old which had low watts for carpet cleaning and fit another motor on top for the suction through the hose. Really can't be that difficult can it? |
Post# 285393 , Reply# 7   6/19/2014 at 13:35 (3,596 days old) by hi-loswitch98 ()   |   | |
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The Vax Air 3 I have has stiff bristles that made sugar bounce on my carpet. Also, that Vax on Argos, notice the hose comes out the side like U.S. versions |
Post# 285414 , Reply# 8   6/19/2014 at 15:31 (3,596 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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Post# 285416 , Reply# 9   6/19/2014 at 15:35 (3,596 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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Post# 285424 , Reply# 10   6/19/2014 at 16:08 (3,596 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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Other newbies from Vax (but not the upright):
Steam Combi mop with lift out hand held steam cleaner and upright bagless model.
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Post# 285452 , Reply# 12   6/19/2014 at 18:39 (3,595 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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One has to bear in mind that in the UK, until Electrolux came along there weren't that many clean fan uprights though.
Its all very well comparing your Kenmore to whatever - we don't have the luxury of Kenmore or Riccar, or even Aerus. Comparing uprights now to uprights of vintage years, the only advantages that the modern ones now has are tools on board AND just as much suction to offer through the hose as well as the floor head. Most are lighter to lift, not as light IMHO as some canister/cylinder vacs, but lighter as the years go by and as plastics become lighter in their consistency and texture production. I can't say for certain whether electronic control handles are a good idea or not. Of the ones I've owned, they're still going and have varying years in between them such as 3 to 10 years. |
Post# 286315 , Reply# 13   6/26/2014 at 19:05 (3,588 days old) by oliveoiltinfoil (England, UK)   |   | |
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This looks as if it is from the same family as the air 3 models by vax, hence why it uses the "air" name. I had an air 3 max and I found it to be the best vax I have used, thanks in part to much stiffer bristle used on the brushbar. The biggest problem I found with it, which I cured wonderfully (blowing my own horn) is to put some form of grease like Vaseline in the swivel joints and wheels as they were incredibly stiff and since then I have seen reviews stating this and people giving the vacuums poor marks because of this. That was the problem. I phoned vax and they said it should get better with use, to put some washing up liquid there while it brakes in, so more or less the same thing.
One thing I didn't like about the vax though were the horrible "train track" lines I have talked about before. You know the base plate having these ugly slot section every 2 or 3 inches, which leave strands of carpet un-vacuumed, meaning you have to very carefully overlap your strokes. This is something I do not find with my felix as the bristles as continuous. But if this vax has these continuous strips of hopefully stiff bristles, I could imagine the pick up performance on this machine would be excellent, as they never lacked suction power. |
Post# 286321 , Reply# 14   6/26/2014 at 19:34 (3,588 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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I didn't mind the track marks from the Vax - it was the markings of the rear wheels I didn't like - and also on my hard floors whenever the brush roll was turned off, the Vax would stick to the floor, making it really difficult to push. Even SEBO's Felix isn't that hard to push across a hard floor IMHO when the brush roll is turned off.
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