a tribute to panasonic vacuums

Panasonic will always be my favorite vacuum brand. I loved their older models the best (Especially the metal bypass uprights), I think the performance, quality, and durability was even better than the newer ones in my opinion. Plus I also liked the fact that most of the older models were made in the US. There are 3 models that I can think of that I would say is my favorite of all time; One is my MC-V7387, another is my Uncle's MC-V6255, and the last one would be the powerhead from my Grandpa's Vacumaid P-125.

I grew up with the MC-V7387 because I used to love playing with that vacuum back when we had our first cabin. I actually have pictures of me using it when I was a kid. We got that to replace our Sharp Twin Energy in I think 1996 and the only thing it had to be fixed was somewhere in the power connection because it used to shut off on us a few times. We left the vacuum behind when we sold the place in 2003 because we wanted to get a central vacuum at our other cabin instead. I later got me one as a Christmas gift in 2010. This is the only vacuum that I will NEVER get rid of.

I also grew up with my Uncle's MC-V6255. It was bought brand new in I think 1995 and it's been serviced a few times but it still runs like new. Only problem with it is that the dust cover has a piece that got chipped off and I have been dying to find a replacement cover for it. Other than that, it's one of the best Panasonics that I've ever used. This is the only vacuum that I wished Panasonic would've still made.

And I also grew up with the powerhead from my Grandpa's central vacuum. The powerhead and the kit was bought in I think the late 90's or early 2000's to replace their old kit. I didn't use the powerhead much because we only go up to that place once a while. The last time I used that vacuum, it sounded like the bearings were going dry in the powerhead. This is the only vacuum that was the most funnest machine that I've ever used.

I think the ones that I didn't like the most were the beltless models because they didn't nearly clean as well, I've seen them fail fast and easily, and they were more expensive and difficult to repair.

I think the most interesting Panasonics that were ever made were the dual sweep models (Including the Kenmore version). Those were the direct competitive models from the Hoover V2 and Savvy models. But I found they weren't as good compare to the other Panasonics.

I think the best model Panasonic ever made was the MC-UG775. That was one of the most impressive vacuums that I've ever used.

I guess I could say my favorite and one of the best Kenmore models I've used from Panasonic would be the Progressive 300. The one with dirt sensors, a full bag indicator light, and silver decal logos instead of gold.

So that's my overall Panasonic experience, there were more Panasonics that I've seen and used before but these are the only ones that I wanted to share on here.


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Post# 367946 3/6/2017 at 20:07 (2,599 days old) by n0oxy (Saint Louis Missouri, United States)
Checkrate/Likes So, I checked the Panasonic web site, not sure about uprights, but for the canisters, only three are listed now, and only the jet force model is still available. The mc-cg937 is still listed, but is no longer available, I'm glad I bought the mc-cg902 when I did, so, it does appear that Panasonic has officially departed the vacuum market, kind of sad. You really could not beat the price of these vacuums, and they were quite good for the price. All of the power nozzles are still available on the Centec web site, at least for now, not sure how long that will last though. You might still be able to get some panasonic models from places such as ebay, but I'm sure those will disappear over time as well, so I thought I would start a thread where we could talk about what we liked about these vacuums, and what we didn't like as well, always good to read both sides of a story. Goodbye Panasonic, your vacuums will definitely be missed.

Post# 367954 , Reply# 1 3/6/2017 at 22:19 (2,599 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes 3 I will definitely miss seeing Panasonic in the North American vacuum market (not sure if they are stopping making vacs for Japan). There are at least three things I give the company credit for: 1. Taking the revolutionary design of the Hoover Dial-a-Matic and improving it to such a point that Panasonic uprights defined the standard for North American "bag-first" uprights. Every vac-maker copied Panasonic eventually, including the unbeatable Hoover WindTunnels of the 1990's. 2. The ingenious belt-less brush roll that put the motor inside the agitator itself. 3. A continuous record of excellent results in Consumer Reports tests for at least 3 decades. Panasonic uprights and power nozzle canisters, and similar Kenmore vacs made for Sears, continually topped the ratings due to great carpet cleaning, great above-floor cleaning and general good performance for the money. If you look at the current canister ratings, the top 6 or 7 canisters are Panasonics or Kenmores - besides the Miele Marin at the very top of the list. Even the Panasonic bagless canister outdid Dyson. ....ooo...must not forget: the softest dusting brush provided with a department store vacuum - even Miele doesn't give you such a soft dusting brush.

Post# 368002 , Reply# 2 3/7/2017 at 16:32 (2,598 days old) by Mixman (Central NJ)
Checkrate/Likes *MC-CG936* How good is the the MC-CG936? Can't find many reviews and there is hardly and YouTube videos on this or any Panasonic canisters. Thinking about finding one (these seem the easiest to find) and trying it out before I go whole hog and buying a Miele C3.

Post# 368009 , Reply# 3 3/7/2017 at 17:45 (2,598 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes Consumer Reports has tested the similar CG937 and has tagged it as a Best Buy at $330. Test results were: Excellent for bare floor cleaning and filtration, Very Good for carpet cleaning and airflow through the hose for tool use, good for handling and noise suppression. Here is their summary: Panasonic's bagged canister had impressive cleaning across the board, making it one of our top picks. Panasonic is also among the more reliable brands of canister vacuums. This model had ample airflow for tools and did equally well at picking up pet hair. Helpful features include a brush on/off switch for bare floors, suction control for delicate items like drapes, easy on/off, manual carpet pile-height adjustment, and the expected retractable cord. Also, the bag resides on a little caddy we found easy to empty.

Post# 368012 , Reply# 4 3/7/2017 at 18:14 (2,598 days old) by Mixman (Central NJ)
Checkrate/Likes Sorry I meant MC-CG937, not 936. Unfortunately that Consumer Reports review is about the only review other than the reviews from the buyers on Amazon.

Post# 368027 , Reply# 5 3/7/2017 at 21:58 (2,598 days old) by n0oxy (Saint Louis Missouri, United States)
Checkrate/Likes *mc-cg937* If you can get one of these, especially new or used in good shape, go for it, they are great vacuums. I got the mc-cg902 because I really didn't need the speed control or the removable bag holder, other than that, they are similar, the 937 comes with the Centec CT20 power nozzle I think. It will be cheaper than a Miele but should clean very well. I'm glad I bought my Panasonic when I did.

Post# 368056 , Reply# 6 3/8/2017 at 11:57 (2,597 days old) by Mixman (Central NJ)
Checkrate/Likes How do you rate the Panasonic compared to the other vacs in your collection?

Post# 368115 , Reply# 7 3/9/2017 at 00:32 (2,597 days old) by panasonicvac (Northern Utah)
Checkrate/Likes Panasonic will always be my favorite vacuum brand. I loved their older models the best (Especially the metal bypass uprights), I think the performance, quality, and durability was even better than the newer ones in my opinion. Plus I also liked the fact that most of the older models were made in the US. There are 3 models that I can think of that I would say is my favorite of all time; One is my MC-V7387, another is my Uncle's MC-V6255, and the last one would be the powerhead from my Grandpa's Vacumaid P-125. I grew up with the MC-V7387 because I used to love playing with that vacuum back when we had our first cabin. I actually have pictures of me using it when I was a kid. We got that to replace our Sharp Twin Energy in I think 1996 and the only thing it had to be fixed was somewhere in the power connection because it used to shut off on us a few times. We left the vacuum behind when we sold the place in 2003 because we wanted to get a central vacuum at our other cabin instead. I later got me one as a Christmas gift in 2010. This is the only vacuum that I will NEVER get rid of. I also grew up with my Uncle's MC-V6255. It was bought brand new in I think 1995 and it's been serviced a few times but it still runs like new. Only problem with it is that the dust cover has a piece that got chipped off and I have been dying to find a replacement cover for it. Other than that, it's one of the best Panasonics that I've ever used. This is the only vacuum that I wished Panasonic would've still made. And I also grew up with the powerhead from my Grandpa's central vacuum. The powerhead and the kit was bought in I think the late 90's or early 2000's to replace their old kit. I didn't use the powerhead much because we only go up to that place once a while. The last time I used that vacuum, it sounded like the bearings were going dry in the powerhead. This is the only vacuum that was the most funnest machine that I've ever used. I think the ones that I didn't like the most were the beltless models because they didn't nearly clean as well, I've seen them fail fast and easily, and they were more expensive and difficult to repair. I think the most interesting Panasonics that were ever made were the dual sweep models (Including the Kenmore version). Those were the direct competitive models from the Hoover V2 and Savvy models. But I found they weren't as good compare to the other Panasonics. I think the best model Panasonic ever made was the MC-UG775. That was one of the most impressive vacuums that I've ever used. I guess I could say my favorite and one of the best Kenmore models I've used from Panasonic would be the Progressive 300. The one with dirt sensors, a full bag indicator light, and silver decal logos instead of gold. So that's my overall Panasonic experience, there were more Panasonics that I've seen and used before but these are the only ones that I wanted to share on here.

Post# 368807 , Reply# 8 3/20/2017 at 16:29 (2,585 days old) by tseg (World Traveller)
Checkrate/Likes My wife's shop had an MC6217 Panasonic Jet-Flo commercial upright (I think from the early '90's) and the cord frayed so they were pitching it. She brought it home about a decade ago because she loved (and still loves) that vacuum. I ordered a new cord online and swapped it out. It is probably approaching 30 years old and still works like a champ.

Post# 368822 , Reply# 9 3/20/2017 at 21:16 (2,585 days old) by n0oxy (Saint Louis Missouri, United States)
Checkrate/Likes *panasonic nozzles* I ordered a Centec CT10 and a CT23 the other day, these were made by Panasonic. They still have several of each nozzle left in stock, apparently the new company will continue to make the ct18, ct20 and ct23. The ct12 will no longer be made, not sure about the CT14 or CT10. I'll be very interested to try the CT10 on my hard floors since that's what it's designed for. So, if anyone wants the original Panasonic version of these nozzles, you may want to get them while they are still available.