Thread Number: 34391
/ Tag: Brand New Vacuum Cleaners
Why So Many Models? |
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Post# 372273   5/17/2017 at 16:00 (2,506 days old) by Shrink1982 (Indianapolis)   |   | |
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Why do vacuum manufacturers produce so many models? Perhaps if they focused on a few, they would get the quality right. I mean, I can't even keep Miele straight. There are so many canisters with different options, better build quality, and power heads it boggles my mind. Sebo isn't quite as bad and Kirby and companies like Rainbow, etc. are the only manufacturers that seem to have one model at a time. It just amazes me. Look at Shark, for example; there are so many versions of the same few vacuums. For me have a good, better, and best canister and upright and call it a day.
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Post# 372298 , Reply# 3   5/17/2017 at 23:26 (2,506 days old) by Shrink1982 (Indianapolis)   |   | |
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Post# 372322 , Reply# 5   5/18/2017 at 14:06 (2,505 days old) by gsheen (Cape Town South Africa)   |   | |
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Post# 372373 , Reply# 6   5/19/2017 at 08:40 (2,505 days old) by Real1shep (Walla Walla, WA)   |   | |
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wondered if it's a US thing...the proliferation of so many models from the same company using the same parts.
Kevin |
Post# 372377 , Reply# 7   5/19/2017 at 11:10 (2,505 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)   |   | |
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They'd make a vacuum w/ a shorter cord, no light, half a bumper, snap bag...the Convertible "Special". same motor, etc but a lower cost.
They'd manufacture 2 models at a time sometimes. Care were similar. Pontiac and Chevrolet would be almost the same..... different names. Sadly, Ford made Thunderbirds look just like everything for a while. it was awful. Lincoln did the same thing. there was a time when a Lincoln LOOKED like a Lincoln, T-Birds too, etc. |
Post# 372442 , Reply# 8   5/20/2017 at 08:31 (2,504 days old) by Real1shep (Walla Walla, WA)   |   | |
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you mention it, that's the convertible I bought in college! It had no light, snap bag and was pink. I remember thinking the cord could be longer...lol. I don't know Hoover models...thanks for that!
Kevin |
Post# 372506 , Reply# 10   5/21/2017 at 08:04 (2,503 days old) by Tseg (World Traveller)   |   | |
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Fyi, all US Miele C3 units come with power for the hose if you elect to do that post-purchase ($400+) upgrade. |
Post# 372675 , Reply# 13   5/25/2017 at 18:22 (2,498 days old) by Vinvac (Dubuque IA)   |   | |
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I couldn't agree more, some companies offer so many models but the good old standards such a Kirby, Filter Queen, Areus, Rainbow and Air-Way had mainly one model.
Electrolux did offer economy models and still does but they all were of good quality. Hoover always amazed me, they offered different models with different features but the motor and brush roll were the same in all. At least Eureka offered different brush roll styles. Now Shark, Bissell, Hoover, Royal and many other are all starting to look alike. One comes out with a different style and the rest follow. If I had to have only one vacuum, it would be a Kirby. It is a tried and true design that has lasted the test of time. I would also consider a top of the line Blue Line Sanitaire Upright with a good tool set. My famous line "bagless bad - anything with a bag good!" |
Post# 372679 , Reply# 14   5/25/2017 at 19:46 (2,498 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)   |   | |
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Post# 372683 , Reply# 16   5/25/2017 at 20:47 (2,498 days old) by Shrink1982 (Indianapolis)   |   | |
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Post# 372684 , Reply# 17   5/25/2017 at 21:27 (2,498 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)   |   | |
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Post# 372733 , Reply# 18   5/26/2017 at 21:42 (2,497 days old) by wyaple (Pickerington, OH)   |   | |
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Post# 372736 , Reply# 19   5/26/2017 at 23:17 (2,497 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)   |   | |
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Bill,
At the tool end, yes... I got this picture off of an ebay.co.uk auction.
~Ben
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Post# 372749 , Reply# 20   5/27/2017 at 06:55 (2,497 days old) by Shrink1982 (Indianapolis)   |   | |
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I suppose I can see from a marketing standpoint but it just confuses the heck out of me. Never mind crap brands like Hoover, Eureka, Dirt Devil, etc. (I am referring to their current iteration, not past models) that have models coming out so frequently, you wonder what happened to the others. It is nice to offer people choices but the choices can be ridiculous. For example, Companies like Riccar/Simplicity and Miele have a lot of models to choose from. When looking at the models, it can be daunting to figure out which has what and which one is really the best bang for your buck. I know entry level Miele cleaners aren't built as well as the higher end Mieles. I find this frustrating. For example, whether I buy an entry level Mercedes or a top of the line Mercedes I do expect the quality to be excellent as that is what you expect from that brand. One thing I like about Kirby is their dedication to a single model although they update them too frequently in my opinion. I mean, do we need to new model that is only a cosmetic upgrade every couple of years?
Sebo isn't as bad as they seem to stick with what works. I understand the lineup and it is clear what features I am getting or not getting depending on the model. I just find it unnecessary to have so many models of one brand. Also, I don't know why Tacony has both Riccar and Simplicity. They are the same models with a different name. I get that two dealerss can each offer a different brand but why not have them both offer Riccar and drop Simplicity? I could see if both brands were well known and one was absorbed by Tacony and they wanted to keep the customer base of one brand but I don't think that is the case at all. I like what they have done with Maytag. No frills, middle of the road, and top of the line. They all clean well but you get more options and accessories with each tier. I think a Maytag canister would be nice to add to the lineup but I have a feeling Maytag will discontinue their vacuums. They don't seem to be all that popular and most vacuum store sell either Simplicity or Riccar. When searching for videos of the Maytag 1200 on youtube, there is very little. Makes me think vacuum enthusiasts have not caught on to them simply because they are Ricaar/Simplicity machines with different looks and branding. I will say, for what you get, the Maytag is cheaper than the similar Ricaar/Simplicity models. So, I will end my rant by saying, vacuum manufacturers should start with the vacuum that cleans the best. Then they can add upgrades to accessories, tandem air, etc. to increase the price. However, this could be done with maybe three or four machines. I like when a company gets it right and doesn't mess with a good thing. Sebo is a great example of this. I would argue the Sebo uprights are overdue for a makeover just as I would argue Kirby needs to come out with a new machine that actually improves on the prior cleaners, not just a cosmetic upgrade I am sure many of you will disagree with me; that is the nature of healthy debate. In my opinion, less can be more. |
Post# 372805 , Reply# 21   5/28/2017 at 01:00 (2,496 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)   |   | |
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Maytag vacuums-I think there is another "problem" here-people associate Maytag with laundry equipment rather than vacuum cleaners.As you can see from the neighboring Applianceville site-Maytag is now owned by Whirlpool-Hence "Whirltags","Maypool". |
Post# 372810 , Reply# 22   5/28/2017 at 07:30 (2,496 days old) by Shrink1982 (Indianapolis)   |   | |
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I agree tolivac. I don't see them lasting as Maytag isn't the brand it used to be and there have been no updates to the current models since they came out. I like them for the fact they are basically a Ricaar/Simplicity Tandem air without the price tag that comes with those brands. I just don't hear about them much. I imagine dealers may prefer Riccar and Simplicity over Maytag simply due to pricing and brand recognition. While I think Maytag and Tacony assumed consumers would purchase the Maytag because everyone is aware of the name and what it once stood for, I purchased it in order to get a Tacony machine on par with their high end vacs. The machine is as much a Maytag/Whirlpool as current Hoovers are related to the original Hoover brand. Just a name...
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Post# 372812 , Reply# 23   5/28/2017 at 12:45 (2,495 days old) by myles_v (Fredericksburg, VA)   |   | |
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People often want something newer and seemingly better. The cheap, lower quality vac companies seem to be the ones which do this the most often. I think it may be partly something to keep customers coming back to the same brand even after they have previous models fail.
Sure, the Bissell Powerforce that you paid $50 for broke after 6 months. But oh look! Bissell has the Powerforce Helix for $60! When that one breaks, try the Bissell Powerforce Helix Turbo! The higher end vacuum cleaner companies don't do this because they don't make cheap shit. Aerus has only a few models, Rainbow has one, Sebo has only a few completely separate machines. These companies sell their machines at a premium price and they don't expect the customer to make another purchase for 5, 10, or 20 years. They have no need to try and lure the customers back in to purchase from them again so soon. Bissell, TTI, and Eureka all know that their customers will need a new vacuum very shortly after purchasing the first one. They have to find a way to keep them coming back, and I believe that the very large selection of models with small variances is the way they do this. Another reason may simply be that some consumers fall for gimmicks easier. So Bissell could take every machine they sell, color it purple and add a small turbine head, say it's designed for homes with pets and add $20 to the price. Just in doing that they'd double the number of different models, and increase their profit for each machine sold. I haven't looked into Miele's machines lately, but I know a few years ago they sold a good number of models. But there was a clear distinction between which ones were the bottom of the line, which ones were the top of the line, and which ones fell in the middle. Then within each 3 tiers, you could purchase different models with different features, kind of like buying a car and adding options. |
Post# 372906 , Reply# 28   5/30/2017 at 10:16 (2,494 days old) by crazykirbydude (Lexington, KY)   |   | |
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Post# 372907 , Reply# 29   5/30/2017 at 11:24 (2,493 days old) by myles_v (Fredericksburg, VA)   |   | |
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I don't think Tacony should merge Simplicity and Riccar. Simplicity is already a brand of sewing equipment and accessories, so by selling vacuums under that name they have the interest of people who already trust the Simplicity name. I believe Simplicity offers different colors as well.
www.simplicity.com/... simplicityvac.com/... |
Post# 372947 , Reply# 32   5/31/2017 at 00:02 (2,493 days old) by mixman (Central NJ)   |   | |
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They may eventually come out with new low end models.....we will see. If not, it probably just shows that it's getting tough for premium vacuum makers to compete with the Dysons and Sharks in that price range. Mike |
Post# 372979 , Reply# 34   5/31/2017 at 10:27 (2,493 days old) by sebo4me (Cardiff)   |   | |
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Post# 372980 , Reply# 35   5/31/2017 at 10:28 (2,493 days old) by sebo4me (Cardiff)   |   | |
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Post# 376050 , Reply# 40   7/28/2017 at 20:56 (2,434 days old) by moderneezer (Gatineau, Quebec, Canada)   |   | |
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One other problem that some companies do when they introduce several models at once is that they make different attachments for different models of cleaners and sometimes, a certain kind of nozzle would be unavailable for a specific model even if the two were of the same brand.
Changing the subject a little. There's one idea that got into my mind about electric nozzles. What if a manufacturer were to design an optional headlight and an optional height adjuster that could be attached to a power nozzle and were each sold separately? What do you think of my idea? Changing the subject again. I read the conversation about the unreasonably wide selection of Miele C3 canister models. I checked the selection available in USA and there are three C3 models that each come with a powerhead model SEB 228 and three others that each come with a nozzle model SEB 236. Would this be a superfluous thing? I encourage you, American participants of this discussion, to go check what models of the C3 series are availabe in Canada and determine how simplified is the selection in that country compared to the one in USA. |
Post# 376290 , Reply# 41   8/2/2017 at 15:00 (2,429 days old) by moderneezer (Gatineau, Quebec, Canada)   |   | |
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