While I understand the significance in the commercial market of both the 50-foot-long power cord and the super-wide (at least 16") nozzle in janitorial vacuums, I am wondering if at least one of these features are also a boon to some household owners, along with the shake-out cloth bag?

How I sum it up: Other than on Kirbys since the Classic 1CR and some 1970s-early '90s Eureka uprights, I don't believe the super-wide nozzles were all that popular with most non-commercial users, but I think the 50-foot cord is the more likely bane-than-boon of the two, since you have to drag it around with you from outlet to outlet.

And also, the shake-out bag: I am afraid most people don't want to get started on that.

Thus I ask: what is your point of view about these typically janitorial vacuum cleaner features?

~Ben

The shakeout bag system on the earlier Kirby's (pre G3) is not really that much pain to use. These Kirby shakeout systems use an Emptor where most of the heavier dirt and small objects collect.

Shaking the bag causes all of the lighter dust, dirt and pet hair to fall down into the emptor.

One merely needs to place the vacuum on some opened up newspaper pages and open the trap door on the bottom of the emptor and all the dirt falls out onto the newspaper. You then just fold up the corners of the newspaper and roll it into a ball and toss it into the trash. Not that hard to do and practically mess free.

These early Kirby's were actually the very first Bagless vacuum cleaners produced and there are no messy filters to clean in order to maintain airflow.