Thread Number: 34758  /  Tag: Recent Vacuum Cleaners from past 20 years
My Arrival; Is The Bagged Power Nozzle Canister Market Dying?
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Post# 375350   7/14/2017 at 06:58 (2,449 days old) by carolinaguy1996 (Candler, NC)        

Hi guys, the reason why I started a new account is because I have no access to my old accounts. Ignoring that, I wanted to ask you guys a question. Something that I needed to have a talk about.

If you are a canister vac person, is the market really dying? I'm talking about the bagged canisters with electric nozzles. I know uprights tend to be better for storage. And we're talking about the department store kinds.


Post# 375351 , Reply# 1   7/14/2017 at 07:56 (2,449 days old) by kirbyvertibles (Independence, KS)        

kirbyvertibles's profile picture
I don't know. Yeats ago late 90sish I remember vacuum shops saying back then that power nozzle canister were dying with all these uprights having the capabilities of being both.

Post# 375353 , Reply# 2   7/14/2017 at 08:00 (2,449 days old) by carolinaguy1996 (Candler, NC)        

The thing is though, there are people who prefer the space-saving capabilities of an upright. Hoover, Eureka, and Kenmore once had the best canisters. Now, those days have mainly ended. At least you have the used market.

Post# 375360 , Reply# 3   7/14/2017 at 10:10 (2,449 days old) by n0oxy (Saint Louis Missouri, United States)        
canisters

When I created my account, I used my ham radio call sign for the name, but I think canisterlover may have been a better name. I'm just not a fan of uprights, I much prefer canisters of all kinds, whether central vacuum, portable canister, tub vac, or backpack. When it comes to department stores, yes, bagged canisters are pretty much gone, the only place I know of where these might still be found is Sears. Fortunately, good power teams are still made by Tacony, Miele, Sebo, Aerus, and for water filtration, Sirena and Rainbow. And you can always get a central vacuum unit and attach a hose directly to it and use a power nozzle with it, that's probably the most powerful canister cleaner you can get. Even though many uprights now use the clean air design as canisters do and have hoses for above the floor cleaning, a canister vacuum is still more flexible, easier to pull around and easier to switch attachments. And, even if you have a straight suction canister, you can use the Volt nozzle to turn it in to a power team.
Mike


Post# 375362 , Reply# 4   7/14/2017 at 10:33 (2,448 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        

human's profile picture
Sadly, that does seem to be the case. Everything I see in stores these days are plasticrap vacs made of 100% pure chinesium. Fortunately, I've got enough good, metal machines on hand that I'll never have to stoop to using one of those.

The idea of modern uprights offering the best of traditional canister and upright features is a bit ironic to me in that I had exactly the same thought the first time I used a canister with a power nozzle a little over 20 years ago. Having only ever used straight suction canisters up until that point, the addition of a power nozzle to the equation seemed to add the best part of an upright to the canister configuration I preferred.

The general public's preference of uprights to canisters is also borne out in the thrift shops around here as canisters are generally priced less than uprights. Plastic craptastic uprights go for $15-20 while canisters--even high end models like Electrolux and Filter Queen--go for as little as $5-$10.


Post# 375364 , Reply# 5   7/14/2017 at 12:04 (2,448 days old) by carolinaguy1996 (Candler, NC)        

I always felt the best canisters came from Aerus Electrolux and Kenmore, with Tacony and Miele. Hoover canisters, the old Windtunnel-style canisters were amazing (the Duros was a Sanyo, and the Windtunnel Anniversary Edition canister didn't feel like a real Hoover product-crap from Techtronic Industries). Eureka no longer has a share in them anymore. Dirt Devil, no way. Bissell, the Digipro was a failure. Check out fantomlightning's video on the Digipro, he gave the machine just desserts (it's from 2015). Oreck even had the Dutchtech, but nobody even remembers that machine (not even its replacements).

human, I seem to agree with you that vacuums now are not like what our parents and grandparents had growing up. Hoover has some new bagged powerhead canisters out-think durango159 can have a reaction?


Post# 375372 , Reply# 6   7/14/2017 at 14:40 (2,448 days old) by n0oxy (Saint Louis Missouri, United States)        
canisters with power nozzles

I would say a ccanister with a power nozzle will clean just as good as, if not better than an upright, and a power nozzle can get under things better. What's even more fun is to pair up a canister with a different power nozzle than what it came with, most electric hoses have a two prong mini female plug so it usually works well. The power nozzles designed for central vacuums are fairly universal, last night I paired my new rainbow up with my centec CT10 power nozzle which is mainly designed for hard floors. Or how about pairing up an Electrolux 1205 with a Sebo ET2, or how about pairing the Ricccar Prima up with the Lindhaus PB14, the possibilities are endless. I realize most consumers will not be doing this, but I think part of the fun of collecting vacuums and attachments is trying all of the different combinations that you can create.
Mike


Post# 375374 , Reply# 7   7/14/2017 at 15:04 (2,448 days old) by vacerator (Macomb Michigan)        
Ok, but,

regardless of the length of the hose on any upright, stairs are an issue. It's easier to set a canister on a step than an upright.
There always those who said canisters were cumbersome. I grew up in a small house, but my mom liked her canister. She had one upright and hated it.
My friends mom who lived in the same size house a few streets away hated a canister. To each their own. My mom vacuumed drapes and dusted cob webs with the vacuum. Some prefer using feather dusters and such for above the floor cleaning.


Post# 375382 , Reply# 8   7/14/2017 at 19:16 (2,448 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)        

fan-of-fans's profile picture
You don't really see many canisters at all these days in department or big box stores. The only store I know of other than vacuum shops that sells full sized, bagged, power nozzle canisters still is Sears with their Kenmores.

You rarely see them at other stores, and those that you do, tend to be the bagless, straight suction variety.

I think most people these days just get a cheap bagless upright even if all they have is hard floors and figure that's all they need. A lot of people don't use a vacuum to do much other than clean the floor so the idea of using the attachments isn't an important issue.

I think this is also why so many vacuums now have tiny attachments, or even combo tools that combine the dusting, upholstery and crevice tools into one tiny part. People just don't use them often enough to where full size tools are needed anymore.

Bagged canisters with power nozzles were probably still pretty popular into the early 2000s, they were still in the JCPenney catalog then and maybe not in Walmart, but a lot of places still sold them.

Somewhere around the mid 2000s is when they started getting smaller and vacuums in general started having smaller and fewer attachments.

If you look at Eureka's canisters, around that time is when they started making just the tiny ones with little attachments also, and that's all they offer now.

Hoover kind of went the same way after TTI took over.

And as I mentioned most big box and department stores don't sell them. Bed Bath and Beyond - none, Walmart - maybe one Eureka, Kmart - a few bagless and bagged, and maybe Home Depot or Lowes might sell one model.

But yeah, Sears is pretty much it these days.


Post# 375386 , Reply# 9   7/14/2017 at 20:58 (2,448 days old) by carolinaguy1996 (Candler, NC)        

That's the thing. My house now has zero carpeting-all hardwood. I don't use a vacuum anymore (minus that Eureka hand vac for car clean-ups). Also fan-of-fans, Sears and K-Mart is slowly dying because of the whole online craze. The last time I walked into K-Mart (when I first moved down here to North Carolina from New Jersey-this was near the Comfort Suites near Asheville Outlets), their vacuum aisle was in complete disarray. That only means one thing-online is destroying K-Mart.

I remember seeing fantomlightning's video on the DigiPro. For a Miele knock-off, it was a failure. It was so bad, it made his grandmother's Oreck perform better, as the T-Series he took back because it didn't impress him one bit. But at least it's not a Chinese Bissell-made in Korea because Samsung (the company whose phones blow up in pockets) had a relationship with the company on some products.

A central vac isn't for everyone-my house is not big enough for one.


Post# 375389 , Reply# 10   7/14/2017 at 22:02 (2,448 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)        

fan-of-fans's profile picture
This may sound a little odd, but I think in a way canisters are a generational thing. Younger people seem to go for the bagless uprights or they just use a Swiffer to clean, especially since hardwood floors are in style.

However, a lot of young people have seen my canister vacs and think they're awesome, so who knows.

My mother pretty much always used a canister over the years but did have a few uprights along with them. She prefers a canister because she can do all the dusting with it - which meant the dust got thrown away instead of wiped around.

One of my grandmothers had a Singer canister which may have been her first vacuum but when she moved to a new house with carpeting she got a Hoover Concept One upright to supplement it and later had another Elite along with it.

My other grandmother just used a broom until she got a GE Swiveltop in the 60s, then got a Rainbow D4 in the 80s and most recently got a Bissell bagless upright. I'm not sure she has the Rainbow anymore. Oddly she did use the Rainbow attachments for her hard floors and furniture, and the Power Nozzle on the carpets, but after she got all wood floors she got the Bissell upright and stopped using the Rainbow.

I think too it's possible when people get older they don't do meticulous cleaning as often as they did with a canister, so they just get an upright to do a quicker cleaning. That seems to be the case in my family.


Post# 375398 , Reply# 11   7/15/2017 at 02:53 (2,448 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

Bagged canister-don't forget Sebo-they make a quality machine.And if you are an upright fan--Sebo has you covered there,too!I think there is plenty of life left in bagged vacuums in general-esp if the demo includes how much easier it is to care for the machine-no mess,and motors in the bagged machines last so much longer.

Post# 375406 , Reply# 12   7/15/2017 at 09:49 (2,448 days old) by Dysonman1 (the county)        

dysonman1's profile picture
The canister vacuum market is about to get a shot in the arm from the simplicity wonder/Riccar Prima tandem air canister vacuum. The tandem air premium power nozzle with the three row aluminum extruded brush roll, that also creates suction as it turns, combined with both suction motors gives the most outstanding cleaning of any power nozzle canister yet.

Post# 375407 , Reply# 13   7/15/2017 at 09:58 (2,448 days old) by vacerator (Macomb Michigan)        
Tacony new canisters sound

like good products then. My house is all hard floors, but I do have dense area rugs
There are so many gimmicks on the market for hard flooring, like the Shark floor tool with a duster pad at the front. I've been known to use a dust mop with pledge on it, but in a day or two, I still vacuum.


Post# 375410 , Reply# 14   7/15/2017 at 10:46 (2,447 days old) by n0oxy (Saint Louis Missouri, United States)        
bed bath and beyond

I actually bought my Miele C1 olympus from there, at the time they sold the Olympus which is a straight suction canister and one power team model, can't remember which one, wonder if those are no longer sold there. I know Miele has discontinued most of the C1 and C2 series. I hope the new Tacony tandom air nozzle is also made in a universal version, the Volt kind of fills that roll at this point, but a 120 volt universal tandom air nozzle would be awesome. The only bagless vacuums that don't have the two common issues that most bagless vacuums have are the water filtration machines. The two issues I'm referring to are a dust cloud that goes all over the place when you empty it, and the filters that quickly clog. The water filtration machines do require a bit more work to maintain than bagged vacuums, but not as much as other bagless machines such as Dyson, Shark, etc.
Mike


Post# 375420 , Reply# 15   7/15/2017 at 15:30 (2,447 days old) by carolinaguy1996 (Candler, NC)        

Favorite canister power nozzles anyone?

Post# 375427 , Reply# 16   7/15/2017 at 20:26 (2,447 days old) by Rvarley (illinois)        

@dysonman1 - is the tandem air Prima just a new power nozzle for the Prima? Can existing Prima's use this nozzle? When will it be available?

Post# 375429 , Reply# 17   7/15/2017 at 21:20 (2,447 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        

human's profile picture
The combo I'm enjoying right now is Electrolux Diamond Jubilee with my PN4A, which has a brand new brush roll.

Post# 375431 , Reply# 18   7/15/2017 at 23:21 (2,447 days old) by floor-a-matic (somewhere)        

my ridgid wd1640 paired with a craftsman battery powered pn or turbo brush (i use mine around the house)

Post# 375437 , Reply# 19   7/16/2017 at 01:50 (2,447 days old) by compactc9guy (Bathurst NB)        
I use Both

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Well for me its simple i own a Compact C9 and a Electrolux AP 200 also a Discovery 2 .I will start by saying i love how easy it is to clean whit a canister change attachment keep going possibility are endless. You got the crevice tool ,floor tool, upholstery nozzle ,dusting brush ,power head .There is so much you can do i love the long hose of my C9 and AP 200 long reach , love it so much quick easy versatile. I always used canister from ,Hoover, Filter Queen, ,Shop vacs and Kenmore also Electrolux and my Compact.Ill never get another upright i have bare floors andt hat is what canisters are for . I do own a discovery 2 that i got in a yard sale for 20$ i use it for quick pic ups or rugs. .But when i want to deep clean its canister time . You can do alot more whit a canister because you got the hose, wands, floor tool, attachments, so versatile i love having all the tools at the ready for me to clean whit .I used them all i kept the attachments from previous vac so i have a lot to pick and chose and mix and match one tool for every job whit 1 machine .I will keep my 3 canister and my upright never know what i might need that day i love both.

Post# 375445 , Reply# 20   7/16/2017 at 09:23 (2,447 days old) by n0oxy (Saint Louis Missouri, United States)        
centec ct10

I also have a lot of hard floors, so I enjoy using the Centec ct10 nozzle, it's designed for hard floors, I use it with my Electrolux canisters, my Rainbow, Prima, and my electric central vacuum hose.
Mike


Post# 376478 , Reply# 21   8/6/2017 at 10:41 (2,425 days old) by carolinaguy1996 (Candler, NC)        

Sorry for not being on this post. The higher-end brands can still make canisters that use bags and power nozzles, and I mean the door-to-door kinds. The department store, only Kenmore is involved and a few Hoovers.

Post# 376481 , Reply# 22   8/6/2017 at 12:42 (2,425 days old) by DrSnuggle (Sweden Stockholm)        
The Future in Europe

drsnuggle's profile picture
Hi All!
I cannot contribute to this thread regarding US made canisters. Buy let me give you the lay of the land in Europe. I think it is 50/50 regarding canister bags and canister bagless (UK excluded as they differ a lot in their vacuum choices from the rest of Europe). However, when I look for NEW models with bags there is not many from the top selling brands (Philips, Bosch, Miele, Sebo...) compared to stickvacuums and robotic vacuums. Stickvacuums seem to be all that they promote. Finding a bagged canister in Europe with a powerbrush is hard enough. Yes, Sebo (E, D and K series) and Vorwerk (The Tiger) have them still.

Another problems seems to be bagged uprights. In that department there seems to be very little happening these days. I know about people using a stickvacuum as their only daily cleaner on bare floors and rugs. Horrible.


Post# 376483 , Reply# 23   8/6/2017 at 13:46 (2,425 days old) by pr-21 (Middletown, OH)        

pr-21's profile picture
If you could only have one or the other, I would buy a good canister with a power nozzle. You can't get an upright under the bed or behind furniture....I have a
Lazyboy Sectional that is on a metal track. It has a loveseat on one side and a couch on the other, with a corner piece that connects them. Not movable unless you take it apart. I clean behind it with an electrolux sidekick....

This sectional looks great, but when it wears out, I will replace it with just a couch and loveseat with an end table in between them.

Don't get me wrong, I still like my uprights, but I use them mostly in between thorough cleanings, with a canister. Last year I got a new Avalir and I used it to do all, by using the Zip Brush with it and an extension hose to reach high ceiling fans and ledges......and the floor tool to get under beds.


Sincerely,

PR-21
Bud


Post# 376484 , Reply# 24   8/6/2017 at 14:26 (2,425 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        
I'm with Bud

human's profile picture
I agree. I find uprights, even when they have canister-like attachments, to be much more limiting than a canister with a power nozzle. Ironically, the machine I'm using the most right now is my Electrolux Discovery II, which is an upright that evolved from a canister design.

Post# 376505 , Reply# 25   8/6/2017 at 21:54 (2,425 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)        

eurekaprince's profile picture
Jakub, what is the common European view on the Vorwerk Tiger? Is it a good canister vacuum? Good airflow theough the hose? Good filtration? Well made? Too expensive? Better or worse than Miele? Electrolux? Sebo? Bosch? Karcher?

I like the Vorwerk tools and attachments, so I wonder if the Vorwerk canister has a good reputation in Europe.


Post# 376611 , Reply# 26   8/9/2017 at 19:59 (2,422 days old) by Sharky (Germany)        
Vorwerk Tiger

@eurekaprince, I'd like to chime in here, if you don't mind.

From 1973-81 the first Vorwerk canister (VK240) was sold. It was a bulky, odd looking, but very sturdy and effective machine. In 1981 Vorwerk did a complete redesign, introducing the Tiger series. Keep in mind that Vorwerk only sells one model at a time.

1981-87 Tiger 250, 700 watts, electrified hose with remote control

1987-99 - Tiger 251, 700 watts, slight redesign of the VT 250, with 360 swivel at the hose, optional hepa. Over the years slight design changes were made, mostly to the hose (external cord or integrated wire, controls)

Although these models did not provide tremendous airflow, they were quiet, sturdy and easy to use machines. Very popular, still in use in thousands of German households (as they were exclusively sold in GER)

From 1999-2004 Vorwerk came up with the idea to over a canister option for their upright. You had to assemble the main body to a kind of chassis (which contained the cord rewinder) for using it as a canister. I had one of these and they were a pain to use.

As sales went downhill, Vorwerk decided in 2004/05 to relaunch the Tiger 252, which was basically a VT 251 in a different color scheme with the motor from the upright and a new use, still using conventional paper bags.

In 2006, the Tiger 260 came out, which is basically the same design as they sell it today. The VT 260 still had a AC motor with 900 watts, but came with large fleece bags, automatic suction control (which is not working properly) and HEPA filtration as standard. Most Vorwerk afficionados and salesmen will tell you, that this is the last decent and reliable canister made, although truble with the hose connection/electrics is common. I've gone through three hoses over a period of nine years now.

Overall it is a great machine with tons of suction and amazing airflow, even with the bag filled to the top. It is very heavy and quite bulky.

In 2011, they came up with the VT 265, now in white/green design (their new corporate color scheme) and DC motor. And that's where the trouble started. The new motors are tested to last 20 years or longer, but the electronic controller does not. The quality of the electronic components Vorwerk is putting into their machines since 2010 is abysmal. So, having to toss your 1000$ vacuum after three years or having to spend 250 bucks for a new circuit board has become normal.

The VT 270 is a 265 in yet another slightly changed color scheme. In 2016 the VT 300 came out, offering new failure prone automatic fancy stuff for the power head and suction control. I was told that with these machines not only the electronics are junk, but the plastics use are of minor quality now, too.

What a pity, since suction is excellent. The main downside with all Vorwerk machines is the lack of a decent power head. The EB 360/370/300 power nozzles are very flat and easy to use and are probably the best pns ever to use on hard floors. But when it comes to carpet, they a struggling with thicker ones and not deep cleaning at all. The brushes are tiny and wrapped in hair in no time, and electronic failure is common. What a shame.

Vorwerk is offering very good tools, such as the electric hardfloor mop or the universal crevice tool. All this is helping to win new customers. But as having to face very expensive repairs or frequent breakdowns within the first three or four xears of ownership, enthusiasm within the customer base is fading away very fast.

Good suction, nice design, but bulky, heavy, unreliable and overengineered junk.


Post# 376640 , Reply# 27   8/10/2017 at 17:38 (2,421 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)        

eurekaprince's profile picture
Thank you for that comprehensive response Axel. Very interesting!!!!


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