Thread Number: 35114
/ Tag: Brand New Vacuum Cleaners
Thoughts on the Riccar Prima w/Tandem Air Nozzle?? |
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Post# 378409 , Reply# 1   9/14/2017 at 10:16 (2,408 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)   |   | |
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The Prima launched almost four years ago. I got one of the first prototypes, which was in a beige color, which we affectionately called "buttuglya". The new ones are gorgeous.
I've never had any dust leak past the hepa bag into the compartment. The hepa filter shows carbon dust from the motor - but no dirt can be tapped out of it. I know the returning air is way cleaner than the air in the house (the attic fan pulls a constant stream of air into my home). The power nozzles have always been NOT included with the Prima. Your choice is: the compact power nozzle (like a Miele 217), the full size (my favorite), the full size with dirt sensor, the Tandem-Air with rubber belt, and the Tandem-Air with lifetime belt. Both full size power nozzles, as well as the Compact size nozzle, use lifetime belts as well. The Tandem-Air nozzles have a fan to assist with airflow, BUT, the dirt passes through the blades of the fan (like it does on a Kirby, for example). I wouldn't let that fact deter me from buying one, however, I love the cleaning ability and durability of the full size power nozzle. It's a tried and true nozzle that will run for decades. The Tandem-Air nozzles were just launched six months ago, but they are based on the very old design of the ULW (ultra light weight) cleaner Tacony has built for 20 years. I also own a Miele (several actually, from the Blue Moon to the Gemini), and while they are good, I HATE the price of the repair parts ($125 for a brush roller is a LOT of money). As a vacuum collector, I'd say go for the one you like best. I do sell a ton of Prima vacuums to people at the factory outlet store, but I've never sold a Tandem-Air nozzle yet. The price is a factor when selling at the outlet store, so people are very happy with the full size power nozzle (and it's lower price than the Tandem-Air). If anyone asks for one, I can certainly obtain one from the warehouse that's just several hundred feet from my desk. No one has asked yet. |
Post# 378491 , Reply# 3   9/16/2017 at 02:46 (2,407 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)   |   | |
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Mine didn't have a turbo hand tool-just the weird pet hair brush which I have no use for.The bare floor tool is GREAT-like how it maneuvers much like Sebo and Miele bare floor tools. |
Post# 378499 , Reply# 4   9/16/2017 at 07:55 (2,406 days old) by blackheart (North Dakota)   |   | |
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Yeah according the the site the Tandem air deluxe (which uses a stretch belt) does not include the handheld turbine. The premium does though. If you are wanting something like that though I'd recommend the HEB which is an optional electric mini brush, it'll clean much better than a turbine. Neither Miele or Sebo offer an electric hand tool.
AS for the models being sold separately from the nozzles. I could be wrong but i don't think that's the case anymore, i think they just come prepackaged with a nozzle based upon which machine you choose. At least that's the way our order sheets appear to be. I mean you could certainly check with your dealer about seeing if the premium dirt sensor nozzle is still available for them. |
Post# 378503 , Reply# 6   9/16/2017 at 09:42 (2,406 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)   |   | |
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The Prima/Wonder come in a box with NO power nozzle but does have the electric hose and electric wand, if you order PrimaP.2 This machine can accept either the Compact Power Nozzle, the Full Size, or the Full Size with Dirt Sensor. The two "Tandem-Air" models come packaged with the Tandem-Air power nozzle included in the box. One has the stretch belt, and one (the Premium) has the lifetime belt.
The Tandem-Air packed machines include additional attachments such as the Fur-Get-It tool, etc. As to the full sized power nozzles, I bought the Premium Central Vac kit for my Vac-U-Flo when we moved several years ago and Evan Rogers (of The Vac Shack in Festus, Missouri) installed it. That kit contained the Full Size power nozzle with Dirt Sensor. It came with a 3-row brush roller made of extruded aluminum. Within a few weeks of using it, I switched brush rollers to the standard round steel brush roller with the blue-backed brush strips (the brush roller of the Full Size nozzle WITHOUT dirt sensor). Cat litter pickup improved as did surface debris pickup. The assembled Vacuum Cleaner Convention guests used the Tandem-Air power nozzle all three days of the Convention. Everyone who used it liked it. Being as I own the world's first Tandem-Air power nozzle (on the 1974 Air-Way), we compared it to the new Tacony-built nozzle. The new Prima tandem-air nozzle is awesome and picks up so much faster. It's a great nozzle. Only the customer can determine if it's worth the extra cost - a lot depends upon your carpets (how deep are they? how expensive were they?). |