Thread Number: 16235
Who makes this lower-tier Kenmore canister? |
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Post# 173198 , Reply# 1   3/14/2012 at 11:28 (4,397 days old) by Koobam ()   |   | |
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Anyone know? |
Post# 173206 , Reply# 2   3/14/2012 at 12:24 (4,397 days old) by magic-clean (FL-GA)   |   | |
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number prefix is 116 then it is a Panasonic. |
Post# 173213 , Reply# 4   3/14/2012 at 12:45 (4,397 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)   |   | |
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I have also heard that the lower end canisters are made by TTI.
In Canada, you can even see TTI-made attachments sold with Kenmore central vacuum systems. The tools are identical to those that were once sold with the TTI-made retro Hoover Constellation canister. Never liked that black TTI Hoover dusting brush with the supposed "horse-hair" bristles - more like scratchy "hog-hair" bristles! |
Post# 173233 , Reply# 6   3/14/2012 at 14:32 (4,397 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)   |   | |
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Hey there Brendan - for all the flaws Sears has, there is certainly one thing going for it: their appliance division invests a lot of time and money in setting high standards for Kenmore products. You can often find a Kenmore product that actually has better features than the product sold by the original manufacturer. For example, the Kenmore Intuition upright is a better performer than the Panasonic version in many respects.
I guess what I am saying is that Sears may have asked TTI to adhere to very high standards in order for these cheaper vacs to be honoured with the Kenmore label. It is possible that they are okay - I have no idea. Consumer Reports has only rated the Panasonic-made Kenmore canisters - and these have consistently performed well in the CR labs. My personal experience with the cheaper TTI vacs is not very favourable - I really find the attachments to be inferior. I even think the canister bodies are not that sturdy. Once you are looking for a power nozzle canister - you might as well find a good deal on one of the better Panasonic-made Kenmores. I would even recommend the red Panasonic MC-CG902 canister that is basically the same as the old top-rated Kenmore Progressive. You can find it in stores for only $250. It's a great basic power nozzle canister. See link below: CLICK HERE TO GO TO eurekaprince's LINK |
Post# 173260 , Reply# 8   3/14/2012 at 17:55 (4,397 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)   |   | |
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Hi Koobam,
I've seen those tangerine and aqua Kenmore canisters at Kmart and Sears and have wondered about them too. I can tell you that the hose on them looks exactly like the hose on my 1999 Kenmore Whispertone canister. It has been a good hose and has not had any splits like my 1980s Kenmores had. The Power Mate on those TTI-made canisters appears to be close to those on the Progressives at Sears, but I'm not sure if they are the same. Personally, if I was going for a new Kenmore canister I would get the white or purple Progressive. They are made by Panasonic and have a good amount of features for the price. However, I think that the 3 piece attachment sets are actually better on those two TTI ones. They are older-style and store on-board the canister instead of on the hose handle like the Progressives and the combo tool seems more useful. Of course, the set of four attachments on older Progressives and Whispertones are better than either of those sets on the new Kenmores in my opinion. Hope this helps. |
Post# 173262 , Reply# 9   3/14/2012 at 18:04 (4,397 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)   |   | |
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Cole -
I have to agree about the better attachment sets on the older Kenmore Progressive canisters.....that red Panasonic that I mentioned above has that classic set. Great dusting brush that can be upgraded to a very, very soft horse-hair version that still fits in the on-board "under-the-hood" tool caddy. |
Post# 174604 , Reply# 10   3/23/2012 at 21:03 (4,387 days old) by floor-a-matic (somewhere)   |   | |
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These Kenmore canisters are NOT MADE BY TTI! I think TTI has 'brainwashed' someone (Not sure who it is?) |
Post# 174792 , Reply# 12   3/25/2012 at 12:37 (4,386 days old) by floor-a-matic (somewhere)   |   | |
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I don't mean anyone on VL is 'brainwashed' at all; just can't get over TTI's takeover on Hoover & Royal. Maybe TTI DID make the tools for Kenmore? I could've been wrong on previous post? |
Post# 175184 , Reply# 13   3/28/2012 at 21:56 (4,382 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)   |   | |
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Some thoughts I had on the tangerine and aqua machines. Since these appear to use the same attachments, hose, and wands as Panasonics from the past, doesn't it seem that those parts at least are from Panasonic? If so, it seems odd Sears would contract TTI to make just the canister and make it such that the Panasonic style attachments and hose fit it.
Also, I was looking at the tangerine canister and saw that the controls on the hose only control the Power-Mate "Floor-Carpet", but not the canister motor. I assume that button on the canister controls the power, and therefore the cord must be pulled to be retracted. This is just like older lower end Kenmores. The aqua one, being higher end, has the control for the canister on the hose handle as well as the Power-Mate "Off-Floor-Carpet", and the button on the canister rewinds the cord. :) |
Post# 175210 , Reply# 15   3/29/2012 at 06:18 (4,382 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)   |   | |
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Isn't it the case that with the U.S getting so many of these Japanese canisters that it would stand to reason that mass brands like Panasonic would use TTI floor heads anyway? It would reduce the cost rather than kitting out the machines with in-house design. Certainly where PN's are concerned, it's hard to tell if a manufacturer goes to all the bother of putting a specialised hood on top to hide the fact.
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Post# 175245 , Reply# 16   3/29/2012 at 16:24 (4,382 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)   |   | |
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RS,
Since the summer of 1990, Panasonic has not imported Japanese-made vacs for the North American market. Panasonic vacuums are made in Mexico according to special North American design specifications. I think that very few parts of a North American Panasonic vac are from Asia. The Sears retail giant has had a very long history of contracting the North American Panasonic division to provide all their high-end Kenmore vacuum cleaners. This began in the summer of 1990, when Japan's Panasonic bought the Whirlpool vacuum factory (I think in Danville, Kentucky or Tennessee - forget where) Whirlpool had been manufacturing vacs for Sears for many decades before that. But Sears also bought vacuums from other manufacturers over the years, inncluding Korea's LG and Electrolux/Eureka. So it seems quite possible that these cheaper "Made in China" canisters are being made by TTI in China, not North American Panasonic. |