Thread Number: 23188
Vacuums That Failed To Sell Well In America
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Post# 259516   12/14/2013 at 20:43 (3,756 days old) by director12 ()        

I'm quite certain that there are vacuums that didn't sell as well as consumers would've expected. Can anyone list the vacuums that didn't sell well and why that was the case?

I know for a fact the Fantom Crosswind series and Wildcat didn't sell well due to being single-cyclonic, plus being released when Dyson declined to pay Fantom the royalties for the dual-cyclonic design. This was also because of them being made really cheap, and having parts impossible to locate.


Post# 259526 , Reply# 1   12/14/2013 at 22:43 (3,756 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)        

eurekaprince's profile picture
Could never understand why those beautiful Samsung Quiet Storm Power Nozzle canister vacs were so short-lived. The deluxe version was top-rated in Consumer Reports, and it seemed that the company invested a lot in bringing them to the North American market. They seemed to disappear off the radar screen after only a few years.

Another very short-lived line of highly-rated power nozzle canisters were those colourful machines from Bosch. Again, it seemed that Bosch invested a lot in launching the 120volt line in North America just about 10 years ago. Now you can't find those anywhere!


Post# 259527 , Reply# 2   12/14/2013 at 22:47 (3,756 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)        

eurekaprince's profile picture
Here's a link to the Bosch that had high scores in Consumer Reports testing - the blue "Electro Duo":

CLICK HERE TO GO TO eurekaprince's LINK


Post# 259532 , Reply# 3   12/15/2013 at 00:49 (3,756 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

Wouldn't the Hoover "Z" series upright bagless vacuums be a good one to list here?

Post# 259533 , Reply# 4   12/15/2013 at 01:19 (3,756 days old) by gsheen (Cape Town South Africa)        

gsheen's profile picture
The Vorwerk Range never seemed to gain popularity. I think it was too small for the USA market. The outstanding VK117 and Vk 121 series sold very well in SA despite been 3 times the price of a Hoover senior/ convertible at the time.

In the pic are the Vk 116 & 117 just about indestructible. Twin motor design always worked well Parts are scarce now


Post# 259536 , Reply# 5   12/15/2013 at 01:51 (3,756 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

Saw a Vorwerk vacuum system in the used machine pile at a Star Vacuum place near Wash DC back in the 70's-wasn't collecting at the time--now wished I could have bought the thing.Sort of thought--the Vorwerk system-guess German equivelent to a Kirby?

Post# 259560 , Reply# 6   12/15/2013 at 08:22 (3,756 days old) by director12 ()        

The Kenmore Cyclonic didn't sell well, mainly due to the lousy rating Consumer Reports gave.

Post# 260380 , Reply# 7   12/22/2013 at 06:45 (3,749 days old) by DaveTranter (Central England, U.K.)        
Electrolux

Is the fabled hookline 'Nothing Sucks Like (an) Electrolux' genuine advertising, or just an 'urban myth'??

I figure someone on here should know the definitive answer..??..

All best

Dave T


Post# 260391 , Reply# 8   12/22/2013 at 13:22 (3,749 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)        

kirbyclassiciii's profile picture
The Hoover 115 Lightweight Upright, Lark uprights (12, 14), and the 1330/1340/1348/U1025 Lightweight Uprights... and also the Innovation... would all these count as poor sellers here?

~Ben


Post# 260393 , Reply# 9   12/22/2013 at 13:38 (3,749 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)        
Hoover Z

fan-of-fans's profile picture
I don't know for sure, but I can imagine why the Hoover Z did not sell well. Although it was very cleverly designed, I think it was just too heavy and bulky to use. I saw one at Habitat and found it hard to push, and another couple was talking about how heavy it was.

The new Hoover Constellation was another Hoover from that era that did not sell well. In its case I think it was because it was not well marketed and did not have a big showing in most stores. It also had the same problem of the design of its older siblings in that the air ride feature caused it to scatter dust around.


Post# 260469 , Reply# 10   12/23/2013 at 03:06 (3,748 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

Hoover Z-found them at Best Buy at one time-tried both models-Was like trying to push a wheelbarrow full of bricks-heavy,awkward-and trying to make the machine act as a "canister" again awkward to me-the Kirby is EASIER!!And the Kirby is lighter and just easier to carry than the awkward Hoover Z.
I wish the Hoover Larks and Jrs were more popular here-have a 115 and its pretty nice-FAR better than an Oreck!!!You would think if folks liked Orecks-the Hoover Larks and Jrs would have been more popular.
The Best Buy folks at the time said the Dysons were selling better than the Hoover Z.Then the Z's were discounted-sold at like half their orig price.Kinda like the same scene as the Royal Powercast.Both machines almost need the forklift to lift and carry them.


Post# 260484 , Reply# 11   12/23/2013 at 09:27 (3,748 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

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From what I can remember when I was little (and bear in mind that we had a U.S naval base in our Scottish town) I think that most of the Americans didn't want the Hoover Junior/Lark because it was seen as being too feeble or weak. Every home either had an American Hoover upright, helped along by the local repairman who was an engineer on the naval base and who set up home here. For many years his Hoover shop provided everyone with Hoover appliances but he also brought in U.S Hoover models, or some of the military wives brought their own.

As such his shop was like an exhibition emporium of many different models that were left behind by families who moved back and fro from the U.S - I was very excited about that shop!



Post# 260605 , Reply# 12   12/24/2013 at 03:10 (3,747 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

The Hoover Jr doesn't seem weak to me-it is better than the Oreck-and quieter.Plus you could use it with a hose-I don't have the hose for mine.Would like to get one to try.

Post# 260677 , Reply# 13   12/24/2013 at 20:08 (3,746 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

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Back then in the 1970s and mid 1980s when Americans in our town still had their gas guzzling Cadillacs, everything was much bigger for them. Not many took the Lark because of its size. Most didn't think about tools either - a lot of American homes in Scotland had those Hamilton Beach blenders, metal based liquidisers and two vacuums, usually Hoover Convertibles, plenty of Constellations and a smattering of Kenmore/other American brands including Kirby.

Some homes were lucky enough to have central vacuums.


Post# 260704 , Reply# 14   12/25/2013 at 02:50 (3,746 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

How bout this line of vacuums--the Miele "Art" compact uprights that have no roller brush in their floor nozzles-these were designed for hard floors.Theres LOTS of hard floor in homes in the US now-but at the Miele dealer here in town--the "Arts" gather dust on their OUTSIDE waiting for someone to buy one.I have one in my collection-A pretty red "roses" model.Their bags are TINY and the tools and hose on board the machine is clumsy and hard to use.

Post# 260708 , Reply# 15   12/25/2013 at 04:02 (3,746 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

sebo_fan's profile picture
I heard the main problem with the D'Art series isn't the fact that they're all suction only vacuums but rather there's an L shaped dust channel that is inclined to clog.

If they were designed to be used on hard floors only, they should have been sent to places like Japan where hard flooring is the norm. Japan only gets the old S100 stick vacs now replaced by the S4000 and newer S6000 ranges.


Post# 260825 , Reply# 16   12/26/2013 at 08:20 (3,745 days old) by gsheen (Cape Town South Africa)        

gsheen's profile picture
I had a black Art but found it a bit pointless If i wanted a straight suction i would use a cylinder. it would have not taken much to design in a brush roll, a missed opportunity as far as I am concerned.

Post# 260922 , Reply# 17   12/27/2013 at 01:48 (3,744 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

I use a canister instead of my Art.It sits in the corner-only to have the canister vac dust it off.Suppose for some-it would be the most expensive kitchen "crumb" vac.

Post# 260937 , Reply# 18   12/27/2013 at 11:08 (3,744 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

sebo_fan's profile picture
Im not entirely sure about Hoover's Convertible series in the U.S - did they have self closure dust bags or the open ones like we had in the UK?

Post# 260955 , Reply# 19   12/27/2013 at 15:21 (3,744 days old) by Jaker15 (Meridian, ID)        
Heck,

jaker15's profile picture
I'd take a Hoover Junior or Lark over an Oh-what-a-wreck any day. I've heard that the Lark is really rare nowadays and the power switch is fragile. I've also seen a lot of Junior model 115's for sale on eBay lately.

Post# 260999 , Reply# 20   12/28/2013 at 02:08 (3,743 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

I have seen a Lark only once-was brought in for reapir at the Greenville Sew&Vac place here-neat little machine.The vac place was trying to get it for me-but the owner wanted to keep it-don't blame them.The machine was marked built in England-and made to run on US 120V power.I have a Lark outer bag and some of the paper bags used in it-just Don't have a Lark machine.The bags came from the swap shop in Chocowinity-Go there now and then-He says-"since you are interested in vacuum cleaners-thought this would be of interest to you-you can have it"It came from a furniture supply place in Washington,NC in 1957.I have been trying to find a Lark that would go with the red cloth bag that came in the box.The paper bags are essentually "C" bags-red in color as well.I have a 115 Hoover Jr-neat machine-yes,better than the Oreck.

Post# 261006 , Reply# 21   12/28/2013 at 04:06 (3,743 days old) by thebissellking ()        
easy

I would pick the VAX x3 and x5s because they were way ahead of their time and they were notoriously difficult to find a vac shop that sold parts and they were way too expensive and only as far as I know best buy was the only store that sold it in the USA but they were intrestingly designed

Post# 261007 , Reply# 22   12/28/2013 at 06:04 (3,743 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

sebo_fan's profile picture
There was a Dirt Devil U.S version though of the Vax X3 series as far back as I can remember.

Post# 261027 , Reply# 23   12/28/2013 at 13:15 (3,743 days old) by super-sweeper (KSSRC Refurbishment Center)        
Sears sold them,

super-sweeper's profile picture
I have an old product book they have me years back that mentions and displays the X3 and X5 models.I own an X5, but need to find a new brush roll.


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