Thread Number: 34116  /  Tag: 50s/60s/70s Vacuum Cleaners
Should I Trade An Electrolux Model G For A Hoover Custom Convertible?
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Post# 369695   3/31/2017 at 20:04 (2,553 days old) by crazykirbydude (Lexington, KY)        

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I was thinking about trading my Model G for the Convertible. Should I do it?

Post# 369701 , Reply# 1   3/31/2017 at 20:41 (2,553 days old) by wyaple (Pickerington, OH)        
Well, What's Your Final Goal?

wyaple's profile picture
My U4007 Custom Convertible does 107 CFM at the nozzle and can easily pass the flour under the carpet test. So if it's deeper cleaning, the Convertible wins. I will always have a Convertible in my collection, but my wife hates everything about it (looks, sound, etc.). Oh, and with all that airflow pulling the nozzle to the carpet, it is hard to push.

I could listen to it all day (fabulous low rumbling), love its genuine retro looks and of course, you know whatever you point it at, it'll be clean quickly.

Bill


Post# 369720 , Reply# 2   4/1/2017 at 03:04 (2,553 days old) by jimjimmunster (Hammond, Ind.)        
A Hoover will run circles around a Elux.

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Id go for it. Hoovers are the best of the best (50 years ago atleast).

Post# 369728 , Reply# 3   4/1/2017 at 08:40 (2,553 days old) by rugsucker (Elizabethton TN)        
Why not BOTH!

As Oreck has learned a good combination for many houses is an upright for rugs and carpets and canister with hose and attachments for hard floors,furniture,cars,stairs and endless other jobs.For years a classic combo was an Electrolux AND a Hoover.Such as a Mo XXX & Hoover 700 or Mo G & Convertible or 1205 & Dial A Matic or ??.

Post# 369754 , Reply# 4   4/1/2017 at 19:56 (2,552 days old) by kenkart ()        
I wouldnt trade

A Model G in perfect shape for ANY upright ever made, the G is the most refined vacuum I think that was ever built, QUIET and powerful.

Post# 369756 , Reply# 5   4/1/2017 at 20:07 (2,552 days old) by wyaple (Pickerington, OH)        
Hans,

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So you believe that either Electrolux and/or all vacuum manufacturers haven't had the same level of "refinement" since 1966 (last year for the G)?

Bill


Post# 369759 , Reply# 6   4/1/2017 at 20:52 (2,552 days old) by Paul (USA)        

The Model G was marketed in two colors: aquamarine green from 1961-66 and tan from 1966-68. From the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s (G & 1205) Electrolux changed colors of the bodies or trim of its tanks to signify motor upgrades or changes or a new power nozzle. In the Model G's case, the tan version's motor had more rpms.







Post# 369763 , Reply# 7   4/1/2017 at 22:09 (2,552 days old) by kenkart ()        
Simply...YES

The model G in both variations is quieter and smoother running than anything Electrolux has built since and quieter and smoother than I would say 90 percent of everything built since 68 the last year of the G...There are more powerful machines, Yes, but the quality of the G overall surpasses many and I will go out on a limb and say the G FAR surpasses anything made after the 70s , but I'm VERY opinionated and I really don't have much of anything newer than the 80s,..Ihave tons of uprights, but tanks and canisters are my favorites....Just as I think the Hoover 150 is the finest upright EVER BUILT.

Post# 369769 , Reply# 8   4/2/2017 at 00:13 (2,552 days old) by Real1shep (Walla Walla, WA)        
I think....

it's apples and oranges...the old argument of canister versus upright. If you ever owned a G, it's not about the CFM/airflow (which are good, but not the best ever made) ...it's about style, silent operation and quality of build. The G was perhaps the last of the 'no holds barred' quality canisters that Elux ever made. The 1205 and all the iterations after that were made to a price point. After the Super J, the models definitely were sacrificial to the next one down the pike in very short order and not really evolving to anything near the quality of the G. I suspect you could say the same about all the old great vac company models at some point in time.

 

I would NEVER trade a G for ANY upright....especially one of my turquoise G's.  They're too hard these days to find in primo condition. However,  I'd trade a 1205 and or a Diamond J  because I can find those still pretty easily. Probably not trade my Super J either simply for the fact I sprung for a reman armature and a lot of $ parts to make a nice one. 

 

My only fault of the G are the breakable, spindly wheels. I don't know what they were thinking there other than 'discrete' styling.

 

Kevin


Post# 369771 , Reply# 9   4/2/2017 at 02:08 (2,552 days old) by kenkart ()        
You are right

About the wheels, but automatic e and f wheels are worse!

Post# 369805 , Reply# 10   4/2/2017 at 14:47 (2,552 days old) by Real1shep (Walla Walla, WA)        
Lol.....

The Dreyfuss Machine Age influence gave us streamline beauty, but sometimes at the expense of real world functionality. Especially when the Machine Age ran headlong into space age/atomic styling.

 

I've given up on 3D printing....it just seems so elusive for the $$ and layering plastics does not make plastic parts strong enough. Perhaps they'll get it right at a level we can all afford someday. And perhaps virtual reality will take us to Nirvana too...lol.

 

Kevin


Post# 369840 , Reply# 11   4/2/2017 at 20:30 (2,551 days old) by ronni (USA)        

While I have a soft spot for the Model G--aqua or tan--I'd have to say a Convertible would likely outperform it (depending on its condition).

Contrary to collectors' sentiment, the Model G is not the best tank cleaner Electrolux Corporation ever made; but one of the best. I read some comments of a son of Dennis McKee, a former EC & later Consolidated Foods prez, who stated that the Super J 1401 and its early successors (Olympia One 1401/1401-B/1505 and Silverado 1505) were superior to the Model G in performance.

The Model G was made to a price point, too, as evidenced by the cheaper plastic wheels, exhaust diffuser, & pn wand, and the round plug (with the stopper). To me, price point became a more prominent consideration for EC when the Model E was introduced. It was the first not to have a covering on the body, and it fell over easily and had to be retrofitted with a stabilizer (not an oversight, but a way to trim costs until customers complained). If I recall correctly, the early wheels didn't fare as well, either, and had to be redesigned.

Model Gs are easily available online, and they can still be found--albeit not as frequently--in secondhand stores. The Convertible, though, may be harder to obtain depending on the model.


Post# 369852 , Reply# 12   4/2/2017 at 22:55 (2,551 days old) by Real1shep (Walla Walla, WA)        

Yeah G's are available online, but often at absurd prices for the condition. I haven't seen any decent G's go through eBay for a long time that I would bid on and two of my four came from eBay.

 

As far as the Super J, the factory was retooled to the tune of a million dollars to make that bigger motor and canister in-house. In my opinion, it was the biggest and best motor Elux ever used. I don't like the colors of the Super J, but I bought one for its historical significance. The Olympia One and the Silverado after that had the same motor I'm told. 

 

As I said earlier, it's not so much about performance with the G as it is design, the use of all that chrome and the ultra quiet motor.

 

Kevin

 


Post# 369859 , Reply# 13   4/3/2017 at 00:05 (2,551 days old) by kenkart ()        
Another FINE Electrolux

Is the Canadian models, I'm using a 89 now for dusting chores ,and it IS much stronger than a G...The G is still my favorite, yesthe Super J and later machines do outperform the G...But the G has enough power for me, but I can clean house with a straight suction upright....Stann Kann always said you didn't need all that power..LOL

Post# 369937 , Reply# 14   4/3/2017 at 23:17 (2,550 days old) by Real1shep (Walla Walla, WA)        

I wasn't that knowledgeable about vacuums back in the day of the G and the Super J. Seems that someone was perhaps stepping on Elux's tail for them to come out with what they claimed as the most powerful vacuum on the market(Super J) and all the expense of doing that. I don't know what canisters at the time gave the Super J a run for their money?

 

One of the Diamond J's I have is a force of nature with respect to cleaning. I haven't done any CFM testing but it pulls way more than 80" on my gauge...almost 90. As we know, quite a few other canisters brands/models have pulled more even than that.

 

As far as the G being made to a price point....to some small degree, you could probably say that about any vac from the early 60's on. But with Elux, it starts to get really noticeable after the G. 

 

Kevin


Post# 369976 , Reply# 15   4/4/2017 at 08:55 (2,550 days old) by ronni (USA)        

"After the Super J, the models definitely were sacrificial to the next one down the pike in very short order and not really evolving to anything near the quality of the G."

"As far as the G being made to a price point....to some small degree, you could probably say that about any vac from the early 60's on. But with Elux, it starts to get really noticeable after the G."


Ok, Kevin, I'll bite. How did quality of the G diminish in its earlier successors (1205, 1401, 1401-B, & 1505)? I acknowledge that the 1205 handles were somewhat prone to breaking along with the early pistol grips of the hose; but how is that so different than the cracking plastics used during the G's manufacture?

One item I neglected to mention in my prior reply is that one of EC's price point considerations in the '60s was to stick with the model PN-1 when shag carpet was introduced (albeit the 3-row brush roll was an option). Conversely, Hoover hopped on that right away with a designated shag setting on its '60s D-A-Ms; while EC's more aggressive PN-2 and optional Shag Rug Tool weren't introduced until 1973, going by the '72 and '73 1205 manuals.



Post# 369998 , Reply# 16   4/4/2017 at 11:12 (2,550 days old) by Real1shep (Walla Walla, WA)        

I'm not going to get into it about PN's and the lack of Elux to have something better on the market for the trendy shag carpets of the day. I'm talking about just the canisters.

 

Much about the G when taken apart compared to the 1205 for example, is just better done. For one thing, it seals and exhausts better. How else would you explain the noise difference between the two which use basically the same motor (late G's & the 1205)? The 'whoosh' is basically gone after the G. There was no hospital 1205. The foot switch on the G is a 'real' heavy duty foot switch affair unlike the 1205 and later. The canister itself in the 1205 has no real styling like the G....it was cheaper to make the 1205's shape which was heralded/sold to be 'more modern'.

 

I'm not sure if you're trying make this ugly or just a friendly debate. If you're attempting the former, them I'm out. I'm also not going to get into piece by piece why I think the G is better made than its successors. If you wish, just call it a subjective choice on my part......why I think the G was the last great, classic Elux canister vac. I have two 1205's, I have a Super J and I have three Diamond J's.  I like all of them for different, varied reasons. However, I feel the G is in a class all of its own.

 

Kevin

 

 

 

 

 

 




This post was last edited 04/04/2017 at 11:32
Post# 370000 , Reply# 17   4/4/2017 at 11:18 (2,550 days old) by kenkart ()        
All you have to do

Is look at it and listen to it run...nuff said!

Post# 370017 , Reply# 18   4/4/2017 at 14:08 (2,550 days old) by ronni (USA)        

Kevin,

I like good discussions and appreciate when posters can back up their claims in the process. Furthermore, I didn't think the original poster was looking for nostalgic reasons for choosing between the two cleaners.

I'm sorry that my questioning and effort to clarify offended you.

Responses to your statements:

1) Regarding the quality of EC products after Consolidated Foods became the majority shareholder, I would submit that EC maintained its standards until later in the '80s as evidenced by more problematic motors (according to VL and service techs' comments). At least through the 1980s many of the Consolidated Foods CEOs were former Electrolux Corp. CEOs who had more than a monetary interest in EC's products. They also wanted to maintain and build the company's decades-long respectable reputation.
2) I am not a service tech so cannot personally attest to the quality of the later motors and overall functioning of the cleaner. A more accurate assessment would be to hear reviews from unbiased users and service techs who've had much experience using and/or maintaining the G and others. As I mentioned earlier, Mr. McKee took exception with the perception of the G's superiority. That being said, if cheaper materials were used in successive models, it could be due to the increased cost of adding features such as the electric hose port and redesigned exhaust system.
3) "Heavy duty" switch on the G? I can't tell the difference between its quality and the later ones. Also "heavy duty" is not used to describe the switch in G instruction manuals. Maybe the broken ones you've seen on later models have been abused (just like the replaced ones I've seen on Gs).
4) Styling is a personal preference.
5) The Hospital G could not have been a widespread success with health care facilities, or the line would have continued in subsequent models. It's also telling that AB Electrolux never made its own similar model.
6) The successes and style of the Model G can stand on their own without claiming that subsequent EC models are of lesser overall quality or style. That's why I think its fairer to state that the Model G is ONE of Electrolux Corporation's best tank vacuum cleaners.

I look forward to having more VL discussions with you despite our disagreement on this issue.


Post# 370036 , Reply# 19   4/4/2017 at 15:44 (2,550 days old) by Vinvac (Dubuque IA)        

vinvac's profile picture
For me I would never trade an Electrolux for a Hoover.

Electrolux quality surpasses the Hoover, I would dare say would also out clean the Hoover. If the Lux has a power head, I would find a newer power head and make sure the brush roll is replaced.

I have never appreciated the Hoover Convertibles and would take a Eureka any day. I do have several in my collection but would prefer to use the Model 28.

Just my opinion.


Post# 370050 , Reply# 20   4/4/2017 at 20:53 (2,549 days old) by kenkart ()        
Model G Switch

Again, look at the AE AF or G switch then look at all later switches, the E Fand G used a spring loaded heavy duty snap type switch, the 1205 and later machines use a very cheap sliding switch that is 1/4 or less the size of the switch on the older machines.As for the motors, Elux had really good quality up until the Diamond J, The early Super J motors gave some problems also, but overall Electrolux has consistently put out a good product..Not to throw off on Hoover, The switches and motors they used up until the 70s were also great.

Post# 370063 , Reply# 21   4/5/2017 at 02:14 (2,549 days old) by floor-a-matic (somewhere)        

I once had both a tan model G & a model 1060 Convertible; now I no longer have either one


Post# 370084 , Reply# 22   4/5/2017 at 10:48 (2,549 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)        
It is true, the Hoover model 28 vacuum is one

gottahaveahoove's profile picture
of the best, easiest to run/steer, etc. vacuums in the Hoover lineage.
I also believe that the 1060 is as well. Personally, for ME, nothing beats a Hoover Convertible. Some were made cheaper than others, but...............they are tried and true.
I've had to use Eurekas in the past (not at 103 William0, but in rectories ,etc. They're just not for me.


Post# 370100 , Reply# 23   4/5/2017 at 13:00 (2,549 days old) by Real1shep (Walla Walla, WA)        

As I mentioned earlier, Mr. McKee took exception with the perception of the G's superiority. That being said, if cheaper materials were used in successive models, it could be due to the increased cost of adding features such as the electric hose port and redesigned exhaust system.

 

If you'll read my earlier posts, I never said the G was the strongest motor and best cleaner. It's not about that. It's about design and build quality. I gave you some examples and unless you take apart a 1205 to see their switch, versus the G switch, you won't understand what I'm talking about. Another member backed  me up on that. Your logic seems circuitous. The G's hold substantially more value than all of their successors in online markets. There's a reason for that.

 

I won't give you any more reasons than I have previously posted. ALL my original arguments have been about keeping a G for the G's sake. If you'll notice, I have said absolutely nothing about the Hoover in question. To me, it was never an argument about the G versus the Hoover, but about the value, build quality, noise level and elegant design of the G itself. I have no educated opinions on the Hoover.

 

I know build quality as I've been working on small machines and electric motors since the early 60's. And I also know manufacturers shortcuts when I see them. Sometimes the shortcuts are novel and appropriate, but mostly they come into being for the bean counters and the bottom line.

 

I would finish by inviting you to break down a G into all its component parts and then side by side break down a 1205 in the same way. I have in the past and I'll stick to my previous statements.

 

Kevin

 

 


Post# 370113 , Reply# 24   4/5/2017 at 17:52 (2,549 days old) by Real1shep (Walla Walla, WA)        

Again, look at the AE AF or G switch then look at all later switches, the E Fand G used a spring loaded heavy duty snap type switch, the 1205 and later machines use a very cheap sliding switch that is 1/4 or less the size of the switch on the older machines.As for the motors, Elux had really good quality up until the Diamond J, The early Super J motors gave some problems also, but overall Electrolux has consistently put out a good product..Not to throw off on Hoover, The switches and motors they used up until the 70s were also great.

 

Copy that and thanks for the further clarification on the switch types. The Super J motors that were troublesome were a certain serial # range. The Elux factory had a fire and could not immediately continue with armature manufacture and briefly went out of house for armatures. They also stood behind all the bad motors, replaced them for free and added a sticker to the canister that guaranteed the motors for five yrs. The Diamond J motors were said to be bad in desert climates and/or troublesome in a small percentage of them.  I've restored a lot of Diamond J's for friends and relatives. I've never seen a bad motor in one and I also bought the entire system new back around '84.  I think it's a phenomenal cleaning model/system.  It's my go-to vac if I want to get serious about cleaning my house. Otherwise, I use a Connie to keep the hard floors touched up.

 

And my best G, well she's a princess and doesn't really need to prove herself anymore....

 

Kevin


Post# 370121 , Reply# 25   4/5/2017 at 18:46 (2,548 days old) by kenkart ()        
Im going by

What Jimmy Martin told me about the Super J problems....He was working for Elux then, the problem was a vibration in the very first ones.

Post# 370125 , Reply# 26   4/5/2017 at 23:09 (2,548 days old) by Real1shep (Walla Walla, WA)        

I'm going by John's post starting @#15 and read down to the end of the thread:

 

Kevin

 

 

 



CLICK HERE TO GO TO Real1shep's LINK

Post# 370126 , Reply# 27   4/5/2017 at 23:23 (2,548 days old) by Real1shep (Walla Walla, WA)        
And then....

John again starting @#16. Happy to be corrected by someone of his stature in Electrolux history:

 

Kevin



CLICK HERE TO GO TO Real1shep's LINK


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