Thread Number: 38949
/ Tag: Brand New Vacuum Cleaners
Why I think canisters aren't popular in United States anymore |
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Post# 413474   9/6/2019 at 21:33 (1,692 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)   |   | |
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I've noticed, when I go to stores to look at vacuums, even if there are a variety of canisters on display, most people don't pay any attention to it. They look at the uprights only or uprights and lift off style vacuums.
Also, I noticed with a lot of the younger collectors, they say that they only collect uprights. And some have said they really don't like canisters at all. Which I don't understand, I mean, I collect and like both uprights and canisters, even though I mostly grew up with canisters. But my thinking is the younger collectors only like canisters because that's what they grew up with. Which makes sense because that's what has been popular in the last few years. In the end we like whatever we like. And that's great. But I wish there was more variety in the market today, at least in US. Because I like both uprights and canisters and would like to see them become more popular again. |
Post# 413477 , Reply# 1   9/6/2019 at 23:34 (1,692 days old) by MadMan (Chicago, IL, USA)   |   | |
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Yeah, I don't have much interest in canisters. I suppose it is what you grew up around. Personally, when collecting anything, I like things that are odd or different or uncommon. I'm not gonna go out there and look for a Kirby, for example, because they're everywhere and everyone has one. On the other hand, I bought a baby GE Tidy canister, because I just came across it, and it was so odd, that I had to have it.
idk |
Post# 413486 , Reply# 3   9/7/2019 at 07:20 (1,692 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)   |   | |
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I know some uprights can have the brush roll shut off for hard floors. But to me I don't care for the scratchy noises they make on these floors, and like you say the noise level is amplified. To me a canister is best for that.
Also I know some uprights can have extension hoses where you just leave it sitting and can do above floor or hard floor cleaning that way. But the majority of the newer ones with the stretch hoses were far too short and doing any cleaning results in the unit falling over because the suction is far too strong. For that I also prefer a canister. Carpet cleaning I fully agree an upright is great. But for this I prefer a soft bag upright rather than trying to maneuver a bulky, heavy bagless plastic vacuum around furniture. |
Post# 413488 , Reply# 5   9/7/2019 at 08:57 (1,692 days old) by Oreck_XL (Brooklyn, New York 11211)   |   | |
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In the 1950's canisters were all the rage as it was the new, modern way to clean homes. In reality, it was taking a step backward in terms of cleaning carpets. Straight suction alone is no where near as effective. The Electrolux model F and the Lewyt 121 "zapper" were only a handful of canisters offered at the time with a power nozzle. Having a revolving brush is essential to deep clean carpets. Growing up we always had an upright, and while the power nozzle has evolved, I always felt an upright did a better job cleaning carpets. Plus, years ago you always had those annoying cords on the outside of the pipe that plug into the hose and sometimes a separate pigtail to plug into the body of the canister. And those rubber straps to support the cord to the outside of the hose (ala Electrolux). Nowadays, most people have as much or more bare floor surfaces in their home in which case a canister is best suited. But it is awkward with a clunky power nozzle plus all the attachments. I've always had a soft spot for the Hoover Dial-A-Matic as it was the first with an easy to use hose port. Kind of a happy medium between upright and canister.
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Post# 413489 , Reply# 6   9/7/2019 at 09:09 (1,692 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)   |   | |
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I have to agree. I find canisters to be much more maneuverable in tight spaces. You just have to be strategic about where you place the motor unit, relative to where you're vacuuming. Also, as the tendonitis gets worse in my elbows, I increasingly appreciate having to push around less weight since a power nozzle and a wand are a whole lot lighter than an entire upright machine. If I'm going to get into some deep down dirt suckin' carpet cleaning, I'll break out one of my Kirbys but for everything else, my Electrolux canisters are a far better general purpose choice.
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Post# 413497 , Reply# 8   9/7/2019 at 13:53 (1,691 days old) by ralph123 (Little Rock, AR)   |   | |
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Look at the Shark uprights that are so popular right now. Many convert into canisters (i.e. liftaway - the canister comes off the upright). Bypass type uprights are canisters in upright configuration. Some stick vacuums also take the place of a canister in function. |
Post# 413504 , Reply# 9   9/7/2019 at 15:57 (1,691 days old) by crazykirbydude (Lexington, KY)   |   | |
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Post# 413514 , Reply# 11   9/7/2019 at 19:44 (1,691 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah)   |   | |
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Hardwood isn't going to be the fad. Engineered wood and tile and engineered laminate will be flooring for forseeable future.
I see cordless vacuums growing. I see central vacs or various forms of them will dominate the market. If you think central vacuums are in infancy. You can't get a vacuum to touch what central vacs do for cfm. Battery powered vacuums are even less advanced. Vacuums won't have cords or they connect to your wall. Les |
Post# 413519 , Reply# 12   9/7/2019 at 20:34 (1,691 days old) by rivstg1 (colorado springs)   |   | |
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Well, similar to what a few of you have already mentioned, I can understand why cordless lightweight vacs are becoming so popular...and tanks/canisters that are 'convertible'....due to the rapidly growing market of hairstyle floors. I bet this WILL continue as well. The public just doesn't NEED the power house uprights as much with the demise of carpeting everywhere in the house.
I can see how many of you feel canisters are more maneuverable in tight spaces ( ie the hose/head, not the canister itself)....but I've always been frustrated by them. The Rainbow was my first canister as an adult, and while I really liked/like it, I'd get irritated at it ...for getting caught on corners of the house layout. Ironically....I"ve since added a few more tank/canister to my collection! how, I came to do that I'm unsure.... I like the styling/feel/look of my Filter Queen and Royal Deluxe Power Team's....the FQ has a SHORT cord by comparison though, and that ends up bothering me too. haha, the Royal....long hose and real long cord doesn't bother me much. I'm a upright fan overall though...just find them easier to use/maneuver overall....thus, I don't get perturbed using them ( not getting 'caught' on furniture/walls etc. |
Post# 413559 , Reply# 16   9/8/2019 at 10:07 (1,691 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)   |   | |
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Yeah I always thought canisters were the best all around machines. You have everything with you and if you want to go from carpet to hard floors, just pop off the power nozzle and add floor brush. Cleaning above floor, just pop off the wand and you have the attachments, or add wands for up high cleaning.
Uprights can do some of this but aren't as easy to maneuver in hose mode unless you use a long extension hose and let the unit stay in one place. Or the older pan converters that had rollers so you could pull the upright by the hose, although they were a bit likely to all over still. And of course the Kirby setup too which was basically converted to a canister but more work to set up. Cordless vacuums are advancing - and many have a nice assortment of attachments now to clean everything. Still not a huge fan of battery power, but they have advanced far ahead of the old Black and Decker Dustbusters. I still see in many homes for sale with all hard laminate or tile, the bagless uprights. There just isn't a huge selection of canisters in stores. If they do have any it tends to be just one or two models, usually small and bagless and no power nozzle. Though I have seen a Bissell power nozzle model at a Walmart in my area. And they used to sell the Eureka models with a small power nozzle too when they were still sold. |
Post# 413586 , Reply# 18   9/8/2019 at 19:45 (1,690 days old) by MadMan (Chicago, IL, USA)   |   | |
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Post# 413593 , Reply# 20   9/8/2019 at 21:40 (1,690 days old) by panasonicvac (Northern Utah)   |   | |
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I grew up with my parent's central vacuum. I was never really that fond of them until my teen years. Before then, I actually appreciated canisters more than central vacuums. But as experiences grow over the years, the canisters are my least favorite to use out of uprights and central vacuums. Most vacuums I grew up with were uprights. Not just because they were more popular than canisters, but because a lot of homes that I vacuumed before had mostly carpets which that's what uprights are usually capable of. Now I lived in places before where they were both carpets and bare floors. I could not stand with bare floors, I even hate vacuuming bare floors which is perhaps my least favorite areas to vacuum. I'd rather use a broom or a dustmop to sweep all the dirt into a central vacuum vacpan. If I want to enjoy vacuuming, I would rather have something that is not only fun to vacuum on but also something that is super easy to use and something that I don't have to drag too much around. Unfortunately canisters do not meet my list. Unless if I had a place with mostly bare floors, rugs and carpeted stars, the canisters would be my only exceptions to use if a central vacuum is passed on.
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Post# 413601 , Reply# 21   9/8/2019 at 22:43 (1,690 days old) by rivstg1 (colorado springs)   |   | |
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I haven't owned a central vac, but used one at a customers' home last month. I found it interesting to use...quiet and effective ( was use on hard floors) but....I find them 'characterless....by that I mean it felt just so 'utilitarian' ....just a detached tool of sorts...and had none of the character/attractiveness of a vacuum enthusiast like myself. I don't dis any user of these...but a tank/upright vac ...in using it...was more...I don't know...involved...connected. Part of the attraction, for me, on collecting / restoring/ using older vacuums is there individual quirks or uniqueness I( if I can describe it that way). If I wasn't into vacuums....like I used to be...I'd be more attracted to the 'tool/appliance' outlook of central vacs. Instead, I find polishing.....improving and displaying the MUCH more involvement more satisfying. Can you central vac fans relate to those points?
Kelton |
Post# 413605 , Reply# 23   9/9/2019 at 01:50 (1,690 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)   |   | |
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The Drainvac Viper would work for me since it uses a bag.The Drainvac units that dump into the plumbing I can't use.May get a Viper someday. |
Post# 413633 , Reply# 26   9/9/2019 at 19:37 (1,689 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)   |   | |
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I do have to wonder if the decline of Sears could be partly responsible for decline in canisters as well. Since many of the canisters I saw here were Kenmore, I imagine a large percentage of them were bought there. And Sears has traditionally been one of the last stores promoting the traditional large power nozzle canisters and bagged machines, apart from brands sold at specialty shops.
And with many Sears closing, those who were/are wanting a canister found there weren't any available in their area, so had to resort to an upright? Possibly even the same could be said with the closing of Montgomery Ward and other similar retailers, who offered a similar selection. Even JCPenney, was probably once a pretty good seller of them, before they began to transition out of offering hardlines in stores. Although, technically JCPenney does still sell vacuums, but probably not a big selection. And they too, are on the way out. |
Post# 413653 , Reply# 28   9/10/2019 at 10:29 (1,689 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)   |   | |
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the new vacuum with 'onboard tools'. These are stronger than the old uprights with 'dusting tools'. We never had a canister until I got a Constellation. Now, I have them all: Slimline, Portables, Connies, Celebrities. They're all great for all of my needs. But, we grew up with Convertibles and attachments, which worked fine in this big, old place.
Some people, (my sister) for example, always preferred a canister over an upright. |
Post# 413659 , Reply# 30   9/10/2019 at 13:13 (1,688 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)   |   | |
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What I've been finding is that people either have total bare floors with one or two area rugs (for the coffee table or dining room table to sit on). Or, they have a mixture of some carpets (bedrooms) and some wood floors (living room) and some vinyl (kitchen).
It's a rare person who has a wall to wall carpeted home any more (I do). Half my customers who are looking at vacuums are looking at the wrong type for their home. But, they don't know better. And Wal-Mart doesn't sell canisters. Yesterday, a man came in looking for a new vacuum. His rice car bit the dust. I sold it to him 10 years ago, and he got all his use out of it. He has 3000 square feet of flooring in his home, 2000 square feet are bare floor with 1000 square feet of carpeting (medium plush). I showed him the Felix from Sebo. I became a Sebo dealer recently at the request of a trusted friend, who loves his Felix. I love them too. But that's not what I sold my customer. I sold him a Sanitaire upright and the Sanitaire (Mighty Mite) canister. I was perfect for his needs. They have carpeted stairs, and kids are going to use the machines (the family is Mennonite - so the kids have 'chores'). The Sanitaire canister is light weight, fits on the steps, and has wonderful attachments and a bag you cannot get in wrong. The upright has the 7 amp motor and VGII so I know those rugs will be clean. I have been selling a good number of Titan canisters, ever since Sears closed. People who have a Kenmore canister for a long time, and bring them in to be fixed, are easily sold a new Titan. I just show the improvements, like the on-board electric mini power nozzle for stairs. I also sell the Electrolux (aerus), and have been very happy with those sales. I have gone to the customer's home to demonstrate (after the customer has been into my store), so I get the great feeling of being an "old time" Electrolux salesman, without having to hard close the sale (she already knows how much it costs before I come). I sell the Classic canister, since it's already perfect. Only one customer of a new Electrolux had a canister before (a church). Everyone else has had an upright. The light weight of the hose/wand as well as the versatility has sold every one of those upright users a tank type cleaner.
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Post# 413662 , Reply# 31   9/10/2019 at 15:26 (1,688 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)   |   | |
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there are 2 all ceramic tile bathrooms, the kitchen is both ceramic tile and parquet floors. All of the other rooms have hardwood floors with wool Chinese rugs in the centers of the room. Only my room is wall to wall carpet...white Karastan. The big staircase is red Karastan. I find a nice Hoover brushvac is great for that staircase, and I use canisters with a nice floor brush for all hard surfaces, upholstery, mattresses, etc. Handivacs, I find, are great for a quick go over on the hard surfaces. Hoover(s)., "Convertibles", excel on all of the carpeted areas. There's always a Slimlines, Connie, etc at the ready, on each floor. So, I'm ready at all times to get the place spotless. And, I have several GUV(s) for the cellars and the car.
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Post# 414954 , Reply# 34   10/14/2019 at 23:28 (1,654 days old) by ridgidwd0670 (se wood co ohio)   |   | |
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I grew up with canisters (Electrolux & Compact/TriStar)
After I moved out on my own I owned a Eureka Dial-A-Nap ESP upright with VG2. This was my 1st experience using a upright (my Eureka didn't come with any tools; but I used my Electrolux for above floor & hard floor vacing) Now I use my Ridgid WD0670 shop vac for vacing hard floor & above floor vacing; & the Eureka for carpet only Sometimes I would use my old Compact or Lux |
Post# 415003 , Reply# 35   10/16/2019 at 23:13 (1,652 days old) by myles_v (Fredericksburg, VA)   |   | |
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I am definitely a younger collector, and I hardly have any interest in uprights at this point. While I do have a few, I much prefer my Electrolux, Filter Queen, and Miele canisters. My Miele C2 Electroplus has been my daily driver for the last year and a half, and it will remain my daily for the foreseeable future. I grew up with uprights and both of my parents always preferred them, but lately I've found them more and more boring for some reason. They tend to be good for carpets and not much else, using the hose ends up being clumsy in many cases and they're often times so-so for hard flooring. I recently converted a friend to a canister, she asked me for a vacuum recommendation for her house which is 80% hard floor/20% carpet. I suggested a Miele, she told me that she's always hated canisters because her parents had one when she was a kid and she hated using it. I loaned her my Miele for a week and she changed her mind. I think that 40-50 years ago the canister was half-baked, they often weren't the best at cleaning carpeting and they were typically heavy and awkward to pull behind oneself. Now, modern canisters have solved both of those issues, but many modern vacuum consumers only have the negative memories of canisters from their childhood. This is something that I'd like to see change, especially as the typical American home shifts away from wall-to-wall carpeting to more hard flooring.
The talk of cordless and central vacuums is interesting. I think that cordless machines will continue to gain traction, especially as people shift to living with hard floors rather than carpeting. Hard floors don't require much deep cleaning power like you'd need with plush carpeting. As much as I prefer bagged corded canister vacuums, the market is definitely switching toward cordless bagless stick vacs. Whether this will be a fad or not will be something that only time can tell, I once believed that messy bagless vacuums would be a fad but apparently they're sticking around so I may be wrong about cordless machines as well. I have a Shark Ion P50 which is an excellent machine, it cleans well and it has the traditional upright design that I prefer. It reminds me of my old Westinghouse Unplugged and my Bissell Anna. I think that the central vacuum fad has seen its heyday. They were popular in an era where people were building new single family homes and stuffing them full of every feature they could think of in order to seem better than their neighbor. I am personally a huge fan of central vacuums, but the fact is that I have yet to meet a single person who isn't a collector who actually likes central vacuum systems. A close family friend has a system in her million dollar home, but instead she uses a $200 Shark. She doesn't like the weight and bulkiness of the hose, which I don't blame her for. Central vac hoses are big and clunky, it's easy to scuff up walls with them and damage furnishings. As much as I'd like to see central vacuums gain popularity, I just don't think it'll happen. They have a high initial investment for something that's so utilitarian and hidden. People would rather spend $400 on a flashy Dyson that they can hang on the wall near their entryway, just to let all of their visitors know that they are the kind of person who spends $400 on a vacuum cleaner. Central vacuums just don't have the same cachet. |
Post# 415017 , Reply# 36   10/17/2019 at 10:08 (1,652 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)   |   | |
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Interesting that it’s widely considered that people stick to what they grew up with. I’m the opposite. My mother was and still is an upright user, but I personally prefer a good cylinder/canister. When I was growing up, most people around me had uprights except a few. On our street, only 2 houses had cylinders and one of those was a Vax 3-in-1 which were incredibly popular at the time. But these days, I prefer a good cylinder, though I do tend to have both on the go at home
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Post# 415034 , Reply# 38   10/17/2019 at 17:39 (1,651 days old) by myles_v (Fredericksburg, VA)   |   | |
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Post# 415132 , Reply# 42   10/21/2019 at 10:28 (1,648 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)   |   | |
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The only central vacuum I've ever had my hands on was built into our Winnebago that we had in the late '70s. The funny thing was we never used it. We had a Bissell SweepMaster electric broom that we kept in the closet. Dad was a car salesman and any vehicle we had, the Winnie included, Dad always had an eye toward resale from day one.
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Post# 415769 , Reply# 43   11/11/2019 at 12:56 (1,626 days old) by kb3pxr (Waynesboro PA USA)   |   | |
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