Thread Number: 39789
/ Tag: Brand New Vacuum Cleaners
Will bags make a comeback? |
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Post# 422437 , Reply# 1   3/30/2020 at 07:01 (1,458 days old) by Madaboutsebo (Midlands, UK)   |   | |
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If you think about it bagged machines in the UK never really went away! They where still there in the background it was just bagless had more presence when it first exploded onto the market more! The likes of SEBO, Vorwerk and Miele where still there and still are with their bagged machines. Miele introduced a bagless machine and more recently their first cordless is bagless as they said to cater for both markets! Some say it’s because they can’t improve on their bag technology anymore!? Plenty still to improve on IMO!
Gtech introduced bagged models because they found from research people still found bagless messy to empty but didn’t like the maintenance that comes with bagless too! Something owners forget to do a lot of the time! Some owners are starting to now see the downsides to bagless machines and the high maintenance and decided to try a bagged machines again! I believe Gtech are working on another cordless bagged machine! It remains to be seen if we get any more budget bagged machines in particular uprights as cordless seems to be the trend in the UK at present! I do think the bubble on bagless technology is slowly deflating in the UK some of that I think is because what I mentioned above maintenance, messy emptying and the other thing they don’t always last long!! That’s sometimes down to neglect of maintenance though! I only use bagged machines now, prefer them. |
Post# 422439 , Reply# 2   3/30/2020 at 07:56 (1,458 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)   |   | |
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...that bags make a comeback. Frankly, it baffles me how bagless plasticrap vacs became so popular. Replacing a full bag is such a quick, simple, non-messy operation while emptying a dust cup and cleaning filters is a such a labor intensive, not to mention messy, proposition. The kicker is that the industry somehow decided it was more profitable to kiss off continuing revenue from consumable supplies. I guess they made a cynical decision that consumer laziness would be on their side and they'd be better off letting end users neglect their bagless machines so they'd fail after a couple of years and have to be replaced. And to ensure the success of this ploy, they make the plasticrap vacs as cheaply as possible to ensure their predictable failure. For me, bags never went away because I refuse to ever go bagless and I have enough high quality bagged machines to make good on that statement.
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Post# 422450 , Reply# 3   3/30/2020 at 13:01 (1,458 days old) by vacuumdevil (Vacuum Hell )   |   | |
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Post# 422452 , Reply# 4   3/30/2020 at 13:24 (1,458 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)   |   | |
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Post# 422459 , Reply# 5   3/30/2020 at 14:28 (1,458 days old) by crazykirbydude (Lexington, KY)   |   | |
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Post# 422477 , Reply# 6   3/30/2020 at 20:08 (1,458 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)   |   | |
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Post# 422489 , Reply# 8   3/30/2020 at 23:01 (1,458 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah)   |   | |
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Post# 422508 , Reply# 10   3/31/2020 at 13:31 (1,457 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)   |   | |
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The only real direct experience I've ever had with a bagless plasticrap vac—and it was more than enough—was when I had a girlfriend who lived with me about 10 years ago or so and she insisted I vacuum the apartment with her bagless Bissell POS and empty and clean it each time. Note that she never vacuumed herself. By the time I got through cleaning out the dust cup and filters, I was covered with dust. It was enough to permanently put me off that type of machine. To top things off, she also tried to give away my Electrolux 1205, which was the only vacuum I owned at the time. Fortunately, she's gone—and that damned Bissell along with her—but the 1205 is still with me.
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Post# 422521 , Reply# 12   3/31/2020 at 16:43 (1,457 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)   |   | |
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In 1937, The Air-Way Corporation launched the Air-Way Sanitizor. It was the first 'canister' vacuum with a disposable bag in the world. With 14 layers of cellulose, the air had to weave its way through - there were no direct pores. When full, you simply open the lid and moisten the back of the seal. The seals came 12 to a pack, like the bags. The seal was placed over the small open hole of the bag, sealing it completely. Then, and only then, did you lift the disposable bag out of the machine. Many people with incinerators would cremate the dirt and germs by burning the sealed bag. That's why they called it the "Sanitizor". Almost 100 years ahead of its time.
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Post# 422541 , Reply# 13   3/31/2020 at 21:44 (1,457 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)   |   | |
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US vacuums right now with bags seem mostly in the higher end market. Such as Sebo, Simplicity, Miele, Tacony, etc and of course door to door Kirby, Lux, etc.
You would be hard pressed to find a bag vacuum in most "big box" stores these days. Look at Walmart, home centers, etc. I think you'll only find one bagged Bissell at Walmart, none at Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Sears really pushed bagged machines for some reason in their Kenmore (Panasonic) machines. Some bagless, but their main focus was HEPA bagged models. With Sears just about gone, that last holdout are disappearing from a lot of markets as well. I think the bagless revolution in the late 1990s-early 2000s (Especially that after Dyson entered in the US market) really convinced people that bagless is best and Dyson especially. Bissell jumped on it too, so that's what you see in the big box stores, because they know they will sell well. I think Hoover hardly sell any bagged with their discontinuing the Tempo and Windtunnel Self Propelled. You mentioned the Convertible with dust cup, they still sell a model like that here, the Guardsman commercial, and also the Conquest. They do sell a few bagged uprights and canister machines (including the classic Portapower) under the commercial line, and even a new cordless upright model, so perhaps they are here to stay in the commercial segment. Same with Windsor, Sanitaire, etc. |
Post# 422543 , Reply# 14   3/31/2020 at 22:04 (1,457 days old) by rivstg1 (colorado springs)   |   | |
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Post# 422557 , Reply# 15   4/1/2020 at 05:18 (1,457 days old) by Mike811 (Finland)   |   | |
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In Finland bagless vacuums have never really gained huge popularity. For example if one net store sells 20 bagged vacuums, they only sell 11 bagless vacuums. People have found cons of the bagless vacuums. Bagged canister is by far the most common vacuum type here and I am glad about that. Most popular bagged vacuum here is the Electrolux. Second is Miele. Most popular bagless vacuum is Dyson. |
Post# 422616 , Reply# 17   4/1/2020 at 21:33 (1,456 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)   |   | |
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Panasonic actually does not manufacture vacuums to sell in the US any longer. They sold their engineering and tooling (and sent majority of their engineers) to Cleva Corporation. Cleva makes the current Kenmore vacuums, but many look identical to the Panasonic made models.
In the last year or so Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart and QVC have started to sell many of the Kenmore models on their websites (but in special colors and feature sets different than the ones sold specifically at Sears stores). Cleva also makes some Kenmore canister vacuums under the Titan brand, which they sell through vacuum shops. Mostly either previous Kenmore models or ones that are differentiated slightly. As far as younger people going for the cheaper vacuums I think you are correct. Although these days it is also the trend to go with all hard flooring, and many people see hard floors as meaning no vacuum is required, since there is no carpet it means they just need to run a wet mop or a Swiffer over it and above the floor cleaning is something many also don't use a vacuum for, probably using a duster instead. Plus younger people may not have much experience much with vacuums and don't give any thought to finding one other than what's at the local big box and is low in price. For a lot of younger people I've heard talk, (I'm in this age group BTW) they seem to believe that Dyson is the best vacuum you can buy. Electrolux, Rainbow, Kirby, etc are not brands they think of, if they did they probably think they are all old/outdated and no longer made. I find that most cleaning people like to use a better quality vacuum, than just something cheap and prefer to go with a commercial vacuum or some type of canister over just a cheap bagless upright. |
Post# 422681 , Reply# 18   4/3/2020 at 13:42 (1,454 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)   |   | |
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Post# 422696 , Reply# 20   4/3/2020 at 18:07 (1,454 days old) by myles_v (Fredericksburg, VA)   |   | |
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This gets to a deeper problem with our society. Discount stores like Walmart and Kmart have demanded cheaper and cheaper products from manufacturers, because it's easy to sell a wide variety of cheap products to consumers under one roof. Walmart doesn't need skilled sales people to convince consumers to spend $40 on a Bissell. It's the whole reason Royal created the Dirt Devil brand; it allowed them to produce cheaply made machines that were cheaper to buy without tarnishing the Royal brand. Now, it's clear to see which business model was more effective.
This phenomenon has occurred in all sorts of industries, from cooking appliances to clothing. Consumers want cheap products, but that comes at a cost. It results in smaller specialty retailers being driven out of business, trash piling up in landfills, and consumers being trained to consume excessively. This issue is being compounded by the prevalence of electronics that inevitably become obsolete due to advancements in technology. This has trained many consumers to be used to replacing objects more and more frequently. People replace their $1000 cell phones every year, so they don't see a problem with replacing their $50 vacuum cleaner ever year as well. Stores like Walmart are selling products that are made poorly at a low price, so consumers believe that this is all that's available. They don't realize that they can buy a better made vacuum cleaner for $600, but most wouldn't care anyways. That's the unfortunate reality of our modern society. Back to the topic of bags, here in the US it is relatively difficult for most consumers to find bagged vacuum cleaners unless they visit a vacuum store or order online. The Walmart locations near me only sell one model of bagged vacuum cleaner, the Target locations near me carry zero bagged models. I don't think bagged machines will become mainstream again unless there's a real breakthrough that causes consumers to switch. Presently, consumers who want bagged vacuum cleaners can acquire them, but most don't care enough to do so. We are entering a point in time where a new generation of consumers are furnishing their homes as they move away from family. Many people who are part of this generation have never used a bagged vacuum cleaner, some aren't aware of their existence. I recently explained how bagged vacuum cleaners work to someone who had zero understanding of the concept. They thought that you had to wash out the bags after every use. A new company that provides features that customers want could possibly cause the market to shift back to bags. It would require aggressive advertising and consumer education, and they would need to find a real benefit of bags to push. People simply don't see a problem with bagless vacuums right now, until that changes the market will likely stick with bagless machines for the most part. |
Post# 422733 , Reply# 21   4/4/2020 at 00:49 (1,454 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)   |   | |
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Also this reminds me of something I heard about a year ago. I was at Walmart in the vacuum aisle and an older couple was looking at vacuums with a sales associate.
The sales associate actually told them "You never want a bagged vacuum, always get bagless." Then he said he had a Bissell such and such and it really sucks well. I really, really wanted to walk up and say "Um, I beg to the contrary, have you ever cleaned the filters in your Bissell bagless vacuum or do you know it has one? I'd say you should get bagged if you want it to keep working. In fact I'd suggest you go somewhere else or order online." Of course that sounds horrible and of course I didn't say anything. But I walked away thinking, people these days have no idea what a real vacuum is. LOL |
Post# 422735 , Reply# 22   4/4/2020 at 06:37 (1,453 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)   |   | |
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Don't walk but RUN past the WalMart vacuum displays!!!!To much colorful bagless PLASTICRAP there!!!!Same with most other stores!Go to a vac shop or DTD and buy a REAL BAGGED vacuum! |
Post# 422803 , Reply# 23   4/5/2020 at 02:10 (1,453 days old) by myles_v (Fredericksburg, VA)   |   | |
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Post# 422808 , Reply# 24   4/5/2020 at 06:24 (1,452 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)   |   | |
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I am wondering with this corona thing going on if folks will want vacuum bags instead of dealing with the unprotected dust and cleaning filters.Just a thought. |