Thread Number: 41001
/ Tag: Recent Vacuum Cleaners from past 20 years
Did your friends/family love uprights and dislike canisters or vice versa? |
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Post# 435330   11/22/2020 at 09:52 (1,250 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)   |   | |
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I hear often people really like one type of vacuum and dislike another or vice versa. That hasn't been my experience, as most of my family has had both types at different points in time, and often both at once.
One of my grandmothers had a Singer canister first, then bought a Hoover Concept One when she got a house with carpet, but kept the Singer. She didn't seem to prefer one over the other, although the Singer rarely was used after she got a Hoover Elite with onboard tools. Then my other grandmother started with a GE Swivel Top, then got a Rainbow, and then a Bissell bagless upright more recently. She still has both the Rainbow and Bissell, but I think she prefers the Rainbow for hose use. My mom had always a power nozzle canister and preferred those, but she did use my grandmother's old Concept One and really preferred that for carpets. Later she's had bagless uprights because she feels like those clean carpets better for some reason than the canister, but she still uses canister for hard floor cleaning or dusting furniture. One of my aunts has always had canisters at least as far as I know. I don't know if she had gotten an upright since then though. When my grandmother moved in with her she said she did not like her canister because my grandma insisted on vacuuming her own room, but using a walker she said she couldn't use the canister vacuum! |
Post# 435331 , Reply# 1   11/22/2020 at 10:22 (1,250 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)   |   | |
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Our family, locally anyway all had cannisters except for the one aunt who had a Kirby D50 which I found very interesting! Of course we are taking Calif in the 50s-70s mostly hardwood floors. Most had area rugs. We got wall to wall mid 60s antique gold dupont sculpted nylon. Zap!! Compact was ok for that, but 70s shag,nope! I think that's about when the uprights started to pop up in the family '70s, I still have the compact.
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Post# 435334 , Reply# 2   11/22/2020 at 12:34 (1,250 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)   |   | |
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Everyone I knew had both: uprights for carpets and canisters for cleaning everything else. Usually a nice team of cleaners: Hoover Convertible + Constellation, or Eaton Viking upright + canister (Eureka clones), or Hoover upright (DAM or Convertible) + Canadian Electrolux canister made in Montreal. Most of these owners of cleaning “teams” had suburban houses with plenty of room to store the cleaners - sometimes the upright on the main floor and the lighter weight canister with its tool box/caddy in the laundry room in the basement.
Our vacuum team was a Eureka Cordaway Rugulator Upright 2083 plus a lightweight, quiet Sanyo Dust Cassette canister made in Japan. |
Post# 435348 , Reply# 4   11/22/2020 at 21:04 (1,250 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)   |   | |
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When I was a small child, it seemed like everyone in my family had straight suction canisters. We had a pink Lewyt, my mom's mother had a yellow Hoover Consellation and my dad's parents had an Electrolux LX that they (or the maid, actually) used as long as they were keeping house. We eventually replaced the Lewyt with a Hoover Convertible and used uprights after that, except for an Electrolux 1205 that my dad trash picked when I was in high school. Somewhere along the line, my mom's mother got a Eureka Princess canister that was eventually passed down to me. It was the first canister I ever saw that had a power nozzle. Having always equated canisters with straight suction, that was a revelation. To this day, no matter how much I love my Kirbys, I have a definite preference for canisters with power nozzles. My sister, on the other hand, is just into whatever's trendy. She's gone through a couple of Dysons and a Miele over the years. I'm not really a sure what she's running these days.
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Post# 435358 , Reply# 5   11/23/2020 at 08:50 (1,249 days old) by Kloveland (Tulsa)   |   | |
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Post# 435359 , Reply# 6   11/23/2020 at 10:09 (1,249 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)   |   | |
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Post# 435361 , Reply# 7   11/23/2020 at 10:54 (1,249 days old) by vacuumkid47 (Sibley, IA)   |   | |
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Post# 435366 , Reply# 8   11/23/2020 at 16:55 (1,249 days old) by bagintheback (Flagstaff, Arizona)   |   | |
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My family was/is all upright here, and loyal to Hoover too. I've influenced their buying decisions now so who knows how it would have panned out if I wasn't into vacuums, but Hoover had a great reputation. One of my mom's good friends inherited Electroluxs and kept repairing an Epic 6500 as her main machine for years, but that's the only real deviation.
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Post# 435367 , Reply# 9   11/23/2020 at 19:35 (1,249 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)   |   | |
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Post# 435398 , Reply# 10   11/24/2020 at 15:15 (1,248 days old) by panasonicvac (Northern Utah)   |   | |
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Very few of my families and friends have or has had canisters but the rest of us would either have uprights, centrals, or even both. However though, I know only a few that would have an upright along with a canister because the upright doesn't have a hose or any attachments on board. For example, a Eureka Sanitaire direct air upright.
I think almost all of us prefers to use either an upright or a central over a canister for MANY reasons. However though, I know for sure there are a couple of us that would use a canister over an upright or a central for other reasons. For example, I have an aunt that owns a Rainbow E2. It used to be her main vacuum when she first bought it until she had grown tired of it and later bought several uprights to replace it, she still uses the Rainbow to suck up any water spills since she doesn't own a wet/dry vac. And she could still use it as an air purifier if she wanted to which I wouldn't be surprised if she does also use it for that purpose. Now there can only be one good real reason of why I would prefer to use a canister over an upright or a central. Depending on the type of home. For example, my grandfather owns a cabin that has a mixture of both carpet and barefloors that canisters would be excellent to use for. Okay well some uprights in mind can handle with that type of flooring as well. But that's not the only reason. There's a closet here I know for sure alot of uprights in mind would have a hard time of fitting under there but is perfectly fine with alot of canisters and I don't want the closet to get too full in there. Okay well there are a few uprights in mind that you can collapse the handle down and fit under the closet. But that's still not all. The cabin has windows where every year we would find a bunch of flies up there. I find it much easier to use a canister with a ladder to climb up and get all of the flies out of there. Okay well only a couple uprights in mind could also handle with that type of situation since they can be converted to a canister but is that all? Not quite. If I wanted a good performing and quality made canister vacuum for this place, I want a nearby dealer not only close to where the cabin is located at but also close to where my grandfather's other place is located at. Okay well there's only one upright in mind that can still handle with everything else and have both dealers near by but why would I still choose a canister over the Lindhaus Healthcare Pro? Well, that's because they're more versatile for all surface cleaning. Hold on here, if you prefer centrals over canisters then why doesn't this place have a central? Easy really, there's no place to install a power unit here. Anyways, I'm still not a fan of canisters but that would hopefully be the only place that I would use a canister over an upright or a central anyday. Actually a backpack wouldn't be a bad choice to have here either but I would still rather use a canister over a backpack vacuum. |
Post# 435423 , Reply# 13   11/24/2020 at 20:50 (1,248 days old) by rivstg1 (colorado springs)   |   | |
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I think my family has more affinity for canisters/tanks. I"m amazed that I can't recall any vacuum we used ( extended family used canisters too) past our Elux 1205....truly...and its so odd....a complete blank in my memory from around '84-99. I prefer an upright...but I have both types (becoming a collector) as they both have value. Interesting reading all of your stories. :-)
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Post# 435456 , Reply# 15   11/25/2020 at 16:57 (1,247 days old) by countryguy (Astorville, ON, Canada)   |   | |
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My mom, as well as all of her close friends, had canister vacuums. There was only one friend that had a Hoover upright and then she bought a Rainbow D chrome dome. My mom was the only one that had a Filter Queen, a couple of her friends had Electrolux ZB55's and then there were about 5 friends that all had the Rainbow D. I guess the Rainbow guy was the best salesperson :-) My aunt had a Eureka Golden Crown and I remember seeing a Singer Golden Glide, a Sunbeam VC-A and a Eureka Princess at other homes.
Gary |
Post# 436929 , Reply# 16   12/30/2020 at 21:47 (1,212 days old) by myles_v (Fredericksburg, VA)   |   | |
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Currently I use the central vac for weekly cleaning sessions and a cordless upright for in between cleanings. If I did not have the central vacuum then I would have a Miele in the hall closet for both deep cleanings and the quick clean ups. The basic format of a hose+extension wand+electric power nozzle is perfect for me for all of the cleaning jobs that I do, whether it's canister or central. The only issue is the hassle of dragging out the hose for the central vac for small jobs which is why I keep the cordless upright around. If there were a decent cordless canister vac on the market with an electric power nozzle then I'd have that for quick cleanups instead.
My paternal grandparents had a Hoover Convertible until they were sold a Rainbow. The Rainbow was traded in for a Thermax which they hated and replaced with a Eureka Victory Enviro Vac. From that they've owned a Kirby, Bissell, and now a Shark Rocket. Clearly I have no say in what vacuums they choose. My maternal grandmother has only ever owned uprights. Aside from a Fantom in the 90s, she only owned Hoovers until she bought a Windtunnel 2. Awful vacuum, way too heavy for her and it fell apart. Now she has a Shark and a Bissell last I checked, both uprights. My parents only ever owned uprights. But with that being said, I am not sure that it is due to personal preference. They never considered the option of using a canister vacuum and I suppose they never saw the need to try anything other than an upright. Although my father has a friend who asked me to suggest a new vacuum for her home with 80% hard flooring. I suggested a Miele canister and she scoffed, said that he despises canisters because she grew up with one that was terrible. I offered to let her borrow my C2 and a week later she ordered one for herself. I am guessing that many people who despise one or the other just had a bad experience and decided to avoid it by avoiding that format of vacuum altogether. |
Post# 436938 , Reply# 17   12/31/2020 at 09:10 (1,211 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)   |   | |
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My mother hated uprights. Made fun of people who owned "useless" machines like Kirbys. She used the attachments every time she cleaned, they were so important to her. One time, a neighbor just bought a Dual 80 Kirby and invited my mother (and me, I was a tyke) over to see it. When the lady went to get us some tea, my mother whispered to me "that thing is worthless". She smacked the lady's sofa and dust rose into the air. "See, worthless!". When we got home, she smacked our sofa and nothing happened. My mother would run the upholstery nozzle over the sofa every time she vacuumed the rug. Took a moment, but kept the furniture clean. While I like uprights today, especially my new Eureka Floor Rover Elite, I still prefer canisters as they always seemed to be a more complete job.
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Post# 436943 , Reply# 18   12/31/2020 at 10:55 (1,211 days old) by O0John0O (North Carolina)   |   | |
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Even if I had carpets throughout, I’d get a canister with a good power head like a Sebo. It’s easier to dust, get under beds, reach ceiling corners, etc. |
Post# 436944 , Reply# 19   12/31/2020 at 11:05 (1,211 days old) by Ultralux88 (Denver, Colorado)   |   | |
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We had a canister when I was little. Mom and dad preferred the canister’s flexibility over an upright. Dad grew up with a central vac, grandma always had one during my life. My mom’s mother always had an upright and a shop vac. They use the shop vac like a canister, never understood why not just get a nice canister vac for that...
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Post# 436946 , Reply# 20   12/31/2020 at 11:11 (1,211 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)   |   | |
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Later, Constellations, etc entered the picture. My father's side had Electrolux canisters.
All of this was before 'quadraflex'.. they could have made a huge difference. My sister loved her Hoover Powermax, pistol grip, which I now have . Luckily, there are numerous uprights AND canisters on each floor here, not to mention 2 GUVs in the basements. |
Post# 437085 , Reply# 22   1/4/2021 at 09:15 (1,207 days old) by Kirboover (Watertown, South Dakota)   |   | |
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People (including my family) vastly prefer upright vacuums. When I was a Young kid, we had a Bagged Hoover Windtunnel, then 2 bagless. Now with me collecting, we switched to a eureka bravo.
My grandma had an Electrolux 1205 (I have it now), but now she has an Electrolux Discovery 2. My Aunts and Uncles on both sides have always had uprights, mostly cheap bagless crap. Side note : I work in a vac shop, so we stock vacuums. We have 47 uprights in stock (as of end of year 2020) and 6 canisters. People around here really seem to prefer uprights. |
Post# 437088 , Reply# 23   1/4/2021 at 12:26 (1,207 days old) by Hoover300 (Kentucky)   |   | |
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My paternal great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, and then me all used the same vac, a 1954 Kirby 514. Of course by the time it got to me it was bojacked to an extent and many of the parts were totally shot, to the point of where if I tried to restore it, it would pretty much be a totally different vac with a handful of original parts. For awhile my great grandmother and my mother used a yellow DAM SP, but it was thrown away when we came down to KY. I hear that when my dad was a kid they used a teal Compact, then a Rainbow, but no one knows what happened to them.
As for my maternal relatives, from what I've heard my grandmother used a Hoover Convertible?, Regina Electrikbroom, and a red Eureka f&g with the round hood when my mom was a kid. Before my grandmother passed away, she had a Hoover Caddy Vac, a new black Dirt Devil, and a light green Bissell shampoooer, as well as attachments for a Eureka Whirlwind and a 90s Dirt Devil. My mother also told me of when she was a kid, she had to go into the attic for something and noticed a blue vacuum on sleds, looked like a bullet(Electrolux XXX), so I'm guessing that was their main vacuum before the Hoover? and Eureka. Around here, I do most of the vacuuming, but my mother likes her direct air Featherlite and the Bissell Powerforce Compact. |
Post# 437360 , Reply# 24   1/14/2021 at 18:10 (1,197 days old) by RainbowD4C (Saint Joseph, Michigan )   |   | |
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I'm not sure about my dads side of the family. But I think his mother was a pretty good mix between the two.
My Grandma was mostly upright. She had an Electrolux "tank" as she called it and I remember that well. It later went to my mom when I was young. Then my Grandma always had Electrolux uprights. My mom only ever had three canisters. She had a Gold GE swivel top. My Grandma's Electrolux and then a Kenmore canister. After that point she has always had uprights. I have always been canisters. I always thought that uprights were Old Lady vacuums. I prefer canister because they are so much easier to be able to clean with and a lot lighter in weight. |