A few questions about Hoover models using Type A and Z bags

Hoover A bag was Top fill. It came out on Convertibles of the late 70s / early 80s as bottom fill Hoover C bags started to slowly fade away. One of the coolest Hoover A bag machines is the Decade 800 series. They had the same hood as some Convertible Elites and Decade 80 models. However, they had a cloth bag instead of vinyl, 6.5 amp motor and carried the over the same wrap around, dual headlight bulb setup hood. One of, if not the best headlight setup any vacuum.

A bags carried over to Concept uprights and many Elite models. The last A bag models were around 2015 with Hoover Professional series CH50020 upright lines which were based off the commercial Guardsman uprights. Elite uprights, even though they looked cheap actually last quite well and cleaned great.

Hoover Z bag uprights came out in the early 90s. They were hard bag series uprights with front mounted tool storage. The tool storage shrunk the bag compartment but not by much, still a very decent bag size. You'll find them: Hoover Legacy, Hoover Dimension, Hoover PowerDrive, WidePath, CaddyVac. The CaddyVac is one of my favorites of that series. Very nice uprights to use with the removable tool storage making it a smaller and lighter platform. The Legacy and Dimension uprights hood style was quite common with the Z bag series.

The Hoover Y bag was used on all Hoover Windtunnel uprights and that bag is still used today. The WindtunnelMax bagged model uprights and Hoover T series bagged uprights used the Y bag.


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Post# 469894 2/28/2024 at 19:30 by SuckNorris (USA - Upper Midwest)
Checkrate/Likes Howdy everyone, I'd like to get some input on what the "coolest" Hoover models that use either Type A or Type Z bags would be. I'd also like to know when each type of bag was first introduced and when Hoover ceased producing models that used either bag, or if Hoover is still making new machines that still use either bag type. I have a pile of random bags and belts for vacuums that I don't own nor ever have. There are several A and Z bags in the pile. I'm trying to figure out if any models that use these bags are my style. If any models using these bags appeal to me, I'll probably hold on to the bags in case I end up with a compatible machine down the road. Otherwise, I'll move them along. Thanks!

Post# 469895 , Reply# 1 2/28/2024 at 20:43 by fan-of-fans (USA)
Checkrate/Likes 1 The Type A bags were Hoover�s first �top fill� bag and showed up in the late 1970s on their first Convertibles using that setup. The Type A bags spanned across many models to follow, including Decade, Concept 1 and 2, Conquest, PowerMax and Elite. I don�t know as much about Type Z, I think they�re a little bit smaller and showed up in the 1990s for machines like the Power Drive, they were usually multiple layer microfiltration as well, as micro filter bags were becoming popular during the mid and late 1990s.

Post# 469903 , Reply# 2 2/29/2024 at 19:07 by SuckNorris (USA - Upper Midwest)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Thanks, f-o-f, for the info. Given the era the Z bags are from, it sounds like they're not likely to fit any machine that appeals to my aesthetic. I'll pass those along. As far as the Type A bags go, it turns out I already have a machine that accepts them -- a U4101 (-001). It's been in need of repair since I acquired it and has been waiting in the queue ever since. I've never even plugged it in and turned it on. Consequently, I was oblivious to the bag type it used. I'll hold on the those bags for when I get the U4101 fixed up, as soon as never rolls around.

Post# 469926 , Reply# 3 3/2/2024 at 11:46 by Paul (USA)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Howdy, Here's some added information to fan-of-fan's from banksvac.com and VL threads: Type A Bags (introduced on the higher end Convertibles in 1977): Hoover Concept One, Concept Two, Convertible (Top Fill), Elite, Encore, Futura, Soft & Light, Legacy, Preferred, PowerMax, Supremacy, Runabout, Spectrum, Spirit, Tempo, Decade 800, Decade 80, RS, Constellation, TurboPower 1500, 2000, 2200, 3000, 3200, 4000, 4200, Innovation models including C1631, C1632, C1800, C1800020, C1805, C1810, C1810020, C1815, CH50015, CH50020 Type Z Bags (introduced on the Dimension and PowerDrive Self-Propelled series in 1994): Power Drive, Dimension, Dirt FINDER, AutoDrive, TurboPower 3500, 3700, 4500, 5000, 6000, 7000, PowerMax, Breathe Easy, CaddyVac, and many more. As for the coolest Convertible models with the Type A bag configuration, and the Dimension Type Z bag models see the "And Now ... The Convertibles List" and "Dimension in Red" threads I recently updated with model lists and descriptions. Happy Hoovering!

Post# 470145 , Reply# 4 3/14/2024 at 21:53 by Durango159 (State College, PA)
Checkrate/Likes Hoover A bag was Top fill. It came out on Convertibles of the late 70s / early 80s as bottom fill Hoover C bags started to slowly fade away. One of the coolest Hoover A bag machines is the Decade 800 series. They had the same hood as some Convertible Elites and Decade 80 models. However, they had a cloth bag instead of vinyl, 6.5 amp motor and carried the over the same wrap around, dual headlight bulb setup hood. One of, if not the best headlight setup any vacuum. A bags carried over to Concept uprights and many Elite models. The last A bag models were around 2015 with Hoover Professional series CH50020 upright lines which were based off the commercial Guardsman uprights. Elite uprights, even though they looked cheap actually last quite well and cleaned great. Hoover Z bag uprights came out in the early 90s. They were hard bag series uprights with front mounted tool storage. The tool storage shrunk the bag compartment but not by much, still a very decent bag size. You'll find them: Hoover Legacy, Hoover Dimension, Hoover PowerDrive, WidePath, CaddyVac. The CaddyVac is one of my favorites of that series. Very nice uprights to use with the removable tool storage making it a smaller and lighter platform. The Legacy and Dimension uprights hood style was quite common with the Z bag series. The Hoover Y bag was used on all Hoover Windtunnel uprights and that bag is still used today. The WindtunnelMax bagged model uprights and Hoover T series bagged uprights used the Y bag.