stricklybojack
Well-known member
Okay gonna start another thread of uglies with this monstrocity from the Hoover Corporation.
A face only a mother could love...
- Thread starter stricklybojack
- Start date
Help Support VacuumLand:
Hoover Windtunnel
This vacuum here pictured above I would consider rare. Maybe others don't, but these are not common near me at all. The dual brushroll design is why I like them so much. It is a good idea too for dual brushrolls. Is this machine yours though?
This vacuum here pictured above I would consider rare. Maybe others don't, but these are not common near me at all. The dual brushroll design is why I like them so much. It is a good idea too for dual brushrolls. Is this machine yours though?
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
Vax
I have no problem with the Vax being listed as ugly. Do I think it is so? No, but then I am used to it. That particular design was first seen here around 1990, sold as the model 2000 & replacing the 122 which came before it. This same style is still to be found today.
I have no problem with the Vax being listed as ugly. Do I think it is so? No, but then I am used to it. That particular design was first seen here around 1990, sold as the model 2000 & replacing the 122 which came before it. This same style is still to be found today.
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
121 cleaner, I meant to say.
Miss Mercy
Well-known member
OH MY GOD!!
My mother bought a green one identical to that one and so did my grandmother. We didn't hate that vacuum, we DESPISED it!!! Loud, heavy and made a hell of a mess emptying it. It was then I went to Kirbys. Although the older metal based Hoovers are built really well and clean great!
My mother bought a green one identical to that one and so did my grandmother. We didn't hate that vacuum, we DESPISED it!!! Loud, heavy and made a hell of a mess emptying it. It was then I went to Kirbys. Although the older metal based Hoovers are built really well and clean great!
ultraperformer
Well-known member
I remember my grandparents having a Vax very similar to that in the early 90's it wasn't ugly and was a very good machine if not on the bulky side for everyday use.
stricklybojack
Well-known member
Not my Hoover...
but dual brushes sound intriging & headache inducing at the same time.
I love that Vax! More orange vacuums please. I found that same model/color Vax at a thrift store but it needs a hose. What kind could i use? The store still has the vacuum & i see it every time i go in. Without a hose nobody is inersted in it. If something standard would work i'll pay the $15 & make it my bench vac.
but dual brushes sound intriging & headache inducing at the same time.
I love that Vax! More orange vacuums please. I found that same model/color Vax at a thrift store but it needs a hose. What kind could i use? The store still has the vacuum & i see it every time i go in. Without a hose nobody is inersted in it. If something standard would work i'll pay the $15 & make it my bench vac.
dysondestijl
Well-known member
Any hose from any vax tub vac will usually fit
fan-of-fans
Well-known member
The orange and black Vax in the photo above was sold in the US. I have a Sears catalog from the early '90s that has the same machine in it. There was a shampooing kit that could be purchased separately as well as squeegee tools, etc.
Was it really?
I did not actually know that. I dont see any Vax cleaners in the US so thats why I do not know much about them. I would like to own one though. It would be a nice addition to my collection. How much were they when the came out in the US?
I did not actually know that. I dont see any Vax cleaners in the US so thats why I do not know much about them. I would like to own one though. It would be a nice addition to my collection. How much were they when the came out in the US?
sebo_fan
Well-known member
Actually Im a big fan of the old Vax tubs. I had a blue one passed to me from my parents; a Powa 1400. Had it for about 15 odd years until I gave it to a local shop who were susceptible to floods. It was a good all rounder and reminded me much of the old Shop Vacs you get in the U.S I'd never say they were good looking but more practical looking than anything else. The old 101 (before the 121) was very much a door-to-door sales machine before they arrived in the stores and a lot of brands tried to copy Vax; in fact I think Hoover UK were rapped over the knuckles with their advertising of their similar 3 in 1 tub canister as being the first to offer the shampoo tools when Vax had been doing it well beforehand.
They've since been produced in Australia now as opposed to the UK though the UK ones in the 1990s were solid and much heavier than the present ones you can buy now = and most models now don't come with the rather helpful variable suction control dial.
They've since been produced in Australia now as opposed to the UK though the UK ones in the 1990s were solid and much heavier than the present ones you can buy now = and most models now don't come with the rather helpful variable suction control dial.
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
A wrap on the knuckles
Hoover got more than that, they were sued by Vax and had to bring out a whole new cleaning head, though quite how that differed from Vax I never did see. Hoover later made a claim against Vax over the use of the name "New Wave" which Vax gave to it's second attempt at an upright 3-in-1 cleaner. Hoover had been using this name for a range of laundry appliances for a short while before hand and they did not take kindly to a competitors cleaner using the same name and being sold alongside their laundry range.
The second Vax picture in this thread is of a 121 cleaner and the hose of this will not fit the later range of Vax machines. I am intrigued that it was not sold in the US as a 3-in-1 cleaner as standard, as this was the key selling feature of it here in the UK. I do remember one of you gentlemen saying it was also sold in white as the Wash Wizard cleaner. Vax were very clever; they must have known that the success of a wet carpet-cleaner would be rather limited, but adding a standard dry-vacuuming function as well was a stroke of genius as it instantly had a place in everyone's home. Vax cleaners were purchased by consumers who always wanted the most up to date gadgets possible, by consumers who were already in the process of buying a new dry vacuum cleaner anyway, and were soon on the wish-list of a good deal of consumers who vowed to by Vax the next time it was necessary to replace their existing vacuum cleaner.
Hoover got more than that, they were sued by Vax and had to bring out a whole new cleaning head, though quite how that differed from Vax I never did see. Hoover later made a claim against Vax over the use of the name "New Wave" which Vax gave to it's second attempt at an upright 3-in-1 cleaner. Hoover had been using this name for a range of laundry appliances for a short while before hand and they did not take kindly to a competitors cleaner using the same name and being sold alongside their laundry range.
The second Vax picture in this thread is of a 121 cleaner and the hose of this will not fit the later range of Vax machines. I am intrigued that it was not sold in the US as a 3-in-1 cleaner as standard, as this was the key selling feature of it here in the UK. I do remember one of you gentlemen saying it was also sold in white as the Wash Wizard cleaner. Vax were very clever; they must have known that the success of a wet carpet-cleaner would be rather limited, but adding a standard dry-vacuuming function as well was a stroke of genius as it instantly had a place in everyone's home. Vax cleaners were purchased by consumers who always wanted the most up to date gadgets possible, by consumers who were already in the process of buying a new dry vacuum cleaner anyway, and were soon on the wish-list of a good deal of consumers who vowed to by Vax the next time it was necessary to replace their existing vacuum cleaner.
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
For cleaning houses, I have never liked the idea of any type of wet & dry machine as their bulk seemed to be unnecessary for housekeeping tasks. Compared to the Shop-Vac cleaners sold in the UK (they were branded Aqua Vac here), the quality of the Vax was far, far superior, but then they could be as much as double the price of an Aqua Vac, so one could expect the extra quality really. Vax was also a good deal quieter as Aqua Vac cleaners were always as loud as loud could be. I always thought wet & dry cleaners were more suited for use outside of the home, though for what Vax cost back in the day, I wouldn't have wanted to spend that amount of money on a cleaner to use outside.
However, for the UK, it was all about the idea that Vax did it all - even though very few consumers would have washed their carpets with it as a regular thing. Wet & dry vacuum cleaners were never all that popular here as the need to suck up water was minimal. So in effect if one bought an Aqua Vac, it would be mainly for dry vacuuming and would not be a practical choice for the home. Vax changed turned this idea on it's head as it offered even more; it sucked water and it washed carpets too. Had it been sold as a wet & dry cleaner only, I doubt many consumers would have purchased it. Likewise if it had been a carpet cleaner only. It's success lay in the fact that it did something everyone needed (a dry vacuum cleaner) as well as something which consumers were prepared to pay extra for.
Vax was very good for my business, because a good deal of upright vacuum cleaner owners replaced their upright cleaner with a canister Vax. Many of these people quickly realized they preferred an upright cleaner for dry vacuuming. However, such was the price of the Vax, buying yet another cleaner was extremely decadent, and I lost count of the times an old upright cleaner was brought in for repair on the basis that although it's owner actually wanted a new one, the Vax canister which had replaced it had proven to be a poor and expensive choice. Likewise I sold many a reasonably inexpensive reconditioned Hoover Junior or Electrolux upright to someone who'd recently bought a Vax canister.
However, for the UK, it was all about the idea that Vax did it all - even though very few consumers would have washed their carpets with it as a regular thing. Wet & dry vacuum cleaners were never all that popular here as the need to suck up water was minimal. So in effect if one bought an Aqua Vac, it would be mainly for dry vacuuming and would not be a practical choice for the home. Vax changed turned this idea on it's head as it offered even more; it sucked water and it washed carpets too. Had it been sold as a wet & dry cleaner only, I doubt many consumers would have purchased it. Likewise if it had been a carpet cleaner only. It's success lay in the fact that it did something everyone needed (a dry vacuum cleaner) as well as something which consumers were prepared to pay extra for.
Vax was very good for my business, because a good deal of upright vacuum cleaner owners replaced their upright cleaner with a canister Vax. Many of these people quickly realized they preferred an upright cleaner for dry vacuuming. However, such was the price of the Vax, buying yet another cleaner was extremely decadent, and I lost count of the times an old upright cleaner was brought in for repair on the basis that although it's owner actually wanted a new one, the Vax canister which had replaced it had proven to be a poor and expensive choice. Likewise I sold many a reasonably inexpensive reconditioned Hoover Junior or Electrolux upright to someone who'd recently bought a Vax canister.
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
Bulky
Yes, that is exactly what I always thought, and upright users did not take to them either.
Yes, that is exactly what I always thought, and upright users did not take to them either.
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
Hello again. Yes of course, I understand that completely, how it is viewed by a collector. As has been discussed here many times, the UK homes are often small, with fitted carpets and lots of furniture. Small and medium sized upright cleaners have always been a popular choice here, for those reasons. Therefore when Vax became popular, I was surprised to see just how many dedicated upright users jumped-ship and went for the canister style that was Vax. Despite high sales, in the 1990's Vax tried to cash-in on the upright sector by making a 3-in-1 upright, but it was truly lost from the start as it was an enormous appliance, with half as much equipment having to be stored on one side and used only when washing carpets. They never sold well and of those that did, Vax had a dreadful time as the cleaners kept breaking down.
Dyson came into the market at a time when Vax sales were dropping. He timed it well, as consumers were eagerly looking for their next bit of excitement in the vacuum cleaner arena. By starting out with an upright cleaner first, Dyson was able to secure sales from upright users, many of whom had, I'm sure, owned a Vax canister at some point.
Dyson came into the market at a time when Vax sales were dropping. He timed it well, as consumers were eagerly looking for their next bit of excitement in the vacuum cleaner arena. By starting out with an upright cleaner first, Dyson was able to secure sales from upright users, many of whom had, I'm sure, owned a Vax canister at some point.
ilikeoddvacuums
Active member
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2013
- Messages
- 41
vacuum with more ugly than anything else
i am surprised nobody has talked about the dirt devil cruiser
i am surprised nobody has talked about the dirt devil cruiser
stricklybojack
Well-known member
Vax is in the Haus!
Oh yeah baby got the orange Vax today,$10, Shazaam! Bought it along with the Filter Queen (shown) & a Panasonic (not shown) i'll be posting about in a different thread.
This Vax has a cloth shack out bag inside, are paper bags available too?
Made for the US market & our different power system.
Need to find the hoses & attachments for the Vax, would Electrolux work? Seems i read that somewhere. I have a line on a Lux Renaissance with a pile of hoses & attachments included & if i could use them on this Vax i'll snap up that Renny ASAP.
Oh yeah baby got the orange Vax today,$10, Shazaam! Bought it along with the Filter Queen (shown) & a Panasonic (not shown) i'll be posting about in a different thread.
This Vax has a cloth shack out bag inside, are paper bags available too?
Made for the US market & our different power system.
Need to find the hoses & attachments for the Vax, would Electrolux work? Seems i read that somewhere. I have a line on a Lux Renaissance with a pile of hoses & attachments included & if i could use them on this Vax i'll snap up that Renny ASAP.
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
That Vax
is one which sold in the UK as model 111 and 121, from 1983 onwards. The hose end on it was the same as our Electrolux fitting, but the inner section was longer so as to fit the dustbag. I have seen a good deal of Vax cleaners used with an Electrolux hose, the dust of course going everywhere but into the bag as the Electrolux hose did not sit into the bag. Strictly speaking, the cloth bag was imperative, as if the owner had been wet cleaning carpets and then wanted to resume dry vacuuming, excess water in the suction hose would soak a paper dust bag. Paper bags were avaliable, and attached to the plastic collar with a rubber ring, just like the Hoover Junior and Senior cleaners. However, in later years (starting with the model 2000) the plastic membrane became part of the cloth bag, and paper bags now came with a cardboard membrane, dispensing with the need for the collar & ring set up.
is one which sold in the UK as model 111 and 121, from 1983 onwards. The hose end on it was the same as our Electrolux fitting, but the inner section was longer so as to fit the dustbag. I have seen a good deal of Vax cleaners used with an Electrolux hose, the dust of course going everywhere but into the bag as the Electrolux hose did not sit into the bag. Strictly speaking, the cloth bag was imperative, as if the owner had been wet cleaning carpets and then wanted to resume dry vacuuming, excess water in the suction hose would soak a paper dust bag. Paper bags were avaliable, and attached to the plastic collar with a rubber ring, just like the Hoover Junior and Senior cleaners. However, in later years (starting with the model 2000) the plastic membrane became part of the cloth bag, and paper bags now came with a cardboard membrane, dispensing with the need for the collar & ring set up.
sebo_fan
Well-known member
Well said VR.
However, the variable suction models in my experience are better as they don't rip the paper dust bags with the full force of fixed suction like current models - and there's a normal "half way" dry cleaning mode setting on the dial. Its a pity that Vax haven't offered the current models with the variable control dial - they are plenty of second hand ones on Gumtree and sometimes the old black 6151 models that came with the dial.
When I look back at it, my parents adored the Vax in our large home - cue having a long cord - the Vax came with 10 to 12 metres as I think back. It was fine for dry vacuuming helped along by its massive dust bag and the Vax's 5 castors on the base for ease of movement. We had a Vax branded turbo brush head that came with the Powa 1200 too. (sorry, it wasn't 1400 as I said previously) I've only seen a few other Wessel Werk floor heads like it since, but the one that came with the Vax had a dial at the side (vented) as well as four rather hopeless metal gliders on the base.
Fine for carpets but no use for hard floors since the whole thing lacked wheels - had a similar turbo brush many years ago for Miele, in a horrible light toffee beige with wheels. It was however one of the first better made air driven turbo brushes on the market that had a flip down door on the base to clean the grilled air turbine impeller.
For all intents and purposes, despite the "bulk", the old Vax was the precursor of Henry in homes, nowadays. I've used the Vax's original floor head on my old Numatic James and its a far easier floor head to use - may even have an original replacement floor head that has seen very little use, 32 mm. That was the beauty of Vax models thereafter the originals - they all use 32mm tools and sizings and the tubes that came with the model are crush proof.
Before handing our old Vax to a shop who needed a 3 in 1 due to the ice machine they had (and thus the floor kept getting wet and also gave them the AutoMop head) I used to use the fabric bag for clearing up dry garden waste and the recovery tank for clearing up the damp soil and mud created from pressure washing. Now I just use an old Sebo Felix ET-1 power head to clear up the dry soil after leaving it for a day when I've pressure washed the garden patio.
However, the variable suction models in my experience are better as they don't rip the paper dust bags with the full force of fixed suction like current models - and there's a normal "half way" dry cleaning mode setting on the dial. Its a pity that Vax haven't offered the current models with the variable control dial - they are plenty of second hand ones on Gumtree and sometimes the old black 6151 models that came with the dial.
When I look back at it, my parents adored the Vax in our large home - cue having a long cord - the Vax came with 10 to 12 metres as I think back. It was fine for dry vacuuming helped along by its massive dust bag and the Vax's 5 castors on the base for ease of movement. We had a Vax branded turbo brush head that came with the Powa 1200 too. (sorry, it wasn't 1400 as I said previously) I've only seen a few other Wessel Werk floor heads like it since, but the one that came with the Vax had a dial at the side (vented) as well as four rather hopeless metal gliders on the base.
Fine for carpets but no use for hard floors since the whole thing lacked wheels - had a similar turbo brush many years ago for Miele, in a horrible light toffee beige with wheels. It was however one of the first better made air driven turbo brushes on the market that had a flip down door on the base to clean the grilled air turbine impeller.
For all intents and purposes, despite the "bulk", the old Vax was the precursor of Henry in homes, nowadays. I've used the Vax's original floor head on my old Numatic James and its a far easier floor head to use - may even have an original replacement floor head that has seen very little use, 32 mm. That was the beauty of Vax models thereafter the originals - they all use 32mm tools and sizings and the tubes that came with the model are crush proof.
Before handing our old Vax to a shop who needed a 3 in 1 due to the ice machine they had (and thus the floor kept getting wet and also gave them the AutoMop head) I used to use the fabric bag for clearing up dry garden waste and the recovery tank for clearing up the damp soil and mud created from pressure washing. Now I just use an old Sebo Felix ET-1 power head to clear up the dry soil after leaving it for a day when I've pressure washed the garden patio.
myles_v
Well-known member
This is the vacuum that I think is ugly. I despise this vacuum cleaner. It is heavy, huge, bulky, (my machine) smells like dog, and the automatic cleaning HEPA filter is crap. My machine's electronic surface control is broken, and the HEPA filter doesn't spin and clean itself anymore (it didn't clean itself very well anyways). The bottom plate is being held down with tape since some of the screw holes disintegrated. I just used this to clean upstairs (I took it out of the garage to take a picture for this thread, and it kind of needed to be vacuumed anyways. If I wasn't already getting it out then I would have used the central vac), and I had forgotten how bad it smells until I turned it on. I took it all apart to clean it all out really well almost a year ago. I've only used it a few times since then and it already smells bad again. I think this machine was Hoover's response to Dyson's no loss of suction vacuum, due to the fact that it has the "self cleaning" filter.
I wonder if the bagged version of this machine was any better. I'm sure it was just as heavy and bulky as the bagless version, but I'm sure the filtration was much better. I think they used cloth bags.
I wonder if the bagged version of this machine was any better. I'm sure it was just as heavy and bulky as the bagless version, but I'm sure the filtration was much better. I think they used cloth bags.
myles_v
Well-known member
Here's an image of it running.
Hoover W2
I think the Windtunnel 2. They are very bulky and the self clean filter does not do its job. I heard many complaints about it. Now if Hoover made a bagged version of it they must have knew that the bagless one isn't that good. Or else just about every Hoover would have a bagged or bagless option although some others did.
I think the Windtunnel 2. They are very bulky and the self clean filter does not do its job. I heard many complaints about it. Now if Hoover made a bagged version of it they must have knew that the bagless one isn't that good. Or else just about every Hoover would have a bagged or bagless option although some others did.
Similar threads
Latest posts
-
-
-
-
Here it is, my heavily abused Dyson DC07 All Floors(USA edition)
- Latest: Absolute Rainbow
-
-
-
-