A rather unusual Goblin Laser

[turbo500]

Hey folks,


 


Picked up this classic today. It's a Goblin Laser Duo System 3500. Now, any additional info provided here would be very helpful. 


 


I believe this was the TOL machine in about 93/94, running alongside the lower spec blue model with on board tools and a light grey version without onboard tools. This later style model has a built in house with a suction diverter (like the Turbopower total systems, only shiter)  which the earlier models didn't have. It also has a unique feature (at the time) of being used either with paper bags or bagless - more info to follow later 

 

[turbo500]

Sales sticker 

 

[turbo500]

This works a lot like the permabag on the Hoover TP and TM Freedom models. I actually think this design works much better. A filter sits on top of the dust box. The dust and dirt drops to the bottom of the dust box when entering, so doesn't touch the filter. The filter is only there to keep fine dust in. Unlike the Hoover design, the dust is not directly blown onto the filter. The black plastic piece is divided in 2 - half a section is where the opening to the dustbox is and the other half is where the filter sits. When you take the filter out, you can see that the plastic dust box opening actually extends below the filter, so the dust drops straight to the bottom of the box and doesn't come into contact with it, 

 

[jmurray01]

Looking forward to seeing more pictures and information.

How exactly does the bagless feature work? A Permabag kind of system?

 

[jmurray01]

Oh bugger me, you explained just as I posted my reply! Grr.

 

[turbo500]

Well, Jamie, the cleaner is dirty fan, but the bag is removed via the bag door at the top of the cleaner - kind of like a mash up of a Turbopower and a Lux 500, but as it's dirty fan, the bottom of the bag chamber is just solid plastic. It's a bit like a kitchen bin on wheels. So even with a bag in, the dust still just drops to the bottom. essentially, this design has removed the bag and put a filter on top of the bag compartment. 


 


This style Laser is getting rare now. I don't think they were particularly big sellers in comparison to the lower spec models. Hell, if you're gonna buy a cheap vac, there is no point in buying a high end cheap vac. You might as well buy a low end, more expensive cleaner. IIRC, the price these retailed for was around a similar price range to the low end Turbopower 1 cleaners, which were far better (around the £100-£120 mark). The bottom end lasers retailed for around £65, so were much more popular 

 

[jmurray01]

Ah I understand the layout now - that sure is unique.

There is a lot to be said for cheap vacs you know. Little to go wrong and if they do, you haven't spent too much.

My '93 Philips U800 was probably around the same price as that Laser when it was new and it still works great today. There's no HEPA, stair hose, telescopic tube or any of that, just a simple vacuum which picks up dirt and has a damn good brush roll.

 

[kirbymodel2c]

Hi Chris

Hi Chris. Nice Vac)
I have the same Goblin Laser as yours as well as the blue Goblin Laser 2500 plus which as you said was the bagged version of the Goblin Laser 3500 Duo system)

James)

 

[turbo500]

Hi James,

You must have lasers coming out of your ears now, don't you also have the first 2 grey models in soft and hardbag?

 

[turbo500]

Hi James,

You must have lasers coming out of your ears now, don't you also have the first 2 grey models in soft and hardbag?

 

[jmurray01]

You can say that again Chris...

 

[kirbymodel2c]

Hi C...

Hi Chris.

Yeah I have a grey soft bagged Laser and a white hard bagged Laser.
I think I have 4 Goblin Lasers in total. 3 Goblin Commanders and 3 Goblin Housemaids)

James)

 

[vintagerepairer]

Gentlemen, the popularity of the Laser cleaner was restricted by Goblins decision to not make it for very long. For a cheap cleaner with a very short production run, it seems somewhat queer for there to have been so many variations on the same theme. If my memory is right, the main sub categories were as follows:

Hardbag, Softbag, Bagless.

Whilst the bagless model had on-board tools as standard, the other two styles did not, and examples could be found of each with or without tools. Furthermore, there were two styles of on-board tools; those which simply attached to the cleaner for storage but required the user to manually attach the hose for above floor cleaning, and those which had the hose permanently connected, requiring the user only to flick a switch to select the tools option. I don't think the latter style was applied to softbag versions, but the former certainly was.

I completely agree with the comments that the top of the range laser would have cost around the same as a bottom line Hoover. Also the Electrolux Turbo2 Z1070 was a regular line in many shops, from 1991 to 1995, the price of which continued to fall from £79.99 to eventually £49.99 as time progressed. That cleaner has a good deal to answer for in term of it's sales appeal. It was a fantastic cleaner at a sensible price, dropping to an absolute bargain by 1995. By the time the Z1070 went on sale, a good deal of people were preparing to part with their 1st-time on-board tools upright, and often with a very bad taste in their mouths. Why? Well so many early cleaners with on-board tools were rather impractical, and in the case of the Electrolux 600 series were of shockingly poor quality too. The Z1070 was a quality cleaner, liked by so many consumers for so many reasons. Without it I am sure the likes of the Goblin Laser would have been a better seller.

 

[turbo500]

Benny, the Goblin Laser was launched in 1991 and was still on sale last late as 98. The original line up consisted of a basic softbag with no on-board tools, softbag with on-board tools and hardbag with on board tools. The later style you mentioned with the tools actually built in (like the one pictured above) arrived in 93/94 and replaced the earlier style where one would have to take the hose off to plug into the front of the cleaner. This design was not rendered totally useless, however, as the basic Lasers still had no on-board tools and therefore continued to use the older design. 


 


I'm slightly miffed re: your comments above about the Lux 600 series. I personally think that the 600's were the best thing Lux ever did and certainly a hell of a lot better in every way to the Contour. My Gran's 610 survived 12 years of hard use in a house with 2 dogs. 


 


 

 

[turbo500]

Few pics...the first cleaners from 91 - there was also a softbag with onboard tools (not pictured)

 

[turbo500]

the blue model that goes with the Duo

 

[vintagerepairer]

Hello Chris. I did not realise the Laser was sold much past 1995. Thank you for sharing this. Please do not be miffed by my comments of the Electrolux. I am only mentioning the comments and feedback which owners of such cleaners made. The 610 and 612 were advertised as being the complete answer to home cleaning and were very expensive when compared to other cleaners of the same time. I am talking more than double the price. The hose was so short that it was not possible to use it to the extent that one would have been able to with, and indeed expected of, a cleaner with separate tools.

But that aside, the build quality was very bad. It did not reflect the price the consumer paid, and did not reflect the excellent reputation which Electrolux still had at that time. I don't dispute the 12 years you Grandmother got from her cleaner, but I will say this was exceptional.

 

[sebo_fan]

I was going to say I recall a neighbour down the road had the 2500 model - seen there in the catalogue photo shown on here. I loved the actual design of the whole range - very futuristic looking.

 

[kirbymodel2c]

)

Here you go. A pic of two of my Goblin Lasers.
I can remember the tv advert for the Lasers and Rio 1000.
Does any one else remember them?

James)