Are Eco-labelled Vacuum Cleaners Worth the Extra Cash brands are selling?

[sebo_fan]

It suddenly dawned on me recently the cost price of a Miele S6 Ecoline. Now, this is a model that Miele claim offers the performance of their 2000 watt vacuum but last I looked the base S6 cost £149-99 compared to the S6 Ecoline that cost £179-99 which has a 1200 watt motor. In terms of pricing and cost, are Eco-labelled vacuums really worth the extra cost?

I personally think its a big marketing excuse and ironic, since Miele vacs from the 1970s into the 1980s had 1300 watts anyway and relied on the brown paper dust bags compared to the current FJM/GN bags the machines now use. Also, vacuum cleaners in general are hardly going to burn a hole in your electricity bill - an electric ceramic hob for example can use 3000 watts to power up and if you use that every day, then clearly its more powerful than a vacuum cleaner.

 

[jmurray01]

I'm all for lowering the wattage of motors if possible, as I hate high wattage screamers, but for an extra price... Hmm, that's a bit cheeky if you ask me.

As for the energy saving - I'm with you on the fact that a Vacuum Cleaner, for the time it is in use, is never going to make a big difference to your utility bill.

It is the same with the new Henry Eco, what is the point of it ?

It is all a marketing ploy as far as I'm concerned.

If something is branded "Eco", people will think they are doing good for the environment by buying it and therefore will be more inclined to do just that.

 

[vintagerepairer]

Sebo fan is quite right that its a ploy, because all the makers are doing is making a cleaner the same wattage as they did 15 years ago and calling it 'eco'. The country is eco mad and that is what sells.

However, the Numatic cleaners, this is where I beg to differ as they do actually do something. They already use what is now considered to be a low wattage motor, and their cleaners will not start on full power any more. They use round about half the wattage from what I have been reading. This encourages the user to use the lower setting, particularly with the current fashion of hard flooring, as high suction is not needed. Not forgetting that Numatic have a massive hold on the commercial cleaning market, and the low-power low-noise eco setting on their machines suits both the type of low-pile carpets being cleaned, and the busy environments in which they are used. Of all the eco-saving products on sale today, the Numatic is one I do go along with.

 

[vintagerepairer]

I have to say though that high-wattage cleaners will add to the electricity bill in the same way that anything of that wattage would. What it comes down to is how long the appliance is in use for. If someone vacuumed daily for half an hour (even if that was stop-start cleaning) with a 2000 watt vacuum cleaner, that will soon add up. You'd be looking around 20p a day as a very, very rough calculation.

 

[twocvbloke]

It's what is known as "greenwash", coming up with something, then slapping an "Eco friendly" logo on it to appeal to those who think they're saving he planet, when in reality they're just as bad as the "non-eco" models, just look at the Toyota Prius, that has an engine that burns just as much fuel as any other car, but because they slapped a set of electric motors on it and highly toxic lithium batteries into it, they can call it "eco-friendly", when it's about as eco friendly as a '67 Ford Mustang and a lot less fun...

The greenest thing you can do with any product is look after it and don't throw it out when it snaps a belt or breaks a fan blade, THAT is being eco-friendly, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (and Repair)...

 

[vintagerepairer]

If you can get someone to mend it, and for a price which is less that the stupid selling prices of new stock, that is a great idea.

 

[twocvbloke]

"If you can get someone to mend it"

Or even better, fix it yourself, there's nothing more satisfying than successfully repairing, or even making, something by yourself, especially when it saves you money and the grief of having to transport things about to take them to repair shops...

 

[vintagerepairer]

Yes, but sadly who knows how to do such things today? Not many. I only know because someone showed me how to mend vacuums. I wouldn't have much idea about many other appliances.

 

[vintagerepairer]

Of course, just to add, the money-saving aspect comes at a cost of taking up ones time. There are a good deal of people who would rather do something they enjoy more, or even do extra paid work, and pay to get a problem sorted out for them.

 

[jmurray01]

That is something I hate about new Numatics - They start on the Lo setting.

I much prefer the Henry that I have with the rocker switches.

If I want to start on Lo, I'LL SELECT LO! Don't force things on me!

 

[turbomaster1984]

That is something I LOVE about new Numatics - They start on the Lo setting.

I much prefer the Henry that I have with the rocker switches.

If I want to start on Hi I'LL SELECT HI! Don't force things on me!

 

[vintagerepairer]

Well that's the point, they are forcing on the user, because as I said, the suction power of the cleaner is enough for so many tasks. It's not life or death, nor is it hard to press two switches instead of one. I like your passion though. One can only wonder what you're like on politics!

 

[trebor]

What Eco never considers...

What happens to the old product, whether working or not?


 


What about the packaging and shipping of the new product to get it to the end user?


 


"It cost $100.00 to save 10 cents! Let's do it now, Let's do more of it! Let's destroy the planet in an attempt to save it!" the nonsensical cry of the eco-warrior idiots.

 

[twocvbloke]

"Yes, but sadly who knows how to do such things today?&#

That's where the problem lies, 100 years ago, if you broke something, you fixed it, today, if you break something, you throw it out and buy a new one, people 100 years ago were a lot more intelligent and much more caring about the property they worked hard to buy, these days people complain about not having enough money, but, they'd save a lot by taking on the mentality of those 100 years ago, and not piddling away money on things that are outmoded the moment you press "Enter" on the Chip & Pin card reader at the till... :&#92

For me, I try my damnedest to fix things, my laptop for instance, it's ancient, it was new in 2003/2004, and these days it's so out-of-date most would just look at it and think "what a POS", but, it still works, it's running windows 7, it's had 3 keyboards, a new case, and broke 3 power supplies, but, it's saving me money by not having to buy a new laptop, it may not be the fastest, it may not be the prettiest, but it's working, and works well...

If I can't fix something, then yeah, I'll try and get rid, but not before I try and modify it to do something it wasn't designed for, saving the need to have things transported halfway across the globe just to satisfy my needs, and helps with boredom too....

 

[vintagerepairer]

Sadly, for most people, price wins.

 

[jmurray01]

Something we agree on David!

I'm always banging on to people about how things are considered disposable these days, and everybody wants the newest item out.

Not me! If I can fix something, for example, a Vacuum Cleaner, I will, if I can't, I'll get somebody to fix it and if that can't be done, then I'll regretfully let it go to the carpet in the sky.

My desktop in the living room that I use 95% of the time is a 2008 Gigabyte Technologies computer which was built by the previous owner before being sold on for £25 brand new to myself back in '08. I know, what a bargain.

It has Windows 2000 installed on it and although it is now 12 years old, it still works brilliantly and I wouldn't trade it for Windows 7, 8, 9, or any other number they wish to release.

And the computer in question:

 

[jmurray01]

And the monitor I'm using with the computer ?

A 10 year old CRX CRT (try saying that after a few pints ha ha) 19 inch flat screen monitor which I picked up free from an advert in the local free paper. Win win.

 

[jmurray01]

By the way - Sorry for hijacking your thread!

 

[jmurray01]

A couple of corrections:

I meant CTX not CRX, and I forgot to rotate the picture of the desktop. Sorry!

 

[turbo500]

I agree with Rob RE: the low setting on the current Numatics. I use my Henry a fair bit, especially on laminate flooring and above floor cleaning and I never need to use the high setting, thus saving 600w of power.

I also agree that this country has gone completely mad on eco-ness and there is no need for it. If vacuums didn't have such ridiculously high motor wattage anyway, we wouldn't NEED Eco switches and such nonsense! We're now up to 2200w machines and it's ridiculous and unnecessary. Lets not forget, 25 years ago people were perfectly happy with 410w and a decent brushroll. I, for one, still am. Cylinders have always used more watts to generate higher suction to compensate for the lack of agitation, but look at something like the Hoover Sensotronic at 1000w and it's one of the highest performing cylinders I've ever used.

Here is my equivalent of an "eco vac"...410w and picks up more than most modern cleaners!

 

[twocvbloke]

Good lord!!! I remember those desktop cases from when I worked at a computer shop, though the ones we had in stock were black & silver I think.... :S

And I too have a CTX monitor (different and older model though, Time (remember them?) sold the same monitor under their name) sat atop an Olivetti M4 pentium75 desktop, though the CTX is on it's last legs as it likes to crack, fizz & pop, and despite my 4-Rs mentality, I refuse to touch the insides of CRTs as I've had one that hadn't been plugged in for months detonate a few components on me before now, almost blinding me in the process.... :S

Under the desk is my "proper" desktop, I forget the spec, but it's all built with used parts I bought for pennies (or was given), needs stripping down and rebuilding in another case though as the one it has is breaking apart...

And I like my old phones too...

 

[vintagerepairer]

Not to mention the old PENCON 4-way extention slab.

 

[twocvbloke]

Nah, that's a WG 4-way...

 

[vintagerepairer]

WG, Volex, same company. The name PENCON was the name of the range and was embossed on the original moulded 13amp plug which these came with.

 

[jmurray01]

What age is your CTX David ? It looks like mid 90's, but I could be wrong.

I have a Philips 107 E Monitor for my Office PC, which is a Viglen Genie from 2006 (it is older than that, but was refurbished then so I consider it a 2006 machine) running Windows XP Professional, and the HDD has a total 7% of spare memory. I know, it is excruciating to load anything more than the calculator!

I also have a spare flat screen monitor which used to be used for the living room computer before I got the bigger CTX, which is a Samsung Syncmaster 755 DFX and works great, but is just sitting stagnant in a pile of rubbish in the spare room just now until one of my current monitors bites the dust then it will be used again.

Talking about excruciating - Dialing a mobile number on those old phones you have much be, eh ?

The oldest phone I own is a 1990's BT Corded which I got from my Grandfather a few years ago. Works great!

I think me and David would both agree - Old is the way to go!

As for 2200W Vacuum Cleaners, they are totally ridiculous.

My 1977 HOOVER Ranger uses 400W and cleans better than any high wattage motor you could make these days.

Why ? Because of dirty fan technology and a damn good brush roll!

If manufacturers want to make something really Eco, they should bring back dirty fans and beater bars, then they wouldn't need screaming motors to clean carpets. Anyone agree ?

So - My Eco Vacuum Cleaner (which is actually a lot more Eco than any other modern one which claims to be)

 

[jmurray01]

Is that 98 you have on the CTX PC by the way ?

 

[jmurray01]

Oh, and I thought I'd mention I have in my cupboard an old early 2000's DAN PC tower (do you remember that brand ?) which crashed and still isn't working 100%, but I honestly can't be bothered fixing it up so it has been sitting in the cupboard for over a year. Suits me down to the ground! The only use I'll ever have for it is to use the CPU fan for another computer if and when I need one.

I also have another PC which also crashed, but this one is a horizontal computer branded as "Centreprise", which I know nothing about, so if you do, feel free to fill me in!

 

[vintagerepairer]

What is 'best' is a fusion of old-fashioned tried & trusted ideas and modern technology. That's what Numatic are doing.

 

[jmurray01]

Well it was until they started putting Eco things on it and making it start on Lo no matter what you decide.

I think they should have stayed with the rocker switches.