Brushroll off feature

[fan-of-fans]

I was wondering, what was the first canister vacuum to have an off setting for the power nozzle, and why was this feature introduced? I rarely use this setting on bare floors, typically I use a bare floor tool as it's much easier to maneuever and picks up better.

I guess I could also ask which was the first upright vacuum to have a brushroll off setting?

 

[sebo_fan]

 


<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: medium;">Well I have no idea when the first vacuum appeared with a PN or brush roll on/off on an upright. This is due to the UK's lack of interest in cylinder vacs with PN heads, sadly and, also for the fact that in the UK, upright vacuums in the 1980's and 1990's were slow to have the brush on/off control, again no doubt separating buyers between the upright V cylinder debate. I do have a Sebo K3 with likewise PN head but I seldom use it, preferring the more traditional way of using suction only floor heads. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: medium;">However, I also have an old Felix upright - it has that similar PN that Sebo kit out for the K series models in the U.S and it has a brush stop roll button. It is far easier to use that existing feature than physically swapping floor heads over and for some brands, PN heads are different from one another. In terms of Sebo's ones for example I seldom have a need for the bare floor tools just using the PN brush roll on/off function. The only time I use the bare floor tool alone is if hard floors really need a good clean with large clumps of dirt like loose papers etc that could easily clog the PN when the brush roll isn't moving as opposed to light surface dirt that the PN can handle with the brush roll switched off. </span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: 'book antiqua', palatino; font-size: medium;">The U.S have been lucky to get Panasonic's upright vacuums that have the brush on/off feature under the Miele Powerhouse range. Our UK versions of Panasonic's upright stopped having the brush roll on/off feature as it may well have affected sales of their cylinders/canisters.</span></p>
 

 

[turbomaster1984]

Not 100% sure but in the UK i'd suggest the Hoover Turbomaster was the first upright to have a hard floor/brushroll off setting but I could well be wrong. Was the Panasonic MCE- 5 range out before or after the TM release?

Yes Kirby did have this feature way before with the belt shifter but thinking as specifically as having a button or other such method of shifting the belt I cannot think other than my suggestions above.

 

[gsheen]

The first vacuum I came across with that feature was my moms old turbomaster. good machine that was cleaned up lots of illegitimate party's when my parents were away hehe

 

[sensotronic]

The Turbomaster would be the first upright I recall with the brushroll off feature. I used to love the change of the motor pitch when you lowered the handle and the brushroll would start up.

The first Hoover power head in the UK that had an on off switch was the Turbo 300 model launched around 1985 and fitted to Sensotronic and Compact total systems.

Sebo fan, I find the on off switch on the Felix powerhead a bit troublesome as it often takes a couple of attempts to switch it off if you try and use your foot, especially if you're just wearing socks. I would like to see a larger foot switch incorporated into the powerhead, or even better, a switch on the handle.

While I'm on the subject of Sebo power heads, do you know if Sebo will fit the ET 1 to the K Premium for the UK market as it does in Germany and the U.S.? I quite like the ET H head as it glides really easily over the carpet but doesn't pick up as well as the ET 1. I'm currently using the head from my Felix on my C3 cylinder and I also have a ET C that it which I use from time to time. Since I fitted the red hard brush strip to the ET C head, it really brings up the pile but as it doesn't have a swivel neck it isn't as maneuverable as the other two heads. I know you're not a fan of power heads, but I personally don't like suction only or turboheads for carpet cleaning as standard heads don't deal well with pet hair and the turbo heads tend to be quite noisy.

 

[turbomaster1984]

Roger

Would you happen to be THE Roger known from other places relating to this hobby? LOL

 

[sensotronic]

Roger

I don't know if I'm THE Roger, but I'm A Roger. I am THE Roger that a few of you have bought leaflets from me on Ebay, Seamus being the most recent. By the way Seamus, your leaflets have been posted but wit the two bank holidays, you won't get them until at least Wednesday.

 

[turbomaster1984]

lol I thought so

 

[sensotronic]

Sorry that should read "with the two bank holidays".

 

[vintagerepairer]

The first UK upright cleaners with the ability to switch off the roller brushes would have been one of those industrial Sebo machines, discussed on another thread. They date to the late 1970's, although I think the brush roll would only stop when either the handle was raised or if the hose was taken out for use. I don't think the cleaner could be actually used to clean in an upright fashion with the brushes off.

The Panasonic MCE5- series did not arrive until the early part of 1992. After the Hoover Turbomaster, these are the next cleaner I can think of to have the brush roll on / off facility to allow the cleaner to be used upright with suction only. However, I do believe the first type of cleaner to have that feature would have been the Hitachi CV55, at least I think it is 55, someone showed photographs recently of an excellent example they'd bought if that helps. Although I am sure a few people would have used the brush roll on / off switch, I wouldn't expect it to have been life or death for most users, nor do I think it would tip the balance between buying an upright over a cylinder, because upright lovers who wanted to vacuum hard floors with an upright cleaner would probably do so irrespective of whether or not the cleaner had the brushes whizzing round.

Interestingly, Hitachi did not continue with this facility on any other cleaner made for the UK market. Maybe they thought it was redundant. Of course the Turbomaster was unique in that it also switched off the roller brush when the cleaner was stood upright, by making good use of the same parts which controlled the brush roll for hard floor cleaning.

 

[sebo_fan]

Sebo brush roll switch off.

I wish the X1 would switch off - its an issue that all the X's suffer from - constantly rolling when the handle is put into the upright position. The Felix and Dart switch off but only the Felix's hose has a safety stop, stopping the brush roll if the hose is taken out. I never understood why Sebo can't fit an auto stop function on the X models. I'm told it was because Sebo want the X to be as simple and efficient as possible, which was another response given when I asked if a variable suction dial like the one on the Felix would ever be fitted.


 


Sensotronic - I share your opinion about the little circular stop button - but I give it a hefty push and it usually works first time - if you tap it gently, it won't function and I think Sebo did that intentionally as a fail safe. I don't think the stop button should be fitted to the handle though - bear in mind the Felix & Dart are both sold with the Deluxe Kombi suction head as opposed to the ET-1 and it would probably cost the company more to put a stop button on the handle, then having to blank it out for those models without the power nozzle.


 


As for the ET-H, I think Sebo UK will eventually change to the ET-1 floor head, but then again they seem to be happy to churn out the old ET-H floor head for the K3's. The ET-H is a bit smaller, more compact and not as tall, making it perfect for the K models.


 


I tried mine with the Felix since as you know I'm not keen on the cylinder set up and it was ok but like you, I didn't feel as if the brush roll was touching the carpet that much and it lacks an upright lock action since it is only made for the canisters/cylinders, thus won't allow the Felix to stand up on its own and liable to fall at the sides.  As you know the ET-H has two brush rolls similar to the X5 upright et al - it also feels a great deal heavier than the ET-1 even though it looks and feels smaller - it is after all much older by default and I like the simpler single roller brush bar release for cleaning than having to faff about with two smaller brush rolls. 

 

[gsheen]

sebo fan , the reason that sebo has a brush stop feature on the felix is its two motor design, its a simple switch that needs fitting, on a single motor design you would need a clutch system like the dyson dc04,07,14 models had. what is interesting is that the x models already have a clutch and gear system inside them so it would just be a mater of making it manual operated with a knob. it could be done, heck if you are handy and enjoy building things you could build it on yourself

 

[sebo_fan]

I was just going to say, the X already has a clutch- but isn't that for compensating for the extra turbo brush added to the hose, as the X1's shut off compared to the later X models? Also there's the double thermal cut out feature to consider - which the Felix doesn't have.