Can felt be added to bottom of Hoover Constellation ring?

[fan-of-fans]

I was wondering this. I noticed the bottom ring of the Hoover Constellation gets scratched up, and wouldn't want it scratching my floors. If I added, say three small pieces of felt I think it would prevent this, but would it cause an air gap and affect the hovering action?

I've noticed the later white and stainless steel Constellations seem to have some kind of rubber feet on their ring, which I'm guessing has to do with preventing scratches. But I also hear they floated better with the 12 amp motor than the older ones did.

I guess the same thing applies to the floating Hoover Celebrities too.

 

[jo]

The felt

Will raise it and impede the hovering action but it will still slide easily on the floor just not quite as easily likely. The felt will likely rip right off on carpet though. I tried putting felt in the bottom of a Hoover floor tool and as soon as it hit the carpet it ripped right off.

Jon

 

[real1shep]

The....

bottom ring on the retro Connies has five inserts evenly spaced. I don't know what they are made of....could be composite.

The retro Connies do everything better than the originals. They were designed that way. I haven't fired up an original Connie in yrs.

Kevin

 

[kirbyklekter]

Can I get a lift?

Has anybody ever measured just how high off of a hard surface floor the Connie's actually lift? I'm sure there are variables and I bet that with the weight of the hose removed there's a higher lift. Just curious because I've never seen a mention of it anywhere. Difference between stainless steel 12 amp retro and an original side by side would be interesting.

 

[huskyvacs]

Not more than 1mm or 2. Just enough for it to break friction. If you watch the commercial from the 1970's model carefully you can see it floats less than the height of the power cord.

 

[fan-of-fans]

I don't think I've ever tried my vintage one on hard floors, but on my low pile berber carpet, it floats enough to play "air hockey" easily. It wouldn't float enough to go over the cord, or over thresholds from room to room.

I don't really trust it on my ceramic tile floors, or other surfaces it could scratch, hence wanting to add the felt if possible.

I wouldn't be surprised the new Constellations work better than the originals. I haven't found my vintage one to have tremendous suction. It's ok, but compared to my Hoover Slimline (and I'm sure my Celebrity which I haven't tried yet) it seems to be lacking. Haven't checked the amperage, but likely it is lower.

Probably the floating Celebrities float better also, just a guess.

Did the old Constellations use twin fans, or single fan? I know the new ones used a single fan Samsung motor, but it looks very similar to the one in the originals. So I am thinking they are single fan as well.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I have numerous Connies

plus both new ones. I always liked the suction from the vintage ones. I also enjoy using the Slimlines as well.

 

[oreck_xl]

I too like the Slimlines. Years ago, Slimlines seemed to be everywhere, today they seem to be the rarest of the J bag style Hoover canisters. They were Hoover's value priced canister, and with their all steel construction they were definitely solidly built.

 

[real1shep]

As I've.....

said many times, there is no comparison to the original Connies and the retro Connies.....the retros are just that much better.

I've never measured it, but I think the space is slightly more on a hard surface than a carpeted one....simply because the air is pushing on a harder surface; thus easier to float itself. I use mine only for hardwood flooring and kitchen linoleum. I don't think it's much of a vacuum for carpets, even with the carpet head they provided with the retro. It takes some strategic planning to use on hard flooring because they immediately blow the dirt from the exhaust toward your baseboards or under things.

Also on the retro Connies, there is a deliberate hole made up near the handle that's almost invisible. You plug that hole with a rubber stopper and you get even more suction. But......it's harder on the motor if you dead-head it.

I went through all three motors on my vintage Connies and got readings around 60 for inches of lift.....if I remember correctly. The retro I have is over 80" without that hole plugged.

The old Connies have a place in vacuum history and many of us have fond memories of them growing up.....but they were never spectacular cleaners and were considered to be a 'entry' Hoover vac.

Kevin

 

[dysonman1]

I never cared for constellations. The floating idea was a way to sell them, not a benefit to the consumer. Carpet Fresh powder showed the customer just how much dust they were blowing into the air during the use of the Connie. The retro Connies run so hot I'm scared to let them sit on one piece of carpet while I clean the sofa. I did add the Perfect Battery Power Nozzle to my retro Connie, which made it have the ability to actually get the rug clean, but I'm just not a fan of the machine or the floating.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Ultraflex is a very good hose

After time, it can split, as can others. It can be cut and re-attached. I used one to clean up a room after drywall work. Yes, dust flew, but there was also major construction. I didn't get my shopvac.
I don't think powder of any kind should go into carpets. Mine are wool, oriental and Karastan. brushes, detergent, and extraction work best.
It was said, yrs ago, that things like "Carpet Fresh, Love My Carpet", etc... were not good for rugs. They were not good to sell Connies, either.

 

[real1shep]

I fully.....

understand your position, Tom. I certainly wouldn't recommenced any Connie for folks with allergies or worse.

I like the suction on my retro Connie and consider it a challenge to figure out a vacuuming pattern that doesn't blow dirt under things and everywhere.

It's a gimmick vac and always was.....still, I use it a lot. Not to be confused with the real cleaning power of a Diamond J or something similar that is newer and puts out less particulates in the air space.

Kevin

 

[real1shep]

Tom.....

I just watched a couple of vids on the Perfect Battery Power Nozzle. It only has two marks against it that I see;made in China and the clearance it lacks because of the battery back.

One of the many things I like about the Electrolux 'L' shaped PN is its height profile and the ability to sneak under things.

Otherwise, if you had wide open spaces this would be a great PN to add to a tank that had no PN feature.

Kevin