Changes I Would Make to my Maytag 1200

[shrink1982]

I am sure many of you have noticed I have posted several threads today. Please, if you aren't interested, don't read them. This is my only vacuum "outlet" as I don't know anyone who likes vacuums.

As I have mentioned before, I really like my Maytag 1200, however there are changes I would make to get it as close to perfect, in my opinion, as possible.

1. The machine is heavy and therefore either needs a reduction in weight by either the use of digital motors or it needs tech drive or something similar for people like me who have lower back problems.
2. I would rather the machine turn on in suction mode and allow me to turn the brush roll on when I am ready to clean carpets.
3. Auto cord rewind would be nice but not a necessity.
4. I would like the height adjustment to be easier. Bending down isn't very convenient. In my opinion, Kirby has the perfect system and I would love a foot height adjustment - I would also like some idea as to what setting the cleaner should be on. It is easy with the Kirby (even though they have changed their way of doing things). When it reads "short pile" what the heck does that mean? What is considered short pile? I would like to know I have the vacuum on the right setting. Perhaps some sort of light could indicate this.
5. I don't think the bag door is sealed very well, especially around the bottom. This should be changed or filters are really pointless.
6. I would like a swivel neck. Something similar to the Miele Uprights. This may be tricky with the two motors but does make vacuuming much easier.
7. I would like electronic speed control for the suction motor. When cleaning delicate items, low suction is needed and the suction relief valve is an ancient concept that doesn't provide much control over suction.
8. So far, the bags seem good so I cannot comment but Miele really has mastered their bags and I would love to see these types of bags on this cleaner.
9. There needs to be an option to keep the cleaner in the floating position. I don't like that every time I want to go under furniture I have to push the pedal to get it in floating mode.
10. The suction could be improved when the carpet mode is turned off. It is more than enough when using the tools but not a lot of suction is produced when cleaning floors.
11. I want the Sebo style removal of the brush roll.
12. I like the color scheme but a few to choose from would be nice.
13. Tacony needs to produce additional tools for the vacuum including a bare floor tool, different size dusting brushes, an extension hose as you can really feel the tension when extending the hose, and bag fresheners.
14. Low clearance to get under furniture. This is a difficult one to pull off with most uprights but it could be achieved with a little ingenuity. It is rather clunky when getting around furniture and cabinets. As I mentioned earlier, a swivel head or redesigned head that isn't so boxy may make that easier, especially when cleaning bare floors and getting under cabinets, etc.
15. A redesign of the exhaust. Unfortunately, the exhaust does blow towards the floor and has the potential to blow dust around on a bare floor. Perhaps creating something similar to the Sebo Airbelt would work. It could be a cloth outer filter that helps to diffuse the air.
16. A blower would be nice. I don't think this would be so hard to achieve. One could simply remove the Hepa filter and attache the hose. Most uprights don't have a blowing function, besides the Kirby, but I have found that function quite useful.

That is all I can think of at the moment. This is me dreaming. Some of these are definitely more important than others. What do you think?

 

[wyaple]

If I had that many complaints about my new vacuum

I would think that I just bought the wrong vacuum.

Spending well over $500 on a machine that you have called out many, many issues, I would have immediately returned it. I sincerely hope you enjoy your expensive purchase, but I have to wonder if you would be able to...

Bill

 

[ryan1994jeep]

Thank you for your review. I have been eyeing one on hsn with the flexpay it certainly seemed tempting.

 

[mixman]

Wow, with so many issues with the M1200, this is why I am sticking with my Miele U1's. Which while they have many of the same issues, like weight, can be had a lot cheaper than the M1200, they do handle better and do clean well.

 

[shrink1982]

These aren't issues so much as ideals.

 

[dysonman1]

Those ideals are noble, but somewhat not practical for a tandem-air design.

Cord winders are out on uprights. The additional weight compared to usefulness (as well as durability) makes then 'not for uprights'.

Digital motors used in full size uprights are also many years away. The cost to tool up to build those motors is astronomical and increases the cost of the machine many times.

Free-swing handles have their definite limitations. Cleaning fringed area rugs with free-swing handles is a nightmare.

Electronic motor speed control is useful to an extremely small percentage of the population. At least 99% of people run their cleaners are 'full suck' all the time.

The great majority (HUGE majority) of people find a rug pile setting (or two) that they use constantly, and most people rarely (if ever) change the setting. The AUTO setting on the Maytag is the mid-setting and most people use that all the time.

Tacony has many additional attachments, as well as extension hoses, available. From the "Wow" floor tool, to the "Fur Get It" tool, turbo brushes, 3 in 1 Combo dusting brushes, as well as micro tool sets.

The Maytag's bag self seals, and filters every bit as well as Miele's bag.

The bag compartment itself IS sealed. The pressure built up in the compartment by the clean-air motor seals the compartment door to the rubber gasket completely.

There's little reason for the consumer to remove the brush roller from the cleaner. If hair has wrapped around it, a simple seam ripper will cut the hair. If the brushes need replacing, one doesn't replace the entire roller. New brushes for the Maytag are available at a fraction of the cost of an entire brush roll.

No vacuum is perfect. In the ideal world, a Kirby would have on-board tools and a lifetime belt (like the Maytag).

 

[gsheen]

I hate speed controls on any vacuum, Never used it cannot think why anyone would. If anything a simple slide valve on the end of the hose can be used for delicate fabrics.

Digital motors like those found on Vorwerks work well when they work but are also incredibly noisy and when they break and they do they cost a lot more to e replaced.

Personally I hate any electronics in vacuums. One more thing to go wrong and the pc boards are often half the price of the vacuum.

As a vacuum shop owner I don't found it care for the swivel function of the Miele either, I never found it useful and it also adds weight and more unnecessary moving parts to the vacuum. I have had a few of them broken off at the swivel point.

 

[sebo4me]

Might as well build a new vacuum cleaner

 

[sebo4me]

I like the swivel action on the Dyson and the shark. It makes the cleaner easier to manoeuvre.

I also find speed control on my Miele C3 and Sebo E3 Premium very useful. I'd prefer it to suction control valve on the handle.

 

[gsheen]

From a User , I have never used the electronic speed control, I cannot fathom what for. At no point while vacuuming my home have I ever thought "OOH I would like less suction for this" I would say I am the odd one out but been involved in the vacuum for many years and owner of a vacuum shop most customers are the same. I am constantly asked by customers what the use of the various speeds functions are , My standard answer is its a Sales gimmic. This model cost Xx but this one has speed control and is superior and costs xxx. Customers are often lead to believe that the model with speed control is more powerful as it has a Boost function. meanwhile its is the exact same machine just without the power control.
The good news for me is that the more electronics a vacuum has the more it will end up in my shop for repair helping to feed my family. Miele s8 canisters are my favorite , The pcb board is very fragile and breaks with ease, next would be the AEG ultraactive and another personal favorite is the sebo x4 or any of the x range whose pcb goes heywire shutting down the entire machine because it constantly thinks the bag is full or it refuses to lower the machine. I had 3 in last week like this.

 

[sebo4me]

Maybe I'm the odd one out but I use the speed control when vacuuming delicates, lamp shades, curtains etc and I turn it up to full on hardfloor.
Adding more electronics might make it more likely to fail but I've owned a Miele and Sebo for many years without any problems

 

[mixman]

Speed Control

I am the opposite. I rarely buy vacuums that DON'T have speed controls. In my opinion every premium vacuum should have them and if you don't need it just run the vacuum at full blast.

The lack of electronics in vacs is an old excuse for poor workmanship and lack of QC. If my car can have every electronic do dad including heads up display and work flawlessly for 50K miles, I think vacuums can have simple electronics controls that work year in and out, if not abused. It's the use of electronics that can and will distinguish the high end vacuums now and in the future. Great performance can be had from inexpensive, simple vacuums if you want all the extras you buy a premium vacuums with more controls, if not, buy a simple vacuum that will still get the job done.

 

[gsheen]

I respectfully disagree, Possibly its because I spend my days fixing vacuums But I have yet to see a useful electronic device in a vacuum, A domestic vacuum. Like I said above I had 3 sebo's in with failed PCB's I cant help but think that if the a unit just had manual height adjustment it would still be working and the customer would not have spent a huge sum of money replacing a part. Unlike a car vacuum is designed to suck up dust, space in at a minimum and so pcb's in vacuums are often caked in dust due to inadequate sealing. In a car they are sealed in tight boxes that are dust and water proof.

But seen you brought up cars, My dad always told me stay clear of electronics on cars they will only cause problems, Me on the other hand I love all the bells and whistles and soon after getting my first job out of school I bought myself a Audi withe electric everything.. a few months later his words ran so true, The car had this nice all open all close feature were one push on the keyfob and the sunroof and all the windows would open or close. So after a coffee stop at 3 am on a 8 hour drive back home I mistakenly pushed the all open button and everything opened..... and refused to close, I made the remainder of the trip 4 hours or so with all the windows and sunroof down. At 140 kph in the early hours of the morning that's cold really cold .

While electronics are important and have made life easier on many products I still maintain they have no place in a normal mains powered vacuum cleaner.

 

[mixman]

Well, I think whether we like them or not the electronics in vacuums are here to stay and will probably increase going forward.... ie....robotic vacuums, electronic handle controls, suction controls, dirt sensors, filter sensors etc.

Now, while I am not calling for Bluetooth vacuums (Even though I am sure some company is planning to do one soon), I think like the rest of the world the vacuum world will have more electronics creep in. We just have to hold the high end companies that charge a good sum for their vacuums accountable for the QC in those vacuums. If they break too much, don't buy any more or keep returning them and letting them know their low quality is not acceptable.

 

[electromatik]

Some of the people on here sound like my father... He hated technology. He STILL cannot figure out how to operate a microwave. He's never been much for anything "automatic." He always bought cars with crank windows until they stopped making them. He bought a new kitchen stove when we moved in with dials. Lowe's made a mistake and delivered someone else's stove with electronic clock/oven controls. It has worked flawlessly now for 17 years. He finally had to get a car with power windows/door locks/seats/mirrors and they have all worked without failure for 7 years. I always thought to myself that if it had been up to people like him, we would still be riding horses, going to the outhouse, and using kerosene lamps.

Fifty years ago when car companies came out with power windows and seats, you had to pay extra for them and they had high failure rates. A lot of the older people hated that and vowed never to trust them again. Over time they figured out how to make them more and more reliable and now they are lasting much longer.

The same is true with computers. Early computers were notoriously fragile and had high failure rates too. Now they are much better. I've used a Dell laptop now for 8 years with no trouble at all.

I feel this is similar to vacuums. It's a new technology being adopted and will take some trial and error before engineers get it right. Many electronic vacuums are lasting longer even as we speak.

I believe human ingenuity will help us.

 

[shrink1982]

dysonman1, you make excellent points, thank you! I do really like it just dreaming of the perfect machine

 

[mixman]

Electromatik

Totally agree with you. Technology marches on and I am sure if we can make satellites and telescopes like the Hubble work in the vacuum of space with their remarkable technology, lowly earth bound vacuums will be no problem. While we may not get 30 or 50 year old vacuums in the future, I think we can at least get 10-15 year vacuums that work reliably with tech features aboard.

 

[shrink1982]

My point was to "dream on the ultimate machine" but some have made good points. I like electronic suction control for dusting. My Sebo D4 will suck the ends of the dusting brush in if I don't turn it down pretty low. Similarly, if I am dusting curtains or delicate fabric, it is nice to get just the right suction. Manual air valves don't do a whole lot in my opinion. If I am paying a lot for a vacuum, I would like the suction motor to have electronic suction control for the tools. When it comes to the floor, max is always going to be what I use unless it is an area rug that gets sucked up easily. Nothing can really be done with that with the Maytag but on my Sebo, if I turn the suction down and heighten the nozzle, I can clean most any rug, which is nice. Variable suction makes the vacuum more versatile but if you are someone that only uses your vacuum on carpets, I can see why it wouldn't be necessary for you. Also, If I don't need max suction, why use it? It just waste electricity. I don't need max suction when doing bare floors so why not turn it down and save the environment? It is good to have high suction for jobs that need it but it is also nice to have lower suction when it isn't needed.

 

[gsheen]

Christopher
I cant help but think that comment was aimed at me Haha.

Maybee I didn't explain myself properly.I have no problem wit electronics, When used for a purpose that helps. Ie On my car the on board computer allows the car to give better fuel consumption while still having massive power.

Good electronics on a vacuum are the auto cutoff for belt protection,This is a useful feature that can also save the consumer money in the long run.

As a vacuum repairer the power functions never made sense to me.Most customers never use it, And I mean customers not collectors, as collectors we tend to use more functions on our vacuums than the average person. Do you know how often I get a vacuum , lets say a dc14 dyson in my workshop for a service and the 3 attachments are new never been used but the end of the wand at the top is worn down to the alloy because its been used to clean around the edges. Most people dont use their vacuums to their full extent, Just have a look at how many times you get a Kirby for sale with brand new attachments.

The idea behind the sebo auto height adjustment is awesome, the correct level of vacuum setting for every floor type. Given that wall to wall carpeting is almost none existent in modern homes but hard flooring large area rugs and different carpet thicknesses in one home mean that this system should be great.

It fails because a its extremely slow to adjust and b because the entire system fails rendering the machine useless.

My problem with electronics on vacuums is that they are been used as a means to a end. the end been the machines life, Rather than benefiting the product they are used to shorten its life span. How does a pcb assembly on a vacuum cost more than half the price of the vacuum.

And its not just vacuums, I was a a wrecking yard the other day and was amazed at how many perfectly good cars , cars less than 5 years old were standing around when I inquired about them They all had the same sickening story, The control modules were gone and they cost more than the car current value, It was especially prevalent on higher end German cars with flappy paddle gearboxes, How can a single part of a car or any item cost between half and three quarters of the products replacement value