sebo_fan
Well-known member
I think it has a lot to do with the fact that they are owned by a large company - a lot of brands do have generally good customer services but others have been disappointing.
Disappointed with latest VAX machines
- Thread starter madabouthoovers
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uksausage
Well-known member
mach air issues
i have both the mach air pet and the mach air 3 total home
The mach air pet is a brilliant little machine, it copes well with 6 cats and the dog all shedding hair at the same time, i did upload a vid of it on you tube with a very full tank and it still picked up, ive never had the filter prob with the mach air pet, and i use shake n vac all the time, i have had the hose issue with the both the short hose and the additional long hose,(which i keep attached all the time ) and had the stiffness problem asd well turned out the screws were over tightned.
Now on to the Air3 what a pile of CRAP, this machine is awfull in almost every way, this machine has the filter issue badly, i can only do half the lounge and i have to take it out and clean it, vax sent me a new cyclone setup and new filters but this did not help,the hose is useless it doesnt always stay attached to the main vacuum head, because of the clip on it some of the accsessories dont stay attached as the have no lip on them,when using the handle on the hose it frequently comes away from the hose end as the clip doesnt hold it in place and when using the two in one dusting tool the drush always pushes up so its just the crevice nozzle you are using (this has scratched the tv in our bedroom) as the brush doesnt lock in properly.
while vacuuming the handle does sometimes release itself,as you puxh the vacuum forward it bends slightly in the middle (the plastic is crap) so the lock for the handle moves slightly so when you pull it back you have a handle but no vacuum as its laying on the floor,
the vacuum head looks as though it has the american windtunnel design this is also useless on this machine (i have an american windtunnel machine that doesnt clog) as the the sections end up clogged with pet hair.
the only good thing about is the brush roll the bristles are a lot stiffer than the ordinary Mach Air so it pulls the pile up better,
also the swivel feature is not easy to use the bulk of the machine is very heavy and im finding it increasingly more difficult to use heavy machines as i dont have the strength in my arms anymore ( i have M.S ) so steering the machine is no an easy task at all
The build quality is not half as good as the original Mach Air its flimsy and weak the handle is is uncomfortable and is made of thin plastic the machine itself is weak as the plastic bends while in use not like the original Mach Air that seems quite solid for a plastivac
now for the last thing, i had phoned vax on numerous occasions because when switching on the vacuum there was bloody great spark that came from the motor,so great it shone through the plastic, vax kept telling me to carry on using it and that there was nothing wrong well i did this only to have the damn thing catch fire and melt a section of my lounge carpet, the flames came out the vacuum head and from the motor housing i raced for the plug pulled it out and threw it in the garden still smoking and melting.
i rang vax they gave the choice to claim the carpet on my contents insurance and they would replace the vacuum or do a claim through them. i claimed through them, they sent an assesor to look at the carpet he was quite shocked that a vacuum could do that, he did his report and said the carpet needs replacing as the damage is right in the walk way and cant be hidden.
in this time the dustmen turned up and as i thrown the vacuum out in the garden it landed by my bins and looked like a strange piece of modern art with hardened plastic drips hanging off it and being melted so much it was leaning to the side. the dustmen took my vacuum,
Now vax will not replace the machine as i dont have the old one to sendf in for them to look at it what can they tell me that i dont already know it caught fire and melted, they have the record of the phone calls i made stating it was sparking and the problems with the filters etc, but as the dustmen took it i dont haver a leg to stand on.
trading standards said i need to quote the sale of goods act 1979 and something else i cant remember im going to put this in an email and hope i can get this sorted as trading standards said they should replace the machine because the insurance came out and reported the damage etc
up untill this issue ive never had a problem with vax customer service ive done a lot of buisness with vax and had various machines replaced or repaired
my personal advice is dont buy a Mach Air 3 i know of a couple more that have had all the same problems and caught fire
they are not a good machine when compared to the original Mach Air
Sorry im rambling again
i have both the mach air pet and the mach air 3 total home
The mach air pet is a brilliant little machine, it copes well with 6 cats and the dog all shedding hair at the same time, i did upload a vid of it on you tube with a very full tank and it still picked up, ive never had the filter prob with the mach air pet, and i use shake n vac all the time, i have had the hose issue with the both the short hose and the additional long hose,(which i keep attached all the time ) and had the stiffness problem asd well turned out the screws were over tightned.
Now on to the Air3 what a pile of CRAP, this machine is awfull in almost every way, this machine has the filter issue badly, i can only do half the lounge and i have to take it out and clean it, vax sent me a new cyclone setup and new filters but this did not help,the hose is useless it doesnt always stay attached to the main vacuum head, because of the clip on it some of the accsessories dont stay attached as the have no lip on them,when using the handle on the hose it frequently comes away from the hose end as the clip doesnt hold it in place and when using the two in one dusting tool the drush always pushes up so its just the crevice nozzle you are using (this has scratched the tv in our bedroom) as the brush doesnt lock in properly.
while vacuuming the handle does sometimes release itself,as you puxh the vacuum forward it bends slightly in the middle (the plastic is crap) so the lock for the handle moves slightly so when you pull it back you have a handle but no vacuum as its laying on the floor,
the vacuum head looks as though it has the american windtunnel design this is also useless on this machine (i have an american windtunnel machine that doesnt clog) as the the sections end up clogged with pet hair.
the only good thing about is the brush roll the bristles are a lot stiffer than the ordinary Mach Air so it pulls the pile up better,
also the swivel feature is not easy to use the bulk of the machine is very heavy and im finding it increasingly more difficult to use heavy machines as i dont have the strength in my arms anymore ( i have M.S ) so steering the machine is no an easy task at all
The build quality is not half as good as the original Mach Air its flimsy and weak the handle is is uncomfortable and is made of thin plastic the machine itself is weak as the plastic bends while in use not like the original Mach Air that seems quite solid for a plastivac
now for the last thing, i had phoned vax on numerous occasions because when switching on the vacuum there was bloody great spark that came from the motor,so great it shone through the plastic, vax kept telling me to carry on using it and that there was nothing wrong well i did this only to have the damn thing catch fire and melt a section of my lounge carpet, the flames came out the vacuum head and from the motor housing i raced for the plug pulled it out and threw it in the garden still smoking and melting.
i rang vax they gave the choice to claim the carpet on my contents insurance and they would replace the vacuum or do a claim through them. i claimed through them, they sent an assesor to look at the carpet he was quite shocked that a vacuum could do that, he did his report and said the carpet needs replacing as the damage is right in the walk way and cant be hidden.
in this time the dustmen turned up and as i thrown the vacuum out in the garden it landed by my bins and looked like a strange piece of modern art with hardened plastic drips hanging off it and being melted so much it was leaning to the side. the dustmen took my vacuum,
Now vax will not replace the machine as i dont have the old one to sendf in for them to look at it what can they tell me that i dont already know it caught fire and melted, they have the record of the phone calls i made stating it was sparking and the problems with the filters etc, but as the dustmen took it i dont haver a leg to stand on.
trading standards said i need to quote the sale of goods act 1979 and something else i cant remember im going to put this in an email and hope i can get this sorted as trading standards said they should replace the machine because the insurance came out and reported the damage etc
up untill this issue ive never had a problem with vax customer service ive done a lot of buisness with vax and had various machines replaced or repaired
my personal advice is dont buy a Mach Air 3 i know of a couple more that have had all the same problems and caught fire
they are not a good machine when compared to the original Mach Air
Sorry im rambling again
uksausage
Well-known member
the mach air pet video
just a short one of the mach air pet
sorry the quality is not all that
just a short one of the mach air pet
sorry the quality is not all that
madabouthoovers
Well-known member
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- Aug 14, 2012
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My Vax Mach Air 3 does the same thing - flashing through the motor housing when switching on. I had to take the thing apart as the cable grommet had come out of the housing, and needed the cord grip re-seating again. I had to lube the rear wheels on this as they were stiff to push around.
Keep your eye on the filter on the Mach Air, as the internal lower rubber grommet in the base of the bin can start to lift away from the base and the dust etc will get past it and reverse block the cyclones.
I will bear in mind what you say about the Mach air 3 motor, as I myself had thought that the initial arc from the brushes on the motor glowing through the casing of the motor was a bit worrying, but it always seems to do this since new.
Will keep an eye on the cyclones too for blocking but so far they seem ok.
My hose end on the air 3 wont stay on the handle either without keeping coming off, and its useless if trying to use it with a turbo tool as it wont stay connected at all, as its too loose a fit.
WHat you say goes to re-inforce what I said about Vax's quality control. Its really getting a joke now - cheap rubbish made cheaply in China, and that's maybe why so many vax's are now being sold at cut prices whereas Dysons are not discounted any where near as much.
Keep your eye on the filter on the Mach Air, as the internal lower rubber grommet in the base of the bin can start to lift away from the base and the dust etc will get past it and reverse block the cyclones.
I will bear in mind what you say about the Mach air 3 motor, as I myself had thought that the initial arc from the brushes on the motor glowing through the casing of the motor was a bit worrying, but it always seems to do this since new.
Will keep an eye on the cyclones too for blocking but so far they seem ok.
My hose end on the air 3 wont stay on the handle either without keeping coming off, and its useless if trying to use it with a turbo tool as it wont stay connected at all, as its too loose a fit.
WHat you say goes to re-inforce what I said about Vax's quality control. Its really getting a joke now - cheap rubbish made cheaply in China, and that's maybe why so many vax's are now being sold at cut prices whereas Dysons are not discounted any where near as much.
sebo_fan
Well-known member
Well I wouldn't say all Vax products are bad. I saw a Vax bagged cylinder vacuum in a charity shop the other day that has been on sale for some time It looks quite promising and I've always wanted to try the one that TTi/Dirt Devil and even at one point Wertheim had as their own. Goes under the name of Vax Maxima C91-MX-B-C.
It looks like a Miele S5000 canister from a distance and goes to the point of having a similar flip up lid for tools on the top. However, I was instantly put off by the weight - claimed to be 7.5kg - but I'd have said more like 9kg with the sheer bulk and weight of it - but still, its well made. Pity it only has a 2.5 litre dust bag capacity though - I'd have expected a lot larger given the sheer size of it.
It looks like a Miele S5000 canister from a distance and goes to the point of having a similar flip up lid for tools on the top. However, I was instantly put off by the weight - claimed to be 7.5kg - but I'd have said more like 9kg with the sheer bulk and weight of it - but still, its well made. Pity it only has a 2.5 litre dust bag capacity though - I'd have expected a lot larger given the sheer size of it.
spiraclean
Well-known member
MAH, any luck in pursuing a repair or replacement yet?
madabouthoovers
Well-known member
- Joined
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No - and I am not going to bother either - Vax just wont get any more business off me in the future. If they continue to produce rubbish that is not fit for purpose, they will end up going bust, and that will be punishment enough for greedy bosses who put greed and profit above satisfied customers and produce their goods in the Far East to exploit cheap labour over there instead of making Vax's in this country - Like Dyson USED to do before he got the Greedy bug.
spiraclean
Well-known member
Oh well, it's up to you. From your first post I thought you were looking for a way to get the problem resolved, one way or another, but maybe I misunderstood. The info in the link I posted above tells you all you need to know, and requires minimal action on your part. All I know is I wouldn't take a loss on something like that.
madabouthoovers
Well-known member
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At present Parwaz786, I use the Kirby Heritage, and the Miele canister for when I need above floor cleaning done. I don't use the Dysons much now - they are part of the collection and are fairly old and fragile now except for the DC07 which is just too noisy for everyday use. The Kirby cleans the carpets the best - the rest are nice ornaments in my Vacuum room.
sebo_fan
Well-known member
Oh please stop with the Chinese slant...
Steve, please don't take offence to this but sometimes I really wonder where your knowledge of economy lies - the UK does not offer cheap manufacturing - if it did, you can bet Henry vacuums would cost £50 instead of double the price. You can also ignore the fact that whatever PC you're on, half of it has probably been produced in Asia or China.
I think it is also foolish to ignore the fact that your vacuum cleaner is within the warranty period and can be repaired by Vax effectively free of charge. I agree with Spira here - at least you have the time period in which this vacuum cleaner can actually be repaired.
Whilst I agree to a certain point that brands like Dyson and Vax have shifted to Asia for cheaper cost production Vax and Dyson are very different in their actual retail prices - as we have already seen, Vax products can be bought for below £100 whereas Dyson can't unless it is second hand or refurbished from third parties.
Frankly I don't think Vax would be able to offer the largest array of appliances AND low prices if they were manufactured here in the UK, let alone offer an extended 6 year guarantee on their multicyclonic products.
Steve, please don't take offence to this but sometimes I really wonder where your knowledge of economy lies - the UK does not offer cheap manufacturing - if it did, you can bet Henry vacuums would cost £50 instead of double the price. You can also ignore the fact that whatever PC you're on, half of it has probably been produced in Asia or China.
I think it is also foolish to ignore the fact that your vacuum cleaner is within the warranty period and can be repaired by Vax effectively free of charge. I agree with Spira here - at least you have the time period in which this vacuum cleaner can actually be repaired.
Whilst I agree to a certain point that brands like Dyson and Vax have shifted to Asia for cheaper cost production Vax and Dyson are very different in their actual retail prices - as we have already seen, Vax products can be bought for below £100 whereas Dyson can't unless it is second hand or refurbished from third parties.
Frankly I don't think Vax would be able to offer the largest array of appliances AND low prices if they were manufactured here in the UK, let alone offer an extended 6 year guarantee on their multicyclonic products.
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