Color matching and mismatching patterns and theories.
As I’ve mentioned before, I think some were equipped from the factory with non matching hoses and tools especially at end of a color or model change run. It would seem logical to be the case because it would be too much waste to throw away or sort and ship off the mismatched ones. Machines were sent off in complete boxes to the branches...but attachments and hoses were not just sent in the boxes with the machines but also to the branches as replacement parts when branches ordered them. The machine and parts usually were not paired together separately when someone bought a whole machine, usually the salesman would just give them a complete boxed set. But who knows what was really done at the factory for sure and afterward at the branches. Some Boxed sets could have been and I’m sure were broken down here and there if someone wanted to buy just a replacement canister unit and perhaps the hose but use all their old attachments from a previous model so then all the extra parts would have been added to the branch’s parts supply from the box set. Salesman likely weren’t attentive to color matching as long as it was a complete set or met the customer’s desired set they wanted. But from the amount of mismatching I noticed among people who bought new machines and received them with something mismatched, I’m led to believe mismatching was happening at the factory and it’s likely they didn’t have runs of different colors at the same time...just decided to change to the new color at a certain time and an older colored canister may have then been paired with a newer colored attachment or hose as the supply from each area was pulled from the bins along the assembly line pack up the box. Thinking about how a factory works that produces each and every item using molds and liquid plastics, coloring agents, paint supplies, dyes and so much more it would seem that when a color change was implemented it was done when the old colorant was used up and the new color supply had already been ordered for the new model’s colors so that’s what determined when the new models colors started production for all the attachments. There was likely a drop dead date for color changes to the canisters themselves to coordinate with the model changes and marketing as I don’t see canisters miscolored for the model number or letter. Since attachments and hoses were also sent off to the branches in indefinite quantities determined only by order demand from the branches beyond being included in boxed sets, the quantities of these produced were much higher than the canisters themselves which could easily create overruns or even shortages which would then create the mismatching situation right from the factory. I don’t think Electrolux was dedicated as much to color matching each and every unit that went out as that would not be a practical priority...as long as it had everything that was to be included, it would do the job and be a complete set regardless of color matching. Likely people didn’t question the coloring and just assumed “that’s the way it was made by the company” when they bought a machine because they didn’t have bunches to compare with and say, “hey that one has a matching hose, I want that!”
I’ve just seen so many mismatches where they came purchased this way that this is where my theory on this comes from. Heck, my Aerus Lux Legacy in light blue is all color correct except for the elbow for the combination rug and floor tool, that is next generation white. The entire tool was almost never used so doubt there was ever a replacement done, they may have run out of the dye for the light blue and already had the white dye ready to go if this was produced near the end of the light blue color run so the next batch of elbow connectors ended up white while everything else was still light blue. And this tool was not standard on this model anyway and likely thrown in to the sale or perhaps purchased slightly after...keep in mind the combination rug floor tool itself is color correct, just the elbow which comes off to is different. I didn’t buy the machine new, but likely I’m second owner. But for the most part, I do feel that most boxed sets had the correct color matched parts and the occurrence of mismatches was less than the amount of matches overall.
Only someone who worked in the Electrolux factory and perhaps oversaw how all of the production was occurring would know exactly what the practice and policy was for packaging and color matching.
I’ve also observed that if a color mismatch occurred, it was likely paired the following way...the older model canister had any combination of a next generation’s colored attachments. Not the other way around, usually won’t see a new generation canister with the older generation’s colored hose or tools. So likely they started the color change on the hoses and the attachments prior to the drop dead date of production of the next model so when the drop dead date arrived for the next model, all the hoses and attachments had already started production in the proper color so matching would occur on the newest model right away. Color matching wouldn’t be as high a priority on an outgoing model. But rather was selected to be the priority on the latest and greatest.
My best friends Mom’s model F has a model G hose. The lady I cleaned for had a blue L and it had a golden jubilee or super J gold colored hose and PN-2 with the golden jubilee sticker and I’ve seen many others with color transitions. I’ve seen blue hoses with cream handles instead of the blue ones and so on. But again, it more often seems to be the next generation’s colored attachments paired with the previous generation canister when there’s a mismatch.
That’s why I think your cream rug and floor tool with the teal bumper may have been the original included with the machine. The ones that were cream and teal were produced for the G. If the change happened before the G was produced, then them some F’s during the last year likely would have received some of the G colored attachments, hoses, etc, in any combination...just like my friend’s Mom’s F has the G hose but everything else is F coloring.
Lots of observation and thinking.
Jon
