Electrolux Tango Information Wanted!

[jmurray01]

Well I went to my local Recycling Store (Goodwill equivalent) and guess what I found and couldn't resist for £7.50/$12 ? An Electrolux Tango of course!

Before I even picked it up at the store I opened the bag door to find a brand new Genuine Electrolux bag fitted with only a tiny amount of dirt in it (probably used for testing the cleaner), but no Pre-Motor filter!

That didn't scare a mad collector like me though, so I handed over the cash and went home happy as could be.

Here is what I've done since getting home an hour ago:

Emptied the small amount of dirt out of bag
Took Exhaust Filter out to find it was CAKED in dirt due to being used without the Pre-Motor filter!
Cleaned Exhaust Filter
Put an Electro-Static filter in to replace the missing Pre-Motor filter (I'll buy a proper Electrolux filter soon, but the Electro-Static one will do fine for now)
Vacuumed out the bag compartment and vents with my Numatic Henry
Washed the exterior with soapy water (looked as if it had never seen a cloth in its poor life)
Dried the exterior and liberally sprayed furniture polish all over it and wiped off with a duster, then buffed it up to an excellent shine (the plastic now looks brand new if I do say so myself, the only thing showing it's age/wear is the Electrolux logo has faded slightly)
Replaced the Exhaust Filter after drying on top of the radiator.

And doesn't she look fine (see pictures I'll post below)

So, as always, any information you have on this cleaner, prices, manufacture dates (I especially want those), flaws, anything! I'm interested in hearing it all, good and bad.

I await your knowledgeable replies

 

[jmurray01]

Second picture:

 

[jmurray01]

Third picture, which shows the wattage control.

Curtains - 250W
Chair - 500W
Economy - 650W
Carpet - 750W
Hard Flooring - 1400W (MAX)

 

[jmurray01]

It has just occurred to me that it looks a bit like the older Miele cylinder Vacuum Cleaners...

 

[jmurray01]

Fifth picture, see the brand new bag and "make do" Electro-Static filter.

 

[jmurray01]

Sixth picture, showing the hose and stainless steel adjustable tube.

 

[jmurray01]

Now - I haven't even tried it out yet. I just turned it on for a few seconds while I was cleaning the filter to check it ran, and the wattage adjusted via the knob, which it did, so I think I'll give it a test vacuum in a minute!

 

[jmurray01]

Oh, and the model number is 5001.

 

[jmurray01]

Well I just tested it out on a mix of fixed carpet, rugs (both thick and thin pile) and laminate flooring.

It did fantastically! The suction is immense, and it doesn't scream at you, even on the full 1400W.

It may have been used without a Pre-Motor filter for a while, but no harm has been done it seems. It was made in Germany, so I suppose it was made tough!

I can truthfully say that I'm very pleased with my latest addition to "Vacuum Village"

 

[sebo_fan]

Good find! I recall my neighbour had this one but in black and red with red dial. I have a feeling the original was either made by Rowenta in Germany, or even Philips. The reason it is so powerful is because of the tiny dust bag - I had to buy the same ones for my Boss Microlite when they sold them here in the 1990s briefly.

The Tango and Samba were Curry exclusive models - I think but don't quote me!

 

[jmurray01]

Thank you for your reply!

I wouldn't call the bag "tiny", as it is actually quite large (I'd estimate about 4 litres), and compared to the 2 litre bag in my JMB SC1056, it is massive! Ha ha!

I love my Electrolux though. I'm so pleased I found it and gave it good home!

If I hadn't bought it, somebody who didn't know anything about Vacuum Cleaners may have bought it and used it without the Pre-Motor filter and with the clogged up Exhaust Filter, which would mean dirt would have gotten into the motor, and it would have overheated due to the clogged Exhaust Filter.

Thank goodness it went to somebody who knew how to get it running well again!

The only problem with it is that the cable rewind doesn't work. It pulls the cord in about 3 inches, then stops. I've tried pulling it out and rewinding it numerous times but it only goes in 3 inches. Oh well - I don't care! It is a brilliant cleaner which more than makes up for it.

 

[sebo_fan]

The cable might just be stiff, spray some furniture polish into as far as it will go and then press the rewind pedal. Then pull out as hard as you can. The furniture polish acts as a lubricant - far less slippery than WD40 or 3 in 1 oil. Then when you get all of the cord out, give the whole cord a decent clean with a duster and furniture spray.

 

[sebo_fan]

Also I totally forgot - Electrolux's last model of this variant was called Electrolux Mega Power ZCE2000
It was sold as far back as 2005. That model has a 4 litre capacity but Electrolux had a knack for building medium to small dust capacity areas, so there's a reason to why my Microlite bag capacity was small - the bin cavity was smaller to accept the bag but often didn't fill it up completely!

View attachment sebo_fan++2-4-2012-10-15-2.jpg

 

[jmurray01]

I tried spraying furniture polish on the flex, but that didn't work. It still just comes out 3 inches and goes back in 3 inches when the pedal is pressed.

It isn't stuck half way out or anything, it is fully out, but just won't go back in.

Thank you for the extra information.

Do you know when the Tango was made ?

 

[sebo_fan]

I can't think off hand - I think 1998 or even 2003.

 

[jmurray01]

So between 1998 and 2003 roughly ?

 

[danemodsandy]

That Logo:

Brings up one of my pet peeves with today's designers and manufacturers:

It seems to me that the brand name and manufacturer's info should be a PERMANENT part of an appliance. Today's penchant for cutting costs with cheaply silk-screened logos and other info means that stuff important to both consumer and manufacturer can get rubbed off. If a model number is lost this way, it might mean that an appliance being recalled can't be correctly identified by a consumer who could then be endangered by it. Markings necessary to the correct operation of an appliance can be lost this way, too.

And if an appliance gives good service, why the heck wouldn't a manufacturer want his name still on it, to remind the consumer of what brand to replace it with?

Is a puzzlement!

 

[jmurray01]

So Vacuum Cleaners shouldn't have the brand name and wattage printed on them ?

That's like buying a BMW without any badges to say what brand it is!

I know what you mean about the logos rubbing off tough, as that has happened with my Electrolux Tango and is starting to happen to my JMB SC1056.

The model number and wattage is on the ID sticker though, so even if the logos came off the sticker would still display the information needed for repairs.

 

[danemodsandy]

Jamie:

What I mean to say is that logos and other info on an appliance should be permanently molded (moulded) into the appliance, so that they cannot POSSIBLY be worn away. That sort of information should be legible for the life of the appliance, as it is on every vintage item I own.

People had common sense once. No more.