Electrolux vacuums to become extinct?

[completenutt]

Omg, EurekaLux... that's so funny!  First time I've heard it!  Well, now that they're out of the picture, will Sanitaire build a higher-grade materials product?  Hope so!  And I totally get how the original Electrolux's were so addictive, I just watched the attached video of a Model 30, I saw you have one in the pic (btw, I love the two old GE vacs on the top shelf behind you in that pic... quite a pair!) being disassembled and inspected.  Absolutely stunning art deco design and built to last forever apparently!   What a well thought out machine for that time!  I can imagine the difference in owning one at the time and absolutely having a superior and more powerful machine to use compared to your neighbors.  Probably was a status symbol.  Fantastic.


 


Attached are my current collection of contemporary vacs.  Small and limited, but I love 'em all for different reasons.  That's a second UltraFlex in the box that I'm giving to my friend as an Xmas gift next year.  I can't even tell you what she's using now.. it's horrifying!  All my friends, after they've given me the customary amount of sh_t for being a vacuum collector, actually then are very supportive and seem interested in hearing a little about why I like them.. so she's my bestest, so she get's what I like the most at this moment.


 


In the rear, under all the tools under the Coach bag, is a brand new, never opened, factory sealed Hoover Z700.  I know it was a dud success wise, but I still think if it had maintained suction longer, had stronger suction, and had filtered better and was about 10 Pounds lighter, it could have been a big hit.  I'm saving it for the day when someone who just needs one to complete their collection, per se, contacts me to buy it.  I'm sure it's one of the last factory sealed ones anywhere in the world.. I mean, what other nutt would hold on to a random thing like that!

  I saw an ad for Dial a Matics that were originally touted as the first convertible vac.  They were so cute!  Looked from the rear view like they had a little tummy with a bellybutton that you attached the hose to, with the suction dial above it.  I doubt any more "convertible" vacs will ever be developed.


 


 


My newest purchase is the Hoover Air Revolve.  It came with 6 attachments including the power nozzle (no headlights, though.  That's a "cheaped out" pet-peeve of mine).  I couldn't believe it, no other non-specialty vacuum has ever included that many out of the box that I've ever opened before.  Not the best quality at all, but handy when needed.


 


Tomorrow my new in-box UltraCaptic arrives..  Same model that you have, Tom.  I'll probably keep that one pristine for a while and use the UltraFlex when I feel like it.  I'm moving the unused UltraFlex and UltraCaptic machines as floor art pieces on either side of my tv, and before the speakers, so they'll be on display, as well, in full view as variations on a theme.


 


After tomorrow's arrival, I'll be on Vac. purchasing hiatus for a while (space and budget), but one day, I'd like to get a Connie,  and also the Model 30 that reminds me so much of the Art Deco trains I was fascinated by in magazines as a kid.

[this post was last edited: 4/26/2018-17:16]

http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzbUGdW-rcM

 

[vacerator]

I don't think Aerus is going away. They have zero ties with E-lux AB. Anything made by Electrolux AB is Chinese junk.

 

[cheesewonton]

Mike, thanks for the very interesting detailed history on the brand. I am impressed by another enthusiast's knowledge!

I knew some of what you layed out, but learned some new things as well... I actually looked up and found a video (attached) of the Cyclone Power! So cool, but still using the in-line configuration, that is still used by Aerus today, which, albeit classic, hasn't advanced the industry with any new direction or evolvement of what we can now manufacture with advanced knowledge of motor technology and air flow, better machine weight distribution, and maneuverability.

It appears that when Aerus, who apparently was originally formed solely as the distribution company for Electrolux, divested the Electrolux name, but not the original streamlined architecture of the wonderful early models, it seems they never until this day thought to expand and be creative to compete with other popular brands like Dyson, who really reimagined and tested other configuration's efficacy, i.e. DC39 et al, and were able to capture a large market share by doing so.

I remember studying some tenants of Architecture, namely "form follows function", which seems common sense and, what Aerus has still adhered to, is clearly still used today. This configuration, although recently re-imagined by Dyson in the new V10.

I do understand the dilution of the original contributions given by the original Electrolux, and really think that the later models, like the Ultra Active, Ultra One, etc. have advanced using updated design styles while hopefully adhering to the purpose of a vacuum which is performance in all regards. I really think they added to that conversation, wherein Aerus has not contributed. For example, it appears that the first separated cyclone and dustbin were in the UltraFlex and UltraCaptic.. this seems to be copied currently by Miele in the Blizzard, and Hoover in the Air Pro Canister. What I deduce, is that aside from advancement the "new" Electrolux namesake made in appearance, albeit cheaper construction, they still advanced to the point of being imitated in what are still current alternate configuration releases by other companies.

Surely, that is not a good riddance scenario!

http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlMDHf1eF2o

I don't think you know the story of how the US side of Electrolux came to be a wholly American owned company with no ties to the original Swedish parent. Electrolux AB of Sweden was formed in 1919 by the merger of Lux AB and Electromechanska AB. Electrolux AB set up a wholly owned subsidiary in the US in 1924 called Electrolux USA to sell vacuums in the US and Canada. Circa 1930-ish a ship with a year's supply of vacuums for North America sank on its way to the US forcing Electrolux AB to find a place to produce vacuums for the US and Canadian markets. They ended up with a factory in Mississagua Canada and one in Greenwich Connecticut.

By 1939 the Electrolux USA was making a vacuum that was completely different from what Electrolux AB was selling in Europe. That same year Electrolux AB began selling shares in Electrolux USA. By 1959 Consolidated Grocers had become the majority shareholder in Electrolux USA and in 1969 Electrolux AB divested the rest of their ownership shares in Electrolux USA to Consolidated Grocers. From that point on the US/Canadian and Swedish companies bearing the name Electrolux were two separate companies under different owners selling different products. Electrolux AB by then was making the full line of household appliances ( stoves, refrigerators, washers, driers, small kitchen appliances, you name it ). Electrolux USA was only making vacuum cleaners.

Over time Consolidated Grocers became Sarah Lee Foods and had neglected Electrolux USA, which went bankrupt. But Electrolux AB was busy buying up Frigidaire, Tappan, Gibson, Eureka and they split Sanitaire off from Eureka as a stand alone company. When Electrolux USA was put up for sale at a bankruptcy auction it was bought by Engels Urso Capital Corp. Two years prior they had bought Interstate Engineering from Figgie International when that company imploded ( old man Figgie was a piece of work, read up about him some time ). The new company was called Electrolux LLC. Interstate was still a separate company but owned by the same holding company.

So now Engels Urso Capital Corp led by Joe Urso owned a couple of vacuum cleaner companies. He spent a pile of money redoing Tristar vacuums with a whole new body using Electrolux USA style wands and power nozzle. To raise capital he negotiated with Electrolux AB of Sweden for them to buy the rights to the Electrolux name. The deal closed in 2003 after which Electrolux LLC became Aerus LLC. At some point Interstate Engineering died off and became part of Aerus. Aerus was still making the Classic and Legacy in the US, along with the big Heavy Duty upright and those revamped Tristars. I want to say around 2011 or 2012 Aerus started to bring over the Lux Intelligence but equipped with classic Electroux style hose, wands and power nozzle, calling this the Guardian Platinum.

Aerus was also fooling around with home air purifiers and a detergentless cold water system for washing clothes. When the Covid pandemic hit there was suddenly a surge in demand for air purifiers and Aerus moved into that business in a big way. Now it is their bread and butter and why they changed their name to ActivePure LLC after the name of their proprietary air filtration technology. Aerus ceased production of Tristar vacuums and moved production of the Heavy Duty upright ( along with its Pro Team twin ) to China. They also opened an additional production facility in Greenville.

After Electrolux AB bought the rights to their old name back they started to sell some of their European and Chinese made vacuums in the US including models that were previously sold as Eureka models with Electrolux branding, which confused most consumers who knew nothing of their respective corporate histories and various name changes along the way. For reasons I don't understand Electrolux AB made a decision to exit the North American vacuum market ( much as Panasonic did ) and in 2018 sold Eureka to the Midea Group. A year later they sold Sanitaire to Bissell.

One other note, around 2008-2009 ish Electrolux AB decided to sell their direct sales subsidiary Lux International. The Asia Pacific side was sold to Vorwerk of Germany who continued to sell Swedish made Lux D820s for a time before they started to sell Vorwerk Kobold vacuums with Lux branding across the Asia Pacific region.

In Europe Lux International was bought by some Swiss investors but they promptly went bankrupt and sold out to Eureka Forbes of India around 2011. Around this time Electrolux AB of Sweden ceased making vacuums for Lux International and Eureka Forbes had to come up with a premium vacuum to sell. The result was the Lux Intelligence, which is made for them by a Slovenian company called Kolektor. Kolektor makes the Guardian Platinum for Aerus too. What I don't know is who designed the Intelligence. Was it also an Electrolux AB design? Is it a Eureka Forbes design? Or did someone else design it? I have seen some really early versions sold in the EU as the "Lux D920". Don't know if they were made by Electrolux AB or by Kolektor. A mystery for me to solve some day. But by the time Aerus was selling the Guardian Platinum in the US, Electrolux AB was long out of the picture.

 

[cheesewonton]

Sanitaire was sold to Bissell in 2019. The local vac shop owner is a friend and he tells me the Sanitaire people were so incensed that they destroyed all of their records and refused to even talk to anyone from Bissell. Bissell staff had to resort to browsing the internet and phone books to figure out who was selling Sanitair products then contact these sellers to find out what the terms of their contracts were and how much if anything they owed. We laughed about it but it was a real headache for the people at Bissell, and a real insult for the people at Sanitaire to be sold off to Bissell.

 

[cheesewonton]

@ Brian, Awesome! Good sleuthing! That "it follows you" thing has me curious.. does it have sensors to avoid furniture? Does it follow the handle with the user by bluetooth... I'm dying to know. Literally, I think I'm flying to Scandinavia. Just the fact they spend money on developing that ahead of everyone else. So fun.

As I posted the vintage and modern Electrolux ads, I noticed they both had really similar, almost exact detail. Both women as portrayed as they are "seen" in that time, both with one foot behind the cleaner, both with the hose in the same hand and swirling in front of the leg, the cleaner positioned as it is in each ad, with the supporting character up and to the right rear.... really too coincidental.

So, I wonder if they have indeed followed a "maintain higher quality product image" path and had maintained a dedicated Electrolux division with heads who were familiar with the original designs and concepts, etc. that worked within Eureka but mandated additional things to Eureka, perhaps all the motors were similar or something else that saved money, but they may have given more R&D funds to "what it takes to please the average upscale family" which still could be higher expectations of appearance and genuinely making cleaning easier ergonomics, or the engineering division to create more interesting and quieter shells, had superior filtration.. whatever... and that resulted in the UltraOne, etc., which was clearly touting better design and performance, I didn't even remember to mention the "brushroll clean", seemingly gimmicky thing before, but it does thoughtfully solve a previously unaddressed and annoying problem that other companies don't utilize, but actually needed a solution in order to more keep the intake area unobstructed to attain the best cleaning result each time... it was kind of a game changer, I thought.

It really reminds me of how the original machines brought a better experience to the customer at that time, and I really see continuity in that regard.[this post was last edited: 4/26/2018-02:34]

Many if not most 1990s and 2000s Eureka canister models and most Sanitaire canister models were not much more than 120 volt rebrands of vacuums sold in Europe by Electrolux Group subsidiaries like Volta, Progress, AEG or even Electrolux itself often with an electric hose and a made in Mexico or China Eureka power nozzle. The Eureka Excalibur Mega was based on the Volta Mega. The Eureka S6982/83/84 "Europa"/ "Home Cleaning System " is the same basic vacuum as the Progress P49 and the Volta Gemini U2800 series minus the "Steptronic" feature. The Sanitaire S490A is a rebrand of the Electrolux Z457 with a big honking two stage Ametek motor. The Sanitaire SP6950/51/52 is the same vacuum as the AEG P3 System Pro. One of the Eureka Europa models ( S6997 I think ) is the same as the Electrolux Excellio. That green GE branded vacuum sold in Walmart, also sold as the Eureka HP ( made at the Eureka plant in Juarez Mexico ) is a US market version of the Electrolux Mondo / Volta Elyps.