Filter Queen Optima

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Health-Mor introduced the Optima to keep from losing Filter Queen sales to vacuum shops selling Princess models (Princess II and Princess III). Many vacuum shops would 'piggy-back' off Filter Queen sales efforts in their communities. Because the Princess sold for almost $2000 less than the Filter Queen, it wasn't hard to sell them to people who had witnessed (and in many times, purchased) a Filter Queen.

The first Optima had a cage over the motor that extended almost all the way into the dirt container, which had no gasket (unlike FQ) on top. The bag was weird looking, almost square if you will. It was squished down so most of it couldn't really fill. They next brought out a design where the bag was U shaped, but it could only fill half way as the entrance to the bag was tangential. A simple change to the inlet could have solved that problem, but No. That would have been too easy.

The Optima commercial was another version of this machine.

There were three different attachment sets that were used (one was optional). In their efforts to make the Optima a different cleaner than the Filter Queen they eventually adopted the use of fit-all attachments and 1 1/4-inch standard hose end.

I sold so many Princess cleaners I won an award from Health-Mor. When the Optima was launched, our representative came to my store They were so excited about the bag being so much cleaner to empty. I said "Well, you've invented a Lewyt". I sold about 100 Optima cleaners and wound-up regretting about 1/3 of those sales. The bag system never worked right in the Optima.

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ha!

Thanks for sharing Tom. While I had heard they did a poor job designing a bagged system I was never really sure why. It seems so simple and yet they managed to screw it up. Too bad too I like the idea of a bagged filter queen. Although I have bagged tub style units like the Lindhaus HF6, Henry, And a Nilfisk they don't feel quite the same.
 
Blackheart

They actually made a 'bag' Filter Queen. It was called the "Seal-Guard filter cone system". Actually a plastic trash bag bonded onto a filter cone, Health Mor sold them three in a pack.
 
The emerald princess was made specifically for the Henry company in Indiana. It wasn't sold in any other vacuum shops. It did in fact use a filter cone, it was not an Optima.
 

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