vac_whisperer
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Looking for info on fantoms. Help?
VW
VW
<front color= red> Fanom?
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vac_whisperer
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Wait! Sorry! I made a typo-The title is supposed to say "fantom"
electroluxxxx
New member
Hello
what kind of info are you looking for ? maybe I can help
what kind of info are you looking for ? maybe I can help
vac_whisperer
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Im looking for info like what their history was, what ever happened to them, etc.
VW
VW
electroluxxxx
New member
I dont know the whole history but I do know that they went bankrupt in 2001 and closed down. from what I understand.
im my opinion they were good machines, but also kinda pricey for the time, and seeing that bagless machines were popping up all over for cheaper prices I guess it really damaged fantom. now the fantoms you see are made by euro pro and they are GARBAGE!!! I had a few and tossed them immediately
im my opinion they were good machines, but also kinda pricey for the time, and seeing that bagless machines were popping up all over for cheaper prices I guess it really damaged fantom. now the fantoms you see are made by euro pro and they are GARBAGE!!! I had a few and tossed them immediately
The original Fantoms WERE good machines. They were made in Canada, and while a little pricey, still cost less than the Amway ClearTrak, which was the only other cyclonic bagless available at the time. I have two Fantom Thunders and a Lightning. I also have a Westinghouse Wired which looks just like a blue Fantom Cyclone XT. I guess Fantom sold the molds after they went out of business? Original Fantom Thunders were 11 amps, later models got a 12 amp motor, and had a separate HEPA filter on the side of the cyclone. After the company folded, the filter was still available through another company. IMHO, the Canadian Fantoms were more durable than the Dyson.
- Karl
- Karl
aeoliandave
Well-known member
The Fantom name lives on in PRC podvacs from Euro-Pro, available at Zellers in Canada.
aeoliandave
Well-known member
"The original Fantoms WERE good machines"
I agree Karl. The fact that they continue to show up at thrift stores and even used & refurbished in vacuum shops up here is a testament to their sturdy build quality. That's where my Fantastic Fantom Four came from.
L-R early and late Furys, Cyclone XT and the Westinghouse Wired. I'd like to add the PN-equipped Fantom Canister that straddles stair treads but I never seem to be in the right place at the right time so far.
IIRC, James Dyson licensed his bagless cyclone technology to the IONA Appliance Corporation in Wellend Ontario Canada and they created the FANTOM Technologies Division to manufacture the vacuums in Canada. I'm not sure the business relationship went all that well but IONA retained the design and Fantom brand, while Dyson began the process of improving, manufacturing and selling his technology under his own name. I think there's mention of this early history in James Dyson's book Against the Odds: An Autobiography.
Besides Jack Copp, I'm sure there are other Dyson aficionados that can tell us the full story in greater detail.
Dave
I agree Karl. The fact that they continue to show up at thrift stores and even used & refurbished in vacuum shops up here is a testament to their sturdy build quality. That's where my Fantastic Fantom Four came from.
L-R early and late Furys, Cyclone XT and the Westinghouse Wired. I'd like to add the PN-equipped Fantom Canister that straddles stair treads but I never seem to be in the right place at the right time so far.
IIRC, James Dyson licensed his bagless cyclone technology to the IONA Appliance Corporation in Wellend Ontario Canada and they created the FANTOM Technologies Division to manufacture the vacuums in Canada. I'm not sure the business relationship went all that well but IONA retained the design and Fantom brand, while Dyson began the process of improving, manufacturing and selling his technology under his own name. I think there's mention of this early history in James Dyson's book Against the Odds: An Autobiography.
Besides Jack Copp, I'm sure there are other Dyson aficionados that can tell us the full story in greater detail.
Dave
I find Fantoms in Goodwills quite often in bad shape. I've seen about three with broken handles. If not that they are seriously dusty.
One weird thing I heard about Fantoms is that one model, I think the Thunder, has a motor that takes time to 'break in', like shoes. I've never experienced one of these vacuums so I can't say anything on that.
One weird thing I heard about Fantoms is that one model, I think the Thunder, has a motor that takes time to 'break in', like shoes. I've never experienced one of these vacuums so I can't say anything on that.
