Going from Bad to Worse

[dysonman1]

I was recently inspired to make a display of vacuums that are considered by some to be 'abominations', or "monstrosities" (to quote my friend Hans).

All the machines in the display are either extraordinarily huge and unwieldy, or they broke when you looked at them.

 

[dysonman1]

the Thermax

First up is the Thermax AF. Like pulling a coffee table behind you, the Thermax AF is one of my first choices for the title "monstrosity". If you pull it fast, water sloshes into the motor and then onto the floor. You cannot pick it up with water in it to clean the stairs, the water will blow out the bottom. It has mediocre suction and filtration, it's a pain to use and clean with, and a hassle to empty. Terrible idea and poor execution. Weighs a TON.

 

[dysonman1]

the Regina Housekeeper 2000

The Regina (to me) qualifies as an abomination in the fact they ALL broke in use. The plastic was extremely flimsy, it used an Electrikbroom motor, had low suction and almost no cleaning ability. Terrible design that was extremely 'not well thought out'. This is probably the only one in existence that isn't broken, mostly because it was never ever used.

 

[dysonman1]

the Hoover Z

This machine takes the crown when speaking of Monstrosities and Behemoths. Weighs a TON, has low suction, and an absolutely horrible filtration design. Very poorly executed machine.

 

[dysonman1]

the Electrolux upright

The Electrolux Heavy Duty upright is a very large, heavy, and unwieldy vacuum to use. They clog with dirt so easily, they included a plastic stick that the user had to ram up the cleaning duct to unclog it. And they didn't clean very well at all (especially compared to the tank cleaners available at the same time). It might be will built, but it weighs a ton and is anything but easy to use.

 

[dysonman1]

the Lady Kenmore KenKart

The Lady Kenmore is a very heavy and hard to use machine. It might be pink, but that's about the only thing going for it. It's very difficult to pull around, it's very hard to get it up the stairs, and the suction isn't 'all that'. This didn't stay around for very long, for a reason.

 

[dysonman1]

the Bison

Like a real bison, the Bison vacuum is a huge machine that's difficult to clean with as well as being extremely loud. The Bison has some fatal flaws to its design, and there are not a lot of them in working condition today, because most all of them broke. The cleaning head drive mechanism was the Achilles heel, wobbling out and making the machine unusable.

 

[vacuumlad1650]

That poor Electrolux! Those uprights were really good unless you clogged them
Andy

 

[KirbyCollector01]

I saw one of those Hoover Zs at a thrift store a few years ago. It sold pretty quickly.
I would still love to have a bison regardless the issues.

 

[eurekaprince]

Was the Regina Housekeeper the first upright vacuum with a "quick-draw" "ready-to-use" attachment hose on board? If yes, then the designers deserve credit for introducing a nifty feature that was copied by others later (Panasonic, Kenmore, etc). Though the product was poorly made.

 

[vacerator]

aren't all

Kirby's heavy?

 

[electrolux137]

~
~


How about the one that was built into a wooden cabinet that looked like a night table, and the one built into a circular hassock?! And the Electrolux CA "Housekeeper's Cart"??!


 


Oh, and what about the Haley's Comet?!

 

[tolivac]

Thermax--used to have two of these-came from a Kirby guys trade in pile-honestly-these things had no more suction than you inhaling.These machines really aren't vacuum cleaners-but upholstery cleaning machines.The Hoover Z was like trying to push a wheelbarrow full of bricks.You needed a "Cat" to push it-and a crane to lift it.Those 'Lux uprights-the two I spotted were at yard sales-the machines were broken-half of the parts in boxes-and weird-these were at church yard sales.Haven't had experiences with a Bison-just want one,though.My StepMom had a Kenmore canister that kinda looked like a wheelbarrow-actually liked the machine-she said it was purchased in 1958.Was lost in the Rapid City flood.If you don't have to lug the thing up or down stairs-its fine.and ALL of the tools were on board.This would be another good machine to use a "Volt" with!Wished I had one of those KN machines-yes,they were big and clumsy-in a sort of neat way.In the space hers had-you could have a Volt nozzle ride along!

 

[blackheart]

Thermax

I had an AF1 for a while. I was really disappointed with it's airflow i think the motor was rated for like 90 cfm, and it could pull a 9/10 at the motor port on the baird meter, but when you added the water chamber and the hose it would struggle to pull a .5/10. I thought it was a interesting design but it just wasn't all that functional.

 

[fantomfan]

Here are a few more modern ones.

The Fantom Wildcat, the Fantom Crosswinds, the Hoover Windtunnel 2 with the troublesome "rotating" filter, the Hoover Savvy with the double brushrolls, the Eureka Bravo, the Dirt Devil Upright with the "C" bag, the Bissell Powerforces with the hopelessly clogging filters, the Eureka Airspeed One with the flat foam filter? Not all of these machines are necessarily "bad" but their reputations have come into question many times on this site.

 

[singerman]

I'm surprised that you didn't put a T-Series machine in their. They are Junk!

 

[durango159]

I didn't realize that the Thermax made that list!! Wow- even worse than an Oreck upright or Garry Vac!! I thought the design of the Thermax vacs looked cool cause they could vacuum and shampoo. What caught my eye on them is that the power nozzles are a revision of a Hoover PowerMax and Futura series nozzle. I have never seen one outside of the internet though so I have no clue what they actually look like nor the weight or construction!!!

The Hoover Z I always thought looked wierd but I never tried one.

The Electrolux upright I used to have. I got one at a yard sale for cheap and was excited because it looked unusual and would have been my first Electrolux.

Well-----first off I'll say that even after cleanup it still was one of the ugliest and bulkiest vacuums I'd ever seen. I have pictures on my computer saved it as the Ugly Duckling and that is my nickname for it!! In addition to that it is super heavy with lousy agitation and lousy airflow. I found a vacuum collector to trade it to and he liked it and that's all that mattered. Everyone has a taste for something different.


I still think the Oreck is an awful machine and fits that list of yours!!!! I have allergy attacks to every upright of theirs I have ever tried.

 

[panasonicvac]

I was expecting a Scamway Cleartrak to be in the photos because I knew you didn't like those machines. I'm surprised that they are still being made as the "Workhorse"

 

[kirbyvertibles]

I have one of each of the vacs pictured and though I agree not the best performers, they sure are interesting conversation pieces. I do enjoy my Thermax the most out of all these.

Tom what about the Rotho TT lol theres another monstrosity. I don't know anyone who has one of these. Ive never tried one before.