hard case or soft bag, which do you prefer?

[vacuumfreeeke]

I don't remember this being discussed here, at least recently. just wondering if you prefer hard case vacuums, or soft bagged uprights. I guess hard case uprights became popular due to the clean air system, which apparently can't be accomplished with a soft bag. Though there are fan first vacuums that have hard cases (Hoover Elites/Eureka Bravos come to mind). Part of the fun for me is seeing a buoyant ballooning bag bounce and inflate as I use the cleaner.... I also like that the dirt level is clearly visible in my soft bodied machines. I like being able to look at a vacuum and tell that it is running, it kind of gives it more personality. It seems sad that most manufactures have almost abandoned making soft bagged uprights. The only thing I like better about the hard case is that it's not likely to tear like a soft bagged machine. Kind of weird that while I prefer soft bags, my favorite machines are plastic hard bodied machines with on board tools (WindTunnel, Smart Vac, Dyson).

So, which do you prefer? And, do you prefer the bag in the back or the front (I like both equally)?

 

[bagintheback]

Great Question!

I have always enjoyed soft-cover vacuums MUCH better than hard-covers. It gives the vacuums more personalty. BUT, some soft-cover bag shapes I don't like. shake-out Sanitaire bags I don't like. I like a square look of F&G bags much better. I also don't enjoy the non-deluxe Elite bags, but I love the deluxe top-fill bag. The Oreck also doesn't have that feel too. Anyway, before I bore you, I like the bags in the back better. But I only like F&G like bags. The C bags are too small and A bags I can see the fill tube, and it doesn't seem complete.

I'm getting too in to this! But yes, I enjoy soft cover bags better, and I prefer them in the back, although I do love them in the front too.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I'm partial to a soft bag

Love to see a HOOVER bag inflate. I can tolerate a Dial-A-Matic. But, If I had to choose ONE.....soft bag in the back is for me.

 

[tolivac]

I like soft bags too-the inflation and easy way to tell if they are full.If you like ballooning bags--how bout an NSS M1!And something interesting about these cleaners-the machine gets QUIETER as that big bag fills!

 

[ohio_tuec]

I too prefer the soft bag. As a child growing up we had a Hoover Dial-A-Matic 1149 and a Kirby 560. I used to love watching the huge gold bag inflate (I know, it was a replacement) on the Kirby. And definitely the bag in the back. One of the first Orecks I ever saw was in 1986 when we moved into my old house. It was in a friend's basement. My first reaction was what an odd looking machine? Almost 25 years later, due to every other manufacturer playing "copycat" most soft-bag uprights have the bag in the front.

 

[midcenturymike]

My vote goes to soft bag models!

I love the classic look of a Kirby, Royal, or similar metal upright with a big, playful, sausage-like bag flopping around, connected by a ball chain.

As far as Hoover is concerned, I prefer 'C' bags to 'A' bags, especially when cased in that lovely satin-ish fabric of the early 50's; I too find that look of an 'A' bag fill tube protruding through the vinyl to be unpleasant. I grew up with a Dial-A-Matic, and find the appearance rather cold and unfriendly as apposed to that of a Convertible.

Michael

 

[sanimatic]

Soft !

I'm told that as a baby, it was the sight of the bag inflating on our model 68 Convertible that was the stimulus of my life long fascination with upright vacuums. Shortly after, I was exposed to my aunt's Kirby 516 and though I was terrified of the motor's sound, I could not take my eyes off the back inflating, bouncing around while in use and then deflating. My favorite modern vac is Kirby Diamond, which doesn't come close to the dramatic inflation of the old models. And I wish it wasn't side mounted in place, but it is still one of the best examples of soft bags that we have today.

 

[kloveland]

Soft Case all the way for me

 

[eurekaprince]

There are pros and cons to both...

Soft bag models are lighter to push around, but....

Hard case models are quieter because they can contain the noise better.

It appears the excellent soft-bag Hoover Platinum lightweight bagged upright seems to have a relatively low noise level because the bag has some kind of sound-proofing in it! I guess TTI is doing some smart things...

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Don't praise TTI too much!

One little "insulation" can never undo all of the other crimes they committed.

 

[scvacuumguy]

TTI isn't all that bad

Their newest machines are quite easy to repair, they may not be designed to last forever, but they are very easy to access repairs. I'm a Hoover/Royal dealer and warranty station and actually enjoy working on them.