Hello UK Members! I need your help, please.

[tazcatsdad]

<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">I am doing some research now on one of the machines in my collection so that I can make a video about it, and no matter where I look I cannot find much of anything useful.</span>


 


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">The machine in question is a Hitachi CV-785DC "PowerHouse Exclusive" upright.  I'm looking to know what time frame this machine was made in and who or what it was "exclusive" to.  Any information available would be greatly appreciated!</span>


 


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">Bill W.</span>

 

[twocvbloke]

Dunno about the age and whatnot, but usually "Exclusive" models of any brand were either made for a specific store or a catalogue, or they were just taking the last of a model and making it seem "new" by naming it as though it was a special item...

 

[vacbear58]

Powerhouse

Bill,

It would have been a special (or not all that special as 2CV indicates) for a chain of stores called "Powerhouse". You have maybe seen references from UK members of the electricity board showrooms (electricity boards being regional, although publically owned, electricity supply companies) where you would set up accounts, pay bills and could buy appliances. I believe that the Powerhouse chain was derived from this showroom network once the supply companies were privatised (which means basically inducing people to buy what they already owned) and, with direct bank payments, the need for somewhere to go and pay the bill dramatically declined. However, my recollection is that they were not particulalrly competitavly priced and they did not last very long - I would estimate they operated between 1995 & 2005.

Al

 

[tazcatsdad]

Thank you!

<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">Al,</span>


 


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">That's exactly the information I was looking for.  I wasn't aware of the Powerhouse firm, personally -- I only knew of Currys, Dixons, and Comet from previous research so I had no idea that they even existed -- so I thought that the "powerhouse" name on the machine was Hitachi's name for the range, just like "Senior" and "Turbopower" were names of Hoover ranges.</span>


 


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">And, you were close -- very close, might I say -- on the timeline!  After reading your reply I looked up Powerhouse on Wikipedia: they say that the company was formed in 1992 and finally entered receivership (or what we'd call bankruptcy) in 2006.  I had figured the machine to be a '90s model, and judging by this information I see that my estimate wouldn't have been that far off.</span>


 


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">BTW, 2CV thanks for your two cents' worth as well: I don't know if it still goes on today but a lot of manufacturers here in the USA did the same thing with their product lines, so the exclusivity concept is very familiar.  A fine example is some of the wonderful models of the "Convertible" (aka the "Senior") that Hoover US made for the retailer "K-Mart".</span>


 


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">So thanks again to both of you ... it's great to belong to such a well-informed and helpful group of people!</span>


 


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">Bill W.</span>

 

[chestermikeuk]

Hitachi Powerhouse

I didnt think it was a special line, more of a generic name for the brand, I`ve seen them in a number of stores here, mainly independants and Argos, not bad vacs but none of the later ones hade the edge over the CV50D - the first Hitachi upright in the UK, the build quality was superb!!

 

[twocvbloke]

I just took a looksee at that website in the link to those bags, and that website is horrifically expensive!!! A pack of 5 genuine Electrolux E74 bags for £19.99 when they're £9.22 direct from Electrolux's webshop??? They're a right ripoff!!! :S



See for yourself:



I know where I shall NOT be going for those bags (if I needed any, got plenty spare now), that's for sure, twice the money for the same product, that's just wrong.... :&#92



Electrolux's webshop page for the F&G/E74 bags for comparison:





http://shop.electrolux.co.uk/node544.aspx?wscid=21&wssubcid=30&wspartno=9001952002

 

[turbo500]

Hitachi were branded "Powerhouse" from the late 80's right through to the early 2000's as far as I'm aware. Those Powerhouse uprights with attachable tools were very popular in the early 90's, but you don't see so many of them around anymore. Bill, would you be able to post a picture?

 

[turbo500]

Having done some digging, the CV700 series were the later Hitachi uprights - I believe the first by Hitachi with on-board tools. Launched somewhere around 95/96 and ran well into the early 2000's. That's all I've got so far, but I'll keep looking. There were hundreds of "Powerhouse" machines in that style though, so it might take me a bit lol

 

[rolls_rapide]

I had a Hitachi upright in the early 1990s, tools were separate but included. Pale grey with blue trim.

The build quality was light, but rubbish. ABS plastic wasn't used, instead it seemed to be polystyrene. The type of plastic that is used to line fridge interiors and photocopier housings. Lightweight but very flimsy.

 

[tazcatsdad]

To Turbo500 ...

<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">I'm attempting to upload some pictures right now but my computer's not cooperating! I'll keep trying, though. Thanks for the information, though -- anything you find will be truly appreciated! </span>

<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Bill W.</span>

 

[tazcatsdad]

Got it!

<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">FINALLY ... I was able to get some pictures to load!  Here they are, one at a time.</span>

 

[tazcatsdad]

Picture #2

<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Nozzle Head and bottom of bag compartment door
</span>

 

[tazcatsdad]

Picture #3

<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Part of the bag compartment door</span>

 

[tazcatsdad]

Picture #4

<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">Information sticker on the back of the machine</span>

 

[tazcatsdad]

BTW ...

<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;">... if anyone has access to a manual for this machine, might I obtain a copy?  Thanks!</span>

 

[turbo500]

Yep, as I suspected, that's an early 2000's TOL model. Very popular at the time, but not so common now.