Concept 1 vs. Dial-A-Matic
I know there are people out there who are passionate about the Concept 1 & 2, but IMHO more Concept 1's have survived for the simple fact that they are newer than the DAM, and probably more parts are still available. I'd never fault its rug cleaning ability, but truth be told in terms of tool suction, ease of conversion, noise level and filtration the Dial-A-Matic gets the blue ribbon. Hoover actually advertised that the Dial-A-Matic 1100 could suck up bobby pins with no ill effects. Idk, but somehow the plastic base of the Concept line just made it seem alot more chintzy. When initally released, it was definitely a case of three steps forward, two steps back for Hoover. Just my two cents....