Hoover Insight

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The MSRP of these machines is practically identical to the machines that inspired its creation, the Sebo manufactured Windsor Sensor.


 


I have noticed that some retailers have begun discounting these rather heavily, so I don't know if that's a good sign. However, I am interested to hear a review from someone who has one...
 
I KNOW THE ENGINEERS AND THE VP THAT CREATED THE INSIGHT WHICH IS AN EXCELLENT UPRIGHT.....THEIR IS NOTHING ILLEGAL IN ITS DESIGN OR CREATION AND NOW HOOVER CAN COMPETE WITH THIS TYPE OF UPRIGHT.....I USE MY UPRIGHT EVERY DAY IN THE SHOWROOM AND OFFICES AND ITS AWESOME .....I SELL THIS UNIT TO VARIUS CUSTOMERS REPLACING SEBO WITH NO ISSUES AND MY CUSTOMERS ARE THRILLED WITH THE VAC......AS A HOOVER COMMERCIAL PRODUCT DISTRIBUTOR INSIGHT SALES ARE SOLID AND GROWING AND HOOVER IS MAKING INROADS IN THIS GENRE....
 
That may well be but the buttons and the design ARE THE SAME as SEBO's X1. Therefore it is a clear infringement. Hoover should know better - they have dealt with SEBO before where some of their commercial vacuums are concerned. The Insight is not part of that deal.
 
speculation and generalizations are not fact......i was there for its creation and Hoover simply did what the industry and the comercial consumer was asking for and did a marvelous job.....hoover always gives their consumer what it wants....as does sebo....so get over it.....
 
didn't TTI-Hoover get into trouble with Dyson when Hoover made a close copy of the Dyson cyclonic filtration system?Beleive this happened a few years ago-Hoover had to withdraw their version from the market to avoid a lawsuit from Dyson.So guess that Hoover model would be of interest to collectors now.The Hoover Insight is sure a close "representation" of the Sebo.Does sound like an interesting machine to try.
 
That was the Hoover Vortex. Yes, it was taken off sale about 1999. I don't think it was a popular seller anyway though. I have often wondered what happened to the cleaners which they were not allowed to sell.
 
"...Hoover simply did what the industry and the comercia

Well there's no speculation - it's general fact! SEBO already have had a look at an Insight and they're not happy. Infact as far as I'm aware, there will be court action, probably small enough for Hoover to retract the machine. It's not just the buttons, but the whole body style is like an X1/Sensor update. 


 


Yes, VR, the Hoover company seem to be one of those companies who are forever in dispute with someone else. Miele took Hoover to court over some suction claim a few years back. Hoover also got into trouble with Vax in the early 1990s/1980s with the Vax wash head patent. Hoover claimed the design was their own on the Aquajet tubs and had to promptly change the brochure's wording. Just because customers want something, doesn't give companies the right to market something that isn't their own to market. 
 
@ vintage repairer , the vacuums they arent' allowed to retail will be shiped to another country and sold there. Patents are not world wide you have to take them out in any country you wish to sell your product in.


 


As for the insight looking like a sebo,  in the same way that all 4x4's look the same and all semi trucks look the same. The insight is a answer to a customers need , customers want the design with those features so they make it so, Karcher , Ivac lindhuas , advance , nilfisk , wap , they all based there upright designs on the origional sebo from the 70's , twin motor , built in hose, then the single motors models came out and every one based there vacuums on that, 


 


If you want to get technical , and Petty then Hoover should sue every manufacturer out there as all uprigh vacuums are based on their  original idea of a suction motor and a beater bar with a handle for easy movement 
 
If you want to get Petty with Hoover...

Thing is though, I think several manufacturers already went down the route with Hoover in the early days. Wasn't this the reason that other brands rebadged their own names on Hoover products to avoid "old day" legalities? 
 
No not really , Hoover was the best in those days , nothing to compete with it so when you needed a vacuum in your appliance range and didn't want to spend all the time designing your own just get one from hoover and badge it as your own, kinda what sebo also did 
 
Wow thats sounds rather

magical Sebo fan , Yesterday Sebo had not seen the Insight and today theres a law suit on its way and they are pissed . Hmmmm that was quick you must be super powerful , Puleeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ! You don`t think Hoover has lawyers and has checked into everything to make sure they wont get sued ? The Insight looks way better than a Sebo ever did .
 
Here is the thing, I have worked in R&D for a few company's There is no way that sebo didn't know about the insight.Industrial espionage is rife amongst company's They know everything about each others designs long before they have been launched. You have to get moulds made for the injection mould machines and Ul tested , everywhere there is the possibility of leaked info. All of the vacuum company's have sample models of the competitions machines.


 


When I worked for Electrolux SA back in the day they had a whole massive room filled with every model and make of vacuum around the world. 
 
Here's a video on the insight on YouTube.

It does have a few improvements on the Sebo/Windsor but I doubt it is as well made.
The man demonstrating it does explain that Hoover have been able to use a similar design due to patents
expiring, but it doesn't seem right to me that another company can so closely copy another manufacturers design, even though it may be perfectly legal if certain patents have expired.

I wonder if we will get it in the UK under the Vax brand. If we do, I can't see Sebo UK being very happy about it.

 
Kirbyloverdan - if you look at the previous thread strictlybojack has supplied here, you'll see I contacted SEBO about the Insight on the 27th of February 2012. I have no doubt that the Hoover version looks better than the Sebo version, but then I thought my Dirt Devil "Hoover Turbopower 2" looked better than my own collections of Hoover Turbopower 2/3 models - the difference is, Dirt Devil got permission from Hoover to license the design. Hoover hasn't been given license from SEBO to market the X series as their own.


 


Let's not get carried away with what looks better - the fact is, the Insight is a copy.
 

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