stricklybojack
Well-known member
Came across this one & couldn't find much commentary for this model Hoover in the archives. Is this basically a Concept II with onboard tools instead of a built in Dust Buster?
Hoover PowerMax upright
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Nice Find!
If I remember correctly, these were made from the end of the Concept II production to 1992. If I'm wrong someone please correct me. You can definitely see how much cheaper this model is compared to it's predecessors. Very Elite like. These were replaced by the Hoover Powermax, a very deluxe, self-propelled, hard covered Elite upright. Those were replaced with the Legacy line. Both the Powerdrive and Powermax use the same brush-roll, which was been discontinued for years, and is quite a find even in decent condition. I would hold on to the PowerMax. I understand the build quality is not Hoover's greatest, and hence a rare model.
If I remember correctly, these were made from the end of the Concept II production to 1992. If I'm wrong someone please correct me. You can definitely see how much cheaper this model is compared to it's predecessors. Very Elite like. These were replaced by the Hoover Powermax, a very deluxe, self-propelled, hard covered Elite upright. Those were replaced with the Legacy line. Both the Powerdrive and Powermax use the same brush-roll, which was been discontinued for years, and is quite a find even in decent condition. I would hold on to the PowerMax. I understand the build quality is not Hoover's greatest, and hence a rare model.
rms2192
Active member
vacuum
I have the same vacuum!!!! I paid $20.00 for mine but it didn't come with a hose so now i have to find one!!
Ryan (RMS2192)
I have the same vacuum!!!! I paid $20.00 for mine but it didn't come with a hose so now i have to find one!!
Ryan (RMS2192)
fan-of-fans
Well-known member
Actually the PowerDrive is the Elite-style machine that replaced this model, the PowerMax. The Legacy models were on the market before the PowerDrive was introduced. This PowerMax was made from 1992-1994 and originally had a Concept type brushroll that was replaced later with the more Elite-style brushroll.
oreck_xl
Well-known member
I too have this same machine, although the base has seen a hard life, and the hose is broken where it fits into the port. If you look just below where the chrome handle enters the body of the machine, you'll note the block-off plate where the speed control LED's once were. Did the TOL PowerMax have a variable speed control? I've heard in the Concept II that design was somewhat problematic.
- Hershel
- Hershel
I've had 2 PowerMax uprights, first was the Burgandy MOL model and it was a machine that saw lots of heavy use and had been passed around to different people in the family. The motor went out after 18 years of hard use.
I now have a navy BOL model that has seen hardly any use and I love it.
To answer the question above the Black TOL PowerMax did have a sliding variable speed control on it, hence why there is a slot for it
I now have a navy BOL model that has seen hardly any use and I love it.
To answer the question above the Black TOL PowerMax did have a sliding variable speed control on it, hence why there is a slot for it
vacuumman206
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- Jun 17, 2012
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- 355
From what I was told, the powermax ran from 1991-93, and the powerdrive was 94-97 when the windtunnel took over. It has basically the same motor as the concept two, which has basically the same motor as the concept, but no one has an explanation as to why they are louder. I think basically the only thing they changed to get the concept two was the front casing and cord setup, and for the powermax they redesigned the hood and base housing to accommodate the hose port and redid the body front to hold attachments, and then put a hose caddy on the side. I think everyone knows about the concept two led speed control being an issue. I have one I'd like to fix if the short can be found and fixed...I was told and I recently saw the sliding speed control that came on the TOL Powermax on a later Concept two. The one I got is the blue one, and I paid $25 for it. I was really hoping to find one like what you have, with the hose that remains in the machine 24/7, but the one I have is the only one I've ever seen for sale at a reasonable price. And from what I can tell the Powerdrive is basically a redesigned powermax base with the top half of a legacy-elite, with the addition of the powerdrive handle and bag/belt storage.
hoovercelebrity
New member
My PowerMax
I don't know for sure when the PowerMax was intruduced, I think it may have been late 1991 or early 1992. When I visited Hoover in 1993; the burgundy PowerMax was one of the assembly lines they showed me in operation. It was cool seeing them assembled.
I've never found a burgundy one, but did snag the black TOL model when I was working at a Hoover store. Mine is dated July 1992. I've probablly had this since 2006. I completely rebuilt it, greased it, new fan, new brush strips, etc. I even put a new transmission on it. The brushroll housing and the duct that the hose plugs into, underneath the hood had broken. The parts were NLA when whoever brought it in to the Hoover store, so they opted to trash it and buy a new machine. I somehow managed to glue/tape the broken parts together and got years of use out of it. Last year sometime, I found a blue BOL machine as a doner and finally replaced the broken parts.
It's kind of a monster of a vacuum -- loud... but it does clean really well. The tools are sort of a joke... not really much suction or airflow. But I think they look nice on the machine. Certianly more useful IMHO than the "HelpMate" that was on the Concept II.
I usually run it at low/medium power. Only the high traffic areas at the high speed. Mine has the 4-brush Concept brushroll, but sometime in the middle of this run, I am pretty sure Hoover switched to an Elite-style brushroll.
The PowerDrive machine which followed from about 1994-1998 really was just a modified Elite. Nothing about it was Concept. Also good machines, certainly quieter. But not fun to disassemble and work on...
I don't know for sure when the PowerMax was intruduced, I think it may have been late 1991 or early 1992. When I visited Hoover in 1993; the burgundy PowerMax was one of the assembly lines they showed me in operation. It was cool seeing them assembled.
I've never found a burgundy one, but did snag the black TOL model when I was working at a Hoover store. Mine is dated July 1992. I've probablly had this since 2006. I completely rebuilt it, greased it, new fan, new brush strips, etc. I even put a new transmission on it. The brushroll housing and the duct that the hose plugs into, underneath the hood had broken. The parts were NLA when whoever brought it in to the Hoover store, so they opted to trash it and buy a new machine. I somehow managed to glue/tape the broken parts together and got years of use out of it. Last year sometime, I found a blue BOL machine as a doner and finally replaced the broken parts.
It's kind of a monster of a vacuum -- loud... but it does clean really well. The tools are sort of a joke... not really much suction or airflow. But I think they look nice on the machine. Certianly more useful IMHO than the "HelpMate" that was on the Concept II.
I usually run it at low/medium power. Only the high traffic areas at the high speed. Mine has the 4-brush Concept brushroll, but sometime in the middle of this run, I am pretty sure Hoover switched to an Elite-style brushroll.
The PowerDrive machine which followed from about 1994-1998 really was just a modified Elite. Nothing about it was Concept. Also good machines, certainly quieter. But not fun to disassemble and work on...
hoovercelebrity
New member
Here's another picture.
hoovercelebrity
New member
My row of Concepts...
Good variety of them. I've also rebuilt all of the other Concepts. The Concept II runs really nicely; very smooth. The only one that I'd still like to find is the TOL non self-propelled Concept II electronic.
Good variety of them. I've also rebuilt all of the other Concepts. The Concept II runs really nicely; very smooth. The only one that I'd still like to find is the TOL non self-propelled Concept II electronic.
guardsman69
Well-known member
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- Jul 25, 2011
- Messages
- 398
powermax introduction of 1992
the power max was introduced in april of 1992.....concepts were not replaced by the powermax.....they were added to the concept line as a replacement for concept two .....concept ones were put into specific retailers such as sears.....the second generation of power max in 1993 discontinued freds black powermax electronic putting the u3737930 to top of the line ....discontinued the metal quadroflex metal agitator and the powerdrive u6631 type agitator elite type was installed which evolved the power max line from concept to the power drive and auto drive elite platform uprights of 1994 and the concept took its final bow in early 1993....along with the u4515 guardsman convertible and the sears convertible line....this shift would sound the death nell for hoover as we knew it 85 years into its history.....he convertible went exclusively commercial saying goodbye to the u4497 convertible 700....i was given my first powermax u3737-910 in febuary 1992 by then hoover vice president bob arnold as well as the two u3345 concept black sears concept ones and my s3633 canister i still clean my home with today.....this group just turned 21....and has had their cleaning load lightened with the addition of six new in the box hoover convertibles and two tom andrson hoover vault uprights
the power max was introduced in april of 1992.....concepts were not replaced by the powermax.....they were added to the concept line as a replacement for concept two .....concept ones were put into specific retailers such as sears.....the second generation of power max in 1993 discontinued freds black powermax electronic putting the u3737930 to top of the line ....discontinued the metal quadroflex metal agitator and the powerdrive u6631 type agitator elite type was installed which evolved the power max line from concept to the power drive and auto drive elite platform uprights of 1994 and the concept took its final bow in early 1993....along with the u4515 guardsman convertible and the sears convertible line....this shift would sound the death nell for hoover as we knew it 85 years into its history.....he convertible went exclusively commercial saying goodbye to the u4497 convertible 700....i was given my first powermax u3737-910 in febuary 1992 by then hoover vice president bob arnold as well as the two u3345 concept black sears concept ones and my s3633 canister i still clean my home with today.....this group just turned 21....and has had their cleaning load lightened with the addition of six new in the box hoover convertibles and two tom andrson hoover vault uprights
stricklybojack
Well-known member
"Black Concept One"...
lets see somes pictures of that Guardsman!
lets see somes pictures of that Guardsman!
stricklybojack
Well-known member
Previous thread on Hoover PowerMax
One post has a video...(see link)
One post has a video...(see link)
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