Hoover's new Sebo Rip off

[DesertTortoise]

German electronics are starting to scare me. They add complexity for the sake of complexity, and that wouldn't necessarily be bad if it always worked. It doesn't. It is like SAP enterprise software. Anyone here ever had the misfortune of having an employer decide to employ SAP? Never let Germans write software. Nein, ist verbotten! Now their "best" cars are plagued by frequent, expensive failures of complex electronics running on glitchy, non-intuitive German software coded in German abbreviations that you have to be a native speaker to understand and remember. Nein, danke (and this is coming from someone with two pre CAN-Bus Audis, three 1980's vintage BMW motorcycles and a pair of Windsor vacuums in the garge). Japanese and American products are much more stable and reliable, even if they are not as technically sexy.

 

[sebo_fan]

The beauty of SEBO is that, in terms of the X uprights (and Windsor equivalents) they were all designed to be able to be fixed easily by the owner rather than have the model sent back to the manufacturer.

 

[DesertTortoise]

That is true, and one of the reasons I replaced the old Hoover U-boat with a Windsor. Routine repairs and maintenance are easily accomplished and it has a very high quality feel. Our housekeeping staff use and abuses them daily and I see their utility and durability first hand. It's a quality piece.

Still the sensor can be a little too clever sometimes (shuts me down on deep carpet even with the height setting on 4 unless I handle the vacuum just so) and I don't look forward to trying to trouble shoot a problem related to the circuit card or the sensor. I see vacuums now selling a "dirt finder" feature, and not just German vacuums. Really? I'm a Felix Unger in a world of Oscar Madisons. My house is clean but I don't have even a little bit of trouble finding dirt for my vacuum to suck up. Complexity for the sake of complexity. Same thing for the automatic height adjustment feature. Why? You can't turn a dial on the floor attachment? You can't figure out what setting to use? My mom could do this and you can't? Really? Good grief. It's why I hang on to my old Kenmore canister bombers.

 

[sebo_fan]

Well... IMHO the only successful height adjusters I've ever used and are quite durable are the heel types offered on the Hoover Senior (Convertible) and Hoover Junior side adjusters. The middle ones set on modern hoods don't tend to last long on European uprights. Either the slider types or dials - they often break because owners forget that most can't be switched when the upright is being used and the handle has to be put in the locked position. That to me is a waste of time and not convenient.

Auto height adjustment for some uprights don't have anything at all and by scientific means purely use the science of naturall vacuum suction airflow between the brush, sole plate and carpet pile height.

I am surprised by the Sensor on the SEBO with the manual model though. I know the sensor can be disabled simply by pulling out the chip from the motherboard, but whether that affects the height adjustment dial at the side, Im not that sure.

Dirt finder plates have been fitted for vacuums from the 1970s. Its a fancy thing that only gives those who are OCD cleanliness, peace of mind IMHO.

 

[Gr8DaneDad]

My BMW 528i is a 1996 and it better not ever die.... I won't buy a new one and I'd have to hunt up one no newer than 1999 to avoid just such complex electronics for the sake of complexity. Mine is bad enough, but at least I can still connect to the damn thing and read and understand the codes and reprogram as necessary. Not possible on new ones... Love my car but I will go elsewhere if I need a new one.


 


It's the reason I don't use my Aerus Platinum... I like to tinker and there isn't anything to tinker with. I've been awarded several as rewards for sales goals, one to my mom, my brother and his wife, a cousin and my best friend and I have two in the vacuum room, one NIB and the other has not been used other to show to someone and one trip around the room when I unpacked it. I love the vacuum, but everything is controlled by circuit boards and sensors - takes some of the attraction away.