I can't believe how people treat their vacuums

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kirbysthebest

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I am aware that not everyone is a collector, and that there are some people that consider vacuuming a chore and don't care how or what they vacuum with, or if they take care of it or not. 


 


I was always amazed when I worked for a Kirby distributor the sad shape a relatively new machine could come in for repairs, or even trade.  One had burned when the woman tried to clean the fireplace with it and sucked up a hot ember.   Another was a total loss when the brilliant user attempted to clean their aquarium.  Others just feel it is a tool, they will buy another if that breaks.  


 


My thought was always, Would an intelligent person buy a Rolls Royce and take it out mudding, or would you treat it with the respect?


 


Today I received a recent ebay purchase.  Now I am not faulting the seller because it was a salvage machine, repair or for parts.   I got a good deal on  a Simplicity Synergy X.9 I figured I could spend a little and repair it.  OMG!!!   I knew the handle was broken but the motors do run.  It appears from the looks of the bag compartment and filters that it was used as a bagless.  


 


Though I went into this one with eyes wide open, I can not believe the stupidity, or lazyness.  You buy a $1,300 machine and then treat it like a $49 Walmart purchase.   


 


Some people should be made to clean only with a broom and mom bucket. 

[this post was last edited: 1/27/2015-19:59]
 
I just picked up a 7 year old Kirby Sentria, which I couldn't get to run at all, but had a broken fan, cord hook broken off, bag from a G5, nozzle bent (yes, bent!), bottom plate missing, and no paper bag, the cloth bag was filled completely. Ended up becoming parts to get a G4 running.
 
In an answer to Post# 313583

Yes back in the late 80's my friends & I took their Bently T2 out mudding along with my Mercedes 300E & we all had a blast. Believe me those cars are built to take it!! Plus they were under warranty so we couldn't lose. I didn't try my BMW 325IC because I'd like to never get the mud out of it because it sat down too low.
 
Speaking of exotic cars crushed to death (sorry if I'm OT on this), while on the set of Jamiroquai's video for "Cosmic Girl," the chauffeur handling singer Jay Kay's Lamborghini SE30 apparently totaled it while having some fun.

~Ben
 
Most common mistake with the (bagless) vacuums is that people don't wash/clean the foam pre motor filter. Most cases they don't even know that it needs filter maintenance. So when they empty the bin and it still doesn't have any suction they think it's broken. Lack of filter mainentance have also burned the motor or it shuts of due to the overheating.
 
So true.

The condition of one's vacuum tells a lot about the owner. Some are all banged, scratched, shoved under beds, etc.
One of the "issues" w/ bagless IS that folks don't think about those "filters".
As far as cars...................
an old college friend worked part-time for a funeral director. The director JUST bought a brand-spanking new Cadillac. The "friend(s) took it for a 'little ride".. covered it in mud, filth, etc, and drove it to the funeral home. Needless to say, the owner was NOT pleased. It was detailed, and all was ok.
However, IF one can spend that much $$$$, they can do whatever they like. Good vacuums, expensive cars, etc......can withstand a LOT. For some, money comes easily. Others, not so much. Appreciation, like good taste, are not always a guarantee.
To quote my aunt, "Some people have class, some have money, some have both, and some have neither" How true!
 
That's funny! That reminds me of one of my ol' momma's witticisms, "What's in the well comes up in the bucket." This can be translated into: How people treat their possessions is pretty much how they are going to treat you. Or it can be looked at it this way: Possessions is a test of one's maturity, or lack thereof  as demonstrated by their childish, destructive actions. So, if they act like a piece of crap...flush 'em!
 
to Kirbysthebest
I was speaking of originally bagless vacuums. I understood that the Synergy is not a bagless.
It must have been ingenious individual who used it as a bagless LOL
 
Jon mine had the ground effect package with the low front spoiler/fog lights in them so I know I'd never get the mud out..LOL now the Benz covered in mud my neighbour came out & looked at it & said "What the hell did you step in???" I told them would you believe I hit a pot hole?? LOL hehehe they looked at me & said "yes with you anything is possible!" I think I saw on the CMT that somewhere near in GA they have a weekend mud bog that draws record crowds!
 
A joy of having a bagged vacuum is that one major regular maintenance task which you have on a bagless machine is taken out of the equation, the fact that you don't have to wash any filters. Just dump and replace the bag. No bins to go manky and horrible. Of course there are people who will fill up a bagged vacuum until here is dirt in the hose, but doing that, although risky, is safer than leaving a filter to get clogged of dust and dirt. What I am trying to say is emptying a bag is more obvious than cleaning a filter. A lot of people don't know where there filters are and/or didn't know they need maintaining.

Then there is belts and brushbars which break and wear out in a 2 or 3 years in some cases but people just replace the entire machine. It is wicked the amount of money people literally just throw away.
 
Mark, ours just has the standard aluminum diving board bumpers, but I did lower it a couple of inches
 
Citrenbx pictures are so much like the Dysons dragged into the vac shop here--Customer says"Doesn't pick up anymore"Bin clogged,airpath "plumbing" clogged,beater bar twined with hair and what else, and the filter full of lint and fine dust.Cyclone "filter" plugged as shown in the pictures-The customer must think the Dyson is a "magic" vacuum that you never have to empty or clean.A good reason why I like bagged vacuums-when full-just replace the bag-no filters to clean or huffing dust,no other things to clean.Yes as another pointed out-esp with plasti-dumpster bagless vacs-just replace the vacuum rather than replacing the belt or filters.Dysons are at least expensive enough where a customer will mostly try to have them fixed.
 
Interesting debate

Of course, if people had looked after their vacuum cleaners during the time I ran a business repairing them, I wouldn't have had that business. I was always glad to see a worn out or misused cleaner as my livelyhood hinged on getting it fixed.

To some people a vacuum cleaner is just a household appliance. I would be more worried if the care of their appliances ranked higher than that of the care of themselves and others.

I also cannot see how we can compare the way someone will treat us by the way they treat their possessions. I have known some very uptight and careful people who went into a rage if a possession of theirs got damaged, broken, or worn out. They were also liable to accuse others of not taking good care around their belongings (whether real or imagined). I never felt these people cared much about others or treated them well. I contrast this to others I have known who felt life was better spent worrying about and looking after the welfare of their loved ones, not their furniture.
 
Hi,

<span style="font-family: book antiqua,palatino;">I was bought up to look after my things. Especially when things are expensive and you can't afford to just go out and replace them at a drop of a hat. I suppose some people will intentionally damage things why some people are just heavy handed or accident prone. Mind you some things are poorly made and will get damaged easily. </span>


<span style="font-family: book antiqua,palatino;">But some people "Think" the guarantee covers everything. Even misuse which of course it doesn't.</span>


 


<span style="font-family: book antiqua,palatino;">Here is a Sebo X1.1 that came in for repair last week that the lady dropped down the stairs when she was carrying it upstairs.
</span>


<span style="font-family: book antiqua,palatino;">She thought the guarantee would cover it....It didn't. The back arm is cracked as well as the base and hood.</span>


 


<span style="font-family: book antiqua,palatino;">James
smiley-smile.gif
</span>

kirbymodel2c-2015012906361701292_1.jpg

kirbymodel2c-2015012906361701292_2.jpg
 
I

<span style="font-family: book antiqua,palatino;">also had a G tech Air ram come in this week that belongs to a 80 something year old lady who broke it why cleaning a outside door mat. I'm guessing she gave it a bit to much push....
smiley-wink.gif
</span>


 


<span style="font-family: book antiqua,palatino;">James
smiley-smile.gif
</span>

kirbymodel2c-2015012907171905622_1.jpg

kirbymodel2c-2015012907171905622_2.jpg
 
Here is one example of poor filter maintenance.
With the bagless vacuums it's the most common mistake.
Bagged vacuums would be better for people who "forget" to take care of the filters.
Second video is showing that it doesn't take much effort to wash the filters.

 
Disposable society

The bottom line is we live in a society today where disposability has become the norm. People don't want to take the time or effort to fix or maintain things and manufacturers are happy to oblige them--and maximize their own profits--with goods that are designed to be tossed at the end of a finite useful lifespan. It's all very wasteful.

I took great pleasure a few years ago in repairing--and improving--my Remington electric razor by removing the soldered-in niCad batteries that had gone dead and replacing them with higher capacity NiMh batteries. I got several more years of use out of it and the replacement batteries performed better than the originals. I also have a SoniCare electric toothbrush that includes instructions on how to destroy it in the name of recovering and recycling the rechargeable batteries when they will no longer hold a charge. Simply mind-boggling.
 
James said: "Here is a Sebo X1.1 that came in for repair last week that the lady dropped down the stairs when she was carrying it upstairs.
She thought the guarantee would cover it....It didn't. The back arm is cracked as well as the base and hood."


How is it abuse when the poor woman had an accident and dropped her vacuum down the stairs? I hope the poor woman didn't fall down the stairs too. I seriously doubt she dropped it on purpose. She was honest about what happened. It doesn't seem unreasonable to inquire whether it's covered by warranty - even when the odds are 1 in a million. I'm sure she wasn't too surprised when it wasn't. A light weight vacuum such as the Riccar Supralite would likely be a better fit for the woman - ideally one on each level to avoid carrying vacuums up and down stairs.
 

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