Ideal Vacuum Design

[jayelux]

So, if I were to design the ideal vacuum....

The following features are a must:

1. Quiet--I like to be able to talk on the phone while vacuuming
2. Cord reel--wrapping a cord around and around is so, well, 20th century. And make the cord very long! 35 feet minimum. Stopping to find another outlet is a nuisance.
3. Headlight--I appreciate Kenmore's light mounted on the wand--allowing not just light for the power nozzle but for hard floor cleaning as well.
4. Onboard storage of tools--I've been known to bungee cord everything to the canister.
5. Bags or bagless where I never have to see the dirt. Electrolux self-sealing bags were a good idea. If Dyson could get the dirt out of the plastic bin without it becoming airborne, it would be a nice next step.
6. Natural bristles that don't scratch while dusting.
7. Power nozzles that are easy on my carpets but still get the dirt. I fear my new Dyson will have me replacing my carpeting much sooner than I had planned because it will strip out the fibers if I use it too much. And I will.
8. Lightweight wands. The new plastic ones seem to have added weight and bulkiness.
9. No stretch hoses--I vacuumed a friend's car with his Dyson and felt my workout wasn't in cleaning the car but in fighting against the suction to extend the hose for long periods of time.
10. Dyson seems to have revolutionized the no-loss of suction phenomenon, so I'd incorporate all that.
11. Powerful of course.
12. What am I forgetting?

 

[thevacuumman]

13. Made out of Polished Metal

 

[gottahaveahoove]

How about a suped up

retro HOOVER C O N V E R T I B L E ?? Do we all remember those?

 

[rainbowkid107]

good ideas!

 

[joe22]

8. lightweight METAL wands, and good tools, not these little crappy plastic things that hoovers/dirtdevils etc have. proper dusting brushes like lux and kirby, wide floor bursh. hose for canisters at least 8 feet. convenient switch, brush roll turn off.

 

[sireluxomatic]

Vacuum Design Ideas

Those are some good ideas. How about:

1. a trigger hose handle or on/off switch in the hose handle
2. multi-position height adjustment electric telescopic wand
3. direct connect electric hose (on both ends), with swivel on both ends

 

[kenkart]

ABSOLUTELY NO!!!

Pistol grips!!!

 

[sireluxomatic]

No pistol grips?

What's wrong with pistol grip handles?

 

[eurekaprince]

Pistol grips are too bulky.....

I want a vac hose handle that can easily be squeezed into tight places like between my microwave oven and the wall, or that can be dropped down behind my stove, or slithered under a car seat, or behind a dresser. The pistol grips are all too cumbersome for these "gymnastics," and are only really needed if you use a power nozzle with a canister. Since I think carpets should be cleaned with an upright, not a canister, the canister really does not need a pistol grip.

 

[eurekaprince]

My ideal vac would be a two-vac team similar to what Oreck a

but I would upgrade the canister to a real canister on wheels with on-board tools like a Miele. The innovation I would want is to be able to store the canister on top of the upright's power head - so that the team does not take up too much floor space in a cupboard. Imagine a little Miele S4 seated comfortably on its rear on a the powerhead of an upright like the Hoover Tempo or Windtunnel. There could be a clip on the upright to hang the hose of the canister when stored in the closet. You could wheel both machines out of the closet at the same time using the handle of the upright. Kind of a more elaborate Bissel Lift-Off, but with two real full-size vacs forming a canister+upright team.

 

[vinvac]

I would agree with pistol grips...

Electrolux had the best design in later years...small, gets into tight spaces and comfortable to use. The new replacement vinyl hoses for lux make using the machine a joy.

Morgan

 

[sireluxomatic]

Pistol grips

I'm with you all the way, Morgan, but of course its true that the newer Renaissance style pistol-shaped handle is cumbersome and makes anything other than straight carpet cleaning an unpleasant task. The older style was great; easy connection, easy grip, 360 degree swivel, good fit in most small places.

Another idea for the "perfect vacuum" would be twist-on or friction fit attachments. I'm not crazy about attachments that latch or lock on the wands/handle. Of course, twist-on attachments have been known to fall off

 

[dualsanitronic]

I loath pistol grips eternally,especially Filter Queen's.

 

[countryguy]

My new FQ has the pistol grip and I prefer it over the Electrolux version. If I had my choice however I would go back to the older style lux handle with the trigger on/off - so much more convenient to use for above the floor cleaning.

Gary

 

[sireluxomatic]

I'm "trigger-happy" as well, and I like the slider suction reducer on the Canadian Electrolux hose handles, or the Model G type; I never really liked the knob on the American direct connect handles.

On-board tools were mentioned above, and I think its a practical idea, but strangely enough, I've never liked on-board tools. I think it ruins the looks of the vacuum. I don't really mind a small clip for a dusting brush, but otherwise a portable attachment caddy is a good idea.

This is quite a fun thread.

 

[eurekaprince]

Pistol Grips vs Gas Pump Handles

I was just thinking about the above comments we have all made about hose handles, and I think we are using the wrong name for the bulky electrified "D"-shaped hose handle some of us don't like - including me. The term I remember Hoover using on it's Dimension 1000 canister was "gas pump" handle, which more accurately describes the bulkier handles.

I actually don't mind a sleaker pistol grip hose handle with electrical wiring like the old Canadian Electrolux had. But currently, the only maker of power-nozzle canisters that offer a sleek, "non-gas-pump" handle for its electrified hose and wands is Miele (as far as I know). This kind of handle can be snuck into tight spots and narrow passages. The Miele Direct Connect red canister below is a good example....

http://miele.com/usa/vacuums/produc...l=385&series=97&nav=30&snav=24&tnav=26&oT=184

 

[sireluxomatic]

Pistol vs. Gas-pump

True enough...the newer Lux style is a gas pump, although it still retains its basic shape under the handle. Here's a comparison picture of Electrolux hose handles from approximately the late 50's onward that I think represents almost every style they had, at least in Canada.

 

[eurekaprince]

Great comparison pic, Bob! Yes...that's exactly what I mean.

The only electrified hose these days which offers a sleek handle is the Miele SES series (I think SES 115 to SES 125). It seems narrow enough to sneak into nooks and crannies without having a bulky "D" handle get in the way.....

 

[countryguy]

I have the original Lux '89 hose (4th from the left) and it is the best hose I've ever used. Now if Lux would just use that same type of handle with the current hose which is much more flexible than the braided cloth type, I might go back to using the current Lux's. And bring back the telescopic wand instead of those ridiculous bulky plastic wands.

Gary