Is the universe telling me to stop buying vacuum cleaners?

[sensotronic]

Hello,

Some of you who watch my YouTube videos will be aware that I haven't had the best of luck with some new purchases recently. First there were the two Panasonic Icons with broken base plates, then the faulty Ensign Stealth and now a faulty Vax Dual Power carpet washer!

While using my new Vax for the second time, the drive pulley seized up and melted, resulting in smoke pouring out of the cleaner and molten plastic where the drive pulley used to be. I rang Vax who said I would have to return it to them for them to look at, but I may just return it to the retailer. The advisor on the phone admitted that they knew there was a problem with some of these cleaners and I read reviews of the same thing happening, but I didn't think it would happen to me!

So perhaps after all this bad luck, I should stop buying any new cleaners for a while and concentrate on reviewing the models I have.

http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jsLdaMy3cw

 

[hi-loswitch98]

Vax never seem to get better, their quality always tends to get lower everytime someone on here reviews a new machine. Oliveoiltinfoil purchased a Vax Air Powerhead & found it useless due to a poor quality build & low watt Powerhead. The New carpet washers look like a child's toy too.

 

[sensotronic]

The cleaner seemed sturdy enough and when it worked I was very pleased with it, especially for what I paid. I would have hoped it would have lasted up to its two year guarantee though, not conking out on its second use. I will get a replacement and hope lightening doesn't strike twice.

 

[jord123]

Bring back the British made 121s and 2000s

 

[hi-loswitch98]

Most Vaxes these days are hit & miss, sadly as most of their machines work really well.

 

[jord123]

I agree

 

[beko1987]

Echo's my experience with every modern Vax I have had.

At least you can take it back and wash your hands of it with no financial loss! I'm £15 down thanks to me escapades!

Its got so bad that I don't even want free ones now!

 

[hi-loswitch98]

Was that the Centrix 3 Sam?

 

[beko1987]

Centrix and the Turboforce 1700 I picked off the side of the road

 

[beko1987]

I've still got the centric thinking about. Keep meaning to smash it with a big hammer.

Or try and fit the motor in my constellation...

 

[moojuiceuk]

I read the reviews of the Vax upright carpet washers and over half were serious faults relating to motor failure, tripping RCDs, water leaking everywhere out of poorly made plastic parts etc. I decided to opt for a Bissell Big Green and I'm glad I did!

A couple of years ago my mum had a Vax upright (I've seen Bosch and Siemens rebranded models) and that was shoddily built too. Never touching Vax again.

 

[ultimatevacman]

It's a real shame Vaxes nowadays are so poor. The 101, 111, 121, 2000, 2100 etc. were very good machines indeed.

 

[hi-loswitch98]

Wonder how the Vax Commercial machines hold up?

 

[vintagerepairer]

"t's a real shame Vaxes nowadays are so poor. The 101, 111, 121, 2000, 2100 etc. were very good machines indeed."

Indeed they were. However, this story is not new. Servis, for example, were a market leader in quality washing machines, dating back to before the 2nd world war, if I remember correctly. Yet the name was sold off over the course of time, with it eventually being used on no end of cheap rubbish. In one sense it is said; in another, these brands do not get sold on unless the company is on it's knees.

Vax -as we knew it- had very much had it's day. Had the brand name not been bought, it would have disspeared altogther. The Vax machines we have now are as different from the original Vax as they would be if they'd been made by anyone else not using the Vax name.

 

[hi-loswitch98]

You are right vintagerepairer. In the early 2000's Vax were still only selling mulrifunction machines, then they began selling Dirt Devil Machines under the Vax name IIRC.

Gone are the days now when you used to see Turboforces & Swifts everywhere you went.

 

[parwaz786]

Not proud of Vax especially cos they are in based in Brum!

We had a Vax 6140 pet, good vacuum, but the plastic was really brittle. It was a red pet 6131 version with the turbo tool. It only lasted 3 years!
My Aunty had a vax ultrixx tt cylinder bagless, it lost suction after vacuuming an area rug, or a room and a half, loop pile burber carpet, no pets, just 2 kids at the time. Now she has a Henry and a much bigger house, the Henry is doing well in a carpeted home (not kitchen and bathroom) with 3 kids and different types of carpet thicnkesses. The machine gets used a lot and never loses suction!

My Neighbours loved vax, now they had a mini tub one in red and it was rubbish, so they replaced it with a DC33 Multi floor Dyson which they love!I would use a DC01 over a new vax!

 

[singingrainbow]

Roger, I had heard of this problem when this machine was released over here under the hoover name. I had hoped they would have corrected it by now though as I was interested in one.


Thank you for letting us know that it is still a problem, I will not be spending any money on one now.


Scott

 

[sebo_fan]

Well, i had a problem with the original Vax Mach Air and detailed in reviews online about it.

It was eventually repaired when Vax sent a new upright that didn't have a sticking, flipping floor head.

I think you live and learn Roger - it was like that Hoover bagless cylinder vac you bought with the dust brush that was dirty when you took it out of the box - things just aren't that well packed or made these days - and it isn't just Vax who are doing it.

I think everyone has a run of bad luck, it isn't just you. One year for example I went through 3 Sebo Felix single tool clips. I can't abide them and SEBO UK are well aware of that. The design of their single clips aren't as durable as the twin tool holders and the strange N or Z lock around the back of them aren't that easy to clip together without one of them breaking off.

 

[sensotronic]

Well I can safely say that I won't be buying another Vax product again, unless it is a vintage UK manufactured model.

Here's what Vax had to say in the comments section of my video.

We’re really sorry to see you’ve experienced an issue with the product. We hope that the large number of high-scoring customer reviews we’ve received to our website are a reflection that such an issue is very unusual, and it was for this reason that we were really keen to inspect the product and understand the problem fully when you reported it to our Support team. We appreciate your preference was to return to your retailer in this case.

Thanks for your feedback, this helps us to work hard to continually improve our product ranges.

I responded:


I don't tend to trust reviews on a manufacturers website. I have seen plenty of reviews for the dual power model with people complaining of the belt pulley melting. Hoover market an almost identical model in the USA and several reviewers on the Walmart website are complaining of the same thing happening to them.

I rang the retailer Very.co.uk who told me they couldn't put me through to their electrical returns department and suggested I left instructions for them to ring me when they were free in a few days! I want this faulty machine picked up and the money credited back to my account.

I won't be reviewing a Vax product again and Very have also lost a loyal, high spending customer over this shoddy product. I have removed all my Vax reviews apart from the one showing the fault with the Dual Power.

Finally please tell your demonstrator on QVC to stop saying Vax is an iconic British brand when your company is owned by TTI, a Chinese company who have also ruined Hoover USA and will soon be ruining Oreck I expect.

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I think I've burned my bridges with Vax. Shame really as they suggested I send my contact details to their reviews team with the possibility of me being sent some sample products to review. Can't see that happening now, but I wouldn't have anything from Vax now.

When I think about it, most of the Vax products I've owned have ended up at the tip. I had several Floormates with faulty brush motors, the fan on my Floormate Freedom shattered and the model my Mum
had also ended up in pieces. The only decent Vax I have is my Oasis Complete, based on a U.S. Hoover design and made in Mexico. All the other Vax machines I had I sold, but they have probably been dumped by now.

Well, the universe has told me not to touch Vax again and it will be a long time before I give Very.co.uk any more business, so at least I'll save some money. It's going to be quality not quantity from now on.