Kirby Complete Model Change or Just Another Color Change?

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pr-21

pr-21

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Now that the Avalir has been out for a while, and it was Kirby's Anniversary Model, will the next be a color change only or a completely new model????

What are your thoughts and what color would you like to see?

I would like to see a completely new model change and think an Emerald
Green color (not the D80 color) would be very attractive. I would also like
to see an electric hose connection with somekind of motorized mini nozzle for
couches, cars, and hard to reach areas, along with a redesign of attachments.



Sincerely,

Bud Mattingly
PR-21
 
Great topic for discussion, however is a new model even set to be released anytime soon? I agree, an emerald color scheme would be great
 
I can't wait to see what succeeds the G-Series..

Here's what I'd love to see in the next-gen model. In my mind, I still envision a direct-air model, with a soft bag, and no on-board tools (no more than a wand and short stretch hose anyway, but even that's unlikely).

-Much lighter weight. Still aluminum (or another metal) housings, but trimmed way down. No transmission, and lightweight-enough that it won't be necessary. Something closer to a Sanitronic or a traditional Royal in terms of weight. This would be so easy for the Scott Fetzer Company to achieve.
-A lifetime belt.
-A convenient brushroll shutoff option for quick cleaning of hard floors (via a button or switch; no more belt lifter). I would also expect the performance on hard floors to be excellent.
-A way to quickly plug-in the hose, that will no longer require removal of the front nozzle. Removing the nozzle is easy enough, but has been proven to be a hurdle for most everyday Kirby users.
-Lower profile, and easier maneuverability.

In terms of color, I love the idea of another green model. Kirby has unfortunately gone with pretty plain color options since the G6. I'd love to see a new Kirby play up a bold color.
 
"Think they are going to try to get as much mileage out of the Avalir as they can."

The Avalir is the definition of a company getting their mileage out of a model. It's simply an improved Generation 3, which released 27 years ago.
 
Yes,know about that vs the G3.Maybe they are going to stick with the G system?Time will tell.Think we are going to have to be patient.The G system has worked pretty well for Kirby-maybe if that's the case-why change it?
 
Personally, I'm ready for something new and improved from Kirby. Vacuums have changed quite a lot since the G3 introduction, and I want the reliable Kirby to remain a compelling option for consumers. There's a huge market now of swivel bagless vacuums that can quickly zip around and clean a room from top-to-bottom, at a far more attractive price.
 
I'm with you on the electric hose!!! I would love to see that happen.
As far as color I'd like to see a green of some kind or another blue and I'd also like to see an all new color like bright yellow or turquoise.
They could do a Kirby retro and bring Sirroco back.
 
Since the Kirby is sold in the home, they don't really have to make it competitive with other 'modern' vacs. All the Kirby has to do is pull enough dirt behind whatever the consumer has, to interest them enough to buy the Kirby. Remember, the consumer is most likely NOT in the market for a new vacuum when the Kirby man comes.
 
As I've said before and now I'll say it again:


 


Kirby will not release a totally new cleaning system design until they can invent one with equal to or better performance than the Avalir. They will not release a new design that has substandard performance. Therefore, I believe it may be quite some time before this happens.


 


The only upright vacuum that can currently match or beat the Avalir's cleaning performance is one of the 10 amp Royal metal uprights.


 


 


 


 
 
Not sure I would want to see any changes other than a better bare floor brush and improved upholstery nozzle...something with a brush strip.
 
I have to agree that a radical redesign isn't exactly in Kirby's DNA. Although it's a more heavy duty machine like a Hummer, its development history has been more like a Model T Ford or the original VW Beetle. While I like the notion of being able to easily turn the brush roll off and on with a switch, a feature I actually enjoy a lot on my Electrolux Discovery II, I don't see it as being particularly practical on a Kirby, given that the brush rolls on those machines are driven directly off of the motor shaft via a belt. I honestly don't see Kirby adopting a dual-motor design like Electrolux used on its uprights, a design which was derived from their canister vacuums. Kirby has no background in canisters beyond reconfiguring their uprights into quasi-canisters.

The bottom line here is Kirby offers a machine that's fairly unique in today's market and they're successful within their particular niche so I'm sure they aren't too interested in abandoning that to follow the crowd and make something more like the plasticrap vacs everyone else is offering.
 
I gave up on Kirby and bought

A 2013 Aerus Lux Guardian upright. It's everything I need/want in an upright vacuum. It has more than adequate tool suction and grooms my rugs beautifully. I love the Sidekick, floor brush, filtration and the fact that it doesn't weigh a ton!
 
I agree with Stan & Edgar on Kirby not abandoning the G Series platform anytime soon. They have a design that works, & as Edgar pointed out above, they have carved out a niche & have a reputation for quality & performance they aren't about to abandon anytime soon.

Having said that, they do need to make some changes. Will they use the concept Avalir design? No. That was way too radical of a departure in design for Kirby to consider. Will they adopt a Royal style design? No, I highly doubt that. They wouldn't have invested millions of dollars into designing the Tech Drive just to go ahead & abandon it now. In addition, many consumers would enjoy having the tech drive, especially seniors. All they need to do is reduce the overall weight of the vacuum thru changing the type of metal used, & it also wouldn't hurt to try making a lighter weight motor.

The changes Henrydreyfuss suggests above could be easily done using the existing G Series platform. To achieve the brush roll shutoff feature with no belt lifter, all Kirby would have to do is modify the fan casing & powerhead design to allow for a receptacle & plug to power a powerhead motor, & mount a small powerhead motor & geared belt at the back of the powerhead, preferably on the bag side, to turn the brushroll. Where the belt lifter resides now could be changed to allow a removable cap to insert a hose, same way you would convert a Royal Metal to use tools, minus removing the belt of course. Instead of a electric hose, to be cost effective, they would provide a external hose cord to power a hand powerbrush or separate wand & powerhead for under furniture cleaning. It might still be necessary to remove the powerhead, though, if using the hose electrically is desired.

As for the emerald green color? Maybe not. But, another Tradition Blue or G4 purplish blue would be nice to see again.

Rob
 
i disagree about the newer kirbys being great i think its a fair vac (performance wise) i had a avalir & returned it after the 3-day 'trial' ended bcuz the classic 1cr outcleans the avalir
 
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Kirby has a winning design and cleaning performance that works for millions of customers. The company is not going to make any radical changes before much research and testing, and whatever new design they come up with has to exceed in performance over the Avalir. My guess is that they will change the color of the Avalir and come out with the Avalir II, much like they came out with the maroon Legend II to succeed the H2 Legend. Green is a trendy color, but so is purple. Maybe it's time for a bright red model like the Classic III.
 
Titanium Kirby-would be nice--Titanium metal has gotten cheaper because of the space and aviation industries.It is still too expensive to use in an appliance such as a vacuum cleaner.If you made the fan and fancase from Titanium-it would outlast ANY plastic fan or fancase.
 
Carbon fiber-nanotubes would be more expensive than the Titanium!A carbon fiber vacuum would be REALLY expensive.The Titanium would be more abrasion resistant.But don't think EITHER materials are going to find their way into vacuum cleaners anytime soon.
 
Dysonman1 and others here have proved an excellent point

The Kirby is now different-enough in its own way to carve out it's own new niche. I suppose if Hoover was still selling Concept Ones as their only machine, they would prove similarly niche, but also stand their own ground in terms of performance and reliability. Kirby is also still fully-grounded in door-to-door sales, which maintain their own sales tactics and merits, outside of most company strategies, which has tremendously helped Kirby's continued success.

Even still, I'm very ready for something bold from Kirby. They have almost 3 decades now of regular complaints from everyday customers to address (weight, bulkiness, the extra steps to use tools, etc.). A much lighter-weight machine could still (easily!) achieve the same performance as their current models. They could address all common complaints of Kirbys today, and improve upon their existing product, without dropping the reliability at all.

Although excellent carpet cleaners and rugged, during my vac shop days, whenever a customer was buying bags, I asked how they liked their Kirby. The response was always negative. Owning a Sentria II (which I got for $10 at a flea market), It's sad to see something that works so well was so quickly abandoned by their buyers, despite the steep price.
 
I agree to some point

I have been a Kirby man since I was a kid. My grandmother hated them, but she loved her Royal. Why, I'll never know. At the time, the Sanitronic and her Royal were very much alike. While I love my Kirby, I have had some health problems in the last few years which have left me pretty weak, and I can't even pick up my Kirby to carry it. Luckily, I live in a single floor house, so I don't have to carry it much. While switching attachments is a little more complicated than other vacuums, one nice thing is they all pretty much go on the same way. Learn to change one, and you pretty much know how to change them all.
 
 
I hope they changed something soon. Lord knows I don’t wanna see another sentria re-colored for the 4th/5th time. Hopefully someone in Kirby reads these forums and can take note on some of the things that we(I) would like to address on the next Kirby model. Oh and in terms of color I hope they do away with the greys and blacks and come out with a cool color scheme, kind of like the misty blue Kitchenaid with white bowl, instead it’ll be a misty blue Kirby with white accents pieces.
 
I just hope they stop doing these really really boring Colour changes and actually make something new
 
I'm with most previous posts on this thread

I"d like to see a 'new' Kirby....don't think, at all, there will be one in 2019. I do like the idea of a new color like green as well. I too, feel that their approach is to not change anything unless they can improve on it. Kirby is unique in the market but some of its 'cons' compared to other available's are how tall the unit is ( can't go under some furniture), the lack of on board tools and of course, the weight.

here's to hoping for a new and improved model coming....
 
Yeah 30 years is a bit long. Plus seeing the sentria (2006) getting renamed and color over and over is really annoying. Hopefully when they do release a new platform it’ll be quieter, and lighter in weight. Because now and days more and more homes have hard floors and if you think using a Kirby on carpet was load it’s a lot louder (and it’s unbearable) on hard surface floors. A few things I would like for Kirby to change in it’s future models/ next platform would be:
1. No more looking like a sentria
2. Quieter sound
3. Lighter in weight
4.a redesign Multi Surface Shampoo System.... I say this because the current one is nice but it’s not convenient to use in hard to reach places such as under the bed or behind the toilets in the bathroom.
5. Maybe a redesign portable shampooer too
 
I like the kirby design and i think changes like the new shampooer are about as radical Kirby would go and I'm honestly glad that's the case, i think the way it is now isn't that big of a deal having to change the belt and all and having a permanent head would kind of eliminate canister mode which i find very helpful i think Kirby would be wise to do things like having belts and bags available at the local grocer, I'd like to see a Motorized turbine head for the hose so i could use the kirby on canister mode to get under couches and beds where I can't use the power head undr, I'd also like to see a handi butler return, and possibly allow online sales of new machines from kirby's website, also mabye make another two speed model like the diamond as for colour I'd like either g5 red or the ultimate g grey
 
To replace the hose mode on the Kirby upright-they should provide a "package" that could include a Douglas based canister vacuum.This would work better than the hose mode on the Kirby-eliminate the danger of a pebble or quarter breaking a fan-and make the package easier to use-and it allows for two people to work at once if desired.The patent pictures just show the "Rube Goldberg" Kirby we have seen before-the multiple belts in one of the pictures could be a problem.That vacuum is just TOO complicated to be a good replacement for the present G platform.Figure Kirby has found something that WORKS-they would be best just to stick with it despite the complaints.Instead just use the Douglas canister to replace the hose mode.The upright would be used for the carpet vacuum and shampooer.And the Douglas could be equipped with a powernozzle for the spots the Kirby upright can't fit into.
 

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