Longevity Of Current Cleaners

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bagintheback

bagintheback

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Jun 29, 2009
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I read reviews on current vacuums online often and I have noticed two things:
When people describe why they replaced their old vacuum, it is mostly because it won't pick up. We all know that this is a clog or a stretched belt. So they go out and the product they are reviewing and say it pulled out breath-taking amounts of dirt and such. The other statement is some of them reuse bags. So they abused it. There is one other, and that the vacuum caught on fire, and it always seems to be Eurekas too. But that is the manufacture's fault.

So lets say I go out and buy a $100 Target vacuum today and I keep the utmost care of it. I use it regularly as if it was my only vacuum. How long do you think it would last?
 
A year at most, once the warranty's gone, it'll break down, they always do...

Pretty much everything made today is made to fail, it's built cheap, sold cheap, and repairs, no, not cheap, are really expensive, so, they churn out more cheap stuff, so you buy cheap ans start the chain again, very wasteful, both ecologically and financially...
 
Two Words - HEPA Filter

These filters put too much stress and strain on the airflow of the vacuum, causing it to get hotter. Also bagless, Miele last just as long as they used to... guess what - no bagless.
 
I could tell no difference in how hot my Miele ran with the hepa filter, or the lesser "clean air" filter.   Obviously if either kind of filter was never replaced that would affect the vacuum's longevity but, that's a user issue, not a manufacturing quality issue.  I had a Filterqueen for about 30 years which always ran very hot to my way of thinking but the motor was built to handle it and never suffered as a consequence.  I bet some of these inexpensive bagless machines would last at least a little longer if their filters were properly maintained.  For some reason people read "bagless" and think "maintenance-free."  If it were more obvious from the advertising, packaging and store displays that these machines still have filters that need to be washed or replaced, that might influence peoples' decisions on what to purchase.


 


This is one reason why I've always thought highly of the good old Electrolux automatic shutoff.  The darned thing  won't let you go too long on a full bag and risk burning out the motor.  It seems more idiot-proof when it comes to user negligence.


 


Neil
 
Man's desire...

to make things idiot proof is exceeded only by the universe's capability to make increasingly more clever and more determined idiots.
 
I believe that if a vacuum is well maintained for its lifetime then it will last for years! There is no reason why it should not. People always say their vacuum is "broke" when it is something so simple and so minor. I know people that are still using the original Eureka Whirlwinds and the first bagless Bissells. Those are about 8-9 years old!
 
To quote Einstein:

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
 
I think when they try to make inexpensive, they make cheap. You end up paying the same in the long run.
I have a Kirby Omega that will be 36 years old the end of this month. Everything is still original except belts and brush rolls. My Ultimate G will be eight years old in December, still going.

My sister is on like her 20th Wal-Mart plasticvac. My brother buys his wife a new plasti-vac just about every Christmas. I tried gifting them a new Royal Powercast when they bought their new house. "Too Heavy" My sister-in-law still uses the plasti-vacs, and the Powercast sits in the clost.
 
I have plenty of vacs but I even use one of my Ds 50's on a regular basis....around 50 years and still does the job? But I have to fix the one at the restaurant I work at about once every week...a cheap plastivac with a Hepa...and they wont buy one of my Royals because its not bagless.................
 
SPeaking of long lasting vacs, add to the list my Hoover Junior 1334, about 50 years of service, minor repairs over the years, and it's still giving service today... :)

Compare that to the Vax I salvaged and I highly doubt that in 50 years time that the Vax would even be in one piece, let alone working, that's the problem with cheap plastics, after a while they lose strength, they suffer from "plastic fatigue" and you get those spiderweb cracks appearing, and then the inevitable splits at the most stressed areas, and finally, the thing falls apart, happens to everything using plastic for the casing or structure, not just vacuum cleaners, I've got a Compaq Armarda laptop upstairs that's screwed cos the plastic casing just fell apart around the screen hinges...

So no matter how well you look after it, the problems still lie with the plastic...
 
I would not blame everything on plastic. There are many plastic Hoovers, such as Concepts and later Convertibles, that are still very durable. Dysons, Riccars and many other brands use plastic and can last years. I say it depends on the grade on plastic. Very cheap plastic is used on most vacuums today.
 
Well, depending on what plastics are used, some can last longer than others, but like you say, cheap vacs use cheap plastic, and those are the ones that people buy, use, break and throw out only to be replaced with another which they use, break and throw away....

It's not helped with the high prices of some major brands, people look at those and think "What can they do that this one at a quarter of the cost can't?", I get that all the time with people thinking I'm insane wanting "quality" vacs rather than cheap high-wattage screamers, and then later they come to me wanting their vacs repaired, and I like to think to myself "Well, was it really worth you saving all that money for this?", someday I'll say that to them, but for now, I'll let them try and work it out themselves... :)
 
Today's Plasti-vacs

Made in China--so 100% P. U! I wouldn't touch any of today's plastivacs (even with 1,000 Lux wands connected together) at all. Thank God I own only vintage vacs; when I need a "new" vac, I'll get another vintage vac.
 
Well, anything made in China is just rubbish, my new phone's charger, made in china, is broken already, and it's not even 4 months since I got it!!! :S

Some say that china has the best engineers in the world, but given what they put out, I'd disagree, they have the best Reverse-engineers yes, but actual engineers that can come up with their own designs, nope...
 
Looking at the stuff they have there, I don't think they even design for themselves, they have cars built from cast-off old western models as well as look-alike knockoffs, they have mobile phones based on leading western brands, they take western brands, buy them out, ship the equipment over there and cause brand confusion (like Hoover Decade80's dressed as Royals), and of course, they make things so cheaply that they wouldn't pass any form of western safety inspections...

Infact, I'm just fiddling with a cheap chinese lava lamp right now, they decided that plain cardboard, without fire retardants, in a really hot lamp base was a smart idea, says it all really...
 
ROC

I just super-glued the Perfect canister's hose assembly back together. This vacuum is the Electrolux copy where they got everything right but the quality. We don't have to worry about the Chinese until they start copying Deming.
Jay
 
Chinese factories-put it simply--the items they build to send to the US-the Chinese workers are building an item they are never likely to use or buy.Now when those same items were made in the US by US workers-they would be likely to buy and use the items they built.So the US worker will put that extra effort into building that item-"I am going to make this as though I am going to use it myself!"And the Chinese workers need to be closely SUPERVISED or they will make a shoddy quality product.I have seen some real nice things made by them-and some crappy things.
 
I'm not sure.......

I'm definitely one of those people who take care and maintain my stuff. Speaking of my Kenmore canister......Maintaining doesn't help. Within two to three years the cord starts to fray at the bottom and the direct connect develops electrical shortages in them. I guess I would consider a 189.99 Kenmore Can a cheap plasticVac

Sure, those can be replaced, but most people (I wouldn't think) would bother to repair it.....
 
I agree that it's not all plastic fault but quality of plastic and it's bracing on the inside frame. Companies like Simplicity and Riccar still prefer to use metal where it counts - fans, brush rolls and even the bottom plate.

The Chinese are very capable of building a quality product but the factor of cost plays into what kind of quality is produced. Meaning- a corp. says to make an inexpensive vacuum for X amount for wal mart or such and in return the factory designers make choices on what to cheapen or cut cost on to fit the budget. That's why so many factories closed in the U.S.- consumers wanted the cheapest prices which rules out high cost American labor. In your regular non vacuum loving guy or gal on the streets view " why pay high dollar for just a vacuum when I could have a cheap vacuum, more money for a flat screen tv and sound system for the same price thanks to Wal Mart?"

The average person is all about fast, easy and convince. Hence all cheap sqweaky plastic vacs having cheap on board tools which usually still get lost with use. Most of us here love the ritual of going and picking out the perfect vacuum for the task and using it. I for one love the ritual of using one of my Rainbows but for a non vac lover that ritual is a pain. Most people glance and see word like bagless and think I don't have to buy any bags ever plus on board tools plus a low price to be able to have cash left over for more stuff.

Also the wow factor which means vacuums with tons of features and gadgets on them. It has to be made of plastic for cost and weight. Look at how much plastic is in a dyson and think if it was made of aluminum- that would be one heavy beast of a machine so it's only practical it be made of high grade plastic.

To finish my long winded comment- my sister has owned roughly 12 Wal Mart specials with in the past 16 years. From Hoovers, Eurekas, and Bissels she finally decided to pay more and buy an Oreck from a mall kiosk. She has had this vacuum the longest due to the fact that ten year service program tends to the vac for her. The local dealer not only changes her belts and checks for clogs but changes her bags too. Plus this vac has less stuff That can break on it. She just wants to pull it out, vacuum for ten mins and throw it back in the closet like most people.

Atleast with cheap wasteful vacuums we get new eye candy on the shelves at Wal Mart and repair shops can make money constantly fixing them. There's always a positive side to be found.
 
Stores make the most money SELLING the cheap eye candy plastivac-dumpster vacs.Most repair shops will suggest-or if the shop sells vacuums-buy another machine.The cheap old one gets dumpstered.for the cost of repairs--lets face it--you could buy another cheapo vacuum.Most of the cheap vacuums are difficult to repair-hard to take apart and put back together.
 
I just bought a WindTunnel Bagless

brand new a little over a month ago, and it says it was made in Mexico. Seems to be well made, and I'm sure if I take care of it, it'll last. Some others are so cheaply made that it seems when it breaks they want you to replace it instead of try to get it repaired. I guess that's the throw away society we live in now. Throw away and buy new instead of repair. What a waste. No wonder the landfills are over flowing.
 
The problem is deeper than the landfills....

Just about a century ago the concept of consumerism was born, that is to say the idea that people could be nudged by advertising into buying things to fill needs that could never be satisfied. Aldous Huxley's novel 'Brave New World' coined the phrase 'The more stitches the less riches'

As recently as 1971, 25% of all women's and children's garments were still sewn in the home, but by then all America manufacturing of sewing machines had all but ceased (yup, Singer was largely offshore by then) Home repair, woodworking, automobile maintenance were routinely performed by homeowners. People felt a great deal of satisfaction in doing things for and by themselves. Now, satisfaction is fleeting and ephemeral because it is purchased. We no longer value labor enough to pay for it, and so it is devalued. (The original meaning of 'discount' is to devalue,dismiss or ignore) It did not seem like such a big deal when we were devaluing the labor of people who were half a world away. Plenty of people in the US still had good paying jobs to buy plenty of goods. Not so anymore. We can no longer afford to spend our way out of recession, even buying cheaper foreign made goods on credit.

The average family works more hours, has less savings, and less life satisfaction than previous generations. The answer, I believe, lies in rediscovering the intrinsic satisfaction in exercising creativity and being involved in meaningful service to each other. More of the same cannot and will not 'fix' the economy it is our attitude about the purpose of life and the sense of entitlement we have fostered that is at the root of our economic malaise.

Trebor
 
The reason more people do not think along the lines...

you so generously complimented is because they have not truly been challenged to do so. The very process of thought is drowned out by constant over-stimulation of non-stop music, video, texting.

But one person can make a difference. When people ask "Why don't you have the latest gizmo/gadget?" I reply, "Because I am not ready to replace it. The one I have works perfectly well." Or. "Because acquiring it will not make me any happier or add anything of meaning to my life." Or "These jeans are on;y 18.00!" and you reply "They were sewn in Bangladesh by a 14 yr old working 60 hrs a week without overtime or benefit who shares a room with three other people, and a bathroom and a hotplate with 30 other people. You buy them if you feel good about it, I can't"

I try not to shop at Wal-Mart. I get odd looks from people of my generation, too, but then again, sometimes I see the light of realization go on, and someone realizes their buying choices have an impact. The most amazing shift happens when we realize that when our dollars are courted on soley the basis of the lowest price, the merchant is not selling, but buying, buying our freedom of choice, our compassion for our fellow man, and our birthright to self-determine our destiny. Every dollar spent on the status quo is a vote for the status quo. Take heart, sablekid, you too can make a bigger difference that you realize.

Trebor
 

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