Metaphyz Uzu vacuum

[DesertTortoise]

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/metaphys-electr-18133

These forums are far too centered around legacy US and Euro machinery. There is a lot of really cool stuff in Asia we don't see in the US or Europe. That doesn't mean it is not worthy of our consideration. This vacuum is an example. There are a lot more.

 

[Gr8DaneDad]

I couldn't agree more. however getting ones hands on one of these is somewhat difficult and at a voltage that is readily usable can also be problematic without step up or step down transformers which in the case of step up are very expensive.

 

[DesertTortoise]

Gr8DaneDad, Japan uses 100 volts AC, and it is either 50 Hz in easter Japan or 60 Hz in western Japan. They use two prong ungrounded plugs that work in North American wall sockets. Most Japanese electronic goods can be plugged into a North American wall socket and operate normally. You might have problems with things that heat, like a hair dryer or toaster oven, but a vacuum from Japan ought to be fine. The difference in frequency between Japan and the US might only affect timers and clocks.

 

[stricklybojack]

Cool

Great post.

 

[gsheen]

I have a 110v Japanese Electrolux vacuum. I run it off the same transformer as my USA machine 

 

[Gr8DaneDad]

I wasn't necessarily referring to use in the US, however importing one from Japan is still problematic unless you travel there or have someone act as proxy and ship it to you. As the referenced article stated, getting a Japanese retailer to ship one out of country is very difficult. I've made many purchases of JDM products from hi-fi gear to televisions, none have been accomplished without either an extraordinary merchant or a trip to Japan. I was very fortunate for many years to travel to Japan many times for business and was therefore able to purchase goods and import them directly.

 

[DesertTortoise]

We used to have a friend in the California Air Guard bring us expensive goodies back from Japan.

Either way, just because they are hard to get in the US should not be an excuse for us to ignore some interesting vacuums from Japan. For me many European market vacuums discussed here are even more inaccessable than their Japanese counterparts but they are part of the discussion.

 

[sebo_fan]

It has already been discussed on this forum - and its all in the archives.

The best one I have ever seen in the flesh is the Toshiba Escargot developed with Electrolux.

Check the Archives, DesertTortoise, particularly http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?6372

This shows the same vacuum you have posted.

 

[turbo500]

far too centered around legacy US and Euro machinery

That might have something to do with that fact that the forum is largely made up of US and European members, in which we have an abundance of US and EU cleaners available to us respectively. It's far easier to discuss what you know than speculate.

 

[electromatik]

I was going to say exactly the same thing as Turbo500... LOL

Moving on, does anyone else think it bears a striking resemblance to GE's old Roll-Easy?? The way the body looks sure does recall that to my mind. The handle design is truly interesting to me. It looks like a combination two part wand system that also folds down making storage less space heavy.