Metrovac Synthetic HEPA dust bags ???

[cheesewonton]

It looks like Metrovac only sells disposable paper dust bags for their Evolution full size canister vac. Bummer : / I just bought one new half price from a freight liquidator, hasn't arrived yet, and am wondering if anyone out here has ever found a synthetic HEPA dust bag for another application like a backpack vacuum that fits the Evolution series? From the literature it looks like the diameter of the bag is 9 inches. Is that correct? That will help with a search. Thanks in advance.

 

[cheesewonton]

FedEx tracking says I will be Metrovaced by this Wednesday. Very interested to see this new vacuum. It reminds me in a way of an old Royal 597. The hose handle appears identical to that of an aftermarket ten foot long hose I have for my steel body Electroluxes and Perfect C101. With luck I can use my Electrolux PN5 with the Metrovac. Stay tuned to this station !

 

[kirbylux77]

Good luck, but be prepared to be disappointed. I tried one out years ago at The Bay when they were still in business. Well built for sure, but it lacks refinement. For instance, the cord halo wasn't quite big enough and just BARELY had enough room for the entire cord. The metal hose tube that goes into the canister wasn't tight fitting and was a bit wiggly - not a good sign it would be sealed to the canister for good suction/airflow. The outer bag the paper bag sits in was made of very cheap material, not impressed. There was no cord holder on the wand for the PN cord so you could just simply click the hose handle into the wand, you had to manually plug it into the hose handle. The tools included are very cheap and generic, you will want to replace them immediately.

The PN that's included is the DustCare PN11, the Eurka Vibragroomer/Sweep & Groom copy. It's good, but very noisy. While it grooms well, a couple tips - remove the 2 front wheels directly behind the brushroll so it contacts the carpet and dig in better. Also, take apart the brushroll, and replace the brushes. Buy a Sweep & Groom brushroll, and reassemble with the PN11 ends and the metal body and brushes from the Sweep & Groom brushes. You will see a DRAMATIC improvement in the PN's carpet grooming ability and pickup performance. A warning though - don't just order the brush strips! Since it is a copycat of the Sweep & Groom, the metal body of the PN11 brushroll isn't quite as thick, and is hard to reassemble the brushroll back together if you just put the Sweep & Groom brush strips in. You also need the metal body from the Sweep & Groom to do this mod, as it's a bit thicker and makes it easier to reassemble with the PN11 ends.

 

[blackheart]

I've not found a substitute that would work for it. If memory serves the Royal J bag had the same outer collar size but the inlet was larger. Not that they make a Hepa J bag either.....
I had a metro but ultimately let go of it. Having that 115923 motor in it it always felt like it should be a lot stronger than it was. I'm not exactly sure how they managed that one it's such a simply designed machine that it should work very well but i just found it mediocre.

 

[cheesewonton]

Good luck, but be prepared to be disappointed. I tried one out years ago at The Bay when they were still in business. Well built for sure, but it lacks refinement. For instance, the cord halo wasn't quite big enough and just BARELY had enough room for the entire cord. The metal hose tube that goes into the canister wasn't tight fitting and was a bit wiggly - not a good sign it would be sealed to the canister for good suction/airflow. The outer bag the paper bag sits in was made of very cheap material, not impressed. There was no cord holder on the wand for the PN cord so you could just simply click the hose handle into the wand, you had to manually plug it into the hose handle. The tools included are very cheap and generic, you will want to replace them immediately.

The PN that's included is the DustCare PN11, the Eurka Vibragroomer/Sweep & Groom copy. It's good, but very noisy. While it grooms well, a couple tips - remove the 2 front wheels directly behind the brushroll so it contacts the carpet and dig in better. Also, take apart the brushroll, and replace the brushes. Buy a Sweep & Groom brushroll, and reassemble with the PN11 ends and the metal body and brushes from the Sweep & Groom brushes. You will see a DRAMATIC improvement in the PN's carpet grooming ability and pickup performance. A warning though - don't just order the brush strips! Since it is a copycat of the Sweep & Groom, the metal body of the PN11 brushroll isn't quite as thick, and is hard to reassemble the brushroll back together if you just put the Sweep & Groom brush strips in. You also need the metal body from the Sweep & Groom to do this mod, as it's a bit thicker and makes it easier to reassemble with the PN11 ends.

You will laugh but I have a 10 foot long aftermarket electric hose for old steel body Electrolux canister vacs that has the exact same handle and electric plug as the hose that comes with the Metrovac. That handle with its jutting plug underneath is direct connect to a traditional Electrolux upper wand. I am planning to use the Metrovac with an Electrolux power nozzle instead. I can also use a Sidekick or Kenmore Pet Powermate with it. Both fit.

Also the images I have seen of the power nozzle used by Metrovac show a wooden brush roll, which I honestly prefer to the steel brush roll in those old Beam Eureka Rug Munchers. Those things sound like a wood chipper, drives me nukinfutz.

I also have a nice ten foot hose with a central vacuum handle that Superior Vacuums of Canada, house brand of Hibbert International, sold for Tristars, Miracle Mates and the like. I bought all three the seller had. I have already pried the steel Tristar canister end out of one and replaced it with an old Eureka canister end as my working hose for my several steel body Eureka canisters. The hose handle on those is direct connect to most any central vacuum upper wand. The second hose is for my Tristars. I have a third hose I have not done anything with yet that in the fullness of time will get a Metrovac hose end. Then I can use the Metrovac with a Lindhaus, Sebo, CMB Edgelift or Cen-Tec power nozzles I have. Also not a problem to replace the straight upper wand Metrovac gives you with an upper wand with a standard central vacuum cord control on the Metrovac power nozzle and use that with the Superior hose. I did this with two "working" Eureka Vibragroomer pns and one old Tristar "Turbo Brush" pn. The ten foot hose and direct connect to the wand really makes the Tristar.
Lots of ways to have some fun with this thing. I hear what Blackheart is saying but if it is comparable to my Miracle Mate or Patriot in terms of suction and airflow it will do the job. I have a synthetic bag Johnny Vac sells for Ghibli backpack vacs to try in the Metrovac. If it is too small I can fashion an adapter ring for it. I modify them to fit Patriots so why not?