More info on the Hoover Constellation, please?

[earthling177]

Please pardon me if the subject has been discussed to death, I'm new around here (wandering over from AutomaticWasher.org), but since I have never seen one of Hoover Constellations in person, I was wondering if people who own them could please give us more details/pictures of them. The Hoover website currently seems to have lots of conflicting info so I don't trust that source.

I was wondering, for example, if there is any difference between the new models (White and Stainless) besides the obvious color/finish? Do they get dusty inside the bag chamber after being used a while? Also, what are the differences between the new model and the older ones? Did the older ones use a turbo-brush like the new models or were they more like the "vibragroom" floor attachments that older Eurekas used, or maybe an electric hose and power nozzle combo? Also, given how much the ads harped on the feature, can one actually clean a regular flight of stairs without having to carry the cleaner? Are the bags on the large side like upright vacuums or are they more like compact canisters?

Thanks in advance,
-- Paulo.

 

[hoovercelebrity]

I can take more pictures and post more later...

But, yes..

One can do an entire staircase with the new Constellation.

The differences between the Stainless and White models are just that, stainless or painted white finish, black trim on the stainless model, gray trim on the white model.
And the hose on the stainless model stretches 4' longer (20' of reach with the wand) compared to 16' of reach with the wand on the white one.

Here's a photo of Robert demonstrating the double stretch hose at my house back in January of 2007...

*and*

We all pooled our money and bought Charlie a Stainless model for his birthday... Here he is demonstrating the slightly longer hose.

 

[vinvac]

To answer your question about dust in the bag chamber - No.

I have used mine and tried my best to get it to leak dust...and nothing. The bags that come with the machine are remarkable. There is also no noticable reduction in air flow.

Miele, the Kirby Micron Magic, and the Air Tec bags for me seem to offer that very same level of filtration.

Morgan

 

[luxg]

I have to agree with everything Morgan has said about the Constellation. I have the Stainless model and love it!! It is very easy to use and has un-real suction. I love the longer hose so feel that the addition cost for the stainless steel machine is worth it. I have never had any dust leakage in the bag area either. If only they had made this machine with an electric power nozzle it would have be one fantastic vacuum. Terry

 

[kirbyvertibles]

Power nozzle on constellation

I have a pwr nozzle with my new white constellation!!! A home made one, and you too can have one if you want. I will try to take pictures later. I was working on an Oreck one day and took the handle off the base to give it a good cleaning and thought, you know what, that looks like the constellation wand from the turbo nozzle might fit. It fit GREAT and so I plugged in the oreck, turned it on and turned on the connie. WOW what cleaning power from two fans. Oreck's suction and the connie's suction. The oreck by itself is just okay but not great, add a connie and see your oreck come to life!!!
Phillip

 

[arh1953]

I know I could look it up

Do they still float? I can't see that they do, especially from the last picture.

 

[hoovercelebrity]

Alan-

Yep, they still float... I was stepping on the cord with my foot as I took that picture, so the machine didn't go flying towards Charlie.

~Fred

 

[vinvac]

Now that is a MONSTER VAC!!!!!

 

[luxg]

Phillip, you might just have something there!!! Can't wait to see a picture.

 

[arh1953]

Thanks Fred

I love a floater. It didn't occur to me that there were off camera hijinks. As much as I love the Constellation, I only want the floaty one.

 

[earthling177]

You are all making this machine way too tempting -- I may just have to get one. Both are very pretty, and who doesn't want a longer hose anyway? But I find myself more attracted to the white version and I can't say why, usually I go for stainless.

It is surprising to me that over 40 years after that machine came out, manufacturers still don't routinely provide long and/or stretchable hoses that can clean a flight of stairs just like this one. Every person I know that had a Connie still talks about it, it would seem to me that it's a very attractive feature, and one of the reasons I want one, who wants to balance a machine on stair steps while cleaning at the same time?

A couple more questions, can one use the current version as a blower too, and did the older versions of the Connie use an electric brush of some kind or have they all been non-electric hoses?

Thanks all for the info!
-- Paulo.

 

[williamr1248]

More info on the Hoover Constellation please

I have the new Hoover Constellation. It does have very good suction,the bags are very good. It is the ONLY Hoover that I have ever owned that didn't smell and leak dust. I also love the hose. On the down side I don't like the turbo rug nozzle and although the "floating" concept is fun it is always either hitting the walls when on the hardwood floors or having to be picked up to move over throw rugs. It also "blows" the dust around the floor. I think they did a wonderful job on the machine and it is quiet,fun to use. It would be a killer if they had added a Hoover electric power nozzle with "Beats As It Sweeps as It Cleans". It has a to die for Hoover nameplate and a wonderful Constellation name on the handle. I can't imagine any vac collector not loving the machine.

 

[hygiene903]

Older Connies

I have never seen any of the older (1954-1976) Connies with a power nozzle, but if there ever was one, Jeff Parker or Tom Anderson would know. There was one model with an electric hose (I think only one) but that was only for the purpose of turning the machine on or off at the handle end of the hose, for convenience. The nozzle on all of them was a standard strip brush type rug nozzle.
Jeff

 

[earthling177]

Hi, again!

Finally got the chance to look through the older posts on the site and find a bunch of Connie related posts, look through the vacuum collections etc. What a lot of fun, and the collections are incredibly cool!

In the Archives for the Contemporary Forum, Thread #420 ("The New Constellation. Take Apart!") Fred had a link for more pictures of the machine taken apart, but the link goes nowhere currently. Fred, if you would happen to still have the pictures lying around, and could post them again, I'd really appreciate it, I'm very curious about this machine in all it's incarnations.

And thanks all for all the info and a wonderful site!
-- Paulo.

 

[westyslantfront]

Hi everyone. I have two Connies. One white/gray and the other stainless steel. As I have all ceramic tile floors, the guy at the Hoover Store here in Tucson, AZ took back the rug nozzle and gave me a floor brush which works much better.
It is effortless vacuuming.

Ross

View attachment 3-23-2008-20-23-28--westyslantfront.jpg

 

[westyslantfront]

Hi everyone. I have two Connies. One white/gray and the other stainless steel. As I have all ceramic tile floors, the guy at the Hoover Store here in Tucson, AZ took back the rug nozzle and gave me a floor brush which works much better.
It is effortless vacuuming.

Ross

 

[westyslantfront]

More pictures of my Connie.

 

[westyslantfront]

One more picture. I think it is the greatest vacuum ever invented.


Ross

 

[westyslantfront]

And here is a picture of one of my cats, Elfriede getting vacuumed by me using one of my Constellations.