New year, new displays

[adamthemieleman]

Hey all, you may remember a year ago I posted a thread with images of our displays. It's been a funny kind of year, with the European regulations going on, so I wanted to share to you all, how our new displays look.
If you want you can read the previous one in this link

http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?23289


First image, Dyson no 1

 

[adamthemieleman]

Second, Dyson no2

 

[adamthemieleman]

AEG, the lineup was reduced to just cordless, all charged.

 

[adamthemieleman]

Hoover, and their very sexist back boards!

Not much new here, same junk with lower wattage.

 

[adamthemieleman]

Vax no1. Both Hoover and Vax bays gained space. I think we're still waiting for a new Vax cylinder.

 

[adamthemieleman]

Vax again. The Air models aren't bad for performance and price ratio. The other stuff is crap.

 

[adamthemieleman]

This is new. A cordless section. The Bosch and Vax are good, but the Hoover is laughable.

 

[adamthemieleman]

Also new, are Shark. What is hard to see is that I have one of the machines in canister mode with the hard floor mop attached.

 

[adamthemieleman]

Numatic have a bigger feature too. Hetty, Harry, Henry and Henry extra. We finally got original bags

 

[adamthemieleman]

New too is Bosch, good machines, except the compact bagless which is a nightmare to use

 

[adamthemieleman]

Miele bay with extra space. Same great machines, just low wattages.

 

[adamthemieleman]

Lastly Samsung. Again the machines are still brilliant, just low wattages. The basic Samsung is probably the highest we have, at 1500 watts. The rest averaging out at 850w.


They ditched the pointless UV so it's just sensor and pet,.There's the new uprights.

Hoses still remain, largely because I said if they go, I go. Of course, they have stayed!

Carpet washers and steam mops are pretty much the same, but it's floorcare that was overhauled, still I think these machines are the best we've had in some time, thanks to the energy label.

 

[bagintheback]

The low-end Hoover and Vax machines just look insanely cheap. W<span style="font-size: 12pt;">ith that long decade of Hoover poster, you'd think they would put some effort into maintaining their heritage. </span>At least American vacs pretend to look quality. I'd be running to your Miele section! Thanks for posting; I enjoy seeing what's available over seas. What's been your best seller lately? 

 

[vintagerepairer]

"With that long decade of Hoover poster, you'd think they would put some effort into maintaining their heritage. At least American vacs pretend to look quality. I'd be running to your Miele section"

That is such an interesting statement. On the surface, I could agree with it. But the fact remains that in the UK the brand name "Hoover" means very little to the consumer in terms of a quality product from years ago. Thus, making a high-end product would not really help profit margins.

Despite the association still made with the name "Hoover" and "vacuum cleaners", it is not an association steeped in brand loyalty and quality, just a recognition of the name. Many things in the UK are sold with names and brands which consumers are very familier with - hence my comments I've made in the past that businesses are often purchased for the 'value' that is in the name, rather than for the goods they are making.

In terms of market placement, Hoover cleaners in the UK are so far from the top end of the market now that even if they did make a decent vacuum cleaner with a price to match, it would be unlikly to appeal to the consumer. Their placement relies on them making cheap cleaners with low price tags.

 

[sebo_fan]

"...In terms of market placement, Hoover cleaners in the UK are so far from the top end of the market now that even if they did make a decent vacuum cleaner with a price to match, it would be unlikly to appeal to the consumer. Their placement relies on them making cheap cleaners with low price tags..."

I agree. Hoover Europe under Candy of Italy have not much of a place left in floorcare largely because the home owner company don't really take much of an interest.

 

[seamusuk]

Hoover...

Sadly I would never buy any new Hoover cleaner- IMO the last half decent cleaners worthy of the name were the final Purepowers and Sensorys to leave Cambuslang.

We did pick up a Globe with a jammed roller for £5 from the BHF when Matt was a volunteer- a bit of hair clearance. WD40 and a new belt got it going. It's actually an ok performer but build quality is truly abysmal. How anyone would say they were worth £200 + or even the £120 offer price is beyond me.

Seamus

 

[adamthemieleman]

It seems these eco machines are doing much better than their previous counterparts. I had a cursory look at Which, I was able to find the Hoover Smart and Vax white cylinder which scored around 30% giving them don't buy status
The new Smart and the Vax energise vibe seem to now get 60%, of course not perfect, but adequate.

I've noticed some techniques the brands have used, we know Vax have updated brush rolls but even the single cyclone seems different, take for example the Vax flair cylinder, the previous range had the previous filter in the top, the flair has it in the bottom. Perhaps utilising gravity to throw out particles.

Hoover and Vax have also redesigned long flexible hoses, such as the turbopower and air max, one has to connect two hoses together, I suspect to reduce the airpath.

 

[sebo_fan]

Eco design means full suction but danger of damage

Went to Tesco yesterday and tried out a Vax Mach Air Eco model upright (or to those who love the model number details, the U90-MA-Re Air) to see what the fuss is all about.

WELL, I find it jolly difficult to push on the thin mat carpet sample tiles they have in the store because of suction power.

More worringly despite Vax's redesign, adding a gaping mouth of a soleplate with no carpet bar protectors means non-permanent mats on a floor have a danger (and non-frill rug edges) of being sucked up into the brush roll and then cuts it off.

Happened twice. I was worried I might be charged all of £279 for breaking the brush bar. "Happens all the time," said the sales man. Just as well! This also happens on my Vax Cordless Air, but not as much due to the lower power.

 

[marcusprit]

That is a great display!