Next Kirby?

[kirbyg6]

What do you think will come after the Avalir 2? I

 

[rowdy141]

Must be like trying to redesign a racehorse. They've got a winning formula and they're reluctant to change any part of it.
Is there really much difference between any of the recent Kirbys? Other than bag colour?
Don't get me wrong, I like them, but I'd be hard-pressed to explain the differences between say a G4 and an Avalir 2.

 

[kirbyg6]

Yeah I think it must be really boring working at Kirby just making the same machine over and over again

 

[juju93]

Yeah about at lease with a g4 and avalir 2 you can see the difference other than bag and color change. But if you think of it, and I know I’ve express this a lot models sentria (2006) up to the current Avalir 2 have literally looked the same. The only difference is the color and name, other than that they’re basically identical in terms of use, sounds and functions. I do hope they change the look and sound of the Kirby, because if I see another sentria recolored and renamed again I’m loosing all hope in Kirby. Hell They’ve even closed down the only service center in town. But here’s what I would like to see in the future Kirby:
Quieter operation (because the current design is way to loud on hard surface floors)
Lighter weight
Longer cord
But most importantly: no more looking like a 2006 sentria with a new color and
Also new optional accessories to purchase, maybe bring back the handi butler as well as the carpet rake.

 

[superocd]

Personally I'd like to see them drop Tech Drive and revert back to a modern take on the 500 series/Dual Sanitronic. Squeeze the current G3-Avalir II motor into a replica of the classic 500 series shell, transfer over the fancase and emptor from the Sentria/Avalir (since that configuration affords the best airflow out of all the Kirby machines), perhaps optimize the old-style floor nozzle to maintain or beat the current standing of 150 CFM, and they would have a winner. While the G series machines are great (I have an Avalir and used to have a Sentria I) I think that it's time to bid adieu to the design and revert back to their roots. I have a Legend and a DS50 and neither of them have Tech Drive yet are still easy to maneuver, plus there isn't a parasitic loss in the form of the motor having to send power to the wheels via a transmission in addition to the fan and brushroll.

Of course I don't think that the above will happen as people are fickle and would turn down a perfectly good vacuum because it looks like it's from the 60s. They already have one strike against them for having an outer cloth bag -- for too many people these days, a cloth bag equals old tech even though a machine equipped with one typically outperforms basically everything sold at Target, Walmart, Sears, Best Buy, and so on. People in general do not care to educate themselves on the technology behind their appliances, cars, and so on. They just buy what looks cool. Having them bring back something like a modernized Dual Sanitronic 50 may turn off a lot of would be buyers, so the rational side of me says maybe it would be cool for enthusiasts and open minded people but not the general public.

At the same time, I feel that maybe Kirby should keep on going with the G series design -- there's nothing bad about the G series, it's just that Tech Drive isn't all that necessary. The advantages are that it does work well, it is time tested and parts are more or less interchangeable from model to model. One more iteration of the Gxx/Sentria/Avalir only means more parts for the forseeable future.

 

[rowdy141]

A hose attachment port (bayonet style) where the belt-lifter is now? Turn the belt-lifter to disengage the roller, and the port aligns to accept the hose?
On-board hose storage with basic tools? Removing and attaching the head each time is a pain.

 

[human]

I don't really care what the next Kirby looks like as long as it's made of metal and doesn't contain a bunch of self-destructing circuit boards. The next new thing is of minimal importance to me because I won't be buying it before it's the next old thing, anyway. And if I'm truly honest with myself, I have more than enough high quality Kirby and Electrolux vacuums at my house to last me a lifetime and then some.

As for the idea of deleting the Tech Drive, I honestly can't see Kirby doing that. It's been integral to their design for three decades and is their answer to the criticism that their machines are too heavy, which is a major turnoff for many people. It would make as much sense as Cadillac suddenly deciding to quit including automatic transmissions, cruise control, power windows, seats, steering, etc. on their cars.

 

[panasonicvac]

I would love to see another Kirby in green.

 

[ralph123]

Kirby needs to have 2 models instead of one, at least while they transition to a more modern machine. they need to keep the current upright design with some improvements for the diehard fans. But they also need something with on board tools that is more modern for everyone else. While the classic Kirby cleans carpet very well, many users seem to hate using them. I've mentioned before the dismal owner satisfaction ratings of Kirby's by their owners in Consumer Reports.

 

[crazykirbydude]

I think they should take a two-model approach. Have a lightweight, modernized rendition of the older 500 series for the bottom of the line, and a new G-Series for the top of the line. I'm sure customers would appreciate a lighter Kirby like the old 500 series was. Hell, even some plasticrap machines are heavier than the old 500 series Kirby.

 

[dysonman1]

Kirby is never going to have two models at the same time. Not going to happen. You have to think about how it's sold. The door to door salesman has two jobs. Get into the house at any cost. Number two: make them unhappy with the vacuum they have now. That's it. Their entire job. The more unhappy they are with their present vac, the more likely they will be to buy a new machine. Can you imagine having two models in the van with 10 salesmen who are out canvasing neighborhoods?

Salesmen in general last a very short while. To get them to remember the features of ONE machine is almost impossible, much less two. Just in the US alone, Kirby is selling about 30,000 units per month. Probably none to vacuum collectors, which is why they don't care about making anything 'vintage'.

I have a good friend who does the repair work for the largest Kirby distributor in a Southern state. He sends me pictures of the trade ins so I can pick out what I want him to bring me. The vast majority of cleaners traded in on a new Kirby are cheap plastic vacuums - not old Kirbys. Maybe because old Kirbys are owned by people who don't want to let a Kirby salesman back in.

 

[rowdy141]

I guess it'd take quite a few years to forget the Kirby Salesman. Especially when you're still paying for the last one.

 

[broomvac]

I think Kirby would do well with a large, independently powered direct drive (think Panasonic) brush roll which activates whenever you lean the handle back. We all know that an aggressive brush roll can “pull” a vacuum along; why not have this direct drive brush change direction of rotation to help pull/push the vacuum with each stroke. You could also deactivate it with the flip of a switch for bare floor cleaning.

For wet cleaning, slide off the regular carpet body/drum and install one dedicated to shampooing. Since it’s independently driven, the suction motor could be switched off altogether.

This system could also enable onboard tools, something Kirby needs.

 

[rowdy141]

We Vacuum Collectors, Service-Engineers, and those of us who refurbish older machines, are not Kirby's intended target market, but I can't help thinking manufacturers would benefit from asking for improvement ideas here, or maybe running questionnaires/polls? They do seem to be somewhat insulated.

 

[vaclab]

I Tend To Agree With The Winning Formula Comment

From Alan, at least performance-wise. I might make a video more fully explaining this, but it may very well be that the "Tech Drive" is the most important piece of engineering in modern Kirbys.

Think about this:

With the Tech Drive, a HUGE amount of CFM forced deep down into pile carpet is made usable and gives the best airflow I've ever measured through a medium pile carpet. Removing the Tech Drive would mean either the nozzle would have to be made significantly larger to decrease the airflow density and/or the CFM would have to be decreased from 150-ish to maybe 90-ish.

And if you believe going back 50 years to a high CFM, lightweight, small nozzle machine like a D80, think again IF you have lots of wall-to-wall pile carpet. My 125 CFM fully refurbished D80 is UNUSABLE in such a situation due to the "suction cup" effect, even if I place the height adjustment on position "4" and open the relief valve.

Bill

 

[lesinutah]

Hmm

If they incorporated vacuum into bypass motor. If they did that it would have tools built in and it could incorporate a lift away.
I'd love a d80 color scheme. I doubt any of these will happen.
Les

 

[madman]

Honestly, going retro might not be a bad move for Kirby. Their machine already looks like a dated machine that's been prettied-up - to the regular consumer, that is. They might as well go all the way and make it look as retro as possible, while keeping all the current features. At minimum, they would keep their current market, and at best, they'd get new customers that like a bit of nostalgia.

 

[rowdy141]

Hi Bill,
Thank-you so much for your reasoned, easy-to-follow, explanation. I've seen so many of those YouTube videos you refer to and, quite frankly, been none the wiser afterwards.

Can I ask you; Is "The Suction Cup Effect" where the brushroll head sucks so hard to the carpet, that air isn't effectively flowing through the system, and out of the bag?

That sounds like the bit I couldn't get my head around with the Tradition and Fill-tube assembly? Is this why people regard the tube as too narrow? It has suction, but not throughput?

Thanks,
Alan

BTW: Well done for sitting crossed-legged for so long. I have a couple of years on you and it was making my knees hurt just watching

 

[air-waycharlie]

If they are selling 30,000 units a month--think about that for a moment--30,000 vacuums in one month. Lets see that would be 360,000 Kirbys a year! With those kind of numbers why would they be motivated to change a thing?

I'm not sure what that would translate to in gross sales but they seem to be going strong and have costs under control.

When I was still active in the vacuum business I was dumbfounded by the number of people that bought them NEW, used them for maybe 12 months and then put them in the back of a closet and bought some cheap plastic dustblower for ease of use.

We tend to super analyze vacuums and the average buyer doesn't see them as anything more than a toaster or blender or coffee maker. If an emotional pitched sale with a pretty vacuum and good demo takes place--a sale is made whether they need the vacuum or not.