I was just wondering would you still like vacuum cleaners if they were silent?
No Sound?
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electrolux~137
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What an interesting topic! I would say, I would probably still like them if they made not sound --- but not nearly as much. A large part of what initially fascinated me about vacuum cleaners (and still does, with the vintage machines anyway and not the "modern screamers") is the sound they make. At an early age I, as many of us, could identify the brand (and in some cases even the model) of a vacuum cleaner by its sound.
The earlier Kirby 500-series machines make a very musical sound: There's a clearly audible high-toned whine of overtones from the cooling fan that plays the chord known as a "tritone" - one major third on top of another. E.g, C-E-G#. The later 500-series and the first Sanitronic have a high-pitched major 2nd set of overtones - e.g., Bb-C.
With other machines, such as the early Electroluxes, especially the ones with cord winders and filters, you hear mostly the rushing sound of the air in through the floor nozzle. That distinctive swoosh-swishh sound is very pleasant!
The earlier Kirby 500-series machines make a very musical sound: There's a clearly audible high-toned whine of overtones from the cooling fan that plays the chord known as a "tritone" - one major third on top of another. E.g, C-E-G#. The later 500-series and the first Sanitronic have a high-pitched major 2nd set of overtones - e.g., Bb-C.
With other machines, such as the early Electroluxes, especially the ones with cord winders and filters, you hear mostly the rushing sound of the air in through the floor nozzle. That distinctive swoosh-swishh sound is very pleasant!
electrolux~137
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Maybe the most distinctive sound of beater-bar Hoovers is, well, the beater-bar! You can hear that pleasant "bddddddrrrrrr" sound a mile away! There used to be a lady who lived above me in my old apartment (she's gone to her glory) who had a Hoover Guardsman. When she'd fire that wonderful machine and start vacuuming, my ceiling would vibrate from the agitating sound! I loved it!! I also like how the Hoover motor (in older Convertibles etc.) takes a long time to wind down when you shut if off. With a Kirby, nearly as soon as you turn the machine off it stops running, but the Hoover rolls down for quite a while.
The Eureka/Electrolux Sanitaire makes a similar sound since it too has agitators in addition to bristles, but the motor sound is different -- more like an older Kirby actually.
The Eureka/Electrolux Sanitaire makes a similar sound since it too has agitators in addition to bristles, but the motor sound is different -- more like an older Kirby actually.
I agree with what Charles says. One of the nicest vacuum sounds to my ears are the older Eureka uprights. Electroluxes up until the plastic body machines have a pleasant sound to them, just to name a couple of brands. Not enough thought or resources are put into toning down the noise of new vacs as their ought to be I think
sireluxomatic
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I'd have to say I wouldn't enjoy a completely silent vacuum cleaner. One of the greatest pleasures in using them is listening to the sound of the motor; how it starts up and winds down, how it sounds on carpet vs. bare floors, etc.
There are certain things I do when I'm running a vacuum, in order to better enjoy the sound. I'll turn it on, and then go into another room for a minute to see what it sounds like "far away". Sometimes I'll put my ear to the hose end as the motor winds down to hear the echo. Or I might connect the hose to the blower end to hear the super silent rush of air. One of the best things about the Canadian Electrolux trigger switch hose, other than the convenience, is that you can just let it go and enjoy the soft sound of the canister motor for a minute before starting the power nozzle again.
I also like the solid vibration of an agitator brush or beater bar on a floor above, although I haven't yet gone the length of turning a machine on and then going downstairs for a minute. Come to think of it, there's no reason why I can't.
There are certain things I do when I'm running a vacuum, in order to better enjoy the sound. I'll turn it on, and then go into another room for a minute to see what it sounds like "far away". Sometimes I'll put my ear to the hose end as the motor winds down to hear the echo. Or I might connect the hose to the blower end to hear the super silent rush of air. One of the best things about the Canadian Electrolux trigger switch hose, other than the convenience, is that you can just let it go and enjoy the soft sound of the canister motor for a minute before starting the power nozzle again.
I also like the solid vibration of an agitator brush or beater bar on a floor above, although I haven't yet gone the length of turning a machine on and then going downstairs for a minute. Come to think of it, there's no reason why I can't.
suckolux
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Love the sounds of the older machines, Lux, ect, that is one thing I am not big on with my Dyson
electrolux~137
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Hahahaha, I thought I was the only one who would turn on a vacuum cleaner (or floor polisher) then go outside to listen to it! The only downside about doing this is that the motor is running constantly, instead of pitching up and down as it would when the machine was being used -- so it's not quite the same as standing outside and listening to someone vacuum.
There used to be someone with whom I could mutually indulge this bit of auditory fun -- Stan Kann! Whenever I'd call and say I was coming by, he'd "just happen" to be running one of his vacuums when I'd walk up the front walkway to his house. And I'd do the same for him -- when I was expecting him to come over, I'd keep an eye out the front window. When I saw his car pull up, I'd start using my Hoover 700 for him. I'd see him walking up the sidewalk -- he would stop and tilt his head with a sweet smile on his face listening to his favorite vacuum cleaner! (I sure do miss him -- still.)
For me, there's a certain pulse-tingling excitement around walking down the street and hearing the sound of a vacuum cleaner - even today. Even when it's a "screecher."
But I've had some pleasant surprises as well, like the day some years ago when I was walking my dog Oz around the neighborhood. I passed a cute little white house and heard what I =knew= was the muffled sound of an Electrolux XXX emanating from inside!
I was brazen enough to knock on the door where the sound was coming from. When an elderly lady opened the door with an Electrolux hose handle in her hand [a dark turquoise 1205-era replacement hose with chrome handle] I nearly fainted! And I could see, yes, an Electrolux XXX sitting on the bare wood floor behind her!!
I said hello and told her I used to work for a vacuum cleaner repair shop and that as I walked by, I recognized the sound of her Electrolux. [I didn't want to come right out and say I was a collector or that I was obsessed with vacuum cleaners!] I said, "That's a sound I don't hear much anymore, as more and more of these wonderful old machines are disappearing."
Fortunately the old lady was very sweet and nice, and she exclaimed, "Oh, this sweeper is a real Jim-Dandy! My husband bought it for me many years ago and I wouldn't think of replacing it! I've had it repaired a few times, and did get more modern attachments for it because they're easier to use." (I noticed she had a matching dark-turquoise flip-over floor/rug.)
I told her, "Well, you really made my day - I love these old Electroluxes and I'm glad to know that some people are still using them. I don't suppose you by any chance got the floor polisher attachment with it" and I described it to her.
She thought for a moment and said, "I seem to recall something like that but don't think I ever used it, and don't know what might have become of it. It may still be around here somewhere, who knows."
I didn't want to totally freak her out by asking her to go look for it! It was enough, I thought, that I had gone up and knocked on her door. I bid her good day and continued down the street with my doggie Oz.
After that day, whenever I'd pass her house I'd linger, waiting to hear her Electrolux and thought that if I ever happened to see her again I'd ask about the polisher. But I never did run into her again, nor did I ever hear her XXX running again.
A few years later as I was walking up that street with my new babies Madame Pepperoni and Eva and walked by the nice lady's house, I saw a real estate company's "For Sale" sign in the front yard......
There used to be someone with whom I could mutually indulge this bit of auditory fun -- Stan Kann! Whenever I'd call and say I was coming by, he'd "just happen" to be running one of his vacuums when I'd walk up the front walkway to his house. And I'd do the same for him -- when I was expecting him to come over, I'd keep an eye out the front window. When I saw his car pull up, I'd start using my Hoover 700 for him. I'd see him walking up the sidewalk -- he would stop and tilt his head with a sweet smile on his face listening to his favorite vacuum cleaner! (I sure do miss him -- still.)
For me, there's a certain pulse-tingling excitement around walking down the street and hearing the sound of a vacuum cleaner - even today. Even when it's a "screecher."
But I've had some pleasant surprises as well, like the day some years ago when I was walking my dog Oz around the neighborhood. I passed a cute little white house and heard what I =knew= was the muffled sound of an Electrolux XXX emanating from inside!
I was brazen enough to knock on the door where the sound was coming from. When an elderly lady opened the door with an Electrolux hose handle in her hand [a dark turquoise 1205-era replacement hose with chrome handle] I nearly fainted! And I could see, yes, an Electrolux XXX sitting on the bare wood floor behind her!!
I said hello and told her I used to work for a vacuum cleaner repair shop and that as I walked by, I recognized the sound of her Electrolux. [I didn't want to come right out and say I was a collector or that I was obsessed with vacuum cleaners!] I said, "That's a sound I don't hear much anymore, as more and more of these wonderful old machines are disappearing."
Fortunately the old lady was very sweet and nice, and she exclaimed, "Oh, this sweeper is a real Jim-Dandy! My husband bought it for me many years ago and I wouldn't think of replacing it! I've had it repaired a few times, and did get more modern attachments for it because they're easier to use." (I noticed she had a matching dark-turquoise flip-over floor/rug.)
I told her, "Well, you really made my day - I love these old Electroluxes and I'm glad to know that some people are still using them. I don't suppose you by any chance got the floor polisher attachment with it" and I described it to her.
She thought for a moment and said, "I seem to recall something like that but don't think I ever used it, and don't know what might have become of it. It may still be around here somewhere, who knows."
I didn't want to totally freak her out by asking her to go look for it! It was enough, I thought, that I had gone up and knocked on her door. I bid her good day and continued down the street with my doggie Oz.
After that day, whenever I'd pass her house I'd linger, waiting to hear her Electrolux and thought that if I ever happened to see her again I'd ask about the polisher. But I never did run into her again, nor did I ever hear her XXX running again.
A few years later as I was walking up that street with my new babies Madame Pepperoni and Eva and walked by the nice lady's house, I saw a real estate company's "For Sale" sign in the front yard......
sireluxomatic
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Yes indeed, my ears perk up as well whenever I hear a vacuum running, although I've never had the nerve to knock on someone's door and ask them about it. I do, even today, often find an excuse to loiter around a running vacuum, especially if its a soft-sounding one (not many of those around today, sadly).
Charles, I think its great that you and Stan would do that for each other. Also, how lucky it was that the lady with the XXX was willing to talk about it. I wonder how many XXXs are still being used by their original owners or their offspring?
Charles, I think its great that you and Stan would do that for each other. Also, how lucky it was that the lady with the XXX was willing to talk about it. I wonder how many XXXs are still being used by their original owners or their offspring?
electrolux~137
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I wonder how many XXXs are still being used by their original owners or their offspring?
The optimistic side of me says, probably a lot of people are still using XXXs. But the pragmatic side of me says, probably not.
Yes, there are still a few "little old ladies" who still put their XXXs into good and regular service. But most people want roaring power, disposable bags, and of course, super-duper-quadruple-stage magna-hepa filtration (much of which, I suspect, is hype). The few old machines still being used most likely have been relegated to second-class status for use in garages, attics, basements, summer homes etc.
Stan used to point out that even the relatively wimpy Lux XII had more than sufficient power for the use for which it was intended -- dusting. He would say, emphatically, "You only need enough suction to get the schmutz from the floor into the hose!"
The optimistic side of me says, probably a lot of people are still using XXXs. But the pragmatic side of me says, probably not.
Yes, there are still a few "little old ladies" who still put their XXXs into good and regular service. But most people want roaring power, disposable bags, and of course, super-duper-quadruple-stage magna-hepa filtration (much of which, I suspect, is hype). The few old machines still being used most likely have been relegated to second-class status for use in garages, attics, basements, summer homes etc.
Stan used to point out that even the relatively wimpy Lux XII had more than sufficient power for the use for which it was intended -- dusting. He would say, emphatically, "You only need enough suction to get the schmutz from the floor into the hose!"
You only need enough suction to get the schmutz from the flo
How true that is! I'm sure most people would even consider an XXX wimpy by today's standards. One of the reasons my father (when he first found out about them) liked the Oreck so much was because of their amazingly simple design as well as the fact that even now they use high efficiency, low-amperage motors. While I know it isn't vintage, one of my favorite sounds is the almost Regina Electrikbroom-like whine and rush of air you hear with an Oreck XL-21. That, and the very distinctive sound (and slight hiss) when a Hoover Dial-A-Matic winds down ;-)
How true that is! I'm sure most people would even consider an XXX wimpy by today's standards. One of the reasons my father (when he first found out about them) liked the Oreck so much was because of their amazingly simple design as well as the fact that even now they use high efficiency, low-amperage motors. While I know it isn't vintage, one of my favorite sounds is the almost Regina Electrikbroom-like whine and rush of air you hear with an Oreck XL-21. That, and the very distinctive sound (and slight hiss) when a Hoover Dial-A-Matic winds down ;-)
suckolux
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Now the XXX is another sound all to itself, and the sweet smell when its running, might as well have gone to a spa! I use mine for the hardwood floors and the step back in time and unwind it provides, love the coast down sound too, they had it right!
vacbear58
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My choice
Unfortunatly my XXX had had its motor replaced by a 240V version when I bought it so I cannot comment on its "native" sound.
For me, the best sounding cleaner is my Hoover 612 (US 61), I love the gentle whine of its motor with the "rythum secion" of its brushroll in action - the sound that means carpets are being really cleaned. Second place goes to my 160, it is just not quite as smooth as the 612
Al
Unfortunatly my XXX had had its motor replaced by a 240V version when I bought it so I cannot comment on its "native" sound.
For me, the best sounding cleaner is my Hoover 612 (US 61), I love the gentle whine of its motor with the "rythum secion" of its brushroll in action - the sound that means carpets are being really cleaned. Second place goes to my 160, it is just not quite as smooth as the 612
Al
While talking about hearing over peoples vacuums, some times I try to make people hear or see mine. When I wash the car with my dad, I will sometimes take out one of my older vacs, like a 1400s Eureka, and use it a little but leave it out where someone can look at it. Sadly, I never seen someone stop and look.
Although once I did come home with two Hoover Elites from the Goodwill. When I started to bring them out of the car, my neighbor looked at me funny. Guess people are too busy today!
Although once I did come home with two Hoover Elites from the Goodwill. When I started to bring them out of the car, my neighbor looked at me funny. Guess people are too busy today!
aeoliandave
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Thank goodness we are not 'most people'.
No.
If I wanted silent vacuuming I'd have a central vac system and would not be a collector. There's nothing more soothing than the hushed hum of a vintage Electrolux or the drumming throb of a vintage Hoover upright.
Contemporary plasti-vacs? I've very very few that I'd want to listen to any longer than absolutely necessary, but there are some.
I want to be able to converse without shouting over the vacuum, at least be able to hear the background music that's playing for my Vacuuming sessions.
Dave
No.
If I wanted silent vacuuming I'd have a central vac system and would not be a collector. There's nothing more soothing than the hushed hum of a vintage Electrolux or the drumming throb of a vintage Hoover upright.
Contemporary plasti-vacs? I've very very few that I'd want to listen to any longer than absolutely necessary, but there are some.
I want to be able to converse without shouting over the vacuum, at least be able to hear the background music that's playing for my Vacuuming sessions.
Dave
sireluxomatic
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The Old Soldiers Soldier On
Its at least heartening to think that there are a few 40-50+ year old machines still in service. I bought my Electrolux 88 (made in 1965) from an Aerus salesman, who said he got it from an older lady. I have no reason to doubt it; it was (and still is) in perfect running condition, and almost entirely rust-free, even the inside of the bag chamber. It only came with a hose, which was, a little oddly, a green non-electric 89 hose. It's great to think of that lady using that vacuum for all those years, and taking very good care of it.
As far as the issue of cleaning power goes, all of the older machines I have (none so old as the XII or XXX) are, in my admittedly non-professional opinion, just as good or perhaps better than the newer machines at cleaning. The one let-down, of course, is the leaky woven hoses, but with an airtight hose, I fail to see the difference in cleaning effectiveness and efficiency versus a new machine (again, a non-professional opinion). I've never measured the suction or conducted a cleaning test like others here...this is strictly observation and "feeling".
Speaking of the vacuum cleaner "rhythm section", that's one of the major differences between the older and newer Luxes. When I use the Model Gs or the 86/88/89 with power nozzles, I can hardly hear the canister at all over the whine of the power nozzle. Like I said above, I keep disconnecting the power nozzle to hear the canister motor. With the Epic, however, the power nozzle is a sleeping baby compared to the roar of the canister.
Its at least heartening to think that there are a few 40-50+ year old machines still in service. I bought my Electrolux 88 (made in 1965) from an Aerus salesman, who said he got it from an older lady. I have no reason to doubt it; it was (and still is) in perfect running condition, and almost entirely rust-free, even the inside of the bag chamber. It only came with a hose, which was, a little oddly, a green non-electric 89 hose. It's great to think of that lady using that vacuum for all those years, and taking very good care of it.
As far as the issue of cleaning power goes, all of the older machines I have (none so old as the XII or XXX) are, in my admittedly non-professional opinion, just as good or perhaps better than the newer machines at cleaning. The one let-down, of course, is the leaky woven hoses, but with an airtight hose, I fail to see the difference in cleaning effectiveness and efficiency versus a new machine (again, a non-professional opinion). I've never measured the suction or conducted a cleaning test like others here...this is strictly observation and "feeling".
Speaking of the vacuum cleaner "rhythm section", that's one of the major differences between the older and newer Luxes. When I use the Model Gs or the 86/88/89 with power nozzles, I can hardly hear the canister at all over the whine of the power nozzle. Like I said above, I keep disconnecting the power nozzle to hear the canister motor. With the Epic, however, the power nozzle is a sleeping baby compared to the roar of the canister.
After you service a Convertible,
turn it on and hear that hum. Heaven. I used to love to hear my tennant and next door neighbors cleaning in the Summer with the windows open. They BOTH had HOOVER convertibles. "AHHH"
turn it on and hear that hum. Heaven. I used to love to hear my tennant and next door neighbors cleaning in the Summer with the windows open. They BOTH had HOOVER convertibles. "AHHH"
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