Nothing beams like a Laser...

[turbo500]

A rather mysterious looking package arrived at my house this morning.

 

[turbo500]

But what could it be?...OH YES. My new in box, never opened Goblin Laser upright, thats what! At this stage, I had absolutely no idea which model of Laser was inside the box...IMAGINE THE EXCITEMENT!

 

[turbo500]

Model number and other details

 

[turbo500]

It's.....


.....



.....



RED!!!

 

[turbo500]

So, I'm not sure of the exact year, but I know it's a later model as the earlier ones were all grey. The manual also notes another machine which has the in-built Turbopower style tools instead of the on-board attachable hose. These style of Laser didn't come out until around 1994/95.

 

[turbo500]

tools and handle.

 

[turbo500]

fold-out manual. There was also a spare bag and 2 year free guarantee card included with the paper work

 

[turbo500]

and finally....et voila! The full kit!

 

[turbo500]

A bit of history for those who don't know - Goblin in the UK have mostly been a budget brand since the 1970's. The Laser series was launched in the early 1990's (at the same time as the new style Rio cylinders) to replace the old Commander uprights. In terms of design, the machine is not that different from the commander at all. Both are dirty fan designs are relatively similar. The main difference is the appearance and the style in which the hose attaches. They retails from between £60 - £90 depending on retailer/model. The first Lasers were these 2 from 1992 - a softbag with optional tools, and a hardbag with built in tools (although both require the tools to be attached, they are not intergrated). The attachable tool caddy was available to purchase from Goblin separately on models which did not include this. I remember my Dad's cousin having the softbag version, but with on board tools.

 

[turbo500]

So I've had a bit of chance to use it now, and as far as a cheap upright goes, it's not half bad! It has very strong suction as an upright and an ok brushroll. It also does a pretty good job on laminate floors. The hose suction is pretty poor though, but certainly no worse than the turbopower's. The cleaner is very light to lift and manoeuvre, which I imagine is why it would have appealed to the older generation at the time.

The plastic is dreadfully cheap, but it's not brittle like the turbopower was. It's much more flexible. I swear, it's made of play dough! The bag door is a bit of a nightmare, as you really have to squash it down and mould the plastic yourself to get the thing to shut.

 

[turbo500]

Date wise, it's probably from around 94 - 96. I do remember seeing one in this colour at someones house when I was little, but I remember they had the tool caddy on the back. The age of the cleaner means it ties in perfectly with my boxed Goblin Rio from the same time. If only the Rio was red...

 

[suctionselector]

Nice!

So cool, and mint as well, why has it never been opened?

 

[turbo500]

I have no idea. It was found in someone's Nan's loft, just shoved in a corner.

 

[Jakesvacs]

Not everday

you get to have a NIB Goblin laser! Great find!

 

[suctionselector]

Oh wow!

I'm guessing it works like a charm?

 

[turbo500]

It certainly does.

Well, as "charm like" as a Goblin Laser ever got lol

 

[suctionselector]

As popular as a Hoover Turbopower, I doubt!

 

[turbo500]

I wouldn't quite have said that. The Turbopower was britain's best selling vacuum for the best part of 10 years, replaced by the Panasonic 40 series in the early 1990's briefly and then by the DC01. However, they were popular due to them being inexpensive at not bad vacuums (although they're certainly nothing special, especially when compared with the Turbopowers and Electrolux Contour series of the time). As average as they were, the Laser and Rio had their market. I remember a fair few of these around from when I was little, but few seem to have survived to today. I think with Turbopowers and other more high-end vacuums, people took care of them and got them repaired if anything went wrong. Whereas the Laser, I imagine, was purchased as a knowingly budget vacuum that one would just through out if it broke. Kind of like the equivalent of an Argos Value upright today.

 

[suctionselector]

Pah to Argos Value!

Prices yes but quality? I wouldn't touch a AV vacuum with a barge pole!