Plastic vs Metal bodied Electrolux?

[nivico]

I have no experience with the relatively more modern plastic bodied Electrolux canisters... are they still built as well and as reliable as the older metal bodied models?

Theres a Craigslist ad for a 6500SR that I'm considering getting (to actually use day to day), but it just doesn't "look" as well made as the Super J model I grew up using.

...plus the collector in me wants to hold out for a more aesthetically appealing vintage model, lol, but if the drab grey 6500 works as well it's probably the more practical choice.

 

[kirbyloverdan]

They are

very well built and very reliable . My family have owned Electrolux/Aerus since the Super J . We have owned every model since up to todays Aerus Guardian Ultra. Most people will say the plastic bodied Aerus are not any good but thats because they prefer metal . I loved the metal but they get dinged and dented . The "plastic" bodied model stay looking like new longer . They are very strong I can stand on them and I weigh 250 pounds 6` tall . I have droped them down the stairs and nothing has happened to them .If that`s what you want buy it you will be quite pleased .Owning every model since the Super J each and every model made has been more powerful than the last . They always improve the models as the years go on . Good luck

 

[eurekastar]

I have owned a couple of plastic body models and I have them to be very reliable and very durable.  There was an issue with the plastic wands in early models, but I suspect that has been resolved. 

 

[blackheart]

While my experience is fairly limited

I did for a while have a plastic bodied LE and my tristar uses the same type of setup as most plastic bodied machines
The plastic does not absorb sound as well so they are louder than the metal bodied machines
I prefer the pistol grip handles on the metal bodies to the gas pump style it's just more comfortable in the hand in addition to that the pistol grip take standard 1.25 tools allowing more flexibility with accessories

As for durability i can't really say, though i've seen the back cap of those plastic machines cracked twice, but other than that the main body seems to hold up really well

 

[jmurray01]

The day Electrolux stops making well built Vacuum Cleaners has yet to come

Unfortunately the plastic has gotten thinner (not like the chunky stuff my '82 502S was made of), but you can't expect build quality like that to still exist with all the people out there demanding cheap prices and thus lesser quality.

All I have to do is look at my 2000 Electrolux Tango in comparison to the aforementioned 502S to see that the plastic has thinned out by about half, but that Tango is 12 years old and has no cracks or signs of weakening.

I don't know how but from what I've seen Electrolux has managed to still make strong cleaners out of the cheaper plastics these days. For that I am truly amazed and it makes me proud to be a Lux owner.

 

[mark40511]

That's the exact Epic 6500 I have. I bought it reconditioned off Ebay. The body of it is flawless. Not sure what kind of plastic it's made of, but there isn't a single scratch on it. Also, I keep hearing about sealed vs non sealed vacuums. I'm not even sure why all vacuums wouldn't automatically be sealed, but I guess they aren't. I think this particular model is sealed. It has an after filter that fits tightly to the exhaust and the only exhausted air that I can feel only exits through that after filter, so I'm guessing that's sealed? Not sure about the metal bodied ones. I know on my Kenmore canister you could feel air coming out through the hepa, but also, you could feel exhausted air coming out of other areas such as where the cord entered the body. My grandma had an Electrolux and all remember about it was that it didn't have wheels, but it was more like a vacuum on a sled. I'm sure someone owns it to this day.

 

[kirbyloverdan]

Jamie

I think the Electrolux you are talking about are the ones in Europe which are made by Eureka not the US version Electrolux now named Aerus .

 

[sebo_fan]

"The day Electrolux stops making well built Vacuum Cleaners has yet to come "

Unfortunately the plastic has gotten thinner (not like the chunky stuff my '82 502S was made of), but you can't expect build quality like that to still exist with all the people out there demanding cheap prices and thus lesser quality. .."

I agree to a certain degree. Your 'Lux 2000 was built to a better standard than the current Powerplus bagged cylinders sold today. Electrolux U.S and Aerus, are better built in the U.S because, well that's a big market all to itself. Taking Aerus into consideration, the Americans have got it right in terms of offering an older design canister vacuum with better plastics that are robust - but the machines are not exactly cheap to buy - promoted by the fact that "premium" tags are pushing buyers to pay top prices - unless you consider EBay with refurbished or collector's own machines.

The people haven't demanded anything cheap though - it's the brand itself who are at fault; passing off any old tat to reasonable machines at high prices; Asia and other nations where cheap production labour costs exists means brands can charge whatever they like, whether it is detrimental to the buyer or not. Brand loyalty can be hard to maintain if the brand itself isn't meeting the mark.

Electrolux's current range is nothing but sad to see and its former glory has yet to be restored in as far as Europe and the UK are concerned. Their current range has been filtered through to Electrolux's umbrella companies like Zanussi now making what used to be Electrolux's Powerlite cylinder vacuum, the Powerplus itself appearing in remodelled form, also sold as Zanussi, to even the premium "Ultrasilencer," models missing the Electrolux brand name and replaced by the AEG name.

Even John Lewis sell an Electrolux Hi-light upright made under their own name.

 

[sebo_fan]

Whoops - also forgot to mention - a lot of the Eureka canister vacs sold in the U.S appear as "Swan" cylinder vacs from catalogues like Littlewoods and "Proaction" from Argos - but it changes every year, obviously due to the models available and the amounts that catalogue brands are prepared to pay for the models. Where Argos Value is concerned a few machines come from Dirt Devil/TTI.

 

[williamr1248]

pastic vs metal bodied electrolux

where does the Lux Intelligence fall in the line? I like the beautiful braided hose on the machine. Wish they sold them USA.

 

[chuffle]

I own both...

...metal and plastic body Electolux/Aerus machines.

My plastic Aerus Lux Classic, purchased new from the local dealer back about four years or so, sees almost daily use, on the hard flooring here. While I am careful in not banging the machine about, it has bumped into furniture a few times. The plastic housing looks like new. My only complaints about the machine are that it sure is loud, the cord reel is sluggish when retrieving the last foot or so of cord, and the most annoying trait of all is having to hold the machine with one hand (or wedging it between my feet) when pulling out the cord. The machine is light, and the hard plastic wheels allow it to slip and slide on the hard flooring when drawing out the cord. All the same, I still like the machine a lot.

My Guardian would see more use, but the plastic wands drive me crazy, thanks to their bulk.

My Golden J, built like a tank, keeps plugging on and on, as does my model E.

Joe

 

[djtaylor]

From time to time I make digs at plastic vacuums, but those digs are that the cheep 'big box store' vacuums. The Electrolux and Aerus vacuums that are made of plastic are not in the same category as the 'big box' stuff. Plastic Bodied Luxes are very good vacuums, last many years and do a very good job of cleaning. I understand that they are much better performers than my much loved 1205. With that in mind I want to add one of the much newer plastic bodied Luxes to my collection so I can use it more often then the 1205.
Nivico-I suggest you buy that 6500SR and use the HEPA Perfect 101 bags. You will be very happy that you did.
Justin

 

[rugsucker]

Plastic Electrolux

The 6500 has the power and quality attachments to clean anything leaving the dirt and dust in a self sealing 4 ply bag.Everthing is similar to vintage Elux with less weight to pull around and and an after filter that should be changed after using 5 bags.(Put a filter on closet shelf,place 5 bags on top of it and when you use last bag,chage filter.)The 6500 in picture is complete and seems low milage.The few problems with these machines would be from high milage and abuse.You should probably run,not walk,to get this!

 

[mark40511]

I don't change the after filter after five bags because I change the bags so frequently. They aren't NEARLY full or even half full when I change them. Those self sealing 4 ply bags are good, but they seem to lose airflow pretty quickly. However, those bags are dirt cheap so I don't feel so bad about tossing one and putting a new one in after about a week or two weeks max...They don't leak much dust at all.

 

[floor-a-matic]

I wonder why my Model L doesn't lose suction as quickly as the 1205? I've been using the 4-ply bags, changing them when suction drops to 1/2 of what it should be with a new bag OR when the bag gets halfway full.

btw, I'm thinking about getting an Epic 6500 or Lux Classic? As with plastic Lux vacs, I'm happy with my Diplomat (curbside find back in '07) & the Diplomat is the ONLY plastic body Electrolux I own so far.

 

[kloveland]

floor-a-matic

Your fans could be dirty in your 1205, have you serviced the motor? Your 1205 may not have as much suction as the L to begin with, if the fans are dirty.

 

[floor-a-matic]

I don't think either one of those Luxes have been serviced yet.

 

[frank1002us]

if you are changing the bags frequently

just drop a little dry rice in the bag it will help in regard to losing suction.

 

[mark40511]

Dry rice.........Really?

Hmmmm. I'll try that, although I don't have dry rice on hand.

When I say "lose suction" It's subtle. It still has good suction, but not the suction a fresh bag had, and the bag is not nearly full when I change it, I would venture to say it's not even nearly half full when I change it. It has mostly cat hair in it and I notice when changing the bag that the globs of cat hair/dirt are all at the front entrance of the bag, the back of the bag seems relatively empty.