Riccar R27

[lokisdads]

Has anyone else heard about the new Riccar R27 yet. Apparently the R25 is going away. The R27 will basically the same machine, but in a different color and only two models. Production will be shifted from China to Vietnam. I actually talked to a Tacony rep on Saturday in a local vac store.

 

[panasonicvac]

Certainly news to me. I'll keep my eye on this thread for any updates.

 

[hank]

Shifting to Vietnam likely to avoid higher tariffs on China. Would have loved to see Tacony bring back assembly here with the newer machines, but I never thought they would anyways. Was talking to my local vac shop owner a few weeks back, said he’s already had to eat the 30% on what he sells in store and raise prices accordingly.

I asked him what he thought about the tariffs and his response was something along the lines of “it’ll force riccar to be US made again!!”

Yea. Ok buddy.

 

[kirbylux77]

Hank - Yes, that could be the case. But, knowing Tacony, I would be willing to bet the real reason they are moving production to Vietnam is quality control issues. The fact they changed the model name and slimmed down to 2 models is proof of it - if there weren't known issues with the R25 series, they wouldn't have changed the model name! And I personally have heard a mixed bag about these uprights - that they clean well, but nowhere as good as the Miele Dynamic U1 models did when they were still in production, and overall lower quality than their previous Vibrance/Symmetry uprights and lower quality than other premium brands. Also note, Tacony did have quality control issues with Chinese manufacturers in the past - if you remember, with the Prima/Wonder canisters, they were specifically disassembling them and checking for quality issues at the St James, Missouri plant once they arrived from China because they KNEW there were gonna be issues.

Hate to say it, but if Tacony keeps on their present path, I don't see them surviving and staying in business much longer.

 

[blackheart]

Avoiding tariffs does seem to be a very likely aspect to it. I am curious though being out of the industry what specific issues were they having with them?
I don't think we'll see a shift back to US manufacturing with them. Sad too, they were once a pretty reputable brand but they've definitely fallen from grace to a degree.

 

[rlsellman21]

Has anyone else heard about the new Riccar R27 yet. Apparently the R25 is going away. The R27 will basically the same machine, but in a different color and only two models. Production will be shifted from China to Vietnam. I actually talked to a Tacony rep on Saturday in a local vac store.

It would be even better if they shifted production from China to the USA.

 

[cheesewonton]

All those tariffs are being shot down by the courts. Presidents do not possess the authority to impose tariffs unilaterally. Only Congress has that authority. Firms making hasty decisions based on these tariffs are going to be worse off in the end. If Tacony's move is related to build quality or to the fact that Xi Jinping has been forcing even US companies to hire a person from the Chinese Communist Party who's job is to ensure the ideological purity of the workers and managers including forcing companies to pay employees to attend monthly party meetings then I could see a reason to move. But really, Vietnam is only very slightly different. China and Vietnam, while regional rivals are two peas in a pod in terms of how their governments are organized and both are harsh police states.

 

[Ant_Tenna]

I've been wondering more than anything if they're going to be coming out with a new canister line to replace the Prima. I'd like to see them go back to a unit more akin to the old Pristine and Impeccable/Immaculate.

I hope this new R27 solves my two big issues with the R25: quality/reliability and despite having a pretty powerful suction motor it never seemed to get that power down to the nozzle very well in my experience. I really like the R25 on paper but it's execution didn't impress me sadly.

 

[kirbylux77]

Ant_Tenna, I agree with you! That is what I have heard mainly. Also, it seems that they were attempting a Electrolux-style upright, with some Singer touches like the front headlight mounted in the bumper. But, unfortunately, poorly executed. Like the small bag and the fact they didn't make the metal baseplate and brushroll STANDARD on the base model! That was a HUGE MISTAKE considering Tacony makes it a big point all the advantages metal brushrolls with replaceable strips have over wooden and plastic brushrolls. For a premium machine, that's unacceptable for it not to be standard on the base model!

As for the canisters, I don't think they will make their own canister again. The fact they dropped the Prima/Wonder is proof. Why they would do that, instead of evolving the design, is dumb. Makes no sense to spend millions to develop a product and then drop it after less than a decade on the market. I actually picked up a Simplicity Wonder with the compact powerhead over the winter for $100 - yes, it needs some improvements, like the quality of the HEPA Filter paper, the hose handle could be better made, and the bag is way too big for the compartment - but it's made decently enough that if they made a few changes, it could have easily competed with the Miele canisters. And I totally agree with you on the older canisters - I own a Simplicity Gusto.6, a Bank Vault (black Simplicity Verve) and a Riccar Pizzazz, and they're actually really nice canisters! Sure, not quite the quality of the Miele/Sebo canisters, but also priced accordingly when they were on the market. And they also filled a nice in-between gap between the "budget" Kenmore/Panasonic canisters and the high end Miele/Sebo canisters.

The Simplicity Scout, from what I can see, is nothing more than a rebrand of a cheaply made generic Chinese canister, with a ridiculously small bag compartment and a washable HEPA Filter. Tacony should be ashamed to put such cheap junk on the market!