Russell Hobbs

[brad845]

Has anyone ever imported a Russell Hobbs vacuum? I've wondered about the quality of them, they claim to produce some of the best household electrics.

 

[sebo_fan]

Their claims are slightly over-stretched IMHO. I once had to put up with a Russell Hobbs cyclonic upright barely a few years ago - they're nasty cheap Chinese built vacuums and not that durable.

Of course it depends on where you import it from - some of their models in other EU countries may be entirely different to UK spec models.

 

[madabouthoovers]

I agree with sebo_fan on this one. Russell Hobbs is just a brand name now owned by a holding company and they just churn out cheap quality Chinese made products.

 

[oliveoiltinfoil]

I would never buy Russell Hobbs again after what they sold my dear old aunty who got a toaster and kettle from them. It was their highest end, most expensive ones costing nearly £100 each! They were incredibly cheaply made and dangerous, to the point you would burn yourself if you touched them.

It was Russell Hobbs customer service which did it, claiming that it is normal for a boiling kettle to get scorching hot on the outside, even thigh my £50 bosch an nearly all other kettles I have bought within the last 20 year have a cool touch exterior. Took 3 months to get somewhere with them.

As regards vacuums, they are just more cheap, nasty plastivacs. Overpriced for what they are.

 

[hi-loswitch98]

Wouldn't recommend Russell Hobbs, my nan had a kettle from them, middle range, cost £30 & it nearly exploded with water inside!

 

[sebo_fan]

The only RH model I have ever had which has lasted for a very long time are the traditional corded metal kettles but those are now hard to come by.

 

[hoovermatic]

Russell Hobbs were best known for Kettles, Coffee Percolators, Toasters etc. The K2 Kettle ran for many years with various slight design changes during its production run. Vacuum Cleaners were not part of their portfolio. As already said its merely the name you are buying, not the quality you would have come to expect from Russell Hobbs of yesteryear.

 

[brad845]

Only like the brand name since its my last name LOL

 

[sebo_fan]

Oh well there's always Calvin and Hobbes

 

[vintagerepairer]

Russell Hobbs

To be perfectly fair though, there is hardly a famous brand of small appliance on the UK market which is anything like what it was. Practically everything -including Bosch- is from China and made to a price. Doesn't matter what make you buy or how much you spend. You only pay for the style, not the quality.

 

[hoovermatic]

No quality is not what it was, that's why I prefer to buy old not new. But cheap appliances are so cheap these days. Buying a toaster for around £5 just wasn't possible 20 years ago. But I feel that if something is that cheap someone or something has been exploited to be able to sell it for such a low price in the first place.

 

[vintagerepairer]

"I feel that if something is that cheap someone or something has been exploited to be able to sell it for such a low price in the first place."

Of course. I too feel a pang of guilt when paying under the odds for something. But what can we do? In the case of appliances, the Labour government of the time were the ones who saw to it that domestic appliances in the UK could be sold for any price. And look what has happened.

 

[madabouthoovers]

And the Tories never sold anything off then Benny?

[this post was last edited: 5/28/2014-07:18]

 

[vintagerepairer]

You have no idea who I vote for, nor do you know my political opinions, so assume so at your peril. What I was saying was a statement of fact; it was the Labour government who made the changes. I said so in order to differentiate from the current and previous governments. Had it been Conservative in power and made the changes, I would have said so.

Please don't use me as an opportunity to launch a political attack because I'm not the least bit interested in talking politics with anyone.

 

[madabouthoovers]

Well, you made your views on Labour - above in this thread, very clear Benny, I vote Labour, and I have to disagree with your views. That is all.

[this post was last edited: 5/28/2014-07:19]

 

[vintagerepairer]

I said I didn't have a problem with people being made to work for their money. I said I had a preference to workfare over the current system. I didn't say I agreed with it.

 

[madabouthoovers]

Benny - would you want to work full time for £70 a week? because that's what Workfare is. Its modern day slavery and exploitation of those who cant get proper jobs. It also gives employers a reason to take on less properly paid staff. This country is not China, its an expensive country to live in, and people cannot live on poverty pay like they can in China, hence the explosion of foodbanks and soup kitchens under this Tory Govt.  I cannot see how you have a preference for this, and then make statements about feeling guilty buying cheap goods, where people have been exploited. I have this exact same argument with my 74 year old father who was a member of the "never had it so good" generation, and who also votes Tory. Whilst I appreciate your vast knowledge of vacuums Benny, I'm afraid we will have to disagree on political opinion on this occasion.

 

[vintagerepairer]

"I'm afraid we will have to disagree on political opinion on this occasion."

Please don't be afraid. I am happy to have a difference of opinion with anyone. It proves I still know how to think for myself.

 

[madabouthoovers]

Its only natural that I vote Labour Benny because I live in a deprived city that's racked with poverty and deprivation, thanks to the Tories. I see the results of "welfare reform".