Timeline of American Aerus/Electrolux L-Shape Uprights

dwhdarren97 · Oct 15, 2011

For all the Aerus/Electrolux fans out there, can someone try to provide me a timeline of the first L-Shaped uprights to the current Lux Guardian? Any help would be greatly appreciated. To start I am pretty sure that the Discovery II came first. I have placed this in the Contemporary forum as many of the Lux uprights are 20 years of age or less.

Discovery II
Discovery III

After this I am unsure.

kirbyloverdan · Oct 15, 2011

There was a

Discovery II Advantage after the II

vacuumboy1993 · Oct 15, 2011

Hi Darwood,

I have some of these timeline sheets from Aerus/Electrolux and there appear the uprights. Here are my two cents:

-Discovery II (1986-1987)

-Discovery III(1987-1998) Somewhere in this period of time appeared the Discovery Advantage, the Genesisand the Epic 2500.

-Epic 3500 (1991-2000) Between 1991-2000 also appeared the Genesis LX and the Genesis LXE. The Epic 3500 was also sold in 2000-2001 in a different blue color.

-Lux 4000 (2000)

-Lux 3000 (2001)

-Lux 6000 (2002)

-Guardian upright (2009/2010?-Present)

sireluxomatic · Oct 15, 2011

Somewhere in between the Discovery III and the Genesis, or perhaps concurrent with the Genesis, was one called "Regency Series", in the same white and blue trim as the Genesis + the Diplomat and Ambassador cylinders.

I assume the Epic 3500 variations (i.e. blue/white, dark gray, and white/gray/red) were produced concurrently with the matching Epic 6500 cylinders (1992? - 2001?). 

There were also Lux Legacy and Lux Classic uprights...not sure if they correspond to some of those mentioned above.

kirbyloverdan · Oct 15, 2011

1987 the Discovery

II Advantage was introduced . It was not apart of the Discovery III series .It was the first Electrolux upright I had owned . When the Discovery II was introduced it`s starting price was $199.00 . I have an old post card they sent us somewhere with all my vacuum brochures ect .

sireluxomatic · Oct 15, 2011

Of course, there were also the various Prolux models, and, if memory serves, a matching upright for the wine and gray 2100 Special Edition cylinder. 

Sorry, dwhdarren97, I realize I'm not quite answering your question, but I'm as curious as you are as to the variations and production dates of all the L-shaped uprights...am on a definite mission to get all of them, if possible. Was using the Discovery III and Epic 3500 for cleaning today, before I even read this thread.

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rugsucker · Oct 15, 2011

Electrolux uprights

I will begin this for you at the beginning as I worked in an Electrolux sales office in those days.I am not going to the Aerus days but I will take you to April 1986.After developing preproduction machines such as the Cambridge with foot pedal release that I have and test marketing the Discovery II was ready for introduction for April drive month.Test marketing had shown that with a choice customers would no longer choose the bigger,heavier Automatic Upright and the D II would sell well.The old uprights were donated to United Way to distribute to various charities with donated sticker affixed.The D II sold faster than the proverbial hotcakes and
Elux used a preferential sales system that had not been needed since the E was introduced.That is,the salesman had a machine to demo,the customer made a down payment and the machine was delivered when the next shipment arrived.There was a later tv commercial that showed a housewife struggling with a Kirby and the happy housewife with her Discovery.I have heard that 1 million were sold in 4 years.Early Discoveries had glossy,not textured,bag compartment and vents at side of base were separate pieces that were easily broken.The first handles were not strong enough and fold out cord hooks broke by the hundreds.I recall these being $299 with attachments.Atts were vinyl hose,2 plastic wands,above floor tool,short crevice tool and flat white cardboard case with blue lettering.Early hoses had swivel handle end with metal tube.Later nonswivel and all plastic.A FEW of the early,early wands had old Elux logo molded at top.D II was sandstone/jadestone colors to match Diamond Jubilee.Next came D III to match Marquise,but the D II would continue as a standard model.Cords were changed from being wired inside to plug in type.First sidekick had an outlet that mounted at bottom of handle with separate switch and cord strapped to hose similar to G.Later sidekicks had electric hose and one of two plastic carry cases.First case had separate piece to snap and screw on bottom.Early on there was also a Special Edition with burgundy trim and Regency Series with light blue trim.These were for various department stores including Sams club.This started confusion among loyal Elux customers and unhappyness with sales force.There was also private labeling with an early red model for Pullman-Holt.Prolux was first commercial model with red/grey colors and longer cord.Then the new and separate Commercial Upright.These had Oreck style handle and replacable bumper among many improvements.Early Comm had switch at top of handle.This was troublesome and moved to back of bag housing.Prolux atts had shorter stretch hose and rack to mount hose and all tools to vac.After early models features were added including full bag signal,bag lockout(manual and electric),foam filter under bag,after filter on side and switch going from slide to rocker.There were also new ideas such as direct ship for home show and other customers and extended warranties for more money.--to be continued--perhaps by you.

rugsucker · Oct 15, 2011

Electrolux uprights

I will begin this for you at the beginning as I worked in an Electrolux sales office in those days.I am not going to the Aerus days but I will take you to April 1986.After developing preproduction machines such as the Cambridge with foot pedal release that I have and test marketing the Discovery II was ready for introduction for April drive month.Test marketing had shown that with a choice customers would no longer choose the bigger,heavier Automatic Upright and the D II would sell well.The old uprights were donated to United Way to distribute to various charities with donated sticker affixed.The D II sold faster than the proverbial hotcakes and
Elux used a preferential sales system that had not been needed since the E was introduced.That is,the salesman had a machine to demo,the customer made a down payment and the machine was delivered when the next shipment arrived.There was a later tv commercial that showed a housewife struggling with a Kirby and the happy housewife with her Discovery.I have heard that 1 million were sold in 4 years.Early Discoveries had glossy,not textured,bag compartment and vents at side of base were separate pieces that were easily broken.The first handles were not strong enough and fold out cord hooks broke by the hundreds.I recall these being $299 with attachments.Atts were vinyl hose,2 plastic wands,above floor tool,short crevice tool and flat white cardboard case with blue lettering.Early hoses had swivel handle end with metal tube.Later nonswivel and all plastic.A FEW of the early,early wands had old Elux logo molded at top.D II was sandstone/jadestone colors to match Diamond Jubilee.Next came D III to match Marquise,but the D II would continue as a standard model.Cords were changed from being wired inside to plug in type.First sidekick had an outlet that mounted at bottom of handle with separate switch and cord strapped to hose similar to G.Later sidekicks had electric hose and one of two plastic carry cases.First case had separate piece to snap and screw on bottom.Early on there was also a Special Edition with burgundy trim and Regency Series with light blue trim.These were for various department stores including Sams club.This started confusion among loyal Elux customers and unhappyness with sales force.There was also private labeling with an early red model for Pullman-Holt.Prolux was first commercial model with red/grey colors and longer cord.Then the new and separate Commercial Upright.These had Oreck style handle and replacable bumper among many improvements.Early Comm had switch at top of handle.This was troublesome and moved to back of bag housing.Prolux atts had shorter stretch hose and rack to mount hose and all tools to vac.After early models features were added including full bag signal,bag lockout(manual and electric),foam filter under bag,after filter on side and switch going from slide to rocker.There were also new ideas such as direct ship for home show and other customers and extended warranties for more money.--to be continued--perhaps by you.

dwhdarren97 · Oct 15, 2011

Thanks everyone for the information. If only we could know all the details

.

sireluxomatic · Oct 15, 2011

Rugsucker:

Would be interesting to see a picture of this Cambridge model, if you happen to have one.

For all you Electrolux "Uprightians", I managed to find some snaps of the Advantage, Special Edition, and Regency Series uprights. Not the best picture, culled together by me from various web finds.

sarasvacshack · Oct 16, 2011

Lux Uprights

Also, there has been an UltraLux upright out there, possibly over the last five years. Same L shaped nozzle, but upper body and handle design are quite different, sporting a more curved handle and rounded body. Hepa filter is on the back of the unit. And the tube of the handle is a much thicker metal than the traditional Lux uprights.

Random Youtube video of one below

Sanifan · Oct 16, 2011

I just ran across a Discovery Plus. Obviously part of the Discovery series, but before or after the DII and DIII?

I don't know, I didn't look closely, but it lacked the two little metal wire guards that go across the brushroll. It's possible that someone may have removed them. Or this model didn't have them?

Just a question. What are the differences between the various Discovery models, and the Epic series? I notice my Epic 3500 has more suction that the Discovery Plus, and even my Prolux. I've heard the Epic 4000 and later had a slighty more powerful motor.

I didn't buy the Discovery Plus because I already own the Epic 3500 and the Prolux. I'm more of a user than a collector. Does anyone see any reason to pick it up based on functional differences?

Sanifan · Oct 16, 2011

Discovery Plus color scheme...

Oh, I forgot to mention, the Discovey Plus had a bag compartment and base that were tan or beige in color. The motor compartment was black. I can't remember what color the lid was, either tan or black, but the square metal handle tube was dark brown or black.

It had a three position slider switch, not a rocker. And the cord was situated much like the Prolux: plugged into the socket on the back and then secured above that on the handle with a loop clamp. This is the socket that you would normally plug the Sidekick into, so maybe not designed for or offered with a Sidekick? My Epic 3500, by contrast, has that Sidekick socket open and the cord comes from a strain relief coming out of the plastic grip on top.

The Discovery Plus also had vents on either side of the top of the base. The Prolux and Epic 3500 do not.

sireluxomatic · Oct 16, 2011

They're really coming out of the woodwork. Don't think I've ever seen a Discovery Plus before, but I'm pretty sure that those little metal bars on the bottom of the brush rolls changed to plastic around 1989-90ish, when the Regency Series cylinders came out and the power nozzles were updated. This was also about the time they did away with the stationary brush strip on the bottom of the power nozzle.

I'm more or less half and half on the collecting/using business. I do like to collect various models, and would ideally love to have all of the Aerus/Electrolux uprights and cylinders, but I also insist that they be usable and used. I don't want anything just sitting there looking pretty (even though they do look pretty). If this machine is something you think you might get some use out of, I'd go for it.

Re: the differences between the various models. I only own three uprights: a Discovery III, and two battleship gray Epic 3500s, so I'm not entirely the best person to ask. There must be a few on here who have a greater variety. That said, I don't mind sharing my impressions, bearing in mind that I'm using these machines more or less as they came to me, in used condition. The only maintenance I've done on them (other than exterior cosmetic cleaning and disinfecting) is to wash the brush rolls, and clean the dust and dirt out of the fill tube and power nozzle motor and casing.
 

<ul>
<li>The cleaning performance and suction of the DIII and 3500 seem more or less equal...maybe a slight edge to the 3500. The 3500 seems noticeably easier to push, and glides more easily over the carpet.</li>
<li>The 3500 is easier to carry, with the carrying handle. You have to grab the DIII around the metal post, and, because the cord runs up the post, you have to be sort of careful not to put a strain on it when you're lifting it.</li>
<li>As you said above, the 3500 has the connection for the electric hose, which puts it pretty far ahead of the DIII in that you can use the Sidekick. The plastic hose on the DIII is adequate, but it doesn't swivel at the handle end and it can be pretty stiff in certain situations.</li>
<li>I find the rocker switch much easier to use than the slider. Many times with the DIII I end up turning the whole thing off when I merely want to turn the power nozzle off.</li>
<li>I know its not necessary, but the headlight on the later models is sometimes a useful function to have.</li>
</ul>

Didn't really intend to go on this long, but I've really fallen in love with these uprights. They're so easy to use, and, given the condition mine arrived in, can take a hell of a lot of abuse and keep going. One of my 3500s was absolutely gunked up, right up into the fill tube, with dirt, hair, and God knows what else, and it still ran and had plenty of power (of course, I cleaned it out).

ronni · Dec 2, 2014

Re: Reply #13

I wonder if the dark secondary color to which you referred was jade (a dark green color) which would have matched the DJ/1521, DII/1500, 1500C, and 1572E, and the D Adv./1572E?

__________

Here is some other information I located online regarding Electrolux uprights (accuracy uncertain):

Models 1400, 1400X, 1400XP - Prolux

Models 1572C, 1572G, 1747 - Prolux Plus

Model 1572E - DII, D Adv., DIII, D+ (?), Regency Series, Special Edition

Model 1572F - Genesis

Model 1685 - Genesis LX

Model 1717 (10 amps) - Genesis LXe, Epic 3000 SR

Models 1719, U110A, U110B, U110P - Epic 3500 SR

Model 1746 (9 amps) - Advantage Series

Models 1770, U112A, U112B, U112C - Epic 2500 SR

Models U110Y, U147A, U155A - Lux 3000

Model U120A - Commercial

Model U129B - Xtreme

Model U129C (10 amps) - Electrolux Commercial

Model U129Q - Lux Commercial

Model U136B - Prolux 2000

Model U140A - Lux 4000

Models U140B, U140C, U156A - Lux 6000

Model U147F - Lux Guardian

Model U155C - Lux Legacy

Model U155D - Lux Classic

Model U160A - Ultralux

Model U162A - Lux Lite (bagless)

Model U162C - Fresh Era

____________

All: Corrections and additions (especially years of production) appreciated

Please post a photo of a Discovery Plus on this thread and a close-up of the nameplate which give the ratings and other data.

I am thinking that the DII may have been the d2d model, the D Adv the Premium Department Store model, and the D+ the catalog model.

I am also wondering if the DII was sold for at least 3 years instead of 1 due to the fact that it had 3 different model designations?

ctvacman · Dec 3, 2014

There was a discovery II Plus model as well

ronni · Dec 3, 2014

Thanks for the feedback, however, I think it was just called "Discovery Plus"--without the "II". At least I haven't seen anything in company literature or online information indicating differently.

ctvacman · Dec 4, 2014

I'll have to find a picture I'm 95% sure it said discovery II Plus. I've run across three.

rugsucker · Dec 4, 2014

? Discovery II Plus ?

I still have a box(used now to store other Elux parts)that I think says 'Discovery II Plus'.It has drawings and features listed to be seen on dept store shelf and was a bit taller to allow std att kit box to be packed with vac.Will try to look in that storage area.

Timeline of American Aerus/Electrolux L-Shape Uprights

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