I think there is a big difference between resenting a company that bought out and moved a company's manufacturing and labor to another country, and a company that makes lousy, repair-prone appliances, no matter where they are located.
Many MANY good people in and around North Canton, Ohio lost their jobs when Hoover (Maytag) sold out to TTI. Many of them were 3rd or 4th generation Hoover employee families. That is very sad. I often use that example for people who crow about how much better it is to pay less for products than we used to (as a percent of our incomes). Yeah, but that price has a price!
But that is NOT the same as criticising a company for badly engineered, designed and executed appliances. I think Hoover quality was not all that wonderful long BEFORE they were acquired. And they do make a TON of vacuum cleaners. I think the law of averages is going to bear out problems in a certain percentage of them, no matter what. However, playing the devil's advocate for a minute....I hope TTI rises to the occasion and takes positive steps to improve quality and reliability. I can't fault them for scooping up Hoover...it's a done deal at this point. Just make decent stuff, please.
I personally only own one Hoover that was made during TTI's ownership. It is a Hoover Air, and I agree about the motor smell. There is a strange chemical burning odor when the machine is run, even for short periods. I also have that same problem with my Mr. Coffee 4 cup coffeemaker. When the pump is finishing the last of its work, the smell is enough to knock you off your feet. I've had other Mr. Coffee owners who have complained about this when I tell my story.
I think that there may be an issue with foreign-made appliances marketed in the US. I may be way off base, but quality control is an important issue, and if there are quality issues either because of bad engineering or bad manufacturing, more careful oversight should be employed by the maker.
