This is one question I wondered about for years but really never got an answer to.Why don't all uprights have a control brush ball switch on them? It is often said the brush bar when turned on to vacuum floors can scratch and wreck the hard floors, and the brush bar is not need for hard floor cleaning.I could see back then like more than 20 some years ago vacuums not having brush bar control cause of lots of carpeting, but now?
Upright vacuums
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djtaylor
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Answer
15Brandon,
The reason that most upright vacuums don't have a control switch for brush rolls is that for most uprights there is only one motor. Most have a side ways mounted motor with a fan/impeller on one end of the motor and at the other is the drive shaft where the belt rides. There have been vacuums that had a leaver that could push the drive belt off the shaft and onto a free spinning pulley, but many of those were very hard on the belt and could lead to early ware out of the belt. Or with Kirbys, Royal and many others the fan and drive belt are at the same end. Most of the vacuums that have a control switch for the brush roll are two motor units. A big motor creating the air flow and a small motor driving the brush roll. Those machines are kinda like a canister vacuum without the long hose. Uprights with a two motor system are fairly new.
Justin
15Brandon,
The reason that most upright vacuums don't have a control switch for brush rolls is that for most uprights there is only one motor. Most have a side ways mounted motor with a fan/impeller on one end of the motor and at the other is the drive shaft where the belt rides. There have been vacuums that had a leaver that could push the drive belt off the shaft and onto a free spinning pulley, but many of those were very hard on the belt and could lead to early ware out of the belt. Or with Kirbys, Royal and many others the fan and drive belt are at the same end. Most of the vacuums that have a control switch for the brush roll are two motor units. A big motor creating the air flow and a small motor driving the brush roll. Those machines are kinda like a canister vacuum without the long hose. Uprights with a two motor system are fairly new.
Justin
eurekaprince
Well-known member
Brandon,
I have always believed that uprights are only good for carpets and canisters are only good for everything else. The engineering "gymnastics" required to create a machine that does both kinds of cleaning well and with ease is often a waste of time and money. If you have the storage space for a basic upright like a Hoover Tempo ($100) and Miele Olympus ($300), you have the most effective cleaning team for under $400.
Many uprights which don't allow you to turn off the revolving brush have a "bare floor" setting like my Hoover Tempo. It sets the nozzle with the spinning brush very low to the floor and is bound to damage delicate surfaces like polished hardwood. I tried cleaning my linoleum kitchen floor with the Tempo set on the highest height setting so that the brush would be as far away as possible from the floor surface. In truth, the high suction did indeed over-ride the "blowing" effect of the spinning brush and the 12-amp motor was able to suck up some dust balls and surface litter. But the wind coming from the side exhaust blew dust everywhere first. I also found that if you are not careful, you can easily draw in a sock or a plastic shopping bag from a bare floor. This is pretty safe if it happens with a bare floor brush on a canister, or on an upright with the spinning brush turned off, but when it gets drawn into an upright with a spinning brushroll, this stuff can jam the brushroll very easily (it happened to my Tempo with a sock!)
I think it is safer all around to keep uprights off of bare floors and use a nice horse-hair bare floor brush on a canister to clean these surfaces. I don't know how vac-makers can get away with featuring a bare-floor setting on the height adjusters of uprights that don't offer a brush-roll shut-off. It's very careless of them, in my opinion.
Hope you are not too snowed in wherever you are in Canada, Brandon!
EP Brian
I have always believed that uprights are only good for carpets and canisters are only good for everything else. The engineering "gymnastics" required to create a machine that does both kinds of cleaning well and with ease is often a waste of time and money. If you have the storage space for a basic upright like a Hoover Tempo ($100) and Miele Olympus ($300), you have the most effective cleaning team for under $400.
Many uprights which don't allow you to turn off the revolving brush have a "bare floor" setting like my Hoover Tempo. It sets the nozzle with the spinning brush very low to the floor and is bound to damage delicate surfaces like polished hardwood. I tried cleaning my linoleum kitchen floor with the Tempo set on the highest height setting so that the brush would be as far away as possible from the floor surface. In truth, the high suction did indeed over-ride the "blowing" effect of the spinning brush and the 12-amp motor was able to suck up some dust balls and surface litter. But the wind coming from the side exhaust blew dust everywhere first. I also found that if you are not careful, you can easily draw in a sock or a plastic shopping bag from a bare floor. This is pretty safe if it happens with a bare floor brush on a canister, or on an upright with the spinning brush turned off, but when it gets drawn into an upright with a spinning brushroll, this stuff can jam the brushroll very easily (it happened to my Tempo with a sock!)
I think it is safer all around to keep uprights off of bare floors and use a nice horse-hair bare floor brush on a canister to clean these surfaces. I don't know how vac-makers can get away with featuring a bare-floor setting on the height adjusters of uprights that don't offer a brush-roll shut-off. It's very careless of them, in my opinion.
Hope you are not too snowed in wherever you are in Canada, Brandon!
EP Brian
twocvbloke
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Over there across the pond, you have vacs which can do just that, the Sanitaire-Duralux (Blue, Red & Grey vacs below), though looking at the prices, they're a touch on the expensive side, but, it's a twin-motor setup (like a VGIII Cannister PN built into an upright), so you can switch off the brushroll for hard floors...
I plan to get myself the European version, the Electrolux "Professional" Z9120 (the white one in the pic), if I can save myself some money up of course...
I plan to get myself the European version, the Electrolux "Professional" Z9120 (the white one in the pic), if I can save myself some money up of course...
eurekaprince
Well-known member
Brandon - the Hoover WT Bagged Upright and Eureka Boss mighty mite make a great team. Keep warm, buddy!
bisonian
Well-known member
Re: Two-motor uprights
"Uprights with a two motor system are fairly new" -- Not really.
Two motor commercial vacs have been around since at least 1964, the year Advance introduced the Carpetwin. Advance claims the Carpetwin was the original clean-air commercial vac. If I'm not mistaken, Clarke introduced the 577/579 around the same time.
The Windsor Versamatics (rebadged Sebo two-motors) have been a staple of the commercial cleaning market for more than 25 years.
Advance Mighty Maids (rebadged Vorwerk) were around in the late '60s or early '70s.
On the home front, the Westinghouse Convertovac was introduced around the same time as the Carpetwin. And others can correct me on this if I'm wrong, but IIRC, Air-Way introduced the first two-motor upright in the 1920s.
Rick C.
"Uprights with a two motor system are fairly new" -- Not really.
Two motor commercial vacs have been around since at least 1964, the year Advance introduced the Carpetwin. Advance claims the Carpetwin was the original clean-air commercial vac. If I'm not mistaken, Clarke introduced the 577/579 around the same time.
The Windsor Versamatics (rebadged Sebo two-motors) have been a staple of the commercial cleaning market for more than 25 years.
Advance Mighty Maids (rebadged Vorwerk) were around in the late '60s or early '70s.
On the home front, the Westinghouse Convertovac was introduced around the same time as the Carpetwin. And others can correct me on this if I'm wrong, but IIRC, Air-Way introduced the first two-motor upright in the 1920s.
Rick C.
djtaylor
Well-known member
Sorry
Rick, I stand corrected.
Justin
Rick, I stand corrected.
Justin
Wasn't there an older air-Way upright that had two motors that came out like in the 30's?With Kirby and Royal-Kirby esp you can disingage the brushroll with the belt lifter.Royal-take the belt off the pully.A bare vaccum of sorts.Royal used to make their metal upright in "bare floor" models-no brushroll,brushes on the rear lips of the nozzle.These are quite rare.sold thru janitorial suppliers-commercial models.
eurekaprince
Well-known member
2-motor uprights....
I think we also have to take a look at the history of the German Vorwerk vacs - I think their uprights were always two motor machines.
And can't we add the two motor Regina Electricbrushes to the conversation? I think they were in stores in the 1970's.
My favourite two-motor upright was the Eureka Excalibur because it offered storage for all attachments on-board - including the floor brush. But I heard that there were serious electrical problems with overload on the switch on these vacs.
Most unique 2-motor upright would have to be the Panasonic Direct Drives! Now that's genius to me - putting the brush roll motor INSIDE the brush roll!!!
I think we also have to take a look at the history of the German Vorwerk vacs - I think their uprights were always two motor machines.
And can't we add the two motor Regina Electricbrushes to the conversation? I think they were in stores in the 1970's.
My favourite two-motor upright was the Eureka Excalibur because it offered storage for all attachments on-board - including the floor brush. But I heard that there were serious electrical problems with overload on the switch on these vacs.
Most unique 2-motor upright would have to be the Panasonic Direct Drives! Now that's genius to me - putting the brush roll motor INSIDE the brush roll!!!
suckolux
Well-known member
Have the dead kenmore version out in the garage now, that one also has a 2 speed brushroll! They should have put a bag in it unfortunately, flames now!
MikeKLondon
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Before X/mas John Lewis were selling the Electrolux "Professional" off really cheap I cant remember but something around £75.00 I kook but it was so very heavy and very stiff brush roll the sales guy said they could not give them away
twocvbloke
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There's someone nearby selling one for about £70, used I think, but looks pretty clean, just wish I had the money to go buy it...
I had a fiddle with one in Blackburn though, and the brush strips are just as stiff as my Sanitaire ZC-880, probably doesn't perform as well as my Sanitaire though, but, I want to get one to try out...
And heavy is good, more weight to hold it down onto the carpet so it's not bouncing about like most lightweight modern things...
The brushroll used is basically an adaptation of the VibraGroomer 3 brushroll, normally reserved for PN use, so it should be a pretty good performer...
(see pic, borrowed from the link)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190334974024
I had a fiddle with one in Blackburn though, and the brush strips are just as stiff as my Sanitaire ZC-880, probably doesn't perform as well as my Sanitaire though, but, I want to get one to try out...
And heavy is good, more weight to hold it down onto the carpet so it's not bouncing about like most lightweight modern things...
The brushroll used is basically an adaptation of the VibraGroomer 3 brushroll, normally reserved for PN use, so it should be a pretty good performer...
(see pic, borrowed from the link)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190334974024
As an eBay Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
My kenmore isn't a two speed it only has a belt lifter pedal that allows to use the tools tho it is a great vac from the 90's I think
Has anyone tried this vac I think it looks interesting
http://www.londondrugs.com/Cultures...pright Vacuums&ProductID=4449955&ProductTab=3
Has anyone tried this vac I think it looks interesting
http://www.londondrugs.com/Cultures...pright Vacuums&ProductID=4449955&ProductTab=3
suckolux
Well-known member
Brandon, that looks like a related one I got from Sams' club a couple years back. Decent air flow, many parts broke, but I did leave it at work, so who knows what happened. Motor never died, I just left it there.
I have a Kenmore Progressive Direct Drive
That I got a a thrift store on half price day. It is bagged, and is a great cleaner, and it came with all of it's attachments. When I bought the machine, there was a note on it stating that it needed a new belt. The only thing wrong with it is the brushroll switch was turned off.
That I got a a thrift store on half price day. It is bagged, and is a great cleaner, and it came with all of it's attachments. When I bought the machine, there was a note on it stating that it needed a new belt. The only thing wrong with it is the brushroll switch was turned off.
I have a Kenmore Progressive Direct Drive
That I got a a thrift store on half price day. It is bagged, and is a great cleaner, and it came with all of it's attachments. When I bought the machine, there was a note on it stating that it needed a new belt. The only thing wrong with it is the brushroll switch was turned off.
That I got a a thrift store on half price day. It is bagged, and is a great cleaner, and it came with all of it's attachments. When I bought the machine, there was a note on it stating that it needed a new belt. The only thing wrong with it is the brushroll switch was turned off.
twocvbloke
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It's funny, a few years ago I got a vac for nothing, a Hitachi AdvantEgde, that had a "Needs Belt, doesn't pick up" label stuck to it, it needed more than a belt (actually, the belt was fine, it just slipped off the pulley cos the br was jammed!!), the brushroll was just a mass of hair, the bin and pipes were clogged right up to the nozzle, the filters were just a lump of dirt, and it was a right mess!!!
But a few hours work and it was like new, aside from the scuffs and scratches, and it worked fine, it wasn't the best cleaner, but it worked better than the Hoover Purepower I had at the same time, I stuck it on freecycle (did try ebay, nobody bought it) and it went to a local church hall, so, I did my good deed for that week...
But a few hours work and it was like new, aside from the scuffs and scratches, and it worked fine, it wasn't the best cleaner, but it worked better than the Hoover Purepower I had at the same time, I stuck it on freecycle (did try ebay, nobody bought it) and it went to a local church hall, so, I did my good deed for that week...
