Vacuums at my Goodwill

[paul]

Prolux Line

Good information from human.

Here are some additional details:

The Prolux series was introduced in 1987 with the 3rd model of the Discovery II. The Electrolux wordmark with the bold serif letters indicates that it was made at the Canadian factory; although it may have been assembled in the U.S.

The line included seven different models that had changes or upgrades including motors (you will find the model # in in small print with the specs on the brush roll hood when you release the handle). In addition, there were four different labels. I'm not sure if the Prolux and Prolux Plus cleaners were sold concurrently or not, but it would have been logical to give customers an option.

Here's a list of labels and models:

Prolux Commercial - model 1572E (8.1A); 40' 2-wire cord
Prolux - models 1572C (8.5A), U111A (10A); 40' 2-wire cord
Prolux Plus (w/onboard caddy) - models 1572G (9.5A), 1717C (10A), 1747 (10A); 40' 2-wire cord
Prolux 2000 - model U136B (8.5A); 35' 2-wire cord

Interestingly, the model 1572E also had these standard household labels: Discovery II (3rd of 3 models), Discovery Plus, Discovery III, Discovery Advantage, Regency Series, and Special Edition. I'm guessing that it was the first Prolux, and that Electrolux decided to take off the "Commercial" descriptor in succeeding models, because it really wasn't commercial grade (3-wire cord, reinforcements). The "heavy duty" descriptor that followed likely denoted the double-insulated 40' cord.

The Prolux cleaners were marked "For Household Use Only" on their name stamps, so they were likely marketed to home cleaning companies, individual home cleaners and home business owners.


In addition, there was a ProTeam label and models:

Prolux by Electrolux - models 1400, 1400X, 1400XP

_________

If you're interested in an onboard caddy, check some Aerus dealers for NOS or trade-ins. I've found some that are willing to network for customers (contacting and purchasing from other dealers). Fyi, be sure to specify that you want the caddy with two wand holders in gray or they may get you a light colored one or a gray one with one wand holder, which was made for the commercials, because of the placement of the power switch.

Aerus discontinued the onboard caddies at least 5 years ago when the current black line was launched.

 

[huskyvacs]

Ongoing cost of bags? I have never seen any pack of bags over $5. Thrift stores if you go often enough will usually have bags too. I just bought a pack of Kenmore U bags for $1 at Salvation Army, a random Eureka HEPA filter at Goodwill for 80 cents never opened, and my local ACE hardware store still sells Royal upright bags for $2.50 a piece (packages are faded from being on the shelf for 25 years). You can get 24 Electrolux C-Style bags on eBay right now for $12, can't get much cheaper than that!

 

[paul]

Corrections & Clarifications

After I posted reply #29 I talked with a friend of mine who used to work for Electrolux. He offered the following corrections and clarifications:

1) 'Heavy Duty'/'Industrial' (designing & manufacturing) and 'Commercial' (purchasing & selling) are often used interchangeably as descriptors (think 'industrial strength' and 'commercial strength'). So Prolux cleaners were, in fact, intended for commercial use, because of the double-insulated longer cord cord. The 'heavy duty' descriptor was also used on the later B-8s because of the double-insulated cord.

There was sometimes lack of consistency among Electrolux's printing and manufacturing divisions. So the Prolux cleaners were marked 'Heavy Duty' (except for the one marked Prolux Commercial by Electrolux and Prolux 2000) but literature used the term 'commercial'.

2) As far as he knew there was only one Prolux cleaner (model 1717C) whose name stamp included 'For Household Use Only'. He thought that was an oversight as he didn't know of any differences in construction between it and the others.

3) There was also a Prolux-labeled power nozzle used with some of the CB2000s. It had the same gray color and printing as the uprights.

4) He thinks the 1572E labeled Prolux Commercial 'by Electrolux' (which I didn't mention) may have been sold in retail, because "by Electrolux" was often used on the label for those cleaners. It's also been used for outsourced cleaners; although he didn't think that was the case with the Prolux.

5) Veridian, a retail brand of Aerus, also had a label called Prolux OBT (onboard tools). It was like the Xtreme Plus, Lux 4000, & Lux 6000 with the attached hose w/wand and tools.

6) Besides the motors, other differences among the models would have been the location of the reset switch (back side or nozzle), brush roll guards (metal or plastic), hard-wired or detachable power cord, and whether it was equipped with a carrying handle. These would have coincided the contemporaneous household cleaners.

7) The model U111A's label was Prolux Plus.

8) Aerus (Electrolux LLC) cleaners labeled Electrolux Commercial or Lux Commercial by Aerus, made by ProTeam and ?, have had reinforced construction, 3-wire cords, metal brush roll guards, and a System Performance Indicator. All had detachable cords, so they lacked the electric hose option for the Sidekick.

9) The Prolux label was bought by Prolux, LLC, located in Utah, about 5 years ago. He wasn't sure if it's run by a former Aerus exec or if it's somehow connected to Aerus.

 

[niclonnic]

Today at work

Some shelves were rearranged! So now this allows the vacuums to sit on the shelf, rather than being out in the open, on the floor.

Again, the Prolux was still there, and I didn't get it. Looks like it's a tough sell. The other day, I saw a Black & Decker Air Swivel vacuum for sale, but today, it was gone. When I got to work this morning, I saw a Hoover WindTunnel T-Series bagged upright for sale, but somebody bought it by the time my shift was over. It didn't have a bag installed. I also found a Bissell Powerforce Compact vacuum, originally from Walmart.

I didn't take a pic of today's selection.

 

[crazykirbydude]

That ProLux would outclean any bagless! $9.99 is a steal!

 

[lux_luthor]

I wish I could get it. The reason it doesn’t sell is due to people not knowing what it is or thinking it is a commercial use vacuum only.

 

[huskyvacs]

*wee-woo wee-woo wee-woo*
Stop! You're under arrest because you used a commercial vacuum in a residential home!

Shame it's being left to sit there, because getting an Electrolux like that for that cheap is a once in a great while thing. They do best on low pile carpet, their suction is terrible for anything thicker. I have an Epic 9500SR I use in my basement and it does great down there on the glue-down carpet (my Kirby will actually lift that carpet off the concrete) I found an Amway Cleartrak at Goodwill in 2013, you think I've ever seen one again there? Nope. Likewise the other time in 2010 I seen a Royal there with a aftermarket magnet strip on it to catch tacks and paperclips for $19.99, never seen that again either.

 

[luxkid1980]

niclonnic

If I recall correctly, it was the dark green model. I wasn't sure of the amps though.

 

[luxkid1980]

@niclonnic

"Again, the Prolux was still there, and I didn't get it. Looks like it's a tough sell."

A lot of people will probably take one look at the Prolux and think it looks old fashioned or they don't want it because they are used to seeing an upright bagless vacuum with on-board attachments and see that the Prolux doesn't have any. They just don't realize the great motors inside or that attachments aren't that expensive. They also may think bags are too expensive (which they aren't by any means if you buy generic.) Just about every vacuum store I've been in sells generic "U" style bags.

My aunt uses one of the Oreck commercial vacuums in her house and it cleans great. They call it commercial because it has a heavier, longer and grounded power cord. Also its orange in color.

 

[crazykirbydude]

I think niclonnic is biased against bagged vacuums. It appears he has drunk the bagless Kool-Aid.

 

[paul]

To add another twist, I found this old email exchange with Aerus:

Q: I would like to know if a Prolux Plus, Model 1717C, is a commercial machine as its nameplate states "For Household Use Only".

What are the differences between your household and commercial machines?

A: Our products, with the exception of the Lux Commercial, are designed for residential home use only. The biggest difference is the warranty, commercially used units only carry a 1-2 year warranty versus the normal 5-20 year warranties we offer for the newer residential vacuum cleaners.

If we may provide additional assistance through our Customer Service Office, please let us know by return email or the by calling the number below.

Thank you,

Aerus Customer Service

800-243-9078

______

@niclonnic

Why not get the Prolux and try it for a month or so to see what you think of it. Then, if you're not satisfied with its performance sell it for a profit?

It isn't the best cleaner out there but its performance is adequate and reliable, it's well-built, it's equipped with a filter bag capacity indicator, and the filter bags are really easy to remove & replace. I also think you'd really like the 40' cord. In addition, parts would be easy to get, because the model has been around for over 30 years. You could do your own 21st century upgrades including adding a HEPA afterfilter and buying HEPA filter bags.

 

[niclonnic]

One more question

What year is the Prolux from? I'm asking because I'd like to know if it's classified as a "vintage" or "contemporary" vacuum.

 

[paul]

Take a photo of it and the name stamp (on the brush roll hood—release the handle assembly to see it). It was introduced in 1987 and discontinued about 10 years later. The '80s & '90s are vintage in Vacuumland.

Also, see if there's a serial # decal on the motor housing or bag housing (typically on the back side). If so, you can tell it to an Aerus dealer, who will tell you when it was originally sold.

 

[Deleted member 1090]

Electrolux now

Listen those cheap plastic vacuum are NOTHING compare to THE ELECTROLUX PRO LUX UPRIGHT GET IT NOW!! i own a discovery 2 and its a cleaning beast those lux are easy to use cheap to maintain and last a life time get it now before it ends up in the trash!!!
Electrolux are amazing vacuum ! be a nice display or daily driver get it

 

[huskyvacs]

@ Paul

How would you get Aerus to provide that information? Does it cost? Do you just email them? If so, @ what address?

 

[niclonnic]

Update #3

The Prolux? It was still there. Did I buy it? I did not. But I did inspect the machine, and it looks like it could use a good refurbishment. The brush roll was a bit dirty. I looked at the cord, and it has a two-prong plug, so the Prolux is a heavy duty household model.

Also, I saw a Kenmore Intuition canister in blue.

 

[paul]

@huskyvacs

I just called a dealer and was given the information for free over the phone. The corporate office has also given me the information over the phone.

The database, though, only goes back to sometime in the 1980s.

 

[paul]

@niclonnic

Thanks for the photo. It's a Model 1572C, because it is labeled "Prolux" on the brush roll cover and not "Prolux Plus". So that would have been manufactured sometime in the late 1980s.

Features include: metal brush roll guards, 8.1A or 8.5A motor (I'd forgotten about the upgrade), and slider power switch with indicator (instead of the later rocker switch).

It was not factory-equipped with a carrying handle, which was a later feature of the household line and Prolux line or a 3-wire cord (non of the Proluxes were). In addition, the power cord is not hard-wired but plugged in to the receptacle in the bulkhead. The open receptacle would have allowed a hose cord to be plugged in for the Sidekick mini-nozzle accessory.

Fyi, I've attached a photo of another 1572C's name stamp (note that it does not have the upgraded 8.5 amp motor).

 

[huskyvacs]

@ Paul

Thanks, that won't do me any good though. I was wondering for 1960's models, and I am not going to run my phone bill up calling them. Oh well.

 

[myles_v]

Buy the darn Prolux. You haven't really used a real bagged vacuum cleaner and whining about the cost of bags is ridiculous compared to the longevity of bagged vacs (especially Aerus Electrolux machines). In fact, I just ordered a pack of 12 U bags for the Electrolux upright that I have at work for $8 from Amazon, the bags are cheap and very decently sized. The vacuum is $10, if you hate it then sell it on Craigslist for $40. There's no way for you to lose. I constantly see you complain about bagged vacuum cleaners but you haven't used one since you were a very young child and even then it wasn't a good machine.

 

[niclonnic]

Okay...

Once I get approval from a family member, I'll suck it up (pun intended) and buy the Prolux. Then I'll buy bags on Amazon. And if I hate the machine, I'll just resell it, preferably locally as I don't want to deal with shipping a vacuum cleaner. It's just too expensive to do so.

The fact that my family is so devoted to bagless shows how effective Fantom marketing has been back in the day.

Oh, and I didn't even get to use the vacuum as a very young child. Only my parents did. Apparently, the Eureka Ultra ESP was a decent machine, but I don't think it was made to clean a fireplace.

 

[panasonicvac]

Just my two cents here

I own a Prolux, I got mine last year for around $7. The condition was probably worse than the one you posted on here. I didn't had the time to clean it myself so I took it to a professional and had it serviced for $60 which wasn't too bad if you ask me. Honestly though, I like the vacuum but I don't love it. I was really disappointed that it doesn't have the suction or airflow as well as my Diplomat mainly because the motor is smaller, and the nozzle doesn't have the pressure to hit the carpets as well as my Diplomat. What I really like about the Prolux is that the cord is very long, the belt usually lasts, it's a simple vacuum, and they are durable. However what I don't like is the bags are actually small, there's a reason why they come in big packages because they need to be changed quite often, and if you do get bags avoid the blue Aerus ones because those are terrible. The filtration I would say is pathetic, these don't have a pre or post filter, you could get a pre and post filter for it but they need to be replaced because they cannot be washed so that's another thing to add while buying bags. There's no height adjustment on it. And there's no hose or attachments to store on-board the vacuum, that may not be a problem to you but I never liked doing that myself personally. So that's my thoughts about the Prolux. I'm actually putting mine up for sale because I no longer have interest for it. I'm still going to collect some other Lux uprights that I really want to get but this one just isn't my favorite.

Overall if you really want the Prolux, go ahead and get it. Electrolux isn't usually cheap to get so that's a good deal Goodwill is offering. Just hope the parts that it would need wouldn't be expensive to fix. If you honestly don't care about it and if you don't get approval for this, that's totally fine. I'm sure there are others out there that would want that more than you and it could eventually go to a new home. Also, there are still other vacuums out there that will clean circles around the ProLux, including the newer Lux uprights and the clones like the Perfect DM101 for example. Adin, I hate to say this but I disagree with you because there are some bagless vacuums that I have seen and used (Especially the department store ones) that the ProLux cannot out clean.

 

[niclonnic]

Changed my mind...

I don't really want this Prolux. I honestly don't care about it, and I won't bother getting approval to buy it. I do not want anybody else to persuade me any further on this thread. It's getting annoying. I don't want to sound like I'm biased towards bagless, but I like having it for the convenience factor, even if it's messy at times. That's why the Prolux is not a suitable machine for my household.

By the way, the "mystery" vintage vacuum that I mentioned the other day should be here on Monday the 19th. I'm still keeping it a surprise until I get it. All I can say is that it's something I've been after for MANY years. One more hint: it's bagless. I'm so excited!

In the end, while this was a fun subject to post about, I won't bother posting about vacuums for sale at my work next time. While I may find some cool machines from time to time, I wanted to see if anybody else found any interesting vacuums at their Goodwill/thrift stores. And then it turned into a persuasion to try and get me to buy the Prolux vacuum, which I do not care for. I don't want to hassle with bags.

Good night,
Nick

 

[honestjoe68]

@niclonnic

Hi Nick,

I can’t wait to see your new vintage Bagless and I will check out your post when you do. Congratulations, and thanks for sharing your pics too. I enjoyed seeing what was available and sorry I never thought or I would have run over to my goodwill and donation stores and snapped some pics too.

I’m sorry you got frustrated regarding the posts on the Prolux. I’m not defending anyone or trying to lessen your feelings of frustration.. but I will say this.. we are all die hard collectors and have a LOT of passion for our Vacuums. I know nobody on here meant anything bad by their comments but more of a WOW... they all wished They could have bought the Prolux and pushed you to buy it because of their passion or liking for it. I’m very new to this site, but I find that ALL the guys mean well and share their feelings and collecter passions in a way I’ve learned to NOT take personally but to enjoy and widen my thinking. I’m more of a “all over the place” collector and don’t have one favorite brand.. so I tend to go with the flow, but I understand where the guys are coming from that love one brand and get super excited about that brand. Hey, I Love my Shark Bagless vacuums and jokingly posted about the villagers chasing me with torches.. it’s cool to like what you like and diversity is what will make this site really cool and fun. Sometimes I just think we all need to step back from our opinions and just go with the flow and cheer others on instead of getting as nit picky as even I have been known to do. We’re human and full of thoughts and feelings. No harm, No foul.

Anyhow, Nick.. I respect you very much and am sorry the thread didn’t go in the direction you wished. Like I said, I wish I’d known your desire for all of us to share pics.. I’d have run over to our stores in town to see what was sitting around waiting to be adopted. LOL. Regardless, thank you Nick for your thread and your contribution here.. I really am looking forward to your Mystery Vacuum post.

Take care and if you feel like it, PLEASE do post again and post anything you like and even list or describe what you want to do on your post.. a lot of us on here will read it and we will contribute whatever we can to add to your thoughts. Hopefully you’ll see we don’t mean to be pushy.. as I say Passionate and Pushy are a fine line and we vacuum collectors mean well but sometimes we are blinded by our passion. I have to admit (although it’s very embarrassing) I get excited, chills sometimes and smile with a goofy grin sometimes when I see a vacuum that “speaks” to me.

Thank you Nick.. I really enjoyed your post and especially the pics. Have a great day!

 

[broomvac]

I passed up a nice Prolux like that for $5 not that long ago. It simply wasn’t my style. Does everyone hate me now?

If niclonnic doesn’t want the Prolux, so what? It doesn’t affect you all.

P.S. Congrats on your Fantom Fury! It looks very nice!

 

[niclonnic]

broomvac

I don't hate you now. I agree, the Prolux is not my style.

Thanks for the compliment on my Fantom Fury! I will cherish it well. My childhood has finally come back to me!

 

[huskyvacs]

I don't think anyone hates anyone here, it's just people are confused as to why he hates bagged vacuums so much and is so adamant about not getting it like it's got the bubonic plague. That's what I believe people are being hung up on. I wouldn't say hatred, just a confusion.

To the people that want it; it's been there for most of the month, pack a big suitcase and get a 1-way plane ticket each way (or drive), and head up there and get it! I know I would if I could!

 

[lux_luthor]

I find the sudden change of heart minutes after PanasonicVac’s post rather interesting given that you were curious and seemingly into the Lux before that.

And it never struck me (or anyone else it seems for that matter) that your thread was about “What vacuums do you see at Goodwill?” You asked questions about the machine, such as where to get bags, how to do tool usage, if it’s vintage or contemporary, etc. If you didn’t care and had no interest, then why not have said from the start “I’m not going to get these machines, I just wanted to discuss vacs you guys see at Goodwill.”?

For the record, I don’t hate you for not getting it or not wanting it or any of that. You like Fantoms and Dysons and that’s cool. Good luck and hopefully others that you want to find will come your way.

PS: My favorite Fantoms were the Wildcat, Fury, and the Lightning. Never had the pleasure to use them but they seemed cool on TV.

 

[broomvac]

My use of "hate" was hyperbole. Hopefully no actual hate has stemmed from this thread. However, I was somewhat surprised how many folks hounded niclonnic about the vacuum. I got the hint early on in the thread; he didn't want it.

I've never understood how people get stirred up about what other people like. So what if some people like bagless vacuums, even exclusively? Again, it doesn't affect you all.

Anyways, I'm not here to argue. I just suggest to everyone that you don't treat others poorly over what they like. We should just appreciate our differences--this place would be pretty boring if we all liked exactly the same thing.

 

[niclonnic]

My apologies

For the misunderstanding and confusion. Because of my Asperger's, my mind often goes all over the place. I really should've worded my OP differently, and just had a discussion about what vacuums we see at Goodwill. I didn't expect this to turn into an all-out persuasion to get me to buy the Prolux. That's why I flip-flopped on PanasonicVac's post.

As for bagged vacuums, I honestly don't hate them. I've found that bags make less of a mess compared to emptying a bagless. But like I've always said, I enjoy bagless for the convenience factor. And I don't really have a problem with dust clouds.