Weird Ugly plastic vacs...

[aeoliandave]

Been deep researching the ORB vac. I really want one.
runs on a full charge for only 8 minutes but has a surprisingly powerful suction. Best video has it pulling in popcorn kernels.

Good enough for quick car cleanups, keyboard dust busting and fast cleanups in the kitchen. What a cool thing to have on display by the couch for snatching up those potatoe chip fragments and other crumbs.
Slightly larger than a softball, looks real cute and makes for a cat toy ball when closed up off the charger. What's not to like? Whee!
Here in Canada it seems to be readily available at Home Hardware and I'm going out looking tomorrow.
Dave

 

[petek]

I'm 90% positive I saw those Orbs at Canadian Tire the other night on clearance for something like $19

 

[suckolux]

that orb reminds me of my Flex

 

[thehooverman]

the orb reminds me of a snail lol

 

[aeoliandave]

Pete our CanTire had those too about 6 weeks ago. When I returned to get one the next day they were all gone. Yes, it was a clearance item - a loss leader - that appear for a week and are never stocked again.

If your CanTire still has them please get me two. They retail at Home hardware at like $45!

I know it's a toy with limited uses but I want one.

Dave[this post was last edited: 1/22/2013-22:50]

 

[sebo_fan]

Re: Hoover Turbopowers

There are about 12 shops in my local town. 4 of them have old Hoover Turbopowers, mostly the red U2724 and the model after that with the built in hose. They are very badly scraped on the hood and to the sides - but if they are still being used, the build quality isn't that bad at all.

 

[thekirbylover]

yes but the things you cant see are probably broken i had 1 side of the bag housing snap off that little round thing that holds the bag housing in, they are almost certain you will find a crack, they rattle because parts haven't been sealed on and get loose

 

[director12]

Since when does Toshiba make vacuums?

 

[aeoliandave]

First Vacuumland Review

Today I went to our Local Home Hardware and they had one ORB left on the shelves and on clearance sale at $27. I snatched it up.
As you know I am the furthest thing from an impulsive 'easy sell' consumer but opening the box I knew I'd made an excellent choice.

I am very impressed with the build quality , weight, balance and attention to minute details. The plastic is a shiny tough, almost vinyl-ish ABS with a nice tactile feel in the hand, not cheap brittle styrene.
There are no loose joints and even rubber button cushions under the fold out handle and nozzle to prevent them from impacting the body when retracted. The cup filter is washable and reusable. The bagless dust compartment holds slightly over 1/2 cup of ingested debris (rice) with a rubber flap valve to keep that debris from falling out of the intake nozzle.
The putty-gray colour accents are pleasant to look at, I also like the look of the Green and Blue ones but I would not care for the Ruby Red version.
Color-matched rubberized trims surround the handle portion for a secure grip.
The motor is relatively quiet - it does not scream - and as demonstrated in the videos quite strong suction for a mini-handvac.
The motor runs only when the power button is held down, saving power when you set it down to answer the phone.
The Owner manual even has a full and illustrated page on how to change your own batteries in future! That's a plus we haven't seen since the 1960s.

It unpacked with dying rechargeable internal lithium batteries and so as recommended I ran it down to depletion (which I will repeat 3 times) to lock in a full charge capacity. It must be on the charger for at least 12 hours for this first charge and so it sits on the table until I can fully test and play with it tomorrow. Looking forward to having it strut its stuff.

I can already tell that it will be the perfect stow-able minivac for cleaning the car carpets and seats or fast touch-ups around the couch, as well as whisking over the mainframe keyboard which as we all know collect and trap dustbunny crumbs and shed off beard hairs & skin cells every day.

Just did a test with the old Vac-U-Tronic Suck-O-Meter. The Orb pulls 12" of water lift. Not too shabby for a mini vac.

Dave[this post was last edited: 1/23/2013-23:18]

 

[aeoliandave]

Toshiba is a major player in all home appliances in Japan and the eastern Oriental nations since before WW2 and since, including vacuums.

Dave

 

[sebo_fan]

Toshiba's floorcare range is mostly restricted to sell in Japan only, but some Toshiba models have made it to Europe.

 

[stricklybojack]

Bissell PRO-Lite

Walmart isn't stocking this vac any longer, & i have never seen one in person, but dang(!) this thing looks to be monumental achievement in plastic vacuum architecture.

 

[sebo_fan]

Unusual look but reminds me of the Vax AVC/Bosch merged bagless upright we had in the late 1990s. That pedal release doesn't look like it will last either!

 

[tolivac]

Just about any of the bagless,low priced,upright vacuums look weird to me.Like the higher priced bagged,metal or higher quality plastic ones better.

 

[aeoliandave]

I'm not one for new modern plastic bagless vacuums generally but I have a few examples that speak to me of superior or uniquely wacky design that lifts them above the ugly dime-a-dozen chinavacs on display at Big Box stores and national chains, so awkwardly styled and garishly coloured you have to turn your eyes away with a derisive snort .

True, good design is in the eye of the beholder but I do know what pleases my eye.

This upright caught my eye two or three years ago when it appeared in the lineup at our local Sears Canada. First attracted by it's colour scheme of platinum & palest green, the reverse-mounted large capacity cyclone dust chamber in back of the full length handle enclosing a 36" long aluminum wand for above the floor, the smoothly integrated tool storage and light weight also made it stand out as something to keep my eye on.

Under the Kenmore Sears nameplate, the PREMALITE vacuum is actually an LG design.

 

[aeoliandave]

Something notably sensible is the direct central airflow & debris path from brushroll to wand to dust chamber, the blinding 6 bulb LED lighting mounted low on the head, and transparent easy access bottom plate - held by clips rather than screws - to clean out the brushroll.

Is there really a need for the convoluted exposed plumbing most bagless vacs employ to force the air flow around sharp corners, promoting is not guaranteeing blockages, while dazzling the consumer with its 'Modern' design? Clearly this LG/Kemore re-thought not.

 

[aeoliandave]

easy to break down for maintenance, the premalite has a round pleated washble after motor hepa filter in the base under the dust jug.
It collapses flat to the floor for maximum penetration under furniture.

 

[aeoliandave]

reserved for post #4

 

[aeoliandave]

L have two housecats, one a 4 year old behemoth Felix and the latest edition Badger a 16 week kitten.
Felix, having already had a mild bout of urinary chrystals - common in older fixed male cats - now needs food formulated to combat and prevent this condition.
Badger on the other hand is a hungry growing creature that needs cat food for kittens. At this point he would probably eat anything I set down even potato chips and sawdust with shoelace clippings...LOL

Because i had 3 bags of different kibble in current use mixed together in the self-feeding dispenser I observe this smart behaviour.

There is one kibble that neither cat will eat and in fact they sort it out from the mix and fling it across the floor.

I still have a 1/4 bag of this food but will not abuse my cats by insisting they eat it. But it is already premixed. I will never buy this food again but stick to the two that they gobble up addressing their individual needs.

The ORB vac is ideal for fast daily cleanups around the food dispenser.

 

[aeoliandave]

The water dispenser I discovered while considering the needs of two cats (I used to fill a stainless steel bowl every day) and saw the logic of is a sort of serenity fountain that spills filtered water over the top of a mushroom shaped plate.

They love it! Cats drink by lapping and the mushroom platform is the very thing to keep them drinking healthily whenever they like. I've also seen them splash each other playfully tho not excessively.

Gawd, cats are amusing.

Dave