Well there goes the Turbo Power as Hoover's flagship model!

[jmurray01]

I just loaded up Hoover.co.uk a minute ago and see the Globe is now representing Hoover Vacuum Cleaners.

Can't say I'm surprised with all the marketing they are doing just now featuring the Globe.

I give the Turbo Power another 6 months at the most before it is discontinued.

I mean, who would really pay £250.00 for a Turbo Power when they could have a Globe with "twist and steer" for £229.99 ?

I'm not saying that is what I'd do, but from the general consumer's point of view, you have to concede the Globe does have more "modern" appeal.

 

[sebo_fan]

No, not quite.

Just because the Turbo Power isn't being shown as the first model in the home page, doesn't mean the model is being discontinued. Websites do this often when trying to promote a product, simple as. Miele did this recently with their homepage to their cylinder vacuums, showing off the "monster suction" from an S8, weeks before the S8 actually arrived in the shops.


 


I doubt the Turbo Power will completely disappear. The Slalom for example is no longer being listed on site but there's Tesco selling the black model SL8127 at £79.97


 


Also the Globe is very different - it swivels for a start and has lower wattage plus a 1.7 litre dust bin. 


The Turbo Power has higher wattage and a 3 litre dust bin. 


 


One only has to realise the differences by actually reading the info on both to know the differences - and I highly doubt Hoover would replace the standard push/pull upright with a swivel upright that has a much smaller dust bin capacity and eliminate buyers who won't necessarily want a swivel upright. 

 

[madabouthoovers]

The blue Turbopower UTP1610 that I have was always on sale in Argos for about £120, the same with the red version at variuous times - it was only really Comet that insisted on charging the full £250 for it, which is why I never shop at Comet.
Its an OK cleaner, but has its flaws, the worst is it can be very difficult to push. They brought out the Jazz, which is a turbopower with fancy coloured bins, and thats on sale for £100 in Argos now, or was anyway.
At least the new Turbopower has a dirtsearcher light - something only seen before on the Turbopower 1 as they omitted it on the TP2 and TP3/TP1000.

 

[seamusuk]

Dont all rush at once now.....

Half price Globe ....

Seamus

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Produ...searchtext>HOOVER+UPRIGHT+VACUUM+CLEANERS.htm

 

[sebo_fan]

Cue the Turbo Power bagless PETS version at £99-00, same at Argos, reduced from £114 and comes with 8.5 metres of cord compared to the Globe's 6 metres. For an upright that has a bigger dust capacity and despite no swivel, I know what I would be buying if I HAD to - but TBH the best current bagless upright I've owned so far has to be the Vax Mach Air Reach - tons of cord, compact design and lordy, its just so simple to operate and move around with - I see Vax have brought out a new Air3, i.e the same again but with a swivel built in.



Clearly there's a market opening up for swivelling bagless uprights again, outside the Dyson styles with the Electrolux Nimble probably being one of the first of the established brands to bring a model out.

 

[madabouthoovers]

I bought the Vax Mach Air total home from Argos when they were half price, and its a great little cleaner - quiet, light, and very easy to push about. Only niggles are the cord hooks could do with being a bit longer as the cable is very long. I saw an American Hoover Windtunnel that looks identical to the Vax Mach Air - so whose design is it? Vax's or Hoover's?

 

[jmurray01]

I never said the Turbo Power would be discontinued solely because it wasn't the flagship model anymore. I was saying that because I believe people would rather have the Globe over it for the simple fact (and sad fact I may add) that people are drawn to appliances for how they look these days it would be discontinued due to lack of sales.

 

[jmurray01]

That should read "and it would be discontinued due to lack of sales".

 

[madabouthoovers]

Nowadays, we have the internet and many review sites that people can post about bad experiences with a product. Its very easy now to make an informed choice about a product by reading reviews, many people read these reviews and may decide not to buy a product unless it has many good reviews. New products may not take off until there are good reviews on them posted up, and I think the Globe may be seen as another gimmick like the Dyson Ball. Argos doesnt have many reviews on the Globe yet, but I will keep an eye on them to see how people are getting on with the Globe.
We all saw what bad publicity did to the Hoover "the one" cleaner, and thats why it didnt sell. Price alone is not the final decider as to whether a cleaner sells or not - but bad reviews are a killer for a product. Werthiems have bad reviews, and I subsequently wouldnt buy one - my choise was made by reading their reviews, not by the price of the Werthiem.

 

[jmurray01]

That's true Steve.

 

[jmurray01]

In saying what you did about having the internet these days for reviews and thus people buying Vacuum Cleaners (and anything else for that matter) based on good reviews, you'd think manufacturers would be making BETTER products wouldn't you ? It seems to be the opposite - back when the internet didn't exist vacuums were made to last but these days with the internet they aren't for the most part.

Our throw away society has a lot to answer for as well of course.

 

[sebo_fan]

Well Jamie you didn't make it clear in your initial post. As per usual you ignore the total fact that just because the website shows the Globe as the being the vacuum "first in line", you automatically assume the Turbo Power "will last another 6 months before its discontinued."And if you look at the website, it's not as if the Globe is close up - its too far away for people to actually look at it and coo over it.  Let's see in another 6 months if you are indeed right regarding the Turbo Power; it too had a couple of videos to promote it when I looked at Hoover UK a couple of months ago.


 


Steve - I posted similar thoughts regarding reviews of vacuums but in a different light in another thread - Hoover UK have shot themselves in the foot using Reevoo as some of the reviews on the products Hoover are promoting are very negative. Of course you could argue that Hoover are giving buyers the benefit of the doubt - but really, even if reviews are being read by buyers to base their decision on a purchase, most buyers would probably like to see and use the vacuum first before making an actual purchase. In many ways aside from John Lewis who allow you to test their appliances first, some Comet, Currys & Euronics stores let you also try vacuums first before buying.


 


Vax Voice - an online subsidiary of Vax that works like the Amazon Vine principle (you get a free product and you write a review about it) also sends buyers/owners new Vax appliances free only for the "free price" of a good review. Its a bit cheeky really, as half the time it confuses buyers and half the time the reviews on the Vax site really can't be trusted in light of the Vax Voice offer. After all, if you have received a free machine and you're on a low income with an existing vacuum that has seen better days, you'd delight in the fact that a brand has sent out a free machine for you to keep.


 


Not many will know about Vax Voice unless you're already an existing Vax owner and you've bought products from Vax UK online, only to get the invite to join the panel months later. I was a member but I never won the chance to test a new product and eventually cancelled the free subscription to Vax. So, what help on a fairness level is that going to be any reader/buyer who is interested in the product??


 


Steve - the Vax Mach Air, Total and Pets model all have short cords - I had the orange model initially and couldn't deal with the 1.1 metre hose on board never mind the short cord. The Mach Air Total was initially a QVC special before Vax put it on their books for other franchises. I recall it came with a flexible bendy long crevice tool, extension hose and an upholstery tool, but there was never any where on that model to put them all.


 


Eventually I bought the Reach model which has 10 metres of cord and the all important clip on extension hose. If you like the Total model already, the Reach is so much better for the longer cord, mini turbo tool and extension hose, putting it more in line with the Windtunnel Air in the U.S where specs are concerned. I think prices are falling for the Reach as well, down from £249 to £149; probably to make way for the new Swivel upright that will be coming out.


 


I'm not too sure about the actual model but I think Vax designed that model for themselves in the UK whilst Hoover had their own thoughts. Certainly the Vax came out in the UK before Hoover got the Windtunnel Air, but I've given up on actual product launch dates where Vax are concerned because they're owned by TTI and it can get confusing as well as frustrating - Vax in other countries have some really good bagged cylinder vacuums but they've yet to come to the UK.


 


 

 

[madabouthoovers]

Yes it does - but the problem is that the internet has introduced a lot more competition and price knowledge amongst consumers, and its easy now to shop around to see who offers the best prices on the best cleaners. This competition has made the manufacturers try to produce cleaners for lesser costs, so that they can compete with the other manufacturers. This has now reached epidemic proportions, with vacuums now reaching very low prices compared to what they would have cost in real terms in 1975 say. In 1975 vacuums were made to a quality and the consumer paid the price as there was not as much competition and no internet to compare prices. Nowadays, vacumms are built to a price - mass produced by robots and machines and quality is less of a factor - unless you are prepared to pay for it by buying a Kirby or a top line Miele. The exception is Dyson, where the products are not best quality but very expensive (ie, the DC41).
People are getting fed up with buying crap, so they look at reviews a lot more now and tend to buy well tested and tried cleaners such as the Numatic Henry, and the Miele canisters. The cheap bagless cleaners will die a death now that multi-cyclonic has spread across the board with Dysons patents expiring, look at ebay - they cant even give the cheap crap away! - people read reviews and then the products just dont sell any more. Dyson will lose a lot of custom now that other manufacturers are producing multi-cyclonic cleaners at lesser cost, but better quality. For example, the Vax Mach air is a great cleaner, but much cheaper than a Dyson, and has good reviews - so I bought one! The Henry has fantastic reviews, and lots of them, so I bought one of them too. There is a Hoover "The One" cleaner that has been kicking around Ebay for weeks now with several different spares thrown in - but no-one wants it - need I say more?

 

[madabouthoovers]

Ryan My Vax Mach Air Total Home, has 10 metre cord, just measured it, and its a bitch to get it all coiled around the silly little cord holders. It did come with the flexi crevice tool and the mattress nozzle, also a turbo tool, and 2 in one crevice tool, and hose extension. Its back to 279.99 in Argos now though, but I think its a great little cleaner especially as I go it at £129.99 when on promo.

 

[sebo_fan]

Of course the internet has brought competition - its like a worldwide encyclopaedia of information - but the internet is not to blame for cheap products and if you look up Dyson on EBAY you'll find its the biggest brand in so far as refurbished models and spare parts. One could easily point and say that the brand are thus probably number 1 in so far as customer ownership and accessibility. However, I'd like to think it's because of the fact that early models had a lot more problems than the current lines Dyson now sell, hence the popularity of reselling older machines but with new motors/refurbs at cut down prices.


 


On the high street pound shops have literally robbed private DIY stores who used to sell Blackspur rollers and paint brushes for a marked up price -as well as so many other products. Blackspur are a pound shop product range by trade - (I used to work in a pound shop as a summer job many moons ago) and their products are dirt cheap. As a nation we are looking for bargains instead of paying out for quality - these are hard times and the UK is still getting back on its feet with the recession.


 


Anyone remember Hinari appliances? They existed well before the internet and so did supermarket/department brands. Thus, although there weren't many vacuums, it wasn't before long that budget brands brought out their floorcare appliances and the catalogues followed suit. I still have an Index catalogue somewhere that shows far more JMB vacuums than anything else - and that was before Index went online. 


 


In 1975, life was very different -and we had a far more stable economy - and though the UK had plenty of factory strikes and constant rioting, there was still an industry going on too. the coal mines shut down because there is little demand for it and it is costlier to produce than other energy forms. The UK doesn't have that now, not because of the internet or shopping around for the cheapest deal, but for the fact that production has moved to Asia because it is cheaper to produce and thus with cheap prices has pulled the buyer in. All the while, the catalogue brands keep growing and new brands are popping up.


 


Appliance brands no longer have much of an interest in building appliances that are made to last. It's all about trying to make money and in the fastest and biggest way possible. Electrolux are a great example - why bother buying one of their freezers when you can buy a John Lewis one that has a cheaper price, a few more features or a fancy finish, or a Zanussi, from the same home company with either an extended warranty and missing one of the features that the other two have. Buyers are no longer interested in who owns what - the prices define what the buyer will be attracted to, or the stylish look - and that is no fault of the buyer, but rather of the home company whose priorities that once lay in customer loyalty has had to be cut because of wasted money to back the process in the first place. Again its a money issue.


 

 

[sebo_fan]

Ah,, there were two then  - the QVC channels sold a model called Vax Mach Air Total, not Vax Mach Air Total Home. There's the confusion - it had a dark burgundy red bin filter nicked from the pets model compared to the Total Home. I didn't have a problem with the 10 metre cord on the Reach though, and it is effectively the same machine body wise. 

 

[madabouthoovers]

Here is a pic of my Vax Total Home, it does have a red bin insert:

 

[madabouthoovers]

Compared to earlier vax "power" range of uprights, this multi-cyclonic is a winner for them, its just excellent in many respects, including the size and weight, it is very nimble to move about, but doesnt clog up easily like the "power" range. The larger Mach machines were more cumbersome, but this they got just right and they have good reviews as well. Its very similar to the Dyson Dc18 though dont you think?

 

[madabouthoovers]

However its a newish model and time will tell if they are reliable in the long term - I am always sceptical about machines with seperate brushroll motors, the Dyson DC24 and DC25 have not been reliable in this area, with many machines suffering early brushroll motor problems. I have a DC15 that I bought new, and its been OK although had to be replaced under warranty due to a faulty upright switch, meaning the brushroll was on all the time even when stood upright. I prefer single motor cleaners, as there is less to go wrong, and even the Sebo X4 only has one motor although it would have been nice if it had a clutch to disengage the brushroll when stood upright and using the tools.