when did Hoover get so crap?

[turbo500]

US/UK question here. When do we all think was hoover's downfall. I love every Hoover cleaner right up to the PurePower range. For me, PP was the worst possible thing hoover could have made. But what started it? Also, what was the first shite american Hoover? From what i've heard, the Elite's are not bad vacuums. I suppose it varies but I was just wondering what everyone else thought?

 

[eluxca]

US Hoover had good machines until somewhere in the mid-90's. The whole Windtunnel, Windtunnel V2 line were way below Hoover standards in terms of quality and longevity. I bought an Elite softbag upright in 1988 and that was a decent machine by modern standards. As a matter of fact, the eighties had many good Hoover machines - Concept series, Dimension series, Conquest series. The Maytag Company management and ownership was a death blow to a stalwart company.

Everyone's perception of Hoover's downfall is different. Few will agree with my assessment. Those who have been collecting vacuums for 50+ years will say that the late fifties was the beginning of the downfall with the advent of the Convertible series. Although they are excellent machines, they were made to a different standard than, say, a model 61. That was meant to be a lifetime machine.

Someone with a better grasp on modern manufacturing will know when the concept of planned obsolescence began working its way into the vacuum company psyche. The Lewyt Corporation is one of the best examples of this concept. Their first machine, the model 40, was a solid, well built machine with decent tools. Fast forward 10 or so years, they were building disposable crap that would not hold up five years in regular household use. Kudos to Hoover for holding off on that another 35 years.

John

 

[kirbysthebest]

Though not an expert like many of the rest of you, as a consumer/observer I will agree with John.

When Hoover started building a disposable vacuum, the death rattles began. From what I have read on other forums, when they turned down the Dyson bagless design was when the death warrant was signed. I don't buy this for positive, because I never liked bagless, others will swear by it.

I just hurts me that an American Icon--Hoover is now a China owned company.

 

[williamr1248]

when did Hoover go to crap

I agree with John for the most part. Because of my age, I felt when they started soon after they introduced the Convertibles. Look at the quality of the first Hoover Constellation compared to when they stopped production and were selling them for $29.95 at discount stores. I remember the last top of the line Hoover anyone in my family bought was the Concept upright. She was so very disapointed in the machine. It smelled like dust,very noisy,tool converstion was not easy and worst of all-no more real beater-bars. Of course this machine was purchased by a Hoover lover who had loved her Hoover 28 for many years. I think it's hard for younger collectors to realize that at one time to own the very best vacuum in the world was to say you owned a Hoover.

 

[filterqueen83]

Wal Mart

I think this store and numerous others were the demise of slightly greedy hoover. I miss the vacs of the 80's my last vacuum my mom had before I just wore it out was a Dimension 1000. I can remember running the vacuum up like a jet engine when turning it on. I never could understand the auto setting. Who needs this lol. I actually bought a hoover nano lite and left it in its box like a time capsule I will open on my 50th birthday hopefully. I am going to wrap it when I have time just so it will be a really cool surprise for that day for me.

 

[williamr1248]

when did Hoover get so crap

I forgot to add we are very lucky to have members in the club like Tom Anderson,Fred Stachnik and Jeff Parker who have helped to honor the past of one of our greatest American Companies.

 

[kirbysthebest]

Though not to pick on Hoover

I think all appliances and the consumers who buy them started making the change from durable long lasting to cheap toss out about the mid 80's.

Back in the day brand loyalty was important. My mother prided herself that she had an all GE Kitchen. Then as something wore out she bought another of that brand and found out it wasn't the machine she used to own. Then it broke and she bought another brand.

I think this happened to Hoover. A family/housewife had a Hoover for 20 years, bought a new plastic model, it broke, bought another, it broke. . .bought something else.

 

[danemodsandy]

Can't Tell You When, But...

...We have a Hoover Runabout canister, and it's certainly not what I expected of a Hoover. It's snap-together plastique, and it has a bad design flaw in the power nozzle. The PN cord has no reinforcement down at the bottom, where the cord enters the PN head. That makes the PN cord rub its insulation away periodically. We've dealt with it by shortening the cord at the PN end, but we've now done it enough times that there's no excess to work with. And the thing is not particularly well-designed from a user standpoint. Its on/off button and its cord rewind button look identical; their moulded-in markings are black-on-black, and therefore unreadable. You're forever rewinding the cord when you mean to turn off the machine. And the famous/infamous Hoover wand lock system is a true PITA, annoying and hard for people with hand mobility problems to use- I would strongly urge anyone arthritic to buy almost any other brand.

When it's in good repair, with no bare wires coming out of the PN, it's an okay enough machine, if somewhat annoying from the user standpoint (for people without mobility problems). But it's not what I expected from a company that has been making vacuums for around a century. P.S.: This is a pre-China machine; you can't blame them.

 

[Eureka1458A]

I think the quality of Hoover started to decline in the 80's when many of their machines were going from metal to plastic. Before that, it seemed like every Hoover was built to last a lifetime.

 

[myhooverco]

Just my two cents worth here...

After living in North Canton over the last 10 years and in the surrounding area my whole life, I can honestly say that Maytag (a very dirty word in this town) killed Hoover. When Maytag started to call the shots in the later part of the 1990s, things got cheap and lost a lot of their quality elements. Then Maytag started selling off Hoover assets like surrounding real estate and factory buildings. They had to move the Hoover family home because the land that it sat on was sold by Maytag! I would say that Hoover made quality USA made vacuums until the beginning of the end started in 1989 with Maytag taking over. Hoover held off the Maytag vultures almost 10 years before they dove in for the kill. Now there is really no more Maytag...not one tear has been shed in North Canton for the dismemberment of that company! Go to hell, Maytag!

--Tom

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Well, I think

that convertibles, (most) were terrific. Truly, Made in China, assembled in Mexico, A Division of Maytag were the deathtolls. The first nontufflex hose, no bristles on the upholstery brush, Switches halfway down the handle were signs of CHEAP.Some of the attachment hoses, etc are awful.Details were slipping, the very things that made us so proud. Anyone agree with any of this?
I also feel that closing the N Canton plant was a sin and a crime.

 

[xraytech]

I think it started to go down hill in late 80's which was later than most consumer goods. when the vacuums turned plastic it began then with the introduction of the elites and then discontinuing the convertibles. I think the final staw of Hoovers quality was when the Flagship model was changed from the Concept to the Windtunnel.Also the introduction of bagless uprights and getting rid of all bagged models was a major problem too. I do like my Steam Vac that I got in 2006 after 2 years and shampooing whole house every other month and cars 4-5 times a year it still works. Brand loyalty has gone also, not just with vacuums but with all goods like we always bought hoovers and mother got pissed off and bought a Kenmore Progressive in 2001 after going through 3 Hoovers in 8 years. Grandma was always proud to have all GE appliances in her home(they sold Ge and Hotpoint) and after 35 years of service the 1st of her appliances died she bought Ge and it was crap so as her old appliances died she has been buying other brands(they are all crap too) mother was always proud to have only Sears Kenmore and Sears Coldspot appliances same problem with their quality(You should get more than 2 years out of a dishwasher). I think it is sad that we have become a throw away society who would rather buy cheap crap and replace every few years then to pay a little more and buy a product that is worth having and will last and being loyal to your favorite brand. I hate to say I will not buy a new Hoover only used Convertibles and Concepts. If I want a Brand New Vacuum I will buy a Kirby at least they are all aluminum and made in USA the one I have is 8 years old and lasted 3 times as long as any other vacuum we bought new in past 20 years. The only brand loyalty I have left now is for Tupperware and Buick.

 

[lux1521]

You all might find my opinion on this matter to be a bit silly, but here goes. I'm going to say they started to go downhill shortly after they started. By the 1920s the number of available attachments had decreased to a very basic, although a very quality set. Then when they changed from the very rugged 1920s and 30s style button lock it was bad. The jam prone 725 2 speed switch was troublesome. Hoovers sealed motors were no longer sealed by 1930 because of the necessity of cooling fans. The 1930s hand grips were always falling apart. In the late 1930s you had crackable motor hoods and headlight lenses.

Just shows that its all relitive.

 

[camelotshadow]

oooohhhh

I haveone hoover
the 63
mid century

not a bad cleaner for its day
think it cost close to $90 then

that's about $1000 now
so for $10 I'm happy with it

 

[gottahaveahoove]

and......

the end of the convertible as we knew and loved it was detrimental. Runabout, etc...... silly, and for years we used bags. None of us died. That "bagless " nonsense. I have a fantastic set of Maytag washr/dryer. But, they were bought BEFORE the "invasion". They were made here also.I curse the new Maytag.... for what they did to HOOVER.
so unfair..... And, then there's CHINA. It's a good thing i don't drink. Because, if I did........

 

[gottahaveahoove]

and......

the end of the convertible as we knew and loved it was detrimental. Runabout, etc...... silly, and for years we used bags. None of us died. That "bagless " nonsense. I have a fantastic set of Maytag washr/dryer. But, they were bought BEFORE the "invasion". They were made here also.I curse the new Maytag.... for what they did to HOOVER.
so unfair..... And, then there's CHINA

 

[hoover1060]

For me...

It was the late 70's, when the Convertible went plastic, however the real slide was later, some of the last Convertibles were just dreadful, especially the BOL models.
As for the Maytag debacle, yes ol' Maytag got what they deserved, they totally messed things up, and when the public responded by not buying the plastic crap, they put all the blame on Hoover.
Maytag totally killed Hoover.

I can't really make a call on what was crap and what wasn't, there are today 20 year old Elites out there working fine, as with plastic Convertibles and Concepts.
Time will tell with what is found in the future.

 

[74simon]

It's a good question...

Over the years, Hoover certainly came out with quite a few flawed machines, but I understand that the early Purepowers are vastly better quality and more sturdy than the current ones, not that I've had any experience with them myself. It seems to me that Hoover didn't get their reputation for poor quality, inefficient machines until quite a while after Candy took over the European division in 1995. And that wasn't completely sealed until the introduction of the disastrous The One in 2004.

I've got to admit that I used to think in terms of the 80s machines as being cheap rubbish, but I've been forced to revise this opinion since I got a 1990s Turbopower, which does a fine job and doesn't feel like all the bits are going to snap off...

Si

 

[vintagehoover]

Hmm...

I liked the Turbopower 2/3/1000 machines, they were very well made and worked well. A bit heavy, though, an issue addressed with the Purepower range. My granny has 2 Turbopower 3 Autosenses, one upstairs, one down, which she's had for over 10 years now. She uses them regularly, and they're still going strong.

I think the early Purepowers were the last decent ones. I had one, and I liked it a lot. It was of a good build quality, and worked well. The early Purepowers bear very little relation to the later models, and even less to the Dust Mis-Managers!

It all depends, really, on whether you consider longevity to be the deciding factor. In this day and age, do we want a cleaner which will outlive us? With improvements in technology happening so fast, don't we want the freedom to replace a machine once it becomes outdated? Or are the 'improvements' really improvements? Are they just sales gimmicks?

If Hoover were to make a machine out of componants as high-quality as they did in the 1930s, they'd have to charge the same kind of prices they did in the '30s, ie. £1000+, which would put them out of most people's reach, just as they were back then.