when does "a few Panasonic's" become "too many Panasonic's"?

[turbo500]

I also remember the 400 series being available at the end of

I purposely didn't get into too much detail with the 400's as the dates are a little blury. I also know VERY little about the later redesigned 500 series cleaners so didn't want to get into those too much

 

[vintagerepairer]

Hello Chris. I didn't realise you'd mentioned the not having the hose with your mums cleaner, so do please forgive me. As it is model 44, I am wondering if Panasonic had stopped including it on the base model, perhaps in an attempt to force an upgrade to a higher specification model, because as you rightly point out, it was still included with models 45 and 46. I don't recall having that much to do with the model 44 as I had stocks of the 41 which saw me right through the period where the 44 was the current model. The last cleaners I bought in this style were in a beautiful deep racing green colour. I had three, one of which I took home for my mother and two which I sold retail. I am not sure what model these were, what I do know was they still available after the 400 range had gone on sale.

 

[vintagerepairer]

Ah, well, you see the 400 came in three guises, the white colour being the basic
model, and I think the red version being the electronic with headlight. I think the mid range model was blue, but I could be wrong as I saw too few of anything above the base model. It was almost as though Panasonic were more keen to promote the base models. I expect that overall there was more profit in them. All of course had a 750w model, and all had two new features over the previous range, this being the longer hose and the brush roller stop.

 

[turbo500]

Hi Benny,


 


You're spot on with the 400's - I remember all 3 cleaners well. The basic white, the dark blue with variable power and TOL red with variable power and headlight.


 


The green model you mentioned is the MC-E47, pictured above (although it looks rather dark, it is actually green). Here is a better pic. 


 


This one ran alongside the MC-E44 from 93-95, and then continued as a budget vac (and later an exclusive, I believe) for maybe another year or so. 

 

[vintagerepairer]

Yes that is the cleaner I write about! Thank you. I took one for my mother to use in place of her Electrolux 504. She used it as an upright machine, but having been hit in the face the first time she tried the hose, she never ever used the tools. She would have been 80 years old and it really upset her. If this ran alongside the model 44, what happened to the grey 45, and why did it need to be replaced with an identical specification, I wonder? All I remember about it was that in late 1994 one of my suppliers, I think Electrupart, was selling them off. I had the choice of buying these or something from the 400 series. These were slightly cheaper than the base model 400, but what I did not realise until I had them was that the 400 had a higher wattage motor, longer hose, and brush stop, all of which was attractive to a consumer. I think the base 400 cleaner used to retail for around £90 and I sold my model 47's for about £85, just to get rid of them. I know I made virtually nothing on them, but that is business for you.

 

[turbo500]

Hi Benny,


 


Again, many thanks for the insight. Just checked over my catalogues for reference - the MC-E450 (basic white model) made it's first catalogue appeared in 1995 and retailed for £99.00 with the blue MC-E451 with variable power coming in at £109.00. Very similar price tags to the original 40 series.


 


For some reason, Argos did not stock the top end red model, so I have no reference for this (though I remember seeing it about). I presume it was because they stocked both the 450 and 451, with the larger 553 clocking in at £129. I suppose it would have been bad business practice to stock the whole line and detract from sales of the larger, more expensive machines. 

 

[vintagerepairer]

It was Currys where I saw them first. I had gone to buy a TV set for my mothers 80th birthday which was in late 1995 and that is when I saw the new Panasonic uprights. They may well have also sold them for £99.99, I cannot quite recall the exact price, but it was certainly around the £100 mark. Of course back then all electrical goods were more or less the same price in all stores, unless one happened to find one in a sale. I think with the likes of Argos, they are limited as to just how much of anything they can stock. I agree with you that with so many other Panasonic models to choose, not to mention those from other manufacturers, they restricted the range.

Having said that, the red Panasonic 400 model would have been one of just two or three domestic cleaners to have a headlamp at this point in time, which would of course have made it very appealing to anyone who required such a feature, so it could have sold easily perhaps. Then again, I think headlamps were rather passée by 1995.

 

[vintagerepairer]

Sorry it was late 1994 when she was 80, she was born in 1914.

 

[durango159]

There is nothing wrong with liking Panasonics!! Some love Hoover, some love Sanitaire, some love Kirby, some love Bissell. There are tons of vacuum stores out there that absolutely swear by Panasonics as terrific machines. I think its a brand that people get confused over because they're not strictly vacuums.

Panasonic as you know does TV's, Phones, Microwaves, Vacuum Cleaners, Irons and more! They don't have a "Specialty" in vacuums in comparison to brands like Hoover, Eureka, Royal, etc. However, many swear by Miele and Miele offers washing machines, dish washers and other appliances. I think of Panasonic similar to the way I think of Husqvarna. Panasonics vacuums aren't the best ever, but they're certainly no where near the bottom of the barrell. They're a good overall machine at fairly reasonable price. Husqvarna produces lawn mowers, weed wackers, leaf blowers, tractors and lots of outdoor power equipment, but they don't specialize in just mowers or just handheld power equipment. No one thing of theirs is really the absolute best but certainly not bottom of the barrell either.

Panasonic has good machines and not so good machines. There is an upright line with poor motor support which eventually the tension from the belt, breaks the base. Some of their newer motors are said to possibly only last 5 years. I find that subjective to use and abuse, however its still much better compared to some vacs close in price that would last about 14 months.

Looking over Panasonics history they have also tried numerous innovations in vacuum cleaners and other products. For example the dual hose suction duct design for an upright line, and in canisters the recent air basket models of the OptiFlo series.
The majority of Kenmore vacuums from the 90's to now have all been made by Panasonic. Due to Sears consistently having weekly and biweekly sales ads in Sunday papers, 90% of which have at least one power nozzle canister pictured for sale, dating back to who knows what year, Kenmore has become the most popular selling brand of canister vacuums.

I say,Enjoy your Panasonics and be proud of what you have!

 

[mieles7]

I love that type of clean air design. My Riccar uses a similar design, and you an really hear the suction through the nozzle.