Why are Aerus/Lux Type C Bags So Abudant and Cheap Compared to Other Vacuum Bags?

[mark40511]

Just wondering. I bought a box on Ebay for my Epic 6500 over 2 years ago and it had 100 bags for like 39.95, and they are actually good bags....But any other vacuum bag I see isn't nearly as economical as this one. But I'm wondering why these are so abundant & cheap as opposed to all the other bags on the market.

 

[vacuumlad1650]

I bought 12 for $15 at my local vacuum shop. Could have gotten them cheaper on E-Vacuumstore, but i didnt want to pay shipping. Where do you buy them now? i can only get them at the vac shop in town or online

 

[human]

I don't know for sure...

...but I'm darned glad of it, seeing as I have two Electrolux canisters—a 1205 and a Super J—that take that type bag. What comes to my my mind is we have a perfect storm of a mature market, expired patents, and economies of scale.

• Type C bags were introduced with the model LX in 1952 and they were used continuously on subsequent models right on into the 21st century.

• Any patents on that bag design would have expired by the late '70s or early '80s, and thus the design is in the public domain, allowing third party manufacturers to offer generic bags without paying any sort royalties or licensing fees, enabling them to thus pass the savings on to the consumer.

• Because these machines were so well made and significant numbers of them remain in service decade after decade, demand for the bags stays sufficiently robust that manufacturers and consumers alike can benefit from the economies of scale that come from large production runs.

It also makes one wonder just how much the prices of other vacuum cleaner bags are padded beyond the basic manufacturing cost.

 

[human]

For what it's worth, I bought 24 generic bags (Multi Filter branded) on eBay a couple of months ago for $15.45 with free shipping. That works out to a shade less than 65 cents a bag!

 

[sebo_fan]

And for what it is worth, the type bag you're referring to (Type C) is also sold in Asia under Electrolux machines that still use that bag with the Eureka-Forbes branding. So, the more widespread the bags are, the cheaper they become.

 

[hnz85]

Why doesn't Aerus produce Type C Hepa bags? They are really letting their customers down. Vacuums as expensive as the Legacy should also have a Hepa filter as standard equipment. I'm not sure how they get away it. With that aside, I still enjoy using my Electrolux 6500SR. I use the Perfect Hepa bags though. There is a big difference in quality. The Perfect bag is made of much better material. I'll show some comparison photos.

 

[suckolux]

they maintain suction longer too

 

[vac-o-matic]

Perfect

I have used the Perfect cloth type bags in all my C type bag machines ever since they came out. They're worth the extra cost.

 

[mark40511]

I would use the perfect hepa bags

but I like throwing my bags away faster than other people do, and since these are so cheap, it doesn't bother me......and to be honest, with these paper type C bags, there's hardly any dust in the bag chamber area....Also these bags are pretty idiot proof when installing the bag....it's a very tight seal, UNLIKE the KENMORE canisters...

Just go to Ebay and type C vacuum bags electrolux and you'll be surprised and the amount you get from some sellers with free shipping for the price.

I just never understood why they were so cheap.......I guess there is higher demand and they are old type bags makes sense.

 

[kirbylux77]

Charles

I think a major reason why Aerus does not produce a cloth HEPA bag for the Aerus Classic & Aerus Legacy, is that Aerus has mostly been a traditional company that doesn't like change. However, I think that is slowly changing....after all, we do have the Aerus Platinum now, which is a MAJOR departure for Aerus in terms of it's design & features. And for those customers that want a cloth HEPA bag & double HEPA filtration & willing to spend the money, Aerus does at least offer this option to them to purchase.

As for the difference in quality for paper bags vs cloth HEPA bags....that's not really a fair comparison. Cloth HEPA has the unfair advantage of being made of different material that has much better tear resistance & filtration qualities over paper. And in my opinion, the blue Aerus Home Solutions & 4 ply bags are perhaps THE BEST paper bag on the market. Go ahead & compare the dust retention of the Type C paper bags to your average paper micro-filtration bag on a Kenmore or Hoover canister, for instance....and be disgusted with how much dust is in the bag chamber after 6 bags, whereas the Aerus bag chamber is still relatively dust free. Having said that, being a allergy sufferer, I do use the cloth HEPA bags made by JohnnyVac in my Electrolux vacuums, & I do believe they are superior. If I owned a Aerus Classic or Legacy & I was using the cloth HEPA bags & it broke down under warranty, & they tried to deny a warranty claim due to using aftermarket bags, I wouldn't hesitate to threaten to sue the franchise owner.

Rob

 

[bikerray]

I just found an partial box of 18 of the blue Aerus Home Solutions Style C bags at Goodwill for $1.99

I've picked up boxes of the Electrolux bags at both Goodwill and Salvation Army for really cheap.

 

[suckolux]

I was getting a lot of dust in chamber by the 4 ply genuine Lux bags I got from dealer several years ago,surprised me.

 

[kirbyduh]

Aerus Bags

The blue "Home Solutions" bags, no matter what Aerus says, do not filter as well as their older bags. The lining, as evidenced by the picture above, comes apart due to the suction. When I change the blue bags, I can always feel dust on the outside, where I can't with the older Electrolux gray bags, for example.

 

[human]

I don't seem to have that problem with the "Multi-Filter" bags I've been using. The bag compartments of both of my Luxes are clean as a whistle. The small print on the bags says "3 Inner Layers, 1 Outer Layer". I have yet to dissect one to see what those layers are made of, but I have no complaint about their performance.

 

[djub85]

I agree about all of the patent stuff. Also, Aerus currently makes their bags in China (PRC), so that might explain why their prices are pretty reasonable, too. It could also explain why they don't filter as well. Although, I have to say, they filter better than all of the aftermarket brands I've tried.


 


I agree that the Legacy should have HEPA filtration at its price. I've posted about this several times, but I'm going to mention it again. Aerus already turned their C-style canister into a totally-sealed HEPA system. Most of you remember the Guardian Ultra. It was Aerus's stopgap between the ugly Renaissance/Epic/Guardian HEPA machines and the current Guardian Platinum. I have no idea why Aerus invested money in giving the C-body a sealed HEPA system and then just threw it away after a few years when they discontinued the Ultra. When the Ultra was replaced by the Platinum, Aerus SHOULD have given the sealed HEPA system innards to the Legacy. Sure, leave the Classic the same. But the Legacy, at its price, needs HEPA, and it's readily available because of the Ultra.


 


The Ultra, fyi, came with a 20-year motor warranty, which I think is pretty cool in this day-and-age.


 


Just in case Aerus watches these forums, my suggested changes (like my opinion matters...):


 


1. Steel adjustable wands for the Platinum & Legacy


2. HEPA filtration in the Legacy, courtesy of the discontinued Ultra


3. Quieter power nozzles


4. Make everything in the USA again (the Legacy and Classic are already made here)... bags, power nozzles, sidekicks, **cough** Platinum **cough**


4. And who could forget, buy back rights to the Electrolux name (Electrolux USA, Aerus-Electrolux, Electrolux by Aerus--whatever they have to do to get their real name back on the machines).

 

[hnz85]

I agree DJub85. Getting rid of the Electrolux name is the dumbest thing they could have done. Your branding is everything and I'm guessing they have more than lost anything they gained in the sale. A good example of a short term solution to an ongoing problem. They lost a valuable name as well as letting a new competitor enter the market.

I agree with all of your points in regards to the legacy. The only thing I would add is to also include the combo rug/floor tool. The floor brush that comes with the Legacy is pretty small. And maybe improve the power nozzle to offer height adjustment. Then the Legacy would worth the premium price they are asking. The Platinum would still have its place for people who wanted all of the high tech stuff.

 

[suckolux]

I thought mine looked clean inside too, until I put a Miele pre filter down in the bottom of the bag chamber. OMG, one bag in there and it was nasty like , crap! Done with the paper and yes the filter stayed!

 

[mark40511]

I have the same bags as the person above posted

Mult-filter paper. These filter way better than the Kenmore Microlined bags I'e tried and the chamber stays much cleaner.....I've even gotten a white wet cloth and cleaned the chamber area and there was very little dirt on the rag...A little, yes, but nothing crazy after 6 months of using it a lot.....

Speaking of sealed hepa, I have a question about my Epic 6500 that I've asked before but no one ever answers my question, so I'll try again: I don't notice ANY air coming out anywhere other than the after filter (not hepa) just the after filter.....In my Kenmore, you could feel air coming out the cord area so you know it wasn't sealed. But the only air I feel on the Lux 6500 epic is the air coming straight out of the after filter......Would this mean that it's sealed? Not hepa sealed obviously, but sealed otherwise?

 

[pr-21]

I have written Aerus some time back about their dust leakage. The newer bags are not 4 ply, but say they filter just as well. NOT! They do come apart at the seams. Since they refuse to fix this, I have been buying genuine 4 ply SureThing and Germgrabber bags on Ebay. Fixes the problem with the leaking bags.

Electrolux sold their name for cash flow reasons and they sold it back to the original Electrolux whom they bought the rights to use the Electrolux name in the USA. BAD mistake....in my opinion. You cannot do a search any more and find only genuine Electroluxes. You get the Eureka vacs, ugh. Now you have to put vintage in front of Electrolux to find the all metal vacuums that were top quality.....

I do still like the Lux Legacy design and have a Lux 3000 upright and a Lux 7000 canister, along with the first version of Lux Guardian Platinum. I do wish I had waited a little while to get the updated version of the Platinum.....

PR-21[this post was last edited: 6/29/2015-11:01]