Why I think canisters aren't popular in United States anymore

[tseg]

My first "high end" vacuum was a Miele C3 cannister... it was the Alize non-powered head, but I then proceeded to spend a lot more $$ to get the powered hose, wand and head, along with about every attachment. When I want to do a thorough house cleaning nothing beats it. But I agree in somewhat cramped quarters maneuverability can be challenging. I then got the Miele U1 (upright), an upright Shark Duo Clean stick vac, and now, most recently, ordered an upright Sebo Felix.

I found for a "quick hit" an upright is just more efficient with my time. My additional uprights are because I do have 3 floors in use in my house and I wanted a good vacuum on each floor and the stick vac for quick use around the kitchen and foyer.


In summary, my personal experience suggests uprights are winning over cannisters due to perceived time efficiency, which may also be why bagless are winning out(? - I think there is perceived time efficiency, but it really does not exist in my opinion). While I like the Shark functionality, being diligent about wet-cleaning the filters monthly is a PITA. I was reminded why a switched from Dyson to Miele a few years back.


So there you have it, the industry switch to uprights is due to consumers' perceptions about time efficiency in vacuums, which trump cleaning effectiveness.

 

[dysonman1]

I have a vacuum shop

What I've been finding is that people either have total bare floors with one or two area rugs (for the coffee table or dining room table to sit on). Or, they have a mixture of some carpets (bedrooms) and some wood floors (living room) and some vinyl (kitchen).

It's a rare person who has a wall to wall carpeted home any more (I do).

Half my customers who are looking at vacuums are looking at the wrong type for their home. But, they don't know better. And Wal-Mart doesn't sell canisters.

Yesterday, a man came in looking for a new vacuum. His rice car bit the dust. I sold it to him 10 years ago, and he got all his use out of it. He has 3000 square feet of flooring in his home, 2000 square feet are bare floor with 1000 square feet of carpeting (medium plush).

I showed him the Felix from Sebo. I became a Sebo dealer recently at the request of a trusted friend, who loves his Felix. I love them too. But that's not what I sold my customer.

I sold him a Sanitaire upright and the Sanitaire (Mighty Mite) canister. I was perfect for his needs. They have carpeted stairs, and kids are going to use the machines (the family is Mennonite - so the kids have 'chores'). The Sanitaire canister is light weight, fits on the steps, and has wonderful attachments and a bag you cannot get in wrong. The upright has the 7 amp motor and VGII so I know those rugs will be clean.

I have been selling a good number of Titan canisters, ever since Sears closed. People who have a Kenmore canister for a long time, and bring them in to be fixed, are easily sold a new Titan. I just show the improvements, like the on-board electric mini power nozzle for stairs.

I also sell the Electrolux (aerus), and have been very happy with those sales. I have gone to the customer's home to demonstrate (after the customer has been into my store), so I get the great feeling of being an "old time" Electrolux salesman, without having to hard close the sale (she already knows how much it costs before I come). I sell the Classic canister, since it's already perfect. Only one customer of a new Electrolux had a canister before (a church). Everyone else has had an upright. The light weight of the hose/wand as well as the versatility has sold every one of those upright users a tank type cleaner.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Cole,

there are 2 all ceramic tile bathrooms, the kitchen is both ceramic tile and parquet floors. All of the other rooms have hardwood floors with wool Chinese rugs in the centers of the room. Only my room is wall to wall carpet...white Karastan. The big staircase is red Karastan. I find a nice Hoover brushvac is great for that staircase, and I use canisters with a nice floor brush for all hard surfaces, upholstery, mattresses, etc. Handivacs, I find, are great for a quick go over on the hard surfaces. Hoover(s)., "Convertibles", excel on all of the carpeted areas. There's always a Slimlines, Connie, etc at the ready, on each floor. So, I'm ready at all times to get the place spotless. And, I have several GUV(s) for the cellars and the car.

 

[n0oxy]

Sebo dealer, uprights and Drainvac units

Tom, that's awesome that you are now a Sebo dealer, and I think you said you are a Miele dealer as well. The only other brand I would suggest you look at selling is Lindhaus, they are very high quality but not as widely available.
Even though many uprights have on board hoses now, they are still more difficult to use than a canister. It's almost impossible to pull an upright around by the hose without it tipping over. With a canister cleaner that is a nonissue and switching to cleaning floors to above the floor cleaning is very easy and fast.
I love the Drainvac units, I have the powerhouse, viper, atomik, and the Twin Turbo 240 volt unit. They are definitely some of the best units in the central vacuum industry.
Mike

 

[jake1234]

Canisters and Uprights

I have always preffered uprights. I only have a few canisters in my collection and lots of them are the vax 3 in 1 multifunction machines which I love. My house is mainly carpet, hard floors are in the kitchen, bathroom and hall though. I have loads of uprights around the house and only 1 canister, a vintage Hoover Constellation. I just feel like canisters are all too similar, lots of them just using the same generic floor head and extension tubes. There is a lot more 'going on' with an upright if you know what I mean. I do think canisters have their uses though as has already been said, car, garage, D.I.Y and the sort. I wouldnt use anything but an upright on my carpets though.

 

[ridgidwd0670]

I grew up with canisters (Electrolux & Compact/TriStar)

After I moved out on my own I owned a Eureka Dial-A-Nap ESP upright with VG2. This was my 1st experience using a upright (my Eureka didn't come with any tools; but I used my Electrolux for above floor & hard floor vacing)

Now I use my Ridgid WD0670 shop vac for vacing hard floor & above floor vacing; & the Eureka for carpet only

Sometimes I would use my old Compact or Lux

 

[myles_v]

I am definitely a younger collector, and I hardly have any interest in uprights at this point. While I do have a few, I much prefer my Electrolux, Filter Queen, and Miele canisters. My Miele C2 Electroplus has been my daily driver for the last year and a half, and it will remain my daily for the foreseeable future. I grew up with uprights and both of my parents always preferred them, but lately I've found them more and more boring for some reason. They tend to be good for carpets and not much else, using the hose ends up being clumsy in many cases and they're often times so-so for hard flooring. I recently converted a friend to a canister, she asked me for a vacuum recommendation for her house which is 80% hard floor/20% carpet. I suggested a Miele, she told me that she's always hated canisters because her parents had one when she was a kid and she hated using it. I loaned her my Miele for a week and she changed her mind. I think that 40-50 years ago the canister was half-baked, they often weren't the best at cleaning carpeting and they were typically heavy and awkward to pull behind oneself. Now, modern canisters have solved both of those issues, but many modern vacuum consumers only have the negative memories of canisters from their childhood. This is something that I'd like to see change, especially as the typical American home shifts away from wall-to-wall carpeting to more hard flooring.

The talk of cordless and central vacuums is interesting. I think that cordless machines will continue to gain traction, especially as people shift to living with hard floors rather than carpeting. Hard floors don't require much deep cleaning power like you'd need with plush carpeting. As much as I prefer bagged corded canister vacuums, the market is definitely switching toward cordless bagless stick vacs. Whether this will be a fad or not will be something that only time can tell, I once believed that messy bagless vacuums would be a fad but apparently they're sticking around so I may be wrong about cordless machines as well. I have a Shark Ion P50 which is an excellent machine, it cleans well and it has the traditional upright design that I prefer. It reminds me of my old Westinghouse Unplugged and my Bissell Anna.

I think that the central vacuum fad has seen its heyday. They were popular in an era where people were building new single family homes and stuffing them full of every feature they could think of in order to seem better than their neighbor. I am personally a huge fan of central vacuums, but the fact is that I have yet to meet a single person who isn't a collector who actually likes central vacuum systems. A close family friend has a system in her million dollar home, but instead she uses a $200 Shark. She doesn't like the weight and bulkiness of the hose, which I don't blame her for. Central vac hoses are big and clunky, it's easy to scuff up walls with them and damage furnishings. As much as I'd like to see central vacuums gain popularity, I just don't think it'll happen. They have a high initial investment for something that's so utilitarian and hidden. People would rather spend $400 on a flashy Dyson that they can hang on the wall near their entryway, just to let all of their visitors know that they are the kind of person who spends $400 on a vacuum cleaner. Central vacuums just don't have the same cachet.

 

[turbo500]

Interesting that it’s widely considered that people stick to what they grew up with. I’m the opposite. My mother was and still is an upright user, but I personally prefer a good cylinder/canister. When I was growing up, most people around me had uprights except a few. On our street, only 2 houses had cylinders and one of those was a Vax 3-in-1 which were incredibly popular at the time. But these days, I prefer a good cylinder, though I do tend to have both on the go at home

 

[cbimmer]

To me, the biggest advantage to having a central vacuum is the filtration. Especially if you have pets. Most every vacuum will get that stale pet hair odor eventually. Since the exhaust is vented outside you will never have any odor in your house. I have a hose on both floors and it takes less than a minute to take it off the holder and plug it in to an inlet. It needs to be emptied every few months and I'll never have to worry about a battery running down on me. My sister is proud of her Dyson stick vacuum that requires multiple charges and multiple times emptying the dirt cup each time she wants to clean her house. So I really don't see how a battery powered stick vacuum saves any time. I agree with the posted above. If more people actually tried something like a Miele canister they would probably prefer it.

 

[myles_v]

I completely agree, I prefer central vacuums mainly because of their filtration. Unfortunately, the average consumer finds them more of a hassle and more cumbersome to use.

 

[n0oxy]

love my central vacuums

I love my central vacuum units, you can check my profile to see which ones I have. I use them all without pipes, just put a utility valve on the intake and connect the hose. Of course, by using them this way, you lose some of the benefits of a central vacuum such as no motor noise and having the exhaust taken out of the building. All of my units use bags though and filtration has never been an issue. It's awesome getting the full power of the unit. Some of the units are actually quiet enough that you can still have a normal conversation while you are in the same room. The loudest ones are the two motor 240 volt models, even with a muffler you would not want to stand right next to them for too long. I don't fault them for that though, it's assumed that they will be installed in a place that is not commonly occupied, not in the dining room of an apartment which is where I have them.
Mike

 

[cbimmer]

I remember seeing an infomercial in the early 2000's. It was a quasi-central vacuum that was a self-contained unit that fit into the wall. It resembled the shape of a wall furnace. But it contained the motor, bag area, and a retractable electric hose. The hose was probably around 40 ft long. I think you could also store the power nozzle inside of it too. It was an interesting concept but I guess it didn't catch on. I'm not sure who built them.

 

[n0oxy]

portable central vacuums

Actually there are a few central vacuum units that are designed to provide the conveniences of central vacuums but not require pipes. Of course, any central vacuum unit can work without pipes by attaching a utility valve, but these are designed to work this way out of the box. I have all of these and they are really nice.
First is the Intervac H120.
https://www.thinkvacuums.com/intervac-h-120-surface-mounted-compact-vacuum-with-accessory-kit.html
Next is the Drainvac Atomik, this one comes with a utility valve attached but you can remove it and use it with central vacuum pipes if you wish.
https://www.thinkvacuums.com/drainvac-atomik6-30-portable-system-w-accessory-kit.html
And finally there is the Vacumaid garage vac pro.
https://vacumaid.com/product/garage-vac-pro/
All three of these will work with any central vacuum hose including electric hoses so you could use electric power nozzles with them.
Mike

 

[human]

The only central vacuum I've ever had my hands on was built into our Winnebago that we had in the late '70s. The funny thing was we never used it. We had a Bissell SweepMaster electric broom that we kept in the closet. Dad was a car salesman and any vehicle we had, the Winnie included, Dad always had an eye toward resale from day one.

 

[kb3pxr]

I think the issue is with shopping trends

I'm a millennial, far from typical though, but here's where I see the problems lie. The quality and premium machines such as Aerus, Kirby, and Rainbow are not selling where people are buying. Sebo, Miele, and even to a very limited extent Filter Queen are seeing the light.

Requiring a salesman to come to your home and do a demo is not the way forward. I can understand that some of these brands want a more human touch and a demo, but forcing it in home is not where it is at. Most people want to shop in a big box store, online, or an online superstore. Sebo and Miele are going to online sales, and Miele is selling in some retail establishments. Even Filter Queen has taken the first step of allowing you to buy online from them directly.

I have no objection in being required to buy from a dealer, you have to do that with new cars anyway. If I'm going to be paying the price of a Kirby, Rainbow, or in some cases Miele and Sebo I'd rather go to a dealer to be able to see demos and ask questions. I didn't mention Aerus as I'm not sure of their pricing. but they are likely in the range of wanting to see a dealer.

After improving their accessibility, word of mouth will then help them gain more business. Pricing isn't usually the problem, seriously, look at the price people pay for Dysons. Many people don't know about Aerus, Miele, or Sebo, let alone the really premium brands of Kirby, Rainbow, and Filter queen.

 

[kb3pxr]

Pardon the earlier deleted post, I went off on a tangent. Marketing is the issue. Most if not all vacuums in big box stores are uprights. If power team canisters would be marketed as hard as uprights are, you may be seeing more of them. Additionally, if people knew how well they could clean above floor with the longer hoses and clean their carpeted stairs with the small power nozzles they may become more common.

Lastly, two things need to change. Gas pump style handles (I'm looking at you Kenmore) need to go away. These handles make above floor cleaning horrible, integrate an adapter into the power nozzle wands to convert from pistol grip to gas pump if that is an important feature. Lastly, put the suction motor switch in the handle along with any speed control if applicable. This may be a bit difficult to keep the handle lightweight and easily maneuverable, but I remember the old Kenmores from the mid to late 80s had this and I grew up with handle control.

 

[djub85]

I think I prefer canisters because they remind me of cars. When I was a kid, I would sneak my mother's canister out of the closet and line it up with my toy cars. It was proportioned like a car, had wheels similar to a car. One grandmother had a a Rainbow, which never interested me. The other had uprights that never interested me. For me, it was that these old metal canisters looked a lot like a toy car, and they even had motors inside, like a car.