Why no High/Low switch on new Kirby's

[fordiesel69]

The Ultimate G Diamond Edition is the only model to have normal delicate or as I call it, High / Low switch. Why do the newer models not have this? The diamond edition is the one and only daily driver, because I can do everything including kitchen & entry rugs in edition to the rest of the house all with one vac. This seems like a VERY important feature that was went away.

I can't believe a $2 or less (their cost) switch would be a deal breaker......

 

[hoovercelebrity]

What I heard about it - while an excellent option as you state - Kirby had apparently received complaints from customers that their machines weren't "working properly". I believe they determined that customers had them set on low-speed, either without realizing it, or were not adept enough to realize that there was a 2-speed switch actually on the machine. As such, they decided to remove the feature from the cleaner in order to consistently deliver 'Kirby performance' on their vacuums.

I could be completely wrong, but that's what I remember hearing, or reading within a thread on one of these forums.

-Fred

 

[suckolux]

When I recently found mine, the lady did not know the switch was there! You just never know

 

[universaldave1]

The reason is

Customers would tend to use their machines on low all the time, while it was intended for small areas. Because the cooling fan was not running fast enough, the motor would overheat.

 

[dysonman1]

I love my Diamond Edition - the only Kirby I care for. It works perfectly on my rug runners and throw rugs. I wish Kirby would go with a feature they had on their prototypes (when the VCCC went to the Kirby factory many years ago, we saw and played with it in the engineering department) - a variable speed control on the handle.

 

[suckolux]

I like to use it on low with the hose, nice for light dusting, quieter.

 

[fordiesel69]

How is user error Kirby;s problem when they used to provide a freakin VHS tape for lazy owners to watch.......

I still remember the VHS tape that came with the first gen bag phones (cell phones). It was literally pre-school level education. "Dial the number like you would on a regular phone, press green button to complete call". Yet people could not hear a dial tone and freaked out, took phone in for service, and got a lesson on how to use it. I remember it like it was yesterday.

They could use a default on high in which when you turn off or unplug it re-defaults on high again each time.

 

[human]

It just lends credence to the old adage that anybody who thinks he's created something to be completely foolproof has woefully underestimated the ingenuity of a complete fool!

 

[universaldave1]

Kirby Avalir

I saw an Avalir at a thrift store yesterday. I would have gotten it, but I didn't have $400. Still a tremendous bargain, though.

 

[thermokid]

Hoover Celebrity Kirby Diamond Edition

Two speed switch. When I was the service manager for Kirby in Sacramento, they said exactly what you said people were always confusing the two speed switch and the customers were always leaving the machine on low speed and then bringing the machine in for service thinking something was wrong I told them nothing was wrong with their machine I showed them the high and low speeds and then they felt silly because they didn't read the manual... I saw so many come in with this problem and the customer not knowing what to do with it. When I showed them they were happy customers again. The Kirby company asked mine and other service managers opinions what we thought was the problem and we told them operator error they got so many complaints about this that they just took the switch off the machines...Personally I never use the swith on my Diamond Edition...