Why Tacony SUCKS nowadays.

[electromatik]

What happened to Tacony is what has happened to most of the vacuum world. Most mainstream companies have had no choice but to move production to cheaper locales. The problem is that American consumers no longer expect more because they have commoditized vacuums. Where once they were considered an expensive appliance like a water heater or fridge and were expected to last accordingly, now they are throwaway items to be replaced at most once every 5-10 years. People seem to complain a lot about how long they last, but they sure don't BUY better. They only care that they see a jazzy design and flashbang technology features.

Gone are the days of 70 year old Electroluxes and Kirby's for most people. And it is the fault of the buying public. If they wanted better, the market would respond. Just my 2 cents.

 

[electromatik]

Add on to previous comment:

To be fair, a vacuum that only costs $200 dollars and lasts for 10 years is a good deal. If you want longer lasting machines, you got to pay for it.

 

[panasonicvac]

As a matter of fact, yes. The Koblenz U-900 still uses that design today. Much more simpler but I'd still buy the Cirrus CR99 over the Koblenz. And Tacony also still uses a similar design on their CleanMax CMP-3T which I much prefer over the Koblenz U-900. Cheaper, uses rubber wheels, it has a twin fan motor with an extra year of motor warranty, and a pressure gauge like what Panasonic had used before if there was ever a clog.

Regarding to the last post. I agree that the more you buy on a vacuum cleaner, the longer it'll last usually. That's why if I were to buy a vacuum cleaner today, at least as far as single motor uprights go, I would buy not a Tacony or a Cirrus but rather a Sebo X Series (preferably this bright green X4 if they still made them) which is one of the more expensive vacuums. I've been very impressed with them over the last few years. I used to think they weren't as reliable because they use circuit boards and heard that they've had issues with them. But no I was wrong, they last longer than I realized especially in the commercial market and it's really rare to see them have problems. They're so reliable that they could even outlast a Kirby or a Aerus Electrolux today. And again they make their vacuums even better than they've ever had been before. I know one of my Kenmores that's made by Sebo has a issue with the circuitry but that's because it was very heavily abused when I first got it. However if I completely rebuild it with all the new and upgraded parts, it'd last longer than previously. That's why I think they were the best Kenmores ever sold.

 

[mark40511]

Oh yea... I've always eyed Sebo.. I LOVE their vacuums and have always wanted one SOO bad...I know you get what you pay for... My Gold 2 speed rainbow from 2006 will outlive me I'm sure.


About the Cirrus..My first thought was when I saw that (CR88) was the wand looked like it was totally taken out of the equation...so you had just the short hose connecting at the bottom which = less length and possibly a little more airflow at the nozzle... Just a guess... Maybe not enough to make that much of a difference..

On that cleanmax... just curious, does it have a clutch to turn off brush roll?

 

[panasonicvac]

The CleanMax doesn't have a clutch, same with the U-900 since they're both commercial models.

The CR88 you've mentioned which I'm assuming you meant the CR78, that's the blue one I've talked about earlier which came out before the CR89 and the CR99. It also doesn't have that quick draw aluminum telescoping wand but it does however have a little bit more of hose length unlike the CR78 where it would wrap up just right where the bottom cord hook should be. And if you notice, the cord is wrapped on the side instead of the back. I also would've liked this one more than either the CR89 or the CR99

 

[wstonehockertv]

And to those who complain about the lack of a brushroll shut-off: get yourself two extension wands and a hard floor tool.

I also hear it's better because the user has more control on what area they want to clean.

 

[mark40511]

No brushroll shut off... that's exactly what I do... Use an afterrmarket extension hose with its tools to do above floor hard floor. I never turn the brush roll off and go over hard floor with the nozzle

Just yesterday I cleaned 3 rooms in my house and spent 2 to 3 hours top to bottom using extension hose and tools... I can't imagine it would be good for the vacuum to be constantly spinning the brush while it just sits there in the same spot.. It just seems like unnecessary wear/tear moving parts.

You were right... I got the model # wrong.

 

[panasonicvac]

Personally, I'd rather have a vacuum that would shut the brushroll off whenever I'd vacuum bare floors and use the attachments. That's why the Lindhaus HealthCare Pro is my first overall choice if I wanted to buy a new upright vacuum today. I've used vacuums before where I'd use the hose while the brushroll is still spinning, and I'd see dust spit out of the brushroll. Plus if not careful, you could either accidently tangle up the brusholl from lets say a fishing line while you're busy using the hose without noticing. I think that happened to me once before. Or you can cause a burn mark on the carpet if the brushroll stayed on the same spot for very long. Overall, it's ideal to have a secondary vacuum like a canister where it'd be much more suited for vacuuming barefloors and using the attachments if your other vacuum can't shut the brusholl off. That was one of the reasons why my aunt got a central vac because her old Hoover Concept Two can't do bare floors and it didn't had a hose or attachments other than the Hoover Help Mate which is not very powerful, same with her Dirt Devil Ultra hand vac that had a hose on-board. Also that same neighbor with those two Simplicity 7350 uprights I was telling about earlier, they also have or had a couple of Eureka Mighty Mite canisters that I had used to vacuum their barefloors with because I was concerned about accidently tipping the Simplicity over while using the extension hose.

 

[electromatik]

The only thing I've got against Sebo machines is the fact that NONE of them are equipped with a headlight. It may seem silly to some, but I like having that feature cuz I often shove vacuums under beds and couches and they really do help you see some small thing that you may have forgotten that could get sucked in. As much as they cost, it isn't a lot to ask.

Higher cost doesn't ALWAYS mean "better" but usually superior engineering costs more.

 

[panasonicvac]

Actually their X7 and X8 models now have a headlight.

https://www.sebo.us/upright-vacuums/automatic-x/automatic-x7-x8-best-vacuum-cleaner.aspx

And so does Lindhaus as well.

 

[mark40511]

I never felt like I needed or ever used the headlight on a vacuum..Personally, I would totally live without one...although, I think it's a cool feature..

I was looking at the Sebo's just now ... My God, the bags and filters are outrageously priced..

The actual vacuums - the G4 and Felix are under $1000... do the brush rolls turn off on those?
https://evacuumstore.com/p-12108-sebo-essential-g1-vacuum-cleaner.aspx

 

[panasonicvac]

Only the Felix turns off the brushroll either manually, when the handle is up, or when you use the hose. The G4 doesn't do any of those just like the X Series. There are aftermarket bags and filters you can get that work almost just as well as the genuine ones. And I agree with you on the headlights, they're cool to have as well but I don't usually need them unless I was like vacuuming under the bed with them. However I've got flashlights that shine much brighter. The only feature I know for sure I wouldn't ever use would be the Boost feature on the X4 and X7. It just eliminates the purpose of Sebo's automatic height adjuster. Most people wish(ed) they'd dig deeper into the carpet but that's what the G1 and G4 are for in the first place because they use a manual height adjuster. And I honestly couldn't find a cleaning difference between having versus not having the Boost feature on so it's really just another thing that can wear out on a vacuum.

 

[mark40511]

Gotcha..

So get this... You remember earlier when I was saying my Cirrus would sometimes make a funny noise that I can't explain?... it's almost like a vibrating noise.. Say you're carpet vacuuming and you move the handle up and down as you push, sometimes moving the handle up and down can cause it to sound worse. I thought for sure something was going on with the motor... which is really weird as good of care as I've taken of it..Well, on the back where the tools store on board, the crevice tool wasn't popped all the way in.... Are you serious? I think that was the vibrating noise I would hear off and on.. (LOL) The sound it created did NOT sound healthy at all... I can't be sure that that was the noise I was hearing...but just checking briefly I think that was it..

You know the motor protection carbon filter? the filter below the bag...Should I be changing that? It's never dirty and the bag chamber stays spotless so I'm not sure why that would need to be replaced.. so far in 4 years I've only changed the HEPA filter twice and obviously the bags themselves and 2 belts.

I'm so relieved that hopefully nothing is wrong with the motor because I really do love this vacuum.. Though I would definitely take a Sebo over it any day (at least a model where the brush roll turns off)

 

[mark40511]

Yep - Just used for an hour and ran smooth as silk...no strange sounds... that was the problem. I'm shocked because I've dealt with that noise for months and thought my vac was slowly dying and that's all it was. An attachment tool not snapped into place all the way.. LOL LOL

 

[panasonicvac]

When was the last time the brushroll was serviced? They should be checked and serviced daily like every year. Also, I'd recommend to replace the pre filter. It may not look dirty with a naked eye but if you looked through a microscope, whatever dust that didn't get trapped in the bag made it on the filter since the bags definitely don't trap 100% of everything. But it's inexpensive to replace. I wish the pre filter was electrostatic, that was another thing I did liked better on the Simplicity 7350. I can take that pre filter out, put it in a mesh laundry bag, wash it in the washing machine with liquid Tide HE original and Spray n Wash, and let it air dry. I can also do that with the motor sound suppressor and exhaust filter as well. Much better than washing them out by hand. In fact, I mostly wash my vacuum bags and filters in the washing machine which I honestly think is the best way to clean them out completely without having to buy brand new ones.

 

[mark40511]

If by serviced you mean belt changed, clean brush roll, the brush roll housing, etc...several times... but the brush roll itself..just wiped it down... I just have a small house with wall to wall berber.

As for the motor filter... I take it out and slowly vacuum it (just in case) even though I can't see a trace of dust anywhere in the bag chamber with a flashlight. So I just assumed it only needed to be changed if there was a bag failure or something.. I wonder if you could just buy a cut to fit electrostatic filter and use that?

 

[panasonicvac]

I like opening up the brushroll and check to make sure that it's clean on the inside, I've took apart lots of metal brushrolls and found a bunch of dust on the inside. Also I check to make sure that the bearings are good. And I check to make sure that it's not bent which can cause it to sound nosier. If you don't want to replace the pre filter and keep it for as long as you can, I'd rinse it out by hand under cold tap water and air dry it out. I would not wash it in the washing machine. You can buy a electrostatic filter and custom fit it in your Cirrus but I'd wait to do so until your warranty expires.

 

[electromatik]

Sebo headlights

Nice. I had not looked at their models in a while so I was surprised by the headlight. However, I like canisters with power nozzles and their canisters still don't have them. Maybe someday they will.

 

[mark40511]

Is there a video of someone taking these brush rolls apart and putting them back together?

 

[panasonicvac]

So far, no. But they're pretty similar to taking apart a Simplicity brushroll. There's definitely a video of one on YouTube. Usually what I'd of do if I was taking apart something new that I haven't done before is by looking at a parts diagram, like figuring out a puzzle. This is a Cirrus brushroll for the clutched models.