Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Just learned from another forum that Airway has stopped business and been sold to Vita Mix/Vita Vac.  First, Hoover; now, Airway.

Hi sfo,

Good grief, that's sad, very sad news. Air-Way, if nothing else was probably one of the most elegant and innovative pieces of  household cleaning machinery ever put on the market.  Assuming that the nature of the company's standards may have been difficult to maintain in today's economy my hat's off to them anyway for not compromising.  Not sure but I think Air-Way's been around for at least 65 years.  This good old all-metal brand is among the few that you can buy and confidently anticipate many years of service. 

Oddly enough, the Air-Way's designs -- just two over the years with later addition of wheels -- like the Kitchen-Aid food mixer carried it into modern times without it ever appearing out of step -- or out of place. (This sentiment does not include the little Electro-Hygiene style tank they adopted a while back.)

Can you clear this up for me? I thought the Vita-Mix was an Air-Way clone.  It's basically the same vacuum as Air-Way save for a few little add-ons like the strap handle at the middle of the body. I know Vita-Mix basically for the blender its been making for years.  Was Air-Way actually making the Vita-Mix vac for Vita-Mix and was that what led to Vita-Mix's decision to buy Air-Way out?  I believe Mole knows the company very well.

Thanks,

Venson

For any interestied parties, the following link leads to Air-Way's website -- http://www.air-way.net/

It is too bad regarding the closing, but it was expected.  I thought Air-Way would have ceased business a few years ago.

They manufactured quality vacuum cleaners, since the 1920's, that last.  They performed very well around the house.  Air-Way needed to keep up w/the times.  They needed to make some changes in order to come into the 21st century.  They did need to update their machines somewhat.  Eventhough I do not like it, many want smaller vacuum cleaners that do not weigh too much. 

The additional problem was that Air-Way needed better/more marketing of their brand/products.  Many do not know who/what Air-Way is.  If people hear of a brand, even if it is a not so hot brand, people will purchase it.  They have heard of it.

The first Vita-Mix came out in 1937.  In recent years, Vita-Mix contracted w/Air-Way to make the Vita-Vac tank vacuum cleaner.  The Vita-Vac was slightly different from the Air-Way Sanitizor in that it did utilize an additional handle strap.  The handle made it possible to carry the machine in the horizontal position like other tank cleaners like Royal and Electrolux.  The Vita-Vac also had the addition of side bumper strips.  I actually thought that this was a great idea, since some can go wild when rolling a vacuum around the house.  Originally, Vita-Mix's vacuum cleaner did not use the same bags as Air-Way.  They were regular paper bags.  I do not think that the Vita-Vac is made at present.  

Vacuum bags, belts, brushrolls, etc. should not be a problem.  What will become a problem is when a part like the lid or metal handle breaks. 

Air-Way is a classic vacuum cleaner.  And worthy of a prominent and distinguished place in vacuum cleaner history in the 20th Century. 

Carmine D.

Venson, I'm sure you've already read Mike W.'s excellent reply including history of Vita Mix/Vita Vac and their having contracted with Airway.  I certainly learned a lot from and appreciated Mike's reply.

Very sad news, and the end of yet another great American company.  I loved the Air-Way as, like you said Venson, it remained virtually unchanged over the years and was made with the same quality as it was 50 years ago, not to mention the styling and versatility.  The main problem though, I believe, was that they did not seem to market their machine enough in recent years.  Had they done that I think they could have fared better, but who knows.  I also wish the 2-motor Air-Way upright had been around longer, as in my opinion it seemed way ahead of its time.

Motorhead wrote:

I will totally agree with this statement.  Our local Air-Way store closed in the late 70's, and until I joined this board thought they were already gone.    From what I know and what I have heard from others, Air-Way offered outstanding customer service to those that did find them.   It is sad to see another piece of vacuum history pass.

Yesterday I visited with one of the owners of an antique store here about Airway, and he was stunned to learn Airway had shut down.  His father, assisted by his wife, sold Airways door to door in Amarillo, Texas, in the 1950's.

Hi all,

Since AirWay is the subject, thought that I'd mention that there's an AirWay Dirt Master (Model 38 upright for auction on eBay.  As it is a sale of sorts, I will not include a link but instead include my suggestion that not only the collector's among us take a look see.  You can neither well recommend nor understand the new very well if you've limited knowledge of the old.

Best,

Venson

I saw the Air-Way Dirtmaster on eBay.   A very fascinating machine with a strange design, the motor is mounted forward in the housing, and the fans are belt driven.  I've only seen one in person one time (last summer), and even then I didn't get to run it because it had a broken fan belt.  It looked the same as a standard sewing machine belt (exposed-motor that is) so I bet it wouldn't be too difficult to replace.

What reminded me of this, though, was that I was looking at my full-sized Metro tank today and I noticed it had a similar type of bag to the Air-Way.  I've known this, having had an Air-Way 88 before, but hadn't really thought anything of it until now.  The bags of course are paper.  If that was the original setup and it hasn't been "bojacked" (but for some reason I bet it has and the bags are "open" so to speak), I'm wondering if the full-sized Metro tank bags wouldn't perhaps fit in the Air-Way?  Vita-Vac which acquired the rights to the name (or so I read elsewhere) is going to continue to produce the bags, but even so, would Metro bags work? 
-MH

I think Airway made the Vita Vac. I contacted Vita Mix and they said I could order bags for my Vita Vac vacuum cleaner that are still allergy filtration, made of a different substance not paper bags like the other replacement bags.