Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

OK, here is a post for the pro's. For years I have used a Dyson DC11 and Dyson DC21 as my primary vacuums in the house. I also had a GE Canister Vacuum Model 106766(which is actually a rebranded Eureka HP6855A can). I have had a great experience with the GE can, but incurred the occasional problem with cleaning efficiency with both Dysons. My house is primary hardwoods with some floor cloths and area rugs scattered throughout. The downstairs is a very expensive low cut frieze which cannot have a brushroll used on it per the manufacturer. I went to Wal-Mart to purchase some bags for the GE can and found this beast below on sale for $148.00. A friend of mine had a struggling Hoover Elite that was ready for the trash pile so I gifted the older GE can to them and replaced it with the GE 106766 below. I tried to find some info on this machine online, but was unable to garner anything on who makes it, etc. It looks to be a Eureka of some type as it shares some characteristics of their Boss Can and their Air Extreme can. I was lucky enough to find bags and filters on eBay in quantity very cheap. Anyone have any ideas on this one? I know for a fact it outcleans both my Dysons hands down. The filtration according to a particulate counter is very low even though the can doesn't seem to be fully sealed. The suction is so good with a new bag and filter that you have to pry the hard floor tool off the floor when on full suction. The plastic is a little suspect in the build but otherwise seems to be a solid product. I will post a full review after a little more use. Any info or thoughts on the origin of this little guy would be great.

http://www.govacuum.com/lib/vacuumcleanerbacgs/GE169072

Hello Lazaruspup:

EUREKA and new Electrolux [vice the old Electrolux now called Aerus] are owned by the same company.  Your new GE cann [a Wal*Mart exclusive] looks alot like the new Electrolux canister line called the Harmony.  Tho less expensive price wise since its a Wal*Mart exclusive replacing the years' popular GE branded EUREKA cann [also a Wal*Mart exclusive].

Not sure the paper bags interchange between the Harmony and new GE cann.  Haven't looked at both [Electrolux Harmony and GE cann] up close and personal.  From the pix, the bags appear similar, but with different size collars.  I can't and wouldn't say they fit interchangeably with certainty until I try.  You may want to try the GoVacuum Web Site.  One of the vacuum pros here probably knows better than me.

Carmine D.

Thanks Carmine. As I suspected, the filters are of similar build and design as other Eureka canister models, including the Electrolux models. As for the bags, I am not sure, in terms of other bags that will fit but I did find the Arm and Hammer paper style bags in bulk that are the ones specified in the manual. I didn't even think about the Harmony, but that is a very good guess in terms of which model this might be based on. As I said, I had years of good luck with the older GE Cann that was made by Eureka so I'm hoping this one will hold out for a while. I am looking at installing a central vac at some point but not sure when that will figure into the budget.

The bags (and parts of the machine for that matter) look like an exact match for the Riccar Sunburst and Moonlight, right down to the flower pattern imprinted on the bag. Here's an amazon link to compare....

http://www.amazon.com/Riccar-Moonlight-Sunburst-Canister-Simplicity/dp/B001DCX632

Any chance of a pic of the powerhead? We're expecting the new Riccar Pizzaz this week and I'd be interested to see if their were any similarities.

Dusty

dusty wrote:
Hi Dusty,

Couldn't find an image file but did find a PDF of the manual wih pics.

Best,

Venson

Hello Dusty:

The bags look identical even the collar sizes, shapes and rubber seals save the RICCAR brand name.  Do you know the country of production for the RICCAR Sunburst and Moonlight and SIMPLICITY Jack and Jill models?

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
All four models are made in China

Dusty

Thank you Dusty. 

Lazaruspup: I noted today that Wal*Mart stocks the GE bags for your latest canister under the Arm and Hammer brand for model GE169072.  3 allergen paper bags for $5.97 is the regular price.  The A&H bags look exactly like the picture of the bag you and Dusty posted.

Ironically, the GE cann was sold out.  It's a popular seller.

Carmine D.

Its funny that you bring up the Riccar models as I went to the local vac shop here today because he bought both of my old Dysons off of me and my moms DC07 as well as we are abandoning Dysons since my mom just can't lift the big Dyson anymore; and the owner showed me some of the Riccar models and they had an eerie resemblance to the GE 169072. He was intrigued to see the model in person and I am going to drive it over to him tomorrow so he can see it as he is a collector as well as a shop owner and was also intrigued as to who might be making them. I will let you know his first impressions. The manual link posted is in fact the manual and the powerhead is as pictured. If i get a chance I'll take a photo of mine and post it. It is an intriguing desing with a height adjustment similar to the Electrolux Twin canister model, but has several LED's in the head instead of a lightbulb.

dusty wrote:

Does WM sell any "Made in America" goods?  Carmine will forgive anyone but Dyson for being made in other countries.

I don't know about the other members here, but I am not really as concerned about who makes my goods as long as its a good quality, hardwearing, and reliable product. I buy American and foreign made items all the time. Our household is a huge consumer of EVERYTHING it seems. I have been disappointed by both American goods and foreign goods. One reason I buy at Wal-Mart and Sams is because they have generous return policies. I can buy an item, no matter who makes it, and it if doesn't work right, I don't get grief taking it back. I can't tell you how many other establishments I have tried taking an item back that I was dissatisfied with and they have me heck about it. I am the consumer, and if I am not happy, then the store shouldn't be happy. I bought a GE canister vacuum from Wal-Mart knowing that if I took the thing home and it was a total piece, I could turn around and bring it back, no questions asked. I know many of the goods that Wally World and other retailers such as Target sell, including throw away vacuums, are subpar quality, but thats why we have so many choices. Tough economic times are going to cause many retailers to consider how they treat their customers and their policies involving them; no matter where the goods come from.

Hello Lazaruspup:

Apparently many Americans feel like you about Wal*Mart.  It is the only retailer in the US, save COSTCO, that has held its own and even appreciated in stock price value in the last year despite the 40 percent loss in the market.  It's selling for $53 a share.  This is higher than its stock share price at the same time last year.  The GE cann vacuum, launched by Wal*Mart stores in 2000, has been one of the best selling vacuums in Wal*Mart history.  Some stores can't keep them stocked on the shelves, they are sold so quickly.  WM stocks and sells Arm and Hammer brand bags and filters exclusively now in all its stores too. 

For the interested:

HOW BIG IS WAL-MART? 
 

At Wal-Mart, Americans spend $36,000,000 every hour of every day. 
 
 
This works out to $20,928 profit every minute! 
 

Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) 
than Target sells all year. 
 
 
Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot + Kroger + Target + Sears + Costco + 
K-Mart combined. 
 
 
Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people and is the largest private employer. And most can't speak English

 
Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the World. 
 
 
Wal-Mart now sells more food than Kroger & Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only 15 years. 
 

During this same period, 31 Supermarket chains sought bankruptcy (including Winn-Dixie). 
 
 
Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world. 
 

Wal-Mart has approx 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are SuperCenters; this is 1,000 more than it had 5 years ago. 
 

This year, 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at a Wal-Mart store. (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 billion.) 
 

90% of all Americans live within 15 miles of a Wal-Mart.

Carmine D.
 

 

HARDSELL wrote:

Hello HS:

Not just me.  UK consumers too.  What's the dyson market share for vacuums now in the UK?  Single digits yet? 

I haven't determined if the Brits are upset with James because he gave jobs to Malaysia at the expense of the UK.  Or because the Malaysian labor costs are 33 percent less than those in the UK.  And James, rather than lowering product prices as one would think, jacked them up!  It's probably both. 

Wal*Mart stores are quickly scrubbing dyson vacuums from its shelves.  Why?  Make room for other brands/models for the Holiday sales.  Dyson vacuums are way too overpriced.  They don't sell in the WM stores and just collect dust.

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

Why did you leave this off your WM list?

13 . Let Wal Mart bail out Wall Street

Wal*Mart is too smart to make a losing decision like a bail-out without financial strings attached:  Ownership and control of the companies, its Boards, and its executive compensation.  It's called the Warren Buffett business model.

Carmine D.

Does wally world and home cheapo,sell nitrogren  instead of air for tires??????????

MOLE

Hello MOLE:

No nitrogen.  W*M [thru SAM's Club] sells "gas" at prices lower than COSTCO, even considering the 3 percent refund per gallon that COSTCO rebates to customers who use AMEX credit card for gas purchases. 

Carmine D.

OK, so the professional opinion at the vac shop today was that this is indeed a mash up of a Eureka/Electrolux Harmony canister and a Riccar Moonlight. The body had some of the very same stylings as the Eureka/Electrolux but the innards as he showed me were very much like the Riccar he had on the floor. He said almost all the parts from the Riccar would be interchangeable; however, curiously, the stamp on the motor was labeled Electrolux Home Care, Bloomington, IL. He postulated that Riccar may be using some of the same factories as Eureka to manufacture their Harmony/Oxygen units and vice versa, the Moonlight and Sunburst. Its possible that Wal-Mart stepped aside from the manufacturers and commissioned their own vac from the manufacturer and passed up the middle man all together. Maybe this is just the start of Wal-Mart using the GE brand to go beyond just vacuum cleaners, and small kitchen electrics.

lazaruspup wrote:

Hello Drew:

Both postulations, his and yours,  are excellent and reasonable.  Thanks for the follow up info.

Carmine D.

Di d this canister use cn-1 bags???

mole

The info on this thread is so wrong.  Didn't anyone remember what I said when the two models first came out?  The info on the site you linked to is wrong also.

And no the CN-1 bags are for the GE/Eureka canister that was green.

mole wrote:

Hello MOLE:

The [CN-1] are the paper bags for the first green GE Wal*Mart canister.  Here's a pic from the W*M site for the CN-1 bags:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4066646

By comparison, here is a pic of the paper bags for the latest Wal*Mart GE canister [bronze] model 169072.  From the GoVacuum Web Site.  [Not on the W*M site yet].

http://www.govacuum.com/gecavabaform.html

Also, W*M carries the replacement bags for the bronze GE 169072 cann under the Arm & Hammer brand name for $5.97 for 3 bags.  Decent made allergen bag too from the appearance.  Click on the "GE cann bag"

http://www.armhammervac.com/prod_cats/ge.html#

As Dusty indicated, the GE 169072 bag appears identical to the RICCAR Moonlight and Sunburst bag.  Tho, the Arm & Hammer replacement specifically cites the GE 169072 model with no reference to the RICCAR.  There was no A&H replacement on the W*M shelves for the RICCAR Moonlight and Sunburst models.  At least not in the W*M store I was in and looking at.  Not yet.

Carmine D.

Mike,<BR><BR>Enlighten those of us that weren't around when these were released and tell us what you said?? What is so wrong about the info in the thread?

Edit: Actually I looked up Mike's assertions and as I stated in the above info, I don't doubt that TTI might have manufactured this vacuum, but if they did, they are using some Electrolux/Eureka parts, as well as borrowing ideas from Riccar/Simplicity. The stamp on the motor inside the vac clearly stated Electrolux Home Care, Bloomington, IL and the bags are obviously interchangeable with the Moonlight/Sunburst/JackandJill. Honestly as I said, out of curiosity, I would like to know where these are coming from, but do I care?? No. Its a pretty good product for the price.

Hello Drew:

Me thinks that Mike W. doth protest too much, to quote Mr. Shakespeare.

The Chinese vacuum producing plants are probably used by several vacuum companies producing different vacuum brands and models.  Especially for canns.  On several occasions, others here [like MOLE for instance just recently] have commented that the new vacuum models [especially canns] regardless of the brand names are all looking alike these days.  I noted too that the latest TTI/HOOVER Tempo didn't use a typical HOOVER brush roll but one that looked like a EUREKA.  BISSELL Healthy Home uses one that looks like a HOOVER WT brush roll.  Probably because they are all produced in the same country at the same plants by the same workers.  At the end of the assembly line is a rep from each company ready to slap on a particular brand name sticker.  Why?  It's easier and cheaper to make, track, and market.  The bigger issue for vacuum users is really the parts: Which brands/models are interchangeable and where are they available. 

These are difficult economic times for vacuum makers too, just like everyone else.  They work together to coexist and survive or they go their merry ways and hope for the best.  Which business path is smarter?  Nothing new.  Vacuum makers have been doing this for years, decades, generations. 

Carmine D.

lazaruspup wrote:
Andrew;

Why are you now saying you do not care who makes it?   (see  above) The brand and/or who makes it does sometimes play an important role in it reliability.

Just because it says Electrolux Homecare on the motor, does not mean that that company made the machine.  I have a fan that I purchased in the 70's w/a Westinghouse motor.  Does that mean Westinghouse made it.  No.  They were not making fans at that time.  Maybe the dyson people could answer this, since the dyson used a Panasonic motor, does that mean Panasonic makes the dyson?  Look at the insides of a GE window a/c.  You will find major parts from both Samsung and Daewoo.  These are two separate conglomerates.

Companies, in China, use designs from other companies.  Do you remember when the similar "copy" of the Bosch came out in the U.S.?  That was not a Bosch.  Because it looked like it, does not mean it is.  Alot of the vacuum cleaners today have that same "European" design/look, so I am not sure how it looks like a Eureka Boss or even a Harmony.

I know that the GE(Walmart) bags fit other vacuum cleaners, but so do others.  I know of bags of one brand will fit another brand that have no connection to eachother.  Other countries have had bags that fit more than one brand longer than we have had.  It is finally trickling down to us w/the advent of companies using these Chinese companies to build their vacuum line.  It is cheaper to make one bag that will fit many other brands.  Companies are getting away from being "original" in respect to parts.

Look at the Riccar/Simplicity attachments on their Chinese-made attachments.  These are made by a Chinese parts supply company and found on many different brands.

The company that you linked to is misinforming people.  The GE vacuum cleaner is still available at Walmart, but it may not be at every Walmart.  The bags are available at Walmart, but they will say  Arm & Hammer.  Walmart does not use the name brand bags.  This has been discussed before on here.    All the Walmarts, in my area, have them.  There is at least one on the shelf of each store.  The vacuum cleaners have been available since I first talked about this canister a few years ago.  The model is not listed on the website w/the other vacuum cleaners, but they sell it.  Just like the Bissell Versus is not on the website, but Walmart sells it(for less).

The GE 169072 is a good performing canister vacuum cleaner.  It has many attachments to choose from, for the user's cleaning needs.  It comes w/a power nozzle that is slim.  I do not care for the power nozzle, because it will not clean very well on thick carpeting.  The brushroll is not very aggressive.  The vacuum uses a pigtail cord, on the end of the machine-end of the hose.  This means that the hose will not swivel 360 degrees on the vacuum cleaner.  Overall, the vacuum cleaner is very good for the price.

CarmineD wrote:
Oh Carmine, you were not saying that a few years ago.  I am saying the same thing I said back then.  Do you remember what you said?  It was not "doth protest too much" 

Mike, I am saying I don't care who makes it in the sense that I am not going to take it back to the store if I found out its a TTI-made machine or that its secretly constructed by gnomes in the Malaysian jungle. As we all are sometimes about our products, we want to know what their origin is and esp. with vacuums, whether they have a brother or sister model we can swap parts/accessories, etc. from. I have had a pretty positive experience with this machine thus far. It is NOT available at any Wal-Mart stores in my area; however, the bags and filters are. I got the last one a local Wal-Mart had and when I went back the sticker and place on the shelf had been replaced by a Bissell DigiPro. I am curious about the upright that apparently was also marketed by Wal-Mart and produced for them. Looks like a direct knock off of a Dirt Devil Reaction upright. It doesn't seem to be available anywhere in the area either. I had heard rumors that it was dc'd.

Mike_W wrote:

Let me restate:  Me knows you doth protest too much!

Carmine D.