Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

This will probably fall under your area of expertise and experience, but all are welcome to contribute. As I transition from being unemployed to being self-employed, I am looking for more specialized services to offer my clients.

There are specialized 'rug dusters' for sale which tap the accumulated dirt, dust, sand, and grit out of Oriental rugs by laying them face down over a grid which gives the debris room to fall. These cost upwards of 4,000.00! These have been developed as an alternative to the huge stationary 240 volt dusting machines. All of this to replace regular vacuuming with a Hoover 300, 700, or 150, the ones with the dual divergent agitator bars, with shorter agitator bars and bristle strips in between on each side.

The magic of the Hoover was that the 5,000 taps per minute during slow motion vacuuming set up a wave pattern that  vibrated the rug, dislodging the dirt, sand, and grit. It was not accomplished with tremendous suction, though the airflow was good, it was the balance of enough suction to keep snapping the rug up after each tap. The sand was not actually beaten out of the rug as much as the rug was pushed down leaving the sand in mid-air to be caught by the airflow generated by the fan, as explained by the laws of Newtonian physics.

My question is this: Short of finding and restoring a few 150 Hoovers, is there any alternative? Would any later model Hoovers accept the dual divergent agitator? How late? A current Guardsman, maybe, with some alteration perhaps?

A Kirby with a cloth bag has been suggested to me. A G series will not accept a full-fledged sani-emptor, and probably is too powerful to sustain the tap/snap action. A cloth bag would yield too much airflow, and a hepa bag too little as it fills. A Heritage I with a cloth bag seems the only other possibility. The Sanitaire Vibra-Groomer I is not sufficient, about the same as the standard Hoover agitator with just one strip of beater bar per side.

The idea of being able to restore neglected Oriental rugs with simple thorough vacuuming for good pay is very appealing. As I understand it, Hoover abandoned this configuration of agitator because as area rugs gave way to wal to wall carpet, it did not grab and hold the wall-to-wall carpet as well as the newer, less expensive to produce version, which had just the one spiral strip per side. Hoover could have ruled if they had stuck to being a status symbol. Imagine being able to switch out the roller and bottom plate to adapt the vacuum to whatever carpet/rug/floor needed to be cleaned. The mind boggles, while the Hoover just beats, as it sweeps, as it cleans...

Trebor

I use Greater HOOVER for all the 700 series.  Always have and always will.  And the only person who could and would persuade me otherwise is not around anymore to do so.  When I see him, I'll be sure to ask him.

Carmine D.

My final point which seems to elude you.  If the dyson facts and figures were as good as some here claim, including you, they would have been plastered all over the news media and internet early and often.  They are not and haven't been for some time now.  The only reason I can offer is that after coming out of the gate so well, your fave pick has faded quickly and lost steam in the final stretch.  Now, if I'm wrong, I ask you and anyone else here with the information on the current dyson sales to ante up.

Carmine D. 

During your jubilantly and phenomenally successful career, Dear Carmine, I'm sure you had to forego indulgence in 'thrust and parry', however tempting and entertaining it might have been, and just 'let sleeping dogs lie'. They scratch and growl, but if you leave them alone they settle down. They dream they catch the rabbit and all is well. If you have forgotten, please tell your dear wife you need a longer leash, and to let you out of the doghouse more. Throw us all a bone and let the Dyson bunny rabbit go.

Regards,

Trebor

Carmine D.

There you go again. I've already said my 'fave pick' is Hoover. You're just totally ignoring everything I'm saying! I guess that's one method of discussion which is always guaranteed to get the outcome you want!

What Dyson facts and figures have I claimed? You keep stating that without offering an example. I'm looking for some evidence where I've stated, 'Dyson sold x-number of cleaners in these markets this year, generating a total of $$$, compared to x-brand, who sold x-number of cleaners, and generated $$$.' Happy hunting. All I've offered is opinion. If I say Dyson is enjoying overwhelming success, that was opinion, much like when you said, 'In the USA, Dave ORECK is the most recognized face in the vacuum industry.  That is a given and well known fact here in the US vacuum industry.', witthout publishing proof of something like a random poll of the public of their recognition of David Oreck vs. Sir James Dyson.

'The only reason I can offer is that after coming out of the gate so well, your fave pick [sic] has faded quickly and lost steam in the final stretch.' - Pure speculation, with no facts or figures to back it up!

Carmine! Surely you are not saying you are too old to learn, "Sit. Stay." ?

(please forgive me, Carmine, but I'm laughing so hard I can hardly breathe! )

Trebor

Carmine D.

Until you/anyone here like you who claims in their opinions that dyson is an overwhelming success and the most popular vacuum seller "antes" up proof to contradict my statement above, I'm sticking with it.   Get use to it.  You and your dyson cohorts will be hearing and seeing alot of it in the days, weeks, months and years ahead.  The truth always come out. 

Carmine D.

How a vacuum brand can have not just one model worthy of being called the Greater, but several.  While another brand wishes it had even one!

How a brand that touts "never loses suction" as its mantra, loses a test of pure suction power by over 50 percent to a lowly contender like Electrolux, a lightweight vacuum no less with a full bag, and deemed here the ASA winner.  Not just once, but twice!  Even with the relevant facts culled, excerpted, and highlighted for ease of reading.

After you use the Greater HOOVER and have a performance standard, try the latest HOOVER Platinum lynx cordless stick with Windtunnel technology.  See if you are not equally impressed with the results.  Then you will have saved your best laugh for last.  I'll even provide my 4 legged furry pet friend to make the test interesting.

Carmine D.

If you don't like Dyson, Carmine, don't buy one (and you don't need to tell me you won't!). Simple as! I'm going to respect Trebor's wishes and let the matter drop.

On to the rest. Use the Greater Hoover (Model 700), and establish a performance standard: Check.

As for the cryptic 'punchline' - the Hoover Platinum cordless stick isn't available in the UK. If you'd like to furnish me with one, I'd be happy to give it a try. And I have a dog, so I won't require the loan of yours, as I'm sure your wife will be happy to hear. If you feel the performance of the two is equal, why didn't you recommend this machine to Trebor at the beginning of this thread?