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 don't like/dislike vacuums, including your fave brand.' - there you go again. Would you like me to repeat my ACTUAL favourite brand for the 3rd time? Or is this a 'lalalalala, I'm not listening!'-type scenario? I guess wisdom doesn't always come with age!

'Note all the 700 series have the same inscription on the motor hood.  Something about "Servant to the Home?"' - in the US they did. in the UK, they came with the Royal 'By Appt. to....' warrant. Hoovers no longer bear the royal seal of approval. Guess what brand of cleaner is used in Buckingham Palace now....

Carmine D.

No guessing needed.  IQ is not a function of age.  I was brilliant even before the winter of my years.

Carmine D.

It didn't take long for your nasty streak to come out, did it!?

 I'll leave the experts to pass judgement on my machines, thanks. Nobody you'd know.

I AM going to ignore any further Dyson comments, sorry Model 2, you left yourself wide open for that one, and I went ahead and posted before I read your statement you were going to drop the issue. I could have edited it, but it seemed cowardly after the fact. Can  we, PLEASE all play nicely in the same sandbox?

Trebor

A sign of maturity is to accept constructive criticism and profit by it. 

Carmine D.

Both the same inventor, let readers draw their own conclusions as to the worthiness of the products.

Carmine D.

I live in the Las Vegas desert.  I'm highly qualified to do so. 

Carmine D.