Mole,
Like I keep saying/posting here, at its core the great majority of bagged vacuums are made with off the shelf parts and designs.... you just demonstrated this. If anyone can assemble a vacuum made with junk parts and get it to work as good or better than many of “todays” (bagged) vacuums... Is it any wonder Maytag dropped Hoover? IMO, Maytag like many other manufacturers believed there were no more “big” and exclusive innovations left in the tired vacuum cleaner. Dyson exploited this belief.
DIB
DIB:
All product oriented industries, not just vacuums, have companies that lead with innovations which over time become less expensive to make and sell. Off the shelf purchases, as you say. This phenomenon is good for consumers allowing affordable prices for all. Probably the best examples of this in recent years are cell phones and computers and more ago color TV's.
Second, MAYTAG's management did not understand the vacuum industry. It's focus for 75 years before HOOVER was laundry equipment. The huge success of many HOOVER products kept MAYTAG profitable even with soaring laundry equipment product costs [for metals and shipping] with little MAYTAG management oversight of vacuums. The best example of MAYTAG's disregard for HOOVER and vacuums is epitomized by the HOOVER WT switch problem. MAYTAG's failure to inform the CPSC timely about the HOOVER WT switch problem cost MAYTAG/HOOVER $750,000. That was one of the heftiest fines ever paid by a company to the CSPC. Especially in light of the fact that the switch defects resulted in no consumer injuries and/or property damage other than the vacuums.
Carmine D.
