Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Seen the new VAX line of bagless yet? better quality and performance?...at a far lower price.

Some say its stolen Dyson tech...some say its VAX xposing Dyson as a rip off [over priced] over hyped vacuum......that dyson is slipping[sinking brand]...that a dyson can be had at a fraction of the cost and with a warranty thats actually useable.......solved all the dyson flaws.....without the dyson shaft at the register. That VAX has zeroed in on dyson and plans to come at him head on.  If this is true ..then some drastic changes are due at dyson ....and another dyson [im a victim] lawsuit will come.......as always.

turtle1

CarmineD wrote:

Hoover tried for years to emulate Dyson.  VAX tried and failed.  They were not a problem for Dyson at the time.  You predicted both would be the doom of Dyson.  Neither you nor I know what the future holds for any of these.

Now they are trying to unseat Dyson with bagless machines. not bagged.  Please explaine who is emulating who in this scenario.

How are sales for the Hoover Z and Fusion?

HS:

Your lips are flapping while your feet are shuffling but the pay toilet is locked and occupied.  Dyson's problems are of its own making.  Period, end of story.  VAX sees an opportunity, hears the dyson dirge playing, knows the big box retailers' rap on dyson sales, and is going for the dyson jugular.   Many buyers/users of both VAX and dyson prefer VAX and always have over dyson.    To each his/her own.  May the best product for the price win. 

Carmine D.

Hi guys,

I'm at a loss here. Which Vax machines are we talking about? I checked out the American Vax site but found nothing new, just the same machine they produced for several years.

Is the new line composed of models already on market in Europe? Check out the following link:


http://www.vax.co.uk/shop/catalogue/upright-vacuum-cleaners/mach-upright

Venson

Hi,

Also check out the "30th Anniversary Range" link at the UK website.

Venson

CarmineD wrote:

Yes.  However, more users prefer Dyson as evidenced by Dyson pushing Hoover into bankruptcy and pushing VAX out of BB.

You may also be interested to know that many users prefer Dyson over Oreck.

HS:

Your facts like you are skewed.  HOOVER and VAX are not bankrupt nor ever were.  They were both bought in arms length above board business transactions by TTI.  Why?  Save that for another discussion at another time. 

The issue here, as I see and said it, is not who likes which brand better and why.  I'm sure many current buyers and users enjoy their dysons and if they could would probably buy another.  Except of course you.  You liked your DC07 so much you sold it and didn't buy another new dyson.  Why?  You told us you don't like any dysons as much as a DC07.  Others here like you have said dysons are no better than any other bagless brands and not worth the higher prices.  Dyson has cheapened them and charged more.  [You went to a bagged instead.  Go figure.]  I'm sure there are lots of vacuum users and buyers like you and others who bought and used dysons and returned them for other bagless brands.  Or want to upgrade their dysons after 5-6-7 years but don't want to pay the higher dyson prices now vice when they bought.  These are the customers that VAX is targeting at the the big box rip off retailers.  

Now, research VAX refurbs on the internet and let me know what you find, if anything. 

VAX/TTI is on to something with their above strategy and that's dyson's jugular. 

Carmine D.

Hi Venson:

Rumors are circulating in the vacuum industry that VAX has enjoyed such huge success in the UK [dyson country] despite the economic malaise that TTI wants to add a new bagless VAX line in the USA.  The questions you raise are valid.  The answers are that we have to wait and see when and what comes out.  I have to think that based on the mediocre rug ratings VAX 3 and VAX 5 received several years ago in the USA that TTI will opt for a more USA rug/carpet suitable brush roll than the EURO.  And of course at less expensive prices than dyson.

Carmine D.

Venson wrote:
Howdy big V, i looked at the uk link.

Cant make heads or tails out of these,look like old hoover machs to me.The old vax's were old bosch siemens pieces that were sold at the box stores in the states.What a huge mistake that was.Although the girls in the advertising were not bad looking.

regards

MOLE

mole wrote:

Hello MOLE:

As you know TTI produced the FUSION and FUSION plus for HOOVER and the big box stores even before TTI bought HOOVER.  These were huge selling successes primarily due to their prices.  These along with the Mach's that superceded and the current line of VAX cleaners in the UK all share the same look.  The VAX name, history and past bagless products, including association with bosch/siemens, adds competitive clout and interest to a new bagless VAX product line in the USA market.  Again, primarily targeting big box retailers where customers are growing weary of dysons.  But never know, maybe indy models too, especially if the female models come with.

Carmine D.

"...Rumors are circulating in the vacuum industry that VAX has enjoyed such huge success in the UK [dyson country] despite the economic malaise that TTI wants to add a new bagless VAX line in the USA..."

Right. Here's a brief history of British Vax as it was known until the mid 1990s because as far as I can see the U.S website is a lot of marketing and not much history of the actual British company. In turn if you think having the Bosch/Siemens clout seems to add a gold like halo, think again; Bosch ceased the upright vacuum because it was unpopular, heavy and not reliable.

Right up until 1990, Vax were solely British and sales relied upon their canister vacuums that could wash carpets through suction only floor-heads that put wash solution into the carpet at the same time as sucking out the dirt. These became known as "3 in 1" canister vacuums, three things they could achieve ; pick up dry dirt and a large canister paper bag, pick up water and pick up the carpet cleaning function. These machines had been going since the 1970s and Vax were initially a door to door sales enterprise before getting in the main market. Their canister vacuum has hardly changed since the 1970s although they are now made in China, less well made and have lighter components making them better at lifting. They are still a bit of a pain to change over to wet function and because of their suction only floor heads a bit of a sore back in the making when sucking out all the water out of the carpet. Amidst the canisters Vax also went into production of carpet shampoos and some Chinese built cordless hand vacs and stick vacs started to appear. If you thought Dirt Devil's cordless Broom was their own design, think again - that design was actually by Vax and it wasn't a particularly well thought out cordless "vacuum" by any means.

Vax did try an upright vacuum but it was largely unsuccessful because Vax tried to put a water tank on it to make it in the same way as their canisters, known as the "New Wave". The tank leaked and on dry pick up only whilst the vacuum was okay at performance a lack of sales and some problems with plastic build quality rendered the model useless. We had a Vax canister for 19 years and it is still going, now given to a friend of mine who owns a shop and adores the dust capacity. However bought brand new it was solely used for washing carpets. Whilst it was good and better than anything on the market (Vax successfully won/ took Hoover UK to court over infringement and copying with their Aquawash canisters) at 12kg it's a mighty heavy old canister vac that due to its height fell over quite a few too many times.

Around 1990 Vax entered a partnership with Dirt Devil U.S brand as the UK brand of Dirt Devil was owned by another private party and had very little associations with the U.S company. As such Vax became best selling because it was churning out the paper pleated cone fitted cyclonic uprights and cylinders thanks to Dirt Devil - almost all of their cylinder and uprights have been Dirt Devil designs including the awful Swift uprights (I had one!) and this was based on what is currently selling as the "Dirt Devil Breeze" series.

Now their new 30th Anniversary models are exactly as Mole describes - they are the re-hashed Hoover Mach models and only differences are tooling and of course the name. Whilst I don't condone badge engineering, Vax aren't a particularly good company in my experience and their new TTi merger can only be of good news to keep sales afloat rather than be unique, which they once were thanks to their ingenious original canister vac in the UK.

Confusingly, Hoover UK also have a series of Dirt Devil uprights as their own models.