Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

I'm just curious about the state of the Hoover Platinum Collection line-up that was introduced last year; how well is it doing? I've seen stores still carrying the Linx stick-vac, Max Extract carpet cleaner, and the lightweight bagged upright, however, I don't see the bagless upright around here, except for Costco (I picked one up yesterday for $197). I take it with the deep price cuts on the upright that it isn't selling that well, which is a shame, because I think its a damn good machine for the money. I haven't seen the cyclonic canister at all. What do you think of these machines? I personally like the lightweight bagged unit, as well as the cyclonic upright.

iMacDaddy wrote:

Did you buy the HOOVER Platinum Bagless cyclonic upright from COSTCO for $197?  If so, you got a value.  The MSRP is $449 and comes with a 6 year warranty. 

I suspect the fortune and sales success of these products and companies, like HOOVER and Platinum collection, rise and fall with the fortunes and success of the retailers selling them.  Of late, and for the last several years now [4th qtr 2007], these retailers have been struggling to stay in the black and most are not succeeding.  Even Wal*Mart which was immune from the consumer spending retrenchment has been impacted.  Most economists agree that the dismal sales and lackluster consumer spending will be normal for at least 2-4 years out.  While this bodes well for the less expensive China made vacuum products, it is ominous for the high priced products like the HOOVER Platinum collection.

Carmine D.

The UK just got the Linx cordless stick vac under the Vax brand since Vax are now owned by TTi. Ive read a few good reviews about them, but they seem to be one sided and biased since Vax gave away quite a few to new buyers who didn't have to pay for them. Of the reviews I've read where owners have actually bought this rather expensive stick vac, the main problem it seems to have is the dust cup and a screw that has to be undone to get into the main floor head part. It seems that some owners are inadvertently breaking the stick vac apart when its made to clean under low furniture. I haven't ever tried this kind of stick vac largely because of the cost price but I am interested in the duration of its battery, claiming to last 2 hours which is pretty good.

Problem with Hoover is being luck enough to live by a service center as the product has a good chance of needing it, as since the closed all the factory service the vac shops that took on service warranty are going out of their minds, most can't handle the high volume low pay, no parts most of the time to boot 

One of the few big box retail store chains advertising new vacuum sales this past weekend, if not the only, is TARGET [which by the way is keeping in the black through recent quarters].  The products are all HOOVER/TTI uprights and the Steam Vac.  Starting prices with the Turbo Cyclonic for $79 bagless.  Next, Steam Vac for $95.  Then, HOOVER Windtunnel Rewind for $99, bagless.  Finally, HOOVER Windtunnel Pet Rewind for $127, bagless.  TARGET carries the upper end HOOVER Platinum line but with the exception of its launch quite awhile back rarely advertises it.  I suspect in the current economy, the above HOOVER Rewind/T-series bagless models are the more likely sellers among BBR store vacuum customers.  With the realization from other threads here about BBR stores and their lack of replacement parts on the shelves, costliness, and/or likelihood that most users don't know replacement parts with certainty even exist, these HOOVER budget product prices for the T-series/Rewind product range are an easy alternative/option for new vacuum buyers at BBR stores like TARGET.  Hence will sell well in that venue and with current times.

Carmine D.

vacmanuk wrote:

Vax (USA) is NOT owned by TTI like Vax UK.  Vax UK is owned by TTI but its too confusing with Hoover USA & Hoover UK.

btw, how is Hoover UK's products?

hooverman wrote:
Are you sure? Look at this link: http: //www.vaxusa.com/

This is applicable too:

http://www.ttigroup.com/en/our_brands

Carmine D.

hooverman wrote:
Also look at http://www.vaxusa.com/products.aspx where you'll clearly see "TTI" mentioned at the bottom part of the page.

Hoover UK products are as usual in a bad way. For the most part from big box shops which have review sections, most of the Hoover products are being slated whilst Hoover UK are using Reevoo review centre company to promote their products. This is doing very little for the consumer in reality. At the weekend last I met a Hoover rep at another big box store who admitted that that Hoover UK are really powerless with whatever the head company, Candy in italy put out. Namely Hoover are failing because:

1) Customer reception of new products have moved their preference to other brands.
2) The "Airvolution," system hasn't been a complete success because of poorly built plastics.
3) Hoover are trying to get out of bagged vacuums once and for all.

It was quite an interesting conversation but one I wouldn't admit to enjoying. I have many old Hoover models and the reaction & info I got from the rep was disappointing to say the least.

vacmanuk wrote:

WRT the first point you made, I note/quote from the TTI web site with regard to VAX in the UK:

"Vax®  has also been the fastest-growing floor care brand in the UK for the past 5 years."

Perhaps at some future time, TTI will buy/own HOOVER-UK which currently is owned by Candy.  And, the poster meant to say: TTI does not own HOOVER-UK [yet].

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
Vax has been the fastest growing floor division in the UK for a number of reasons, Carmine - their budget upright and cylinders were all Dirt Devil from the U.S under different cosmetic changes and colours. BEFORE Dirt Devil and effectively TTi bringing in U.S Hoover windtunnel bagless products for higher end "Vax" models, Vax struggled to make ends meet financially with only one really successful vacuum on their books; their larger cylinder tub vacuum and that was moved to Australia for wider production in the 1990s which still continues today. Their other upright that did reasonably well is the Vax VX/Bosch upright vacuum, again another merger. Vax were never really that financially dependent to design a whole new model ground up in the 1990s before the Bosch merger. Their last upright vacuum under their own design was quite a novel one with a dust bag/hard box upright that could be changed over to a wet box model, following on from their 3 in 1 wash machine but it proved too fragile, too heavy and compromised by its change over design.

Vax would never have been where is it now without Dirt Devil in the U.S and effectively now with TTI as the parent company continues to grow albeit with passed down Dirt Devil and Hoover U.S products. Ive a feeling that Candy may well wish to hold onto Hoover; the company don't have another vacuum cleaner company in their umbrella portfolio of companies and Candy's stock market shares benefit from Hoover UK/Europe products.

Personally I think TTi have enough brands.

vacmanuk wrote:

Thanks vacmanuk.  Another plus for VAX popularity and sales is their heated rug washers.  Dirt Devil, aside from its much maligned reputation, is a popular vacuum seller in the USA.  Often times the most popular seller in new units. 

Carmine D.