Hi there.  I am just wondering which machines from Hoover are being made by TTI?  When did the acquisition take place?  I saw a traditional looking s/p WindTunnel in Lowes when I was buying a beautiful new Hunter Century fan (love it!).  What machines are of the old Hoover and which ones are TTI $#!+?  How is this all going to work?  Are Hoover and Dirt Devil going to still be "competitors" in the eyes of the public?  Of course I still contend that there hasn't been a decent Hoover upright since the Convertible/Concept!  Thanks!

Quote from Vacuumfreeeke on 05/08/07 at 6:34pm:

 
Actually, it's still to soon to tell.  The purchase was just consummated in the Spring.  And the first event was closure of the plant in North Canton Ohio, which had been cutting back in recent years.
 
What we know so far is that all the HOOVER floorcare products are still intact and being made in the US/North America and/or imported.  We've seen the second generation of FUSION vacuums: The Mach 3, 4, and 5.
 
The HOOVER WT 2 (bagged and bagless) and Z are still the top of the line uprights.  And all the Floormates and Steam Vacs and stick and hand vacuums are still being produced and sold at the big box retailers.
 
In fact for all intents and purposes, the transition from Maytag- Whirpool to TTI has been transparent to the users and buyers (if not the workers).
 
I would also disagree with you about the HOOVER Convertibles/Concepts.  I don't think HOOVER has made a good upright since the HOOVER 700 series.  
 
Carmine D.

Quote from Vacuumfreeeke on 05/08/07 at 10:23pm:

 
Here's a tidbit of pre-vacuum history that readers might enjoy:
 
At the turn of the 20th Century, brooms cost about twenty five cents and obviously wore out with use.  At the time, carpet sweepers were just coming into the main stream of house cleaning.  And cost anywhere from $1.75-$3.00 depending on the type of wood that was used to make them (yes, wood).  In order to sell the carpet sweepers, the makers and sellers "pitched" them as costing just 6 times what a broom would cost and would last forever:  Never buy another broom again.  (Pick up a SEARS Roebuck catalog from that era and you can verify).
 
Today, brooms and carpet sweepers are still very much a part of the housecleaning products available.  100 years from now, so will vacuums.  And they will probably be the very same brand names here today (that have been around for the last 75-100 years).  Ironically, you named them all in your post (just substitute Royal for Dirt Devil).  
 
Carmine D.