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Electronics Repair (sci.electronics.repair) Discussion of repairing electronic equipment. Topics include requests for assistance, where to obtain servicing information and parts, techniques for diagnosis and repair, and annecdotes about success, failures and problems. |
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#1
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What sets vacuums apart?
What makes a $1200 vacuum different from a $300 vacuum? Why would any vac
cost more than an air conditioner? -- Reply in group, but if emailing add another zero, and remove the last word. |
#2
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What sets vacuums apart?
"Tom Del Rosso" wrote in message ... What makes a $1200 vacuum different from a $300 vacuum? Why would any vac cost more than an air conditioner? ...................there's people out there stupid enough to pay it! |
#3
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What sets vacuums apart?
I paid $1200 for a Kirby. Its been reliable from day one til now 10 years
later. The art of Vaccumming is how the Unit makes contact with the Floor/Carpet. No one does that better then the Self-propelled Kirby. L "Tom Del Rosso" wrote in message ... What makes a $1200 vacuum different from a $300 vacuum? Why would any vac cost more than an air conditioner? -- Reply in group, but if emailing add another zero, and remove the last word. |
#4
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What sets vacuums apart?
"Larry P" wrote in message
I paid $1200 for a Kirby. Its been reliable from day one til now 10 years later. The art of Vaccumming is how the Unit makes contact with the Floor/Carpet. No one does that better then the Self-propelled Kirby. Thanks. I was considering Electrolux, which is in the same price range. But why does it take that kind of money to make contact with the floor? I'm trying to understand why the best value is the best value, considering the wide disparity. -- Reply in group, but if emailing add another zero, and remove the last word. |
#5
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What sets vacuums apart?
Tom Del Rosso wrote:
"Larry P" wrote in message I paid $1200 for a Kirby. Its been reliable from day one til now 10 years later. The art of Vaccumming is how the Unit makes contact with the Floor/Carpet. No one does that better then the Self-propelled Kirby. Thanks. I was considering Electrolux, which is in the same price range. But why does it take that kind of money to make contact with the floor? I'm trying to understand why the best value is the best value, considering the wide disparity. I'm quite happy with my Hoover commercial vacuum that I bought for $10 at a bankruptcy sale. -- The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to minimize spam. Our true address is of the form . |
#6
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What sets vacuums apart?
On Sat, 07 Apr 2007 14:36:08 GMT, Tom Del Rosso wrote:
What makes a $1200 vacuum different from a $300 vacuum? Why would any vac cost more than an air conditioner? Or, more than my first car? :-) (And, a person gets A LOT more use from either a car or an A/C.) |
#7
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What sets vacuums apart?
Tom Del Rosso wrote:
What makes a $1200 vacuum different from a $300 vacuum? Why would any vac cost more than an air conditioner? Build quality and marketing. You don't always get what you pay for, some cheap vacuums are fine, a lot of them are poorly made though. If you want a high end vacuum, look for a used one. Years ago I had a Kirby I picked up used for $50, it was very well made and I never had a problem with it, but it was very heavy and cumbersome, and connecting the hose attachment to get corners was a hassle. I eventually got rid of it and picked up a newer plastic Eureka for free, which once I tore it down and cleaned out the clog has been a great vacuum. It's light enough that I don't break my back lugging it up and down stairs, the hose is already attached and just has a lever to engage it, and it picks up dirt as well if not better than the Kirby I had. Probably won't last 100 years but it's at least 15 years old and still working fine. I don't think I'd ever buy a brand new vacuum anyway, it's so easy to find them secondhand for free or nearly so, and often they're discarded simply because they get clogged up or need a new belt. |
#8
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What sets vacuums apart?
Thanks. I was considering Electrolux, which is in the same price range. But why does it take that kind of money to make contact with the floor? I'm trying to understand why the best value is the best value, considering the wide disparity. Because people will pay for the name. Electrolux is like a Rolls Royce or Harley Davidson, it's a status symbol, and while not necessarily a bad product, it's certainly not the best value if you just want something to do the job. |
#9
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What sets vacuums apart?
"Tom Del Rosso" wrote in message ... What makes a $1200 vacuum different from a $300 vacuum? Why would any vac cost more than an air conditioner? Why do people pay too much for anything? |
#10
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What sets vacuums apart?
"James Sweet" wrote in message
news:%6SRh.570$Lm.420@trndny05 Build quality and marketing. You don't always get what you pay for, some cheap vacuums are fine, a lot of them are poorly made though. If you want a high end vacuum, look for a used one. Years ago I had a Kirby I picked up used for $50, it was very well made and I never had a problem with it, but it was very heavy and cumbersome, and connecting the hose attachment to get corners was a hassle. I eventually got rid of it and picked up a newer plastic Eureka for free, which once I tore it down and cleaned out the clog has been a great vacuum. It's light enough that I don't break my back lugging it up and down stairs, the hose is already attached and just has a lever to engage it, and it picks up dirt as well if not better than the Kirby I had. Probably won't last 100 years but it's at least 15 years old and still working fine. I don't think I'd ever buy a brand new vacuum anyway, it's so easy to find them secondhand for free or nearly so, and often they're discarded simply because they get clogged up or need a new belt. Thanks. I don't want to clean up a used one though. The low-end Electrolux model EL7020A is $320 and the low-end Hoovers and Sanyos (et al) about $150. Consumer Reports says that Electrolux model is better on carpet than any other at any price and I have thick carpet everywhere. (That's the reason for getting a new one anyway.) -- Reply in group, but if emailing add another zero, and remove the last word. |
#11
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What sets vacuums apart?
"Tom Del Rosso" wrote in message ... What makes a $1200 vacuum different from a $300 vacuum? Why would any vac cost more than an air conditioner? **First point: I am not defending the pricing of Kirby cleaners, since they are obscenely over-priced, however: * They are manufactured in a first world nation. The costs of labour would be many times higher than in (say) China). * Most cheap air cons are made in China. * They do employ some rather nifty features, such as a completely separate motor and impeller. This ensures the motor never has to pass dust particles, which can damage bearings and other stuff. * Kirby sucks. It really pulls a very impressive vacuum. * The Kirby bag system ensures that full vacuum occurs, regardless of how full the bag becomes. * The thing is substantially manufactured from (fairly expensive) aluminium alloy, rather than plastic. * Kirby is sold in a way which prevents discounts from being easily obtained (here in Australia). I owned a really nifty and quite powerful cleaner (2kW). A mate brought his Kirby 'round and showed me just how inefficient my cleaner was. I waited for a used Kirby to come my way and purchased it (for about 10% of the cost of a new one). It is noisy, but it sure cleans crap off the floor. -- Trevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au -- Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com |
#12
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What sets vacuums apart?
Meat Plow wrote:
On Sat, 07 Apr 2007 11:21:27 -0400, Larry P wrote: I paid $1200 for a Kirby. Its been reliable from day one til now 10 years later. The art of Vaccumming is how the Unit makes contact with the Floor/Carpet. No one does that better then the Self-propelled Kirby. L I bought a Hoover Elite upright around 14 years ago for $79.00 and I've changed the belt twice for a couple bucks each. It vacuums just as well as the Kirby my mom got suckered into buying. She doesn't even use it these days, she went out and bought a Hoover Elite 4 years ago. I've got a Kirby out in the garage someplace. It's not that good, IMHO. "Tom Del Rosso" wrote in message ... What makes a $1200 vacuum different from a $300 vacuum? Why would any vac cost more than an air conditioner? -- Reply in group, but if emailing add another zero, and remove the last word. -- The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to minimize spam. Our true address is of the form . |
#13
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What sets vacuums apart?
CJT wrote:
I've got a Kirby out in the garage someplace. It's not that good, IMHO. As far as I can tell the main thing Kirby vacuums have going for them is reliability. They last forever. They're bulky and heavy, though. I have a cheap Dirt Devil upright vacuum and I wouldn't recommend it, at least not to anyone with long hair. Stray hairs get wedged between the plastic beater bar and its plastic bearings, jamming it. Then the belt burns in half. |
#14
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What sets vacuums apart?
David Brodbeck wrote:
CJT wrote: I've got a Kirby out in the garage someplace. It's not that good, IMHO. As far as I can tell the main thing Kirby vacuums have going for them is reliability. They last forever. They're bulky and heavy, though. I have a cheap Dirt Devil upright vacuum and I wouldn't recommend it, at least not to anyone with long hair. Stray hairs get wedged between the plastic beater bar and its plastic bearings, jamming it. Then the belt burns in half. If I have to put up with that smell, I might as well go to the racetrack. ;-) -- Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to prove it. Member of DAV #85. Michael A. Terrell Central Florida |
#15
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What sets vacuums apart?
On Sat, 07 Apr 2007 16:37:39 GMT, "Tom Del Rosso"
wrote: "Larry P" wrote in message I paid $1200 for a Kirby. Its been reliable from day one til now 10 years later. The art of Vaccumming is how the Unit makes contact with the Floor/Carpet. No one does that better then the Self-propelled Kirby. Thanks. I was considering Electrolux, which is in the same price range. But why does it take that kind of money to make contact with the floor? I'm trying to understand why the best value is the best value, considering the wide disparity. Electrolux was sold and are now made in China = stay away! I just picked up a Danish made $1,825.00 NILFisk cleanroom 4 gallon, 4 stage filters with HEPA filter (all clean & new) vacuum without attachments for a sweet price on eBay. Very nice unit, all metal like the old Electrolux canister units. None of this cheap plastic crap made in China now a days for me. http://www.pa.nilfisk-advance.com/pr...m_810_811.html HEPA filters make the difference, the bigger the better and the more expensive, and 4 stages of filtration means that the vacuum will keep sucking at maximum cfm for a longer period. |
#16
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What sets vacuums apart?
Talk to someone who repairs them . When working right they are all the
same . Cheap ones are made of cheap plastic that can crack or break . Bagless vacs fill your house with dust . I know some of you dont believe this .. go ahead & dont . Expensive vacs have better plastics & casings but not 3 and 4 hundred dollars worth . After owning a few upright vacuums i like the Oreck because it uses a bag and has gobs of power and its small light and very easy to use in general . It is easy to repair . I got one at a yard sale for 35$ and replaced the fan blade in it . Try a local vacuum repair shop if you dont want to clean up a used one as they usually have good rstored used ones at a savings . This topic ``sucks`` |
#17
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What sets vacuums apart?
murph1012 wrote:
HEPA filters make the difference, the bigger the better and the more expensive, and 4 stages of filtration means that the vacuum will keep sucking at maximum cfm for a longer period. Then look at the Dyson. We have a DC-14 animal. It's an upright vacuum clean that is designed to suck up animal hair and dander and NOT return it. It also comes with a special unit that looks like a small upright vacuum for for doing furniture. It works very well, is very strong (about 1500 watts), does not use bags, and comes apart easily to clean or remove obstructions. The only tool I've needed in over a year was a coin to open the carpet/floor brush on the bottom to remove junk that had collected there. The other parts where things have gotten stuck, including a disposable plastic knife and many Legos, have come off with a push of a button. It empties by pusing a button which allows you to lift off the collection container. You put it over a trash can and push another button. Two or three times it has gotten long things, such as string etc caught in it and I had to reach in an pull them out. The collection unit when placed over a trash can is far away from anything that moves, so although I was careful, is very safe. The time we got the knife stuck in it, it got caught in a bend. We noticed it because the motor shut off. I unplugged it, removed the bends until I found the knife, cleaned it out and let it sit for a while. No damage. If for some reason I were to move back to the U.S., I would have 240 volt outlets installed so I could take it with me. I know they are sold in the U.S. (Costco has a "cheaper" version made for them by Dyson), but still.... BTW the other thing I would want to bring with me is my Kenwood mixer. It makes a Kitchen Aide look like underpowered cheap junk. Geoff. -- Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel N3OWJ/4X1GM IL Voice: (07)-7424-1667 Fax ONLY: 972-2-648-1443 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838 Visit my 'blog at http://geoffstechno.livejournal.com/ |
#18
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What sets vacuums apart?
Electrolux was sold and are now made in China = stay away! I just picked up a Danish made $1,825.00 NILFisk cleanroom 4 gallon, 4 stage filters with HEPA filter (all clean & new) vacuum without attachments for a sweet price on eBay. Very nice unit, all metal like the old Electrolux canister units. None of this cheap plastic crap made in China now a days for me. http://www.pa.nilfisk-advance.com/pr...m_810_811.html HEPA filters make the difference, the bigger the better and the more expensive, and 4 stages of filtration means that the vacuum will keep sucking at maximum cfm for a longer period. A friend's shop has a Nilfisk vacuum cleaner, that thing is amazing. It's about 4' tall and has a 3 phase induction motor of I think 2 horsepower. It's extremely quiet and very well made. Wish I could get a smaller version of it for my garage at home, I hate those noisy universal motors. |
#19
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What sets vacuums apart?
Ken G. wrote:
Talk to someone who repairs them . When working right they are all the same . Cheap ones are made of cheap plastic that can crack or break . Bagless vacs fill your house with dust . I know some of you dont believe this .. go ahead & dont . Expensive vacs have better plastics & casings but not 3 and 4 hundred dollars worth . After owning a few upright vacuums i like the Oreck because it uses a bag and has gobs of power and its small light and very easy to use in general . It is easy to repair . I got one at a yard sale for 35$ and replaced the fan blade in it . Try a local vacuum repair shop if you dont want to clean up a used one as they usually have good rstored used ones at a savings . This topic ``sucks`` I forgot about those bagless things. I had one for a while, didn't have too much of a dust problem but it would clog very easily and the suction went way down long before the cannister was full. I had to empty it about 30 times more often than I change the bag on my current vacuum so it was no savings in convenience. Neat idea, but poor performance in practice. I had a roommate once with an Oreck, that was in fact very good, light weight, powerful, not too noisy, felt solidly made and it never broke. |
#20
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What sets vacuums apart?
Ken G. wrote:
Bagless vacs fill your house with dust . I know some of you dont believe this .. go ahead & dont . Hm. One of the things I like best about our bagless vacuum is that it doesn't fill the air with dust. It, and the Rainbow we bought used but which doesn't seem to have much suction any more, are the best ones we've ever had. -- Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast. That's why stereo has two channels. |
#21
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What sets vacuums apart?
Tom Del Rosso wrote:
Thanks. I was considering Electrolux, which is in the same price range. But why does it take that kind of money to make contact with the floor? I'm trying to understand why the best value is the best value, considering the wide disparity. Easy answer - go to the Library and look through the appropriate issue of Consumer Reports. It will answer all these questions. Bill Jeffrey |
#22
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What sets vacuums apart?
Hi!
Because people will pay for the name. Electrolux is like a Rolls Royce or Harley Davidson, it's a status symbol, and while not necessarily a bad product, it's certainly not the best value if you just want something to do the job. Depends on...I've found a number of their 1980s or so canister vacuums on the curb and found most of them to have no problem at all. Sometimes I even got the accessories. (That said, I do need a set of bearings that would be suitable for use with one of their canister vacuums. I have one that the front motor bearing is blown on. It runs but shrieks like the dickens and makes everyone want to hide! I haven't been able to find replacements, not even from Electrolux.) Some years ago I picked up a positively ancient Electrolux canister from a church sale. It couldn't be any newer than the 1950s. For $2 it wasn't a bad deal at all. The broken latch on the lid was easily fixed. It is still running along today. Getting the bags is no problem, as the container they come in says "for all Electrolux canisters 1953 and newer"...pretty amazing. I also have an Electrolux Epic upright (!!!) that is the only Electrolux upright I have ever seen. It was tossed into the trash at work because of a burned out power switch that made the handle get very hot in operation. Somehow I think it will be going long after the vacuum that replaced it has been retired. It seemed silly to let them toss it for what took me about fifteen minutes to fix. I don't know if their current products still last this long or not. William |
#23
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What sets vacuums apart?
Depends on...I've found a number of their 1980s or so canister vacuums on the curb and found most of them to have no problem at all. Sometimes I even got the accessories. (That said, I do need a set of bearings that would be suitable for use with one of their canister vacuums. I have one that the front motor bearing is blown on. It runs but shrieks like the dickens and makes everyone want to hide! I haven't been able to find replacements, not even from Electrolux.) Well when you can find them used for next to nothing then anything can be a bargain, again they're not bad products, just vastly overpriced new. Have you tried McMaster Carr? I got a bearing from them for the air pump in my hot tub, it had sat full of water for months and the bearing was shot but McMaster had something that fit perfectly. |
#24
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What sets vacuums apart?
William R. Walsh wrote:
Some years ago I picked up a positively ancient Electrolux canister from a church sale. It couldn't be any newer than the 1950s. For $2 it wasn't a bad deal at all. The broken latch on the lid was easily fixed. It is still running along today. Getting the bags is no problem, as the container they come in says "for all Electrolux canisters 1953 and newer"...pretty amazing. Is that the art-deco one with the sleigh-style skis on the bottom? My parents used to have one of those. They're pretty cool looking, a genuine piece of industrial art. Looks like something The Rocketeer would strap to his back. |
#25
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What sets vacuums apart?
"James Sweet" wrote in message
news:mZhSh.6215$Rg2.1264@trndny02 Well when you can find them used for next to nothing then anything can be a bargain, again they're not bad products, just vastly overpriced new. Do you mean the $800+ models, or the $300-$350 models as well? The cheapest available today is around $110, but the cheapest of anything is usually worthless. -- Reply in group, but if emailing add another zero, and remove the last word. |
#26
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What sets vacuums apart?
Tom Del Rosso wrote:
"James Sweet" wrote in message news:mZhSh.6215$Rg2.1264@trndny02 Well when you can find them used for next to nothing then anything can be a bargain, again they're not bad products, just vastly overpriced new. Do you mean the $800+ models, or the $300-$350 models as well? The cheapest available today is around $110, but the cheapest of anything is usually worthless. Well I guess it depends on what other vacuums cost these days. I've never in my life paid more than $50 for one and that was the Kirby I quit using because it was too heavy and clumsy, the one I've had since then was free. All is relative I suppose. It's a vacuum, I just need to to clean, I don't need a status symbol. |
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