Electro-adaptation

I was just thinking, the other day, of the many ways Electrolux and Aerus have adapted, re-adapted, reused, and updated their technology over the years, on different models and through different model lines and types.

Depending on how you look at it, the company is either remarkably lazy, making minor tweaks to a product so it can be retrofitted or adapted to old or new, or amazingly efficient and forward-looking. I myself incline towards the latter view, as it undoubtedly makes the company's products easier to use, update, repair, and maintain. It also gives the user a feeling of 'security', if I can put it like that, because the products remain useful and relevant for a long time. Look at, for example, the longevity of the Style C bag, in use since 1952, I believe, and since 1957 in Canada*.

Take another simple example, the combination dusting brush and upholstery tool, quite a revolutionary development in itself when it was introduced in, I believe, 1954**. It was subsequently used (or able to be used) on all the vacuums since then, until the Renaissance and Epic 6500 were introduced, in the early-mid '90's. These models featured the larger gas pump hose handle and larger integrated wands, so the old combination tool was, apparently, no longer useful.

Enter Electrolux ingenuity? The company simply added an adapter that fitted into the tool and locked into the wand or hose handle. Of course, for the Renaissance, they developed an entirely new set of tools, but that's another story. I thought, when I first saw the adapter on the Epic 6500, that it was a bit cheap looking, but I can see the other side of it too...i.e. taking existing technology and tweaking it to make it useful in the future, without spending more money. I've found the adaptor useful in its own right as a sort of 'narrow space' tool.

Some other examples I can think of:

1. Upright power nozzles - same motor, brush roll, and interior as the cylinder power nozzles, but with slightly expanded outer cover and shell to accommodate the upright vacuum body, intake hose, etc. This means, of course, that the interior parts (brush, belt, motor, electronics) can be used on all the similarly shaped power nozzles.

2. Upright electric hose - same as the standard canister hose, with a different machine end with pigtail cord. The machine end diameter is the same with all uprights, except for the Lux 4000/6000.

3. Upright power cord location and Sidekick plug location - when the cord started to come out of the handle, the plug on the back of the machine was used for the Sidekick. Not only that, but the models with the cord coming out of the bottom of the handle could, with the addition of an adaptor port, accept the Sidekick plug alongside the power cord.

4. Lux 4000/6000 electric Sidekick hose and on board hose - adapted the machine end of the Style R hose.

5. Bags - of course, the bags across the board have the same basic design, but different dimensions, and the bag change is exactly the same on all machines.

6. Upright after filters - the two piece holder or shell and filter means they can be attached to any of the uprights (this doesn't apply, of course, to the models with the front loading filter).

7. Upright attachments - the combination dusting brush/upholstery tool, crevice tool, Sidekick, and plastic wands are exactly those of the cylinders, with the addition of a storage caddy.

8. 80 series power nozzle plug - when the power nozzle was introduced in Canada somewhere in the early 60's, the 80 series carrying handles 'gained' a plug. This meant that any of the previous models in the 80 series could get a new powered handle and use the new power nozzle.

9. Combination floor/rug tool - this received a new neck to fit the Renaissance style plastic wands. The brush and carpet ends were exactly the same as before. Incidentally, when I'm strictly cleaning bare floors, I much prefer the dedicated floor brush...it's lighter, more maneuverable, and sticks to the floor better. The combination tool is good, however, when you happen upon a lightweight rug, such as in the bathroom, and don't want to bust out the power nozzle or Sidekick to clean it. Actually, the power nozzle can and does chew up light rugs.

10. Epic 6000 and subsequent models (Epic 6500, Lux 7000, and Lux Legacy) - the base section of all these models, of course, was exactly the same as the preceding ones, with a redesigned, larger top cover to accommodate the attachments. Really, this design change wasn't absolutely necessary, as preceding models had the attachment clip on top, but, on the other hand, the attachments had the latch fittings, so perhaps a new design was in order. The Epic motor was only slightly different than its predecessors, with a larger-bladed (but smaller diameter) front fan, increasing the suction power. I would assume the 7000 and Legacy have similar fans?

11. Baby crevice tool - easily stored on the attachment clip on the filter/blower cover along with the combination duster/upholstery tool, but the useful length of the tool was considerably reduced. Maybe this is what led to the Style R telescopic crevice tool?

12. HEPA filters - when the company equipped its top-of-the-line model, the Guardian 75th Anniversary, with a HEPA filter, it didn't need to make much fuss about it. They simply removed the blow port door, present on the Renaissances and Epic 8000, and the filter clipped on to the existing notches. Cosmetically, the logo was relocated to the attachment compartment door. A small change in terms of engineering and design, but a big one if you happen to think HEPA filters are the way to go. I must say, I think they provide much better filtration than the older secondary filters. The house always smells nicer after using one of the HEPA filter equipped models, and the HEPA filter tends to absorb bag odors much longer than the electrostatic filter.

13. Lux 4000/6000 redesign - I think the addition of the on board hose and wand to these models was quite clever. Not only does it make the vacuum more functional and user-friendly, it is also an integral part of the design. When connected on both ends, it forms part of the suction/intake path for floor and carpet cleaning, and allows the power nozzle to run. Naturally, the wand can be disconnected, and the ensemble used for above the floor cleaning as well. Very clever.

There are a few instances where the company went backwards as well. No company is perfect, after all.

1. The change from the Canadian direct connect/swivel/trigger hose handle to the U.S. handle - The U.S. handle unfortunately became the standard, and is still used today on the Lux Classic. There are two things I hate about this handle...it doesn't have the on/off trigger for the power nozzle, nor does it even have a switch***, and it has that stupid suction valve knob, instead of the Canadian slider. Really, its completely for the birds, and I don't like using it.

Good:

Not so good:

Good:

Irritating:

Very, very, very abysmal and ridiculous:

2. The change from the Canadian electric telescopic wand to the 'sheath' - The sheath can only really be sensibly used with the power nozzle or the floor/carpet brush. It can't be broken down, collapsed, or detached for use with attachments, as the telescopic wand and two-piece electric wand set can. Another for-the-birds development, in my opinion.

3. Electric braided hoses - in addition to the comments above about hoses, I think the company should have abandoned the braided/woven hoses when the electric hose came out, and switched to the modern vinyl ones as used today. They're at least 1 000 000 times more useful and reliable than the older ones. Some of the braided hoses had, as shown above, the rubber strain relief collar on the handle end, shortening the usable length of the hose so much as to render it useless. A disastrous and near fatal flaw, in my opinion.

I'm sure I'll be adding to this post as time goes on.

It may not be remiss to add that, aside from the odd model, I'm a VERY lukewarm fan of (strictly) American Electrolux. The only model I really care anything about is the Model G, and even this is not, in my humble opinion, as good as its Canadian contemporaries, namely the 88 and 89 (although it certainly is a very good vacuum).

That being admitted, there has always been a close connection between Canadian and American Electrolux, with shared styling, technology, and 'accoutrements', so, if you like one, chances are you might have a small appreciation of the other.

*One of the selling points of some bagless vacuums is that they don't lose suction. I've NEVER experienced a loss of suction with ANY Electrolux or Aerus model, even after the bag has become VERY full, unless I immediately vacuum up a large quantity of very fine dust in a new bag. The 'tunnel' design of the Electrolux/Aerus vacuum body tends to push the vacuumed up dirt to the sides of the bag, leaving a straight path down the middle. I've cut open bags before, and the masses of dirt are indeed twisted into a cyclonic shape, so I'm not concerned with diminishing suction in Electrolux and Aerus vacuums.

I read somewhere once that vacuuming up a small quantity of (uncooked) rice in a brand new bag would prevent fine dirt (I.e. the dirt that clogs the bag faster) from clogging the bag, thus prolonging its life. I've made it a habit to do this, but I can't say for certain whether it really works.

All this is not meant to disparage bagless vacuums. It's just that I'd need a more compelling reason than 'no loss of suction' to buy one. I could see, for example, buying one of the Dyson 'balls' for the maneuverability. I wonder, too, why Electrolux/Aerus never adopted bagless technology? Could it be because their dirt capture system works just fine, and has done so for seven decades?

**Electrolux Canada adopted the combination tool approximately 30 years later!

***There are after-market hoses available with the sliding suction reducer and powered accessory switch. Why couldn't there be an official Electrolux version as well?

The Mean Green Clean Machine

Presenting the ZB89, or Z89, or 89E, or, as far as I'm concerned, 89. Made in Canada by Electrolux Canada, this model was the top-of-the-line offering between 1967-73. I was born during its run, so it was utterly ubiquitous when I was young. I saw it everywhere...schools, stores, hospitals, homes, etc.

I have four of these, two of which are strictly for parts, and I have the owner's manual tucked away somewhere. Here is a full-on shot of the two machines with all the standard attachments, attachment caddy, electric hose, standard hose, hose cord, telescopic wand, and three different power nozzles. The model on the left also has the original plug with bulb stopper.

There isn't a great deal (at least in the motor unit) to distinguish the 89 from the 88, and in fact I think the 88 looks much better, but the accoutrements offered with the 89 set it above and beyond anything before it:

1. Electric hose: this was the first Electrolux with a hose with embedded wiring, totally eliminating the cord clipped to the exterior of the hose, and vastly improving its usability. The hose shown is actually not the first one that came with the 89; I believe the first had the same metal ball bearing end as the standard hoses, and a different weave pattern, as well as a dark green pistol grip, at least on some of them. As far as I know, the electric hose was first introduced in 1968.

Electric hose. Of course, the addition of the pigtail cord on the machine end means it can't swivel, but, what can you do? The fact that the business end swivels is pretty cool, for the late 60's.

The machine end still had a pigtail cord that plugged into the handle, which meant that this hose could be used with any of the 80 series machines. All that was needed was a new handle with a plug in it, and, in fact, I saw more than a few 83s, 86s, and 88s with the new (mismatched) green electric hose (one of my grandparents' 86 models had one). For example, if you owned an 88 (which never had an electric hose in matching red) and wanted to upgrade to the new electric hose, electric telescopic wand, and Canadian-made power nozzle, your cleaning ensemble might have looked something like this:

Not very attractive when everything is put together, is it?

When this hose became standard with the 89, around 1972 (?), the model became known as '89E' to distinguish it from earlier ones.

Serial number plate with "89E" notation:

Previous location of serial number (inside of bag door):

2. Electric, swivel, direct connect handle with trigger switch (see above picture of hose): this was, and still is, a revolutionary development. It's the direct precursor to the Epic style hose with the switch, and the Style R hoses with full power controls. I believe the contemporary US model 1205 featured this handle, as well as the telescopic wand, but they didn't catch on the US.

3. Electric, direct connect telescopic wand: the precursor to the vastly inferior sheath. It eliminated the wiring running down the outside of the wand, or the need to have separate power nozzle and accessory wands, and could be collapsed for storage. There was a red electric telescopic wand to match the red 80 series machines, but I'm not sure if this came first, or was a 'retrofit' after the green one.

Electric telescopic wand with power nozzles (PN II, III, and IV). The only real drawback to this wand is that the upper plastic part isn't reinforced; its simply a thin layer of plastic.

I can't understand why Electrolux eventually did away with items 2 and 3, which were infinitely more progressive, modern, and usable than what followed (and what is still used today on the Lux Classic). I also don't understand why they waited another decade to feature power controls on the hose handle.

The only other changes I can think of are these, and these are not necessarily revolutionary; merely different:

1. Plastic attachment caddy: more durable, certainly, than the prior cardboard. I'm not sure when this was introduced, but there was a cardboard caddy early in the run. There was also a dark green version of this. The attachments were largely the same, except for the fact that they changed from a spring clip to latch fittings, and the dusting brush, floor brush, and the elbow of the carpet nozzle were now made of plastic instead of metal.

2. The power nozzle (see above picture of power nozzles): the first 89 power nozzle was a copy of the American PN I (called 'PN II'), but the PN III (the only Electrolux PN to feature a brush roll height adjustment switch) and IV were totally Canadian. The PN III was the first to be able to stand upright. There was a power nozzle with the detachable elbow for the red 80 series machines, but I'm not sure if this came before the green ones or not.

3. The "dual-purpose" nozzle, for carpets and floors (see large tool on left in above picture). Kind of superfluous in view of the inclusion of the power nozzle, carpet nozzle, and floor brush.

4. The shag carpet nozzle. As far as I know, this was the first such nozzle on an Electrolux.

Standard (non-electric) hose. This must have been the first ever pistol grip handle the company made. The red 80 series machines also had a hose with this handle.

Side logo:

Front cover. Elux-o-matic!

Ready to do the carpet, with the PN II:

Floors:

(I should point out that I never use these hoses, wands, attachments, or power nozzles...they're strictly for "set completion" purposes. The hoses are especially useless, as are all of the other Electrolux braided hoses).

When I do use the 89, it looks like this:

The 89 is, leaving out the above refinements, every bit as quiet, powerful, and efficient as the 88 and other 80 series machines. The 88, however, as noted above, is considerably better looking, but you may disagree if you like dark green. Speaking of looks, there were minor cosmetic changes to the 89 over the years, as can be seen in the pictures. Some had the bare aluminum or chrome handle trim; on others, this was painted the same green as the body of the machine. There were two different styles of rear wheels as well.

Even though the 89 is not my favorite Electrolux, it does represent what Electrolux "is" to me in many ways, due to its prevalence when I was younger. I'd say that if you have an 89 in good shape, with a modern vinyl hose and updated attachments, you'd be hard pressed to find anything better (I said the very same thing about the 88).

My Style R Electrolux and Aerus Lineup

Just for the heck of it, I felt like taking some shots of all my Style R vacuums. I don't have all of them, of course*, but this is a good representation of machines from the beginning to the end of the run.

Back row, left to right: Aerus Lux 9000 C134F, Aerus Guardian C154B, Aerus Lux Guardian C154E .

Front row, left to right: Electrolux Guardian 75th Anniversary C134A, Electrolux Epic 8000 C133A, Electrolux Renaissance C104H, Electrolux Renaissance C104A.

Electrolux Style R models, clockwise from top (Guardian 75th C134A, Epic 8000 C133A, Renaissance C104A, Renaissance C104H). These are much better looking than their Aerus counterparts, partly because most are missing the HEPA filter and are thus much more streamlined, and partly because gray is a nicer color than pale blue:

Aerus Style R models (Guardian C154E, Guardian C154B, Lux 9000 C134F):

As an addendum, here is this week's cleaning team: the white, grey, and red Epic 8000 and Epic 3500. It's certainly a fetish with me, but I do like to use similarly colored and/or styled machines when I'm using them in pairs, not to mention the fact that I like to use all the original and/or matching attachments with a particular machine.

It's difficult to say whether one of these is my favourite. Certainly, the Renaissance C104A blows the others out of the water in terms of looks (and for that matter, it does the same for all other Electrolux and Aerus models, before or since), but the two newest machines, the C154B and C154E, have more power than the others. Like I said in another post, comparing machines is difficult. Each model or series of models has something distinctive and interesting about it. In short, there's good to be found in everything.

*Just to keep it straight, I don't have the Electrolux Guardian 75th Anniversary C134B, Electrolux Guardian Encore C134C, Electrolux Lux 9000 C134D, Electrolux Guardian C134E, and the Aerus Lux 9000 C154A (assuming this model exists). Funds permitting, and reasonable prices offered, I'd like to add these to the collection.