and so it ends after 99 years

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And I thought...

Hoover would be moving from North Canton, Ohio to Canton, China. I guess the assembly will take place closer to home in Juarez, Mexico.

This is another example of an American manufacturing tragedy that leaves employees flailing in the wind, while feathering the nests of corporate executives and shareholders. Many of these long-time employees are at an awkward age (too old for new employment and too young for retirement), with benefits and salaries that will be impossible to duplicate.

It's just another nail in the coffin of the American economy. When are we going to wake up to the fact that mass consolidations/mergers and outsourcing look good on paper, but will lead to the destruction of, what was once, a great industrial nation?
 
sad

It seems like all of our American Companies are all dieing out.
They are all selling out to other companies and these new companies don't have a care about them at all. Maytag, electrolux, and Now Hoover. I guess now Hoover will become a rare breed. I wonder what is going to happen to the histortic center now that Canton is closing down?

Skip....
 
A very very sad day.......

And as Mike says its sadistic that they couldnt have at least waited till after the Centenary!.

I am planning a visit to the US next year- I really hope I at least get to see the Historical Centre ...........

Seamus
 
Historical Center

Skip that will continue on, as its not been part of the Hoover Company for a couple of years anyway. Maytag donated the Historical center and a good chunk of land to Walsh University, which now operates the center.
Its safe for the time being.
 
Great

Well Jeff at least that part of history can't be taken away from Us THANK GOD. I really feel for the employees as I'm 51 years old and I can't even think if I were in there situation what I would do as most employers want the younger men and all these employees have put there heart and sole into Hoover, Which is a great Vacuum cleaner and hopefully soon sone corpation could take over and bring it back to life as it once was.

I was thinking with the return of the Constellion We would have soon seen a come back on the convertible, which would be lovely.

Skip...
 
I feel for the town

Because that plant in smack in the middle of the town, and something people are proud of.
You need to go junking/thrifting around North Canton/Canton/Akron/Cuyahoga Falls sometime, you'll be amazed at how much Hoover people bought back in the day, and how much of it is still in use too!
I think bringing the Convertible back would be an excellent idea, but please, re-engineer it some first! Put the quality back in!
 
All downhill

Hoover unfortunately will become another stick-on label attached to Chinese garbage that probably contains too much lead,melts due to undersized wiring or works for a year or two and ends up in landfill.
But leave it to Americans to buy the least expensive product at Big-Box retailer.
Another dead American manufacturer. How to stop this trend?
 
I feared this would happen, and of course North Canton joins Newton, Iowa, who is losing Maytag. I just hate, hate, hate this stuff. You would think it would be obvious that this sort of thing at some point is going to have to end. People are going to need to sustain themselves somehow...
 
Hoover Store

About a month ago I bought a new Floormate 800 at the local Hoover Store. None new in box, but a floor model. Saved a few $$, so not a big deal. However, using the grout cleaning hose and wand, the connection wouldn't stay connected to the machine. Went back and figured to either get a new hose or pay a few more $$ and get a new machine. The manager pointed out, it's a design flaw in the machine with a poorly made connection piece. The hose doesn't stay connected real well. Ok, can live with that, and it does work, but not pleased. Plus manager gets a bit combative about it.

A week later the trigger broke on the grout wand, rather than dealing with the crummy manager, I fixed it myself. Hoover quality is not doing well.

Over the weekend partner wants to buy a rug cleaner for his mom. Liked the Hoover machines, plus wanted to get me a stainless Constellation for my upcoming birthday. Called the Hoover store several times on Sunday to find out their hours. Finally get an answering machine that gave hours and off we went. Drove across town. Store is closed, with a "sorry" sign in the window.

Lowes got our business for the Hoover carpet cleaner and Amazon will get the business for the Connie. Hoover store said it all with a sorry message! And places wonder why they go out of business.
 
Hoover Convertible

Yes I would love to see that happen but base the comeback on the styling of the model 65 and such models as I think I like that model very much.

Boy I would like to see a stainless steel model made like the new constellion

Skip...
 
That giant sucking sound

Is not a Hoover it's jobs going to MEXICO! and leading us down the yellow brick road but there is NO OZ at the end!
 
Hoover quality

Folks that quality has been slipping steadily for some time, its nothing new.
I'm hoping the new owners will put some quality and dignity back into the Hoover name.
Its also worth noting that the new owners also own Royal, and their classic metal upright is still a good quality machine.
Now to just get some of that back into Hoover!
 
Jeff:

I recall a group of us talking about the Hoover commercial vacs at the Tucson wash-in, and how they were still built with quality in mind.

My suggestions:

Lose the plastic! Get some metal back in these machines and add some classic or wild colours. The classic Hoover designs were great! As a consumer/user and not a vac collector, fun colours on both the bags and hoods in addition to a heavier and sturdier construction on an upright would capture my attention and absolutely delight me (I'll take two please)! A big complaint that I heard about the modern plastic Hoovers is how easily they tip over when trying to stretch the hose for attachment use.

Hoover has failed to properly market the Constellation as well! This is a terrific cannister, but you can't find it in any stores! It would "beHoove" them to aggressively market the Constellation and take them to the next level with some retro and modern colour combinations.

There is still potential for the Hoover brand. It remains to be seen if the new owners will tap that potential.
 
I think...

Bringing back the Convertible would be awesome. I would not mind the plastic, but some new molds are in order.

Seamus or Chestermike: Any chance one of you could post a pic of a PLASTIC Senior like a 6525E?
Just so we can see what a well made plastic Convertible looks like!

I agree with the colors too Venus, make something fun. The Convertible motor is still viable, I'd make the fan out of that unbreakable nylon stuff, and ditch that wobbly metal agitator for the seald bearing CWP wood brush roll. I'd make a Type A filtrete bag, and go back to the old two position adjustment, it self adjusted to thicker rugs way better than the 4-position did.
We can only hope that the new owners will want to put some dignity back into the Hoover name.
 
Venus and Jeff

you are both so right! If they would just go back to the way they were made in the 60's they would not be able to keep up with the demand. A good quality vacuum cleaner with with a good name WILL sell. I hear almost daily how this one or that one HATES the plastic throw a way vacs of today..
 
Today's Hoovers

I have to agree with a couple of people about current Hoovers. We have a PowerMax canister, and while it has its strengths (mainly strong suction and a very aggressive brush roll, which I like), it has not been very satisfactory overall.

The latch for the tool compartment cover broke almost immediately, and we are not people who slam things around. More worrisome has been the cord on the power nozzle. It enters the power nozzle right at the level of the floor, and its insulation keeps fraying through. I've had to shorten the cord twice to keep insulation in this spot. The cord clearly should have been reinforced here. This is the last time it can be shortened, due to length; the next fraying-through will mean that the cord must be replaced.

I'm also no fan of Hoover's tool system, which requires you to operate those little latches every time you change tools. It certainly keeps tools in place, but it's hard for those of us with arthritis to operate. And you can't swivel the tools on the wand's end to get to tricky places.

I will say that suction is phenomenal, and that the carpet fluffs very nicely when it's vacuumed by this thing. But the other problems mean that as soon as it dies, it's getting replaced with another vintage Lux. We're in a three-storey house, and we like having a vac on each floor.
 
6525E

Hey Jeff/All

The 6525E was our 1st plastic chassis model- it was introduced in 73 along with the National U4002 Ranger as an exclusive line- initially to the CO-Op
and later to Currys in white/chocolate and Allders in white/yellow.

The Chassis is of an identical design to our metal version.

Unfortunatly mine suffers quite badly from Yellowing - the Chassis should be white!!

Seamus

4-3-2007-13-48-33--SeamusUK.jpg
 
Rating sticker

4

Jeff- I dont own a U4186 :( maybe you could sort a few of that one ;)

Seamus

P.s The serial dates this one to October 1976

4-3-2007-13-52-1--SeamusUK.jpg
 
Thanks Seamus

I'll get my U4186 pics taken tonight.

Austin how about some pics of your new Hoover Powerplus too?
 
I too loved the Convertibles...but...

Yes, I too loved the Convertibles and still own a Swingette that just will not die.
However, I will stick with the still-American ORECK and avoid the now-foreign Hoover.
It is true that TTI Techtronic has retained Royal's well known quality level. However IF I have a choice of very-foreign or very-American brands to choose from I will choose as American as I can get.
David Oreck and I are "best buds" now... and his products are good.
 
Seamus that 6525E is too cool. Too bad those plastic-base models with the rounded base weren't carried over here...much better looking than that boxy square base we had. Just goes to show you anything is possible. And it still has rear conversion and a 2-speed motor to boot, so I bet it purrs nicely. Some of the plastic-base Convertibles here were screamers!

Here's my dual-voltage U4298 Powerplus, given to me by Roger in Tucson. During the wash-in weekend, he was thinning out the vacuum herd, and this one along with quite a few others were looking for a new home. In addition to the Powerplus, I acquired a 62 (though unlike other 62s, this one has chrome lettering on the hood), 634, and a commercial Convertible 334. All great machines!

This machine has a few interesting characteristics. First, it is very substantial (the base seems to be made out of high-impact plastic) and quite heavy, on a par with the metal-base models. The switch is built into the handle release. When I first saw it at Roger's, I was wondering where the switch was, until I turned it over and saw it. Much more convenient than a machine that turns on when the handle is lowered...this functions like a regular footswitch and the handle release doesn't interfere with it. Also, the sound is MUCH different than an American Convertible. Believe it or not, it actually sounds like a Eureka or early Sanitaire with the "pancake" motor...pre-1400-series of course. When I first turned it on, I knew I recognized the sound somewhere but it wasn't on a machine I had, and then it hit me.

--Austin

4-3-2007-19-05-7--westytoploader.jpg
 
Closeup of the base...has a few deep scuffs, but nothing too bad. Mother's mag wheel polish took care of most of them.

4-3-2007-19-05-32--westytoploader.jpg
 
The underside. A few more things of interest here. The beater bar is painted in an almond color rather than the usual black, and notice how the baseplate is held on by 3 screws...when you have to change the belt, better have a screwdriver handy!

4-3-2007-19-06-41--westytoploader.jpg
 

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