Strange Realization About A Very Well Made Product: Hoover Vacuum Cleaner..Made in 50s or Early 60s

[Stuart G]

....Today is was going to go to well known appliance store in our area to buy a new vacuum cleaner. Now the ...
..more mature one ( I like that word better than the "O" Word ) still works and works well, but I thought I would'
upgrade to the latest model .......Yes, it is a Hoover Vacuum made somewhere in the U.S. in the 50.

....So, I was getting ready to go, and I used it to clean the rug in the room that I am typing this in. And then it
dawned on me this thought.............Why get a new one, this one works just fine? Yes, I got vacuum bags to
fit it, (enough for a while) and there are more somewhere. It is a loud vacuum but it is mine, and was my
mothers too. So what the hell, this works spend the money on something else....What could I buy???

...A New Computer?, New TV? New Lamp, New Phone? New Whatever?..Don't have a clue, says Stu.

[Ocelot II]

1. I inherited a Hoover, probably from the '60s or '70s.

It still works but it's really, really heavy.

[Stuart G]

3. Mine is heavy too, but ??, I can still lift it?..and..."IT STILL WORKS"..& i still work too.

....I was created in the mid 1940s...........Oh my!!!...time to hide again.......

[mitch96]

13. It's like my 1930's wagner cast iron pan... It's heavy but it still works!! Very slick interior..nt

[Earth-shine]

2. I have had the same Panasonic vacuum cleaner for 37 years.

About 20 years ago, it needed a new belt. It's been the only repair.

It still works great and bags are super cheap.

What would a new one do for me?

[Stuart G]

6. Exactly the same question I was asking myself......At least I am not alone in this quest...to find

the answer to these important questions about doing this or that...

[LisaM]

4. I still remember my grandmother's old Hoover vacuum.

I think it picked up more than my Dyson, which didn't really last well. And the Hoover was like a car with a V8 engine. You had to hold it back.

It didn't wear out - the cord did.

[likesmountains 52]

5. My ancient Electrolux just died.

I am very disappointed with the Shark I replaced it with. That old Electolux was amazing.

[empedocles]

10. The shark, with liftaway etc., needs regular maintenance, because it

loses suction over time - unlike the bag dust catcher types.

Just had 2 of them in for maintenance.

[likesmountains 52]

14. It's my first bagless, not really a fan of that feature. Thanks for the advice.

[crud]

7. Repair, reuse, recyle

Good for the environment...unless it's an energy hog

[captain queeg]

8. Makes me think of my first toaster. Given to me by an old coworker when I first moved out on my own

He’d gotten it as a wedding present when he married in the 50s. Gave it to me in the 70s. I had it and used it almost daily till I married in the 90s. We’d gotten at least one new toaster for a present at that time. They were very stylish and the wife wanted to use the new one, even though my old one still worked fine. So I donated my old one to Good Will. The first new one lasted 5 yrs or so before breaking down. I’ve gone thru at least 2 more since then. The old one was a big 4 slot chrome beast but provided many years of service. Just seems like appliances don’t last like they used to. Replacements are pretty cheap, I never consider fixing an appliance, I just buy a new one. But how many things get thrown out that still worked? That’s just the way it is in the US anyway.

[intrepidity]

9. Older appliances are just built better

Learn how to take it apart and clean it out (taking pics as you do so to document how it goes back together) and that thing will never die. Get down to the motor level to remove any dust and debris. Maybe you'll feel better about keeping it if you return it to shiny new condition?

[alittlelark]

11. I have a '50's Eureka Rugulator

It has outlived every other vacuum I have owned.

[KT2000]

12. I admire the construction

of old appliances. They were built to last and they still do. Use them as long as you can is my motto. I just replaces a 30 year old refrigerator with one that has an 8 year expectancy. Plastic does not age well, steel does.

[TomWilm]

15. My mother got one as a wedding gift...

...I still have it, still use it. And it can blow air from the tube too.

[Archae]

16. I use two vacuum cleaners...

The hose one for the corners and under furniture, and the Roomba for the rest.

[Ron Obvious]

17. We just replaced our Miele

It wasn't quite as old as your Hoover, but it might have made just as old bones if it hadn't been dropped down the stairs a few times or we could have been able to repair it but you can't get the parts anymore. It was from around 1990, and so it had a good 30 year stretch. It was expensive to buy, but a real money-saver in the long term. Most people have had several in that time and wound up spending more.

It's always been our motto to spend money to buy quality in the first place and then make it last. Repair when needed.

Sadly people don't think that way anymore. What goes for those vacuum cleaners go as well as for anything else made lately: washers, dryers, dishwashers, etc. Apparently you're lucky to get 5 years out of those today.

ETA: Oh, and our new Miele we bought because it uses the same bags has been a bit of a disappointment so far, though it was just as expensive.