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Author Topic: Popularity of uprights and cylinders in the UK  (Read 11179 times)

Offline Parwaz7862

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Popularity of uprights and cylinders in the UK
« on: January 25, 2017, 01:44:16 am »
I love upright vacuums personally. They are also the most popular type of vacuum in the UK and the USA I believe, but I have a lot of customers though saying "oh do you have any cylinders? I don't like uprights" etc; even though the majority of people do tend to go for uprights.

I don't get why people like cylinders? What's so special about them? They are a pain to store, are cumbersome, bulky, you need two hands to carry them, you can get lightweight uprights and uprights have everything on board, are less convenient on stairs then uprights, they can't clean as well as uprights and the list goes on!


Is it because Henry vacuums are given such a reputation of being fantastic machines that people think if a vacuum is a cylinder (which is what Numatics are) it should be good?

I'm not really a cylinder fan TBH... I think they may be out of fashion soon...or will they get more popular??

Uprights rule IMHO.


What are your opinions?


Offline MVacs

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Re: Popularity of uprights and cylinders in the UK
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2017, 07:09:33 am »
Broadly speaking, the further north you go the less people like cylinders. And vice versa.

Cylinders are a hard sell in our shop, but put them online and they sell to the south.

They are more popular overseas. Mainland europe likes cylinders (look at the large Sebo range of cylinders aimed at that market).

Of the cylinders we sell in the shop, I would say most go to people not born in the UK and/or not culturally British. Most Brits want uprights.

We probably sell 1 cylinder to every 50-100 uprights.

Offline Parwaz7862

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Re: Popularity of uprights and cylinders in the UK
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2017, 02:06:00 pm »
Aah makes sense now, being in the Midlands it's a bit of a mix between uprights and cylinders, sort of

1 cylinder to every 50-100 uprights? Wow, probably explains why I see more Dyson uprights on eBay in Lancashire and Yorkshire than most other parts of the UK

I'm slowly converting people to choose uprights, I changed my next door neighbour's preferences. They used to use tub VAxes all the time and now they own a DC33

Other next door neighbour wants a Dyson upright (they have a Henry)

After my Henry owner Auntie used my DC41 she said she'd get one when she buys a new house, one of my cousins bought a DC50 after being loyal to Henry for years, etc :king:

Offline Madrat

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Re: Popularity of uprights and cylinders in the UK
« Reply #3 on: January 25, 2017, 08:28:16 pm »
Uprights can be a pain to manoeuvrer, the floor head of a cylinder is much easier, however the pipe and unwieldy motor unit can be just as much of a pain, putting an upright away in a cupboard is easy a cylinder is like fighting with an octopus, but if you don't have a tall cupboard an upright is a pain to store, so swings and roundabouts.


Offline MVacs

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Re: Popularity of uprights and cylinders in the UK
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2017, 08:38:21 pm »
if you don't have a tall cupboard an upright is a pain to store, so swings and roundabouts.

If you have a Sebo upright, it can be stored under the bed if short of space.  :whist11:



/sales mode off.


Offline Parwaz7862

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Re: Popularity of uprights and cylinders in the UK
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2017, 09:07:31 pm »
I see where you're coming from, Ian- but I find uprights quite easy to manoeuvre

 I just don't see the necessity in cylinders or just the point of them- an upright is literally right in front of you, I personally feel more in control of an upright vac than with a cylinder with a floppy hose, I spend a lot of time tugging the hose and constantly dragging the machine towards me because we have a large living room and long hallway etc. One moment you're moving forward to clean further and suddenly you feel a tug because of the big heavy motor unit sitting there (connected to the wand with the hose) so you have to tug again  :'(

Furthermore when people sell cylinder vacuums used a majority of the time they are missing floortools :/ such a pet peeve. With uprights that isn't a problem :))

Offline Parwaz7862

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Re: Popularity of uprights and cylinders in the UK
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2017, 09:08:07 pm »
if you don't have a tall cupboard an upright is a pain to store, so swings and roundabouts.

If you have a Sebo upright, it can be stored under the bed if short of space.  :whist11:

(Attachment Link)

/sales mode off.

 :chuckle:

Same with a DC03 and they can be hung on the wall or behind a door


Offline Madrat

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Re: Popularity of uprights and cylinders in the UK
« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2017, 10:50:55 pm »
I will say a cylinder is much easier to use if you are cleaning round or under furniture, but then the motor unit gets stuck on the same furniture, also a lot of uprights wont go under furniture but a cylinder head will. Small places with an upright don't work. As far as performance goes, well our dc05 motorhead was fantastic, also meant you don't have to mess about with turbo heads and none stretchy hoses to do the stairs.

Offline taran57

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Re: Popularity of uprights and cylinders in the UK
« Reply #8 on: January 26, 2017, 03:18:15 am »
Uprights are more popular here in texas. But back in australia you will hardly see an upright.

Offline Parwaz7862

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Re: Popularity of uprights and cylinders in the UK
« Reply #9 on: January 26, 2017, 05:53:22 pm »
I always thought Australia had a bit of a mix between both like the UK

Offline Hoover Master

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Re: Popularity of uprights and cylinders in the UK
« Reply #10 on: January 27, 2017, 07:40:59 pm »
Up North from all you in Scotland I find that uprights are more popular but people do give glory to Henry as up here he has a great reputation. I think that with the EU labels, customers look at them and see that uprights often beat cylinders on carpets so because carpets are fairly popular, uprights are popular choice.

Don't have the knack of writing these things do I?

Offline MVacs

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Re: Popularity of uprights and cylinders in the UK
« Reply #11 on: January 28, 2017, 05:03:05 pm »
Up North from all you in Scotland I find that uprights are more popular

There are still gazillions of DC01s up in Scotland. I think the Scottish Electric Board sold them I recall reading.

Offline Parwaz7862

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Re: Popularity of uprights and cylinders in the UK
« Reply #12 on: January 28, 2017, 05:08:01 pm »
Up North from all you in Scotland I find that uprights are more popular

There are still gazillions of DC01s up in Scotland. I think the Scottish Electric Board sold them I recall reading.

That sentence relieved me. It's nice to hear DC01s are still used by many!

Offline Hoover Master

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Re: Popularity of uprights and cylinders in the UK
« Reply #13 on: January 28, 2017, 09:30:28 pm »
I see loads of dc01 standards in garages and sheds etc

Offline Parwaz7862

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Re: Popularity of uprights and cylinders in the UK
« Reply #14 on: January 28, 2017, 10:01:04 pm »
Blimey
Hardly many around here
You do still see DC04's onwards in Birmingham tho

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