Since moving into my new house five years ago I have bought not one, but TWO upright vacuum cleaners.
The first was a Panasonic MCE468. It lasted about two years, then simply stopped working. I reckoned the price to repair it was probably more than a new machine, so in July 2007 I bought a factory-refurbished Hoover PurePower 1900W. The local shop that sold it to me said that these machines (they are always replenishing their stock of factory "seconds") are refurbished by Hoover, then sold at roughly half price. So I paid £34 for mine and it looked brand-new. No trace of dust in the bag cavity, for example. It came with a six-month warranty.
Huzzah, I thought. A virtually new Hoover for £34 can't be bad. And it was fine. It sucked up the dust brilliantly. Until a couple of weeks ago.
It began to cut out. I thought the same thing had happened as happened to the Panasonic. Dead for ever more. But no. After ten minutes or so I switched it on and lo and behold it worked again!
Over the past few days, however, it is cutting out so frequently that it has become unusable. Also, it now makes such an awful screaming noise I have to wear ear defenders like roadmenders with a pneumatic drill.
So I have two choices: Get it repaired or buy a THIRD upright!
If I choose the latter, I've just checked the Argos catalogue and the choice is overwhelming. So what would you recommend?
I can't afford to spend a fortune, so a Dyson is out of the question. The catalogue starts with an Argos own brand at £38.99 and ranges through a Panasonic (spit) at £59.99, an Electrolux also at £59.99, a VAX bagless at £63.59 to a VAX bagless at £73.39. But there are dozens of others.
Alternatively, I could replace the motor myself if spares are available. Are they?
I took the Panasonic to pieces and checked every connection to the motor, right up to the brushes. Juice is there, but the motor simply won't run. I was told by somebody that these things have a thermal overload device that causes them to cut out, but where would it be on the Panasonic? What does such a thermal overload/cutout device look like?
Thanks!
MM