CountVacula
Joined: Dec 25, 2014
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I purchased a used but as-new Tristar MG-2 model A101N on line. I also have an older Tristar DXL for comparison sake. The MG-1 and MG-2 series Tristars use a body that was updated around 1999 or 2000 and was originally called the EXL. The EXL version came with a fairly powerful two stage 5.7 inch motor sourced from Electrolux USA which, like Tristar, was owned by Engles-Urso Capital Group (they bought Tristar in 1996 and Electrolux USA in 1998, later changing the name from Electrolux USA to Aerus Lux). Along with the new style body came an Electrolux USA style hose, wands and power nozzle, similar in design but shaped just different enough that you cannot use Electrolux USA wands or attachments with a Tristar. The power nozzle in particular was a nice improvement over the old Eureka based "Turbo Brush" power nozzle sold with earlier Tristars. The plastic wands maybe weren't such a big improvement. With the MG-1 and MG-2 series, Tristar replaced the US made two stage motor used in the EXL with a cheap single stage "VM3" motor from China. To be blunt these vacuums are terribly under powered compared to Tristars of old. Customer feedback must have been unfavorable as Tristar has since started selling what they call the "CS" series. They look identical to the EXL and MG series but use yet another new motor sourced from Europe that is quite a bit more powerful. Now the vacuum has the power it always should have had. A nice bonus is the optional twelve foot long hose. Remember those old Kenmores used to have 10 foot long hoses? Nobody does that any more except Tristar. Instead of an air driven turbo hand brush, Tristar offers the Ministar, an electric motor driven hand brush that is based on the Electrolux USA (now called Aerus Lux) Sidekick II, and very similar to the latest Kenmore Pet Powermate. This is a powerful hand brush that won't bog down on soft upholstery the way turbo tools do. The vacuum body is still all metal, made from a magnesium-aluminum alloy just like the very first Tristar in 1945. Unlike older Tristars when you remove the hose a spring loaded flap closes off the hose opening. They still use the same inner cloth bag and disposable paper bag used since the dawn of Tristar, and the same pre-motor filter element. You have to manually wind the cord, but it is so long you can plug the vacuum in once and clean multiple rooms (especially if you use the 12 foot long hose). No cord winder to go bad over time. Tristar stocks replacement parts for machines going back 25-30 years. Parts support is fantastic, prices are reasonable and they ship fast. Tristars are sturdy, durable, simple and easy to repair. This is not a throw away $50 big box vacuum but something you buy intending to keep and pass along to your kids. Given reasonable care it will last 30 years or more. You might have to replace a motor in ten or 15 years but it's easy to do and worth doing. It's a keeper. I have a mid 1940s C-2, their first production vacuum, that still runs strong and aside from styling, filtration and the motor they are not all that much different. As you might expect from an airplane manufacturer (the original Compact was made by Interstate Engineering, who also made airplanes and a drone bomber for the Navy during WWII), the design is exceedingly clever in that the airflow goes over top of the dirt in the bag so it maintains high airflow until the bag is almost overflowing. It is a design that has stood the test of time and well worth your hard earned.
Date Purchased: April 2019
Price Paid: $200
Recommend: Yes |
Pros:
All metal vacuum body, mechanically and electrically simple, exceptionally durable, great parts support if you do manage to wear something out or break something. Bags and filters are priced reasonably and they ship fast. The power nozzle, derived from a modern Electrolux USA/Aerus Lux power nozzle, is one of the best in the industry and like the vacuum is easy to repair. The power cord is exceptionally long for a canister vacuum. The twelve foot hose and Ministar electric powered hand brush are excellent optional additions. Even Miele only offers a cheap air driven turbo brush and a six foot long hose. If you buy the CS series they have very good cleaning power. They also have a really interesting history involving Howard Huges who commissioned the very first Tristar (originally called the Compact) for his airline TWA and the Southern California aircraft manufacturer who originally made them for Hughes before selling them to the public. The clever design maintains high airflow until the bag is almost overflowing.
Cons:
MG-1 and MG-2 models have a poor motor with low cleaning power. Buy a CS series. Changing bags is a bit grody since the top of the bag is open. You have to be careful sometimes to prevent dust from the bag falling back into the vacuum as you lift the bag out. The plastic wands are not as nice as steel button lock wands used by Miracle Mate or Patriot and the hose develops suction leaks at each end of the handle. The wands are inverted, male opening facing down and thus require Tristar specific attachemnts. Those old attachments sitting in the closet from your mom's old Kenmore or Eureka won't fit. You have to stand the vacuum body on end and wind the cord around the bottom of the vacuum. Did I mention the cord is really long? |
This message was modified Feb 12, 2020 by CountVacula
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