Fuller Brush and Maytag roar into vacuum market

Millennials might not have heard of the Fuller Brush man, but legions of salesmen and later saleswomen sold their cleaning products door-to-door from the early 20th century to as late as the mid 1980's. Times change, yet the name still resonates for some of us, and now you'll find upright vacuums with the Fuller Brush name. Consumer Reports is testing three of its models, along with models from another brand not known for vacuums: Maytag.

Tacony Corp., which also makes Riccar and Simplicity vacuums, has licensed both brands and is selling them through independent mom-and-pop dealers along with Amazon. Maytag, a Whirlpool brand, is more commonly seen on major appliances such as refrigerators, ranges, and washing machines. The Maytag line is pitched as more upscale and we'll know in the coming weeks whether Maytag vacuums catch on with consumers.

Both brands offer one bagged upright—the $400 Fuller Brush Mighty Maid and $630 Maytag M700—with wide brush rolls that typically do well for deep cleaning carpets. The two brands also offer lightweight, bagged "pusher-type" vacuums, the $300 Fuller Brush Speedy Maid and the $380 Maytag M500, with identical wooden brush rolls and similar construction throughout. But while Maytag rounds out its full-sized vacuum line with the fullest-featured Maytag M1200 upright, $900, Fuller Brush instead offers the first bagless model we've seen from Tacony, the $210 Jiffy Maid upright.

A new model from Kirby. Among the nearly 20 upright and canister vacuums we're testing is a new model from another brand that's sold direct to customers: Kirby. The Kirby Sentria II, $1,370, had ranked among our recommended bagged uprights for years, but the company has discontinued it in favor of the new Kirby Avalir, which so far seems to be only stylistically different. (Both models accept numerous accessory kits that extend functionality.) If you're a fan of Kirby, check back for the results of our tests.

Need a new vacuum cleaner?

Consumer Reports' vacuum cleaner Ratings of more than 130 models will get you rolling if you can't wait a few more weeks until we publish our latest findings. Top picks include the $200 Kenmore 31140 bagged upright, the $130 Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Rewind Bagless UH70120 bagless upright, and the $330 Panasonic MC-CG937, a bagged canister. Be sure to read our free vacuum cleaner buying guide, which points out pros and cons of bagged and bagless upright, canister, handheld, stick, and robotic vacuums.

—Ed Perratore (@EdPerratore on Twitter)