I was doing some cleaning earlier with my Electrolux Automatic E vacuum, and that got me thinking... I wonder how much this thing cost when it was new in 1958? I did a bit of looking, they were just under $120... or almost $1,000 today!

I picked this unit up at a salvation army for free because the switch was popped out of place. They charged me $2 for the hose and attachments. When I got it home I pushed the switch back into place, and it's worked flawlessly since, even the cord reel works great! I guess if you charge a grand for a vacuum you can put really good components into it, which is why the motor and full bag detector still work perfectly in this one after all these years. But if I were going out to buy a vacuum today I just couldn't see myself spending that kind of money. Have I become too cheap?

The other sweeper I use is a Riccar canister upright I found on the side of the road. Someone spent a lot of money on it in the 90s. Only things wrong with it? The headlight was burnt out, and the circuit breaker on the bottom was tripped. There's a vacuum shop in Ann Arbor which is an authorized Riccar and Electrolux dealer, they have quality bags for both of vacuums... and they're cheap! Ones for something like my parent's 2002 vintage hoover cost almost 3x, but they aren't 3x as big!

-Jason

No, I don't think so at all. Vacuuming is a passion of mine :D.

Girlfriend has one of those plastic fantastic bagless vacs that you can see all your dirt whizzing around in through the clear window. Used it once, HATE it. I need something real. I have a Kirby G6 that was given to me by a friend a couple years ago. She was gonna throw it out because the thing was clogged solid with rabbit and dog fur.

Now, if you ever wanna undertake a really disgusting enterprise, get a vacuum from someone that does animal rescue :puke: ! But it was well worth the effort, and now I have an expensive machine that is a joy to use :)

I've restored more than my fair share of Kirbys, but for plain ole reliability and good in the fun-to-use category, I pick Hoover uprights from the 40s-60s. I used to have an Electrolux anniversary model (gold in color) a dog's age ago, but never really took a liking to the upright-style beater bar head connected to the tank. Just seemed bulky to use.

Don't give me permission to start hoard... err, collecting another type of item :eek: I've got enough junk around the house as is :o

I've never liked bag less vacuums. It's kind of nice with a shop vac because you can just suck up everything, then pick the bolts out of the tub when you're done, but for inside I want the dirt captured, not in something I have to empty and have it go everywhere.

-J

Had a buddy about 40 miles east of me that was a vacuum collector. He had over 400 of them in a big barn. Any time I came across something old and weird in the vacuum department, I'd buy it for him. God, I musta got him at least a hundred.....

The problem with most canister vacs is that they're clunky to maneuver around with, which is why the Kirby is nice with the hose attachment. The Kirby Zip Brush is about the most awesome invention ever, kind of a rotating Norelco head like brush that's driven by suction. Cleans amazingly well.

Modern vacuum cleaners are crap!
I have an Electrolux model G from 1961 and the thing works perfectly to this day and the only thing I have ever serviced is the power nozzle motor.

Back in the "old days" things were not only designed better,but they were built to last.

Today you just go to wal mart and buy a plastic toy that sounds like a 747 taking off while in use and 4 months later it's left in an alley behind taco bell next to the dumpster.

This whole "bagless" craze is stupid too,ask any vacuum cleaner repairman how often Dysons come in and what the repair costs are.

Somewhere I saw a magazine article that showed Electrolux dumping old trade in 'luxes into the river so they wouldn't be out there competing with newer models.

Around seven years ago i attended a church bazarr?(im prolly not spelling that right) since one of the gals who works there knows me and said they had "one of those things that had two things that spun and played music".. Well i went there and bought that roberts reel to reel player for 5 bucks and while i was there took the huge glass battery and 1957 kirby vacuum and four boxes of attachments that theyd already dumpstered.

Ive been using her ever since. Does a decent job, not the best or the worst ive ever seen. But i was amazed how easy it was to still find parts for these. Mind you, ive only used one attachment after all this time and the four boxes of attachments just take up closet space, but its nice to have them around.

It does show me that america used to build things to truly last a lifetime. This more than likely did last someones lifetime and now shes on round 2 with me.

I'm convinced that hundreds of years from now, when insects rule the Earth after the apocalypse, that they'll be using Kirby vacuums to clean their carpets, provided that they grow the proper opposable thumbs :D

I'm convinced that hundreds of years from now, when insects rule the Earth after the apocalypse, that they'll be using Kirby vacuums to clean their carpets, provided that they grow the proper opposable thumbs :D

:D:D:D:D Or if buffalo take over the earth they'll be using Bisons!:D

Okay, my Kirby isn't "that old" but it was purchased new in 85 and it is one of the Heritage II series. My thoughts were that this will be the last vacuum cleaner I'll ever have to buy. Built like a tank, easy to service and good parts support. Had to have the Zip Brush too..

Y'know, I never grew fond of the Heritage series. Once you experience the Tech Drive automatic transmission in the G series, you'll see why. Granted, I'm sure it's a healthy arm workout using it though :)

Oldest one I had was a 508, which would have been a 1947 model....or is that 1949. It's one year up or down, I just can't recall which.

I don't consider myself a vacuum cleaner collector, but some would probably put me in that category. Right now I have an upright Kenmore from the 30s that a friend gave me (she'd get mad if I got rid of that one), a 30s Hoover upright that I need to sell (runs fine, I misplaced a part), an Electrolux XXX that I use as a shop vac, a 50s GE canister on an upright cart-neat piece, a junky 60s Sears that I keep in the basement for cleaning the furnace, and a line of old hand vacs from Hoover, GE, Westinghouse, Royal.

Can anybody use some NOS bags for a Singer or Westinghouse canister? I think I still have both kinds. Hate to toss them.

I found a Kirby G3 (with the automatic transmission) sitting on the street with all of its attachment in a box. I stopped to have a look. The people in the home behind the boxes were watching me, and waved back when I waved at them. I loaded it up and hauled it home. THEN I found that the owner had used it without a bag, and cleaned up a dog kennel before they put it on the street.

I washed the bag thoroughly, and cleaned the interior parts, and the impeller, which was broken, was replaced with new.

It runs like a dream, and my carpets are standing up like they have never stood before. I LOVE that transmission action.

Bruce

Did you get the carpet fluffer attachment too? That thing is amazing :)

I'm cheap when it comes to vacuums, too; mainly because I know the new "junque" out there today won't last. Our house vacuum is a Hoover, probably from the 80's, lots of plastic parts, but better than the new stuff. I keep it going. Replaced the fan twice (cracked from picking up a hard object.) Replaced the beater brush bearings. The pedal mechanism that keeps it standing upright when not in use broke, part N/A, made one from sheet metal. The motor brushes are fine. It gets used every day of the year and keeps on Hoovering.

Since we're talking vacuums, I need a new motor for my harvest-gold Eureka 3210 canister vac. It's in the "500" series and was a low-end model from 1981. I would rather fix this one than buy a new one. Can anyone point me in the right direction to getting a new motor for her?

I wish Hoover made an electric power nozzle for the Constellation!

Constellations are a lot of fun to whiz across a hardwood floor :D

Constellations are a lot of fun to whiz across a hardwood floor :D

:D:D
They have a suprising amount of lift on hardwood and linoleum floors,just make sure you vacuum the section you place it first or you'll blow the dust and dirt all over!

I think the Celebrity "flying saucer" or "pancake" cleaner also hovered too,but I've never used one to find out how well they work.

Hoover sure got a lot of mileage out to the constellation series,they made them into the '70's.

Regarding Kirbys,my favorite would have to be the 1965 dual Sanitronic '50' with the light up oval Kirby logo on the light cover.
I like the stylized "S" on the Sanitronic logo on the belt lifter,plus Sanitronic is a futuristic sounding name!

Sadly Kirby never embraced modernism like the other manufacturers did and they always used pretty dull colors on the bags and trim of their machines.

I recently saw a newer Kirby that had cool looking boomerang patterns on the bag.

The DS80, I had one that I used for many years. Kirby's only green model in the small series. I don't remember there being any design difference between the "500" series and the DS80. I think the DS80 was the last of that chassis style before the "classic" series came out, and those things were like trying to vacuum with a Humvee....

Ran across a Celebrity at the thrift about two weeks ago, that one had wheels as I recall. You want I should pick it up for ya? :)

I had a Constellation 86 as I recall, it was orange. Seen blue ones too from time to time.

You're right about those Kirby Classics!
A girlfriend used to have an Omega classic and she hated using it because it was so clunky and heavy,I preferred the smaller Kirby too,but personally have always liked canisters with power nozzles best.

The only drawback to the electrolux G is that bags are small,but thankfully bags are very cheap.

Thanks for the offer on the celebrity,if it was the "flying" one I'd be interested!

Hoover made many different colors of Constellations,I've always wanted the turquoise model but have never run into it yet.

Seems to me I've had all 3 colors that I know of....orange, tan, and turquoise. The turquoise one I had would best be described as a parts machine.

We should open up a vacuum forum here. I loves vacuums :) .

My favorite beater canister vac was always a Lewyt. I used to use them in car detailing all the time. Couldn't kill them, and they had nice cloth bags. That was, of course, before the days of the prominent use of the wet/dry vac for such things.

The one canister vac I have here is a really nice Royalaire, a metallic blue, with all of the attachments. Looks like a Buck Rogers spaceship, my kids used to ride on it around the living room :D

We should open up a vacuum forum here. I loves vacuums :) .



Kamakiri (in his best Picard voice): Make it so, number 1 (Grumpy?)

I'm partial to what we had when I was a kid - the Filter Queen. My wife loves her Rainbow - and no, I've never bought a vacuum in my life, always been given ones when older family members downsized or bought others.

I recall the snow blower thread from a few years back - bring it on! Doug loves his lawnboys - maybe another thread for "yard machines" or something like that. Always something interesting and entertaining!


Cheers,

I just got new tires on my Cooper Klipper last weekend :)

Two stroke Lawn Boys? Cool stuff! Now, what to call it.....

AK has Wings, Wheels, and Water, or something like that.....do we have a Lawn and Carpet forum? :D

I picked up a 1920's (25-30?) Hoover Upright a few weeks back.
It has a tag on it that says it was refurbished by Hoover, probably in the 1950's.
It works fine and is in great shape but it has a bad switch, I bypassed it for now just to see if it ran, it does but it's vacuuming abilities leave a lot to be desired.

I will say this is one area where vintage is NOT better, any of my three modern era Uprights (one Kenmore two Hoovers) will outperform this one, they also have the advantage of replaceable bags, and HEPA filters.
I didn't pay more than $10 for any of them.

The oldest probably dates to the late 80's and is a well built machine despite being made of plastic, I've got a lifetime supply of bags for it I found at thrift stores for cheap.

I had an old Kirby at one time, built like a tank but it pretty much just picked dust up and blew it out through the bag, yes, a new bag would have helped but no cloth bag can match a modern paper one.

What floored me was the $500 Dyson "Ball" Vac I saw at Wally World recently, it looked like the type of overpriced junk they used to sell at The Sharper Image, lots of Gee-Whiz appeal and no quality. Probably spend all their money on advertising, like a certain famous audio company.

Kamakiri,
I agree old vacuums are pretty cool!
Lewyt made some very interesting cleaners,I think they got sued by filter queen for patent infringement on their earlier models,they even used a filter cone similar to filter queens.

I've always wanted to find the elusive lewyt electronic the first motorized power nozzle canister.
I've read that was the vacuum that drove them out of business after owners sued due to electrical shock.

Westinghouse made some very futuristic vacuums in the '60's
The Converto-vac being to most bizzare.

I just got new tires on my Cooper Klipper last weekend :)

Two stroke Lawn Boys? Cool stuff! Now, what to call it.....

AK has Wings, Wheels, and Water, or something like that.....do we have a Lawn and Carpet forum? :D


Were there any wildly designed lawnmowers back in the 50's and early 60's?
Any with futuristic designs,fins or any spacey design themes?

I've never run into any vintage lawnmowers anywhere and have always wondered if there were any really modernistic ones made.

Have you ever run across a flymo mover before?
They have no wheels and hover above the ground,I remember seeing them for sale in the 70's,but never knew anyone who had one or used one.

I've seen those flymos on ebay from time to time....but never seen one in person.

Last summer at the Salvation Army I picked up this 1929 Moto-Mower "Detroit", powered by an external pushrod Briggs engine. Thing weighed over 300 lb! Ended up selling to a guy on eBay who had to have it, for about $400 as I recall. It cost just as much to crate it and ship it to him!

Needed the money, otherwise I'd have loved to restore it. The engine was seized tight. It looked absolutely threatening :D

Holy mackerel, that Moto-Mower would never make it past the first lawyer today! Imagine getting your knickers caught in the teeth of that thing. Back when men were men.

If a new section of AK is started, I submit it should just be called "Stuff" since we have such wide-ranging obsess...er..interests.

I was thinking about that last night. Be nice to get a wide sampling of interests to guide it in certain directions though. For example, I like vintage kitchen appliances, small and large.....fans.....that kinda thing too. And player pianos!

I like that idea too!
There were so many amazing products back then,toasters,vacuums,refrigerators..heck I even have an old Vornado window air conditioner from 1955!

That mower you found looks pretty intimidating!..I wonder if it would bog down in heavy grass!

Vintagekarma.org ??.........the domain is available......



Cheers,

This gives me a neat idea :)

I looked at the new vacs at wallymart yesterday. It convinced me to visit Grainger Supply this morning and shell out $65 on a new motor for my 30-year-old Eureka canister (which sold for around $40 new.) Glad I did.

Fans. I love fans. I love restoring fans. But at least one of the fan forums is kinda a closed book and persnickety.

AUdubon5425: I did the same as you a couple of years ago: looked at the new vacuu-junk at WallyWorld and just fixed my old one.

I looked at the new vacs at wallymart yesterday. It convinced me to visit Grainger Supply this morning and shell out $65 on a new motor for my 30-year-old Eureka canister (which sold for around $40 new.) Glad I did.
You didn't look at the right dealer. If you want a quality product, you have to go to a store that supplies equipment to professional cleaning firms. I picked a Nilfisk Euroclean canister vac, intended for hospitals and other areas, where a quiet machine is desired. The only negative is the bags are a little pricy. $20.00 at SVDP.

Regarding forum ideas, I have hung out a little at the vacuum/washing machine forums but felt out of place there. Like lots of folks here, I have a very wide array of interests.

Anybody want a conversion kit for their older upright Eureka? Lets you hook up a hose, included, along with various tools. Got two of them, not sure which models they fit. Hate to toss them.

Went on a cruise when we got married-most of the power onboard that Finnish built ship was 220. The vacs they used looked like standard issue Hoovers but were much quieter. Is that a benefit of running on 220?

Which forums do you speak of? I'm curious.....

I never felt at home at any of the snobby choices that were audio forums back in 2001. That led me to create AudioKarma in 2002....worked out pretty well :) . That said, you never know.....

http://www.automaticwasher.org/
There is a link on there for their sister site, vacuumland. I mostly joined there because I had a lot of vintage parts that I found in a shop I was cleaning out. I really couldn't find much interest on there, aside from a lot of people looking for specific rare parts. "Do you have a mixer valve gasket for a '52 Easy washer, the early version with the beveled inset? If it is not pliable, don't bother writing back...", that kinda thing. Heck, I have a big box of 50s parts, cheap! Do you want 'em? Send me 5 bucks & postage! Finally did get rid of them, mostly through other venues. Not really bad folks on those sites, but there is an underlying, um, trait that, um, seems to be prevalent amongst the members! (I think that's why I felt like an outcast!)

Old car clubs tend to get the same way. There's always a prominent member or two that have had their cars since the imprisonment of St. Paul, and a few members try to kiss up to them to get first dibs on their treasure trove of stuff. They remind me of Dwight from "The Office" :)

LOL :) VW clubs must be different, everyone's cars are all loosing value at about the same rate and there is a genuine knowledge base wanting to help new members.

http://www.automaticwasher.org/
There is a link on there for their sister site, vacuumland. I mostly joined there because I had a lot of vintage parts that I found in a shop I was cleaning out. I really couldn't find much interest on there, aside from a lot of people looking for specific rare parts. "Do you have a mixer valve gasket for a '52 Easy washer, the early version with the beveled inset? If it is not pliable, don't bother writing back...", that kinda thing. Heck, I have a big box of 50s parts, cheap! Do you want 'em? Send me 5 bucks & postage! Finally did get rid of them, mostly through other venues. Not really bad folks on those sites, but there is an underlying, um, trait that, um, seems to be prevalent amongst the members! (I think that's why I felt like an outcast!)

:D:D:D:D:D
I just checked out the links to the two sites,and boy you sure weren't kidding
about the "prevalent underlying theme" especially on the vacuum land site!
It's pretty in your face.
That is definitely off putting,and alienates people who don't share their "trait",which is sad because there is a lot of info there.

Eh, whatever they can do, we can do better ;)

http://www.automaticwasher.org/
There is a link on there for their sister site, vacuumland. I mostly joined there because I had a lot of vintage parts that I found in a shop I was cleaning out. I really couldn't find much interest on there, aside from a lot of people looking for specific rare parts. "Do you have a mixer valve gasket for a '52 Easy washer, the early version with the beveled inset? If it is not pliable, don't bother writing back...", that kinda thing. Heck, I have a big box of 50s parts, cheap! Do you want 'em? Send me 5 bucks & postage!

No kidding! But that's really not surprising considering:

Not really bad folks on those sites, but there is an underlying, um, trait that, um, seems to be prevalent amongst the members! (I think that's why I felt like an outcast!)

Now I'll say there are some damn impressive collections and displays on that site. What I couldn't get was many references in the forums to what appeared to be vacuum cleaner fetishes in their childhood. Then I read a copy of their newsletter and figured it all out. :D

They have a newsletter? I didn't see it.

The 1995 style forums make it hard to read.

While exploring the links to those two sites yesterday I came across one of the vacuum cleaner threads with a photo of someone wearing a suit he made from Kirby vacuum bags!

There are some pretty bizarre statements from members,one guy admits he likes to sniff old vacuum cleaner bags full of dirt...(shudder):no:

There is absolutely nothing more disgusting than restoring a vintage vacuum cleaner. I'd rather do another 50s stove.

My granmaw had a c.1952 Electrolux that weighed a ton & would suck the chrome offa trailer hitch...I remember once, when she was nearly 100, she lived alone, & was vacuuming her house...She'd "slowed down" as a concession to age, & only gave her house a "Spring Cleaning" every other month, instead of every week or so as she was used to doing when she was a callow youth of 70 or so...Anyhoo, she was up at the top of her stairs, got tangled up in her feet & she & the Electrolux took turns ridin' each other down the stairs...Results ? No harm to the old war horse Electrolux, she had a small cut on her forehead, & was kinda stiff the next day...Miss Izzy was tougher than any 3 pine knots you'd care to name..I wish I could remember what happened to that ol' Lux...Her recipes ALL started with-"First, you take a Stick of Butter...." and went from there. She salted her food to where it looked like it snowed on it, broke ALL the health rules, lived to be 104...

Did anyone check out the automatic washer site "BGADOW" posted a link too?

some of those collectors have entire wings of their homes full of washers and dryers!

These Philco Auto-magics are really cool looking.

http://automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/00ShowCollectionGETD.cgi?photoshow=006@1959%20Phil co%20Automagic%20set@Unimatic1140.jpg&dir=/COLLECTIONS/UNIMATIC1140

I never knew people collected washers and dryers!

This RCA is pretty neat too!
http://automaticwasher.org/cgi-bin/00ShowCollectionGETD.cgi?photoshow=009@1959%20Whir lpool%20Combination%20Washer%20and%20Dryer@Unimati c1140.jpg&dir=/COLLECTIONS/UNIMATIC1140

Unimatic used to pop up on here (well, AK) years ago. I think he has/had a roundie.

Buried on my workbench is a neat piece of test equipment for working on vacuums. One of its features is a vacuum meter-you hold the hose up to a fitting in the front and can get a readout of how strong the suction is. On the back is a list of various popular makes and what they should read. I seem to recall Electrolux having the highest normal reading. Guess I'll have to dig it out and snap a photo to share.

That suction meter sounds interesting,I'd like to see a photo of it!

Some of those washers and dryers have incredible styling!
I sure wouldn't mind having a pair of Philco Automagics in turquoise.

Have you ever run across the Apex Strato-cleaner?
I've only seen one in old magazine ads.

I'm glad Kamakiri had the idea to start this forum for other interests.

I wonder where you'd even begin to look for one of those. I'd assume that you'd have to know a metal scrap guy really, really well.....

....come to think of it, that's how I got my Norge refrigerator....

Norge! Now there's a name you dont hear very often!

Youre right,I doubt to many old washers and dryers would have survived,they aren't exactly the kind of items someone would just put out in the garage like a Philco predicta.

You don't see to many vintage window air conditioners either come to think of it.

Cleaning vacuum cleaners...

When I worked for Sears in the early 1990's, one of the jobs I took on was doing repairs on those incredibly junky Whirlpool built plastic vacuums that they sold as canister models. Sometimes, I would wonder what these people were thinking when they installed the new bag by just laying it in the slot and closing the lid on it. I've even found dead mice in machines before.

Those plastic vacuums sure had crummy motors on them. Look at them wrong, and they would burn out.

___________________________

Another fetish, er, collection item for me is old Vornado fans. I have 4 of them. They will blow your toupee off at 100 paces on low speed.

___________________________

My car vacuum is a 1961 International with a cloth bag. When I got it, the hose was rotton. My local vac shop sold me 18' of hose for it, and charged me a total of $20 for the repairs. Now, the vacuum sits in the dry garage and the hose comes out as far as I need it to go.

I've got 8 old Kirby's total, but no rug rejuvinator tools. My G3 rules my house.

I collect old Vornados too,as well as other fans that have futuristic styling.
The blades on the Fresh'nd aires are very sleek and really put out a powerful jetstream of air.

Roto-Beam is another "fan of tomorrow"

What does a 1961 International vacuum cleaner look like?

The reversible window fan I use in my radio room is a Vornado. Nice piece. I had one of their table fans when I was a teenager. It needed some new rubber bushings; I took it apart to change them and that was the end of that...another project never finished :(

Odd to see that name brand thrown away on junk. Yesterday we were in a Goodwill store and they had a 12" bw from the 80s or so branded Vornado.

I miss my old 1980s hoover vacuum, had the hand vacuum that attached in the center of the main vacuum. so you could pull out the cord, un-attach the "dust-buster" and then plug the cord into it. and vice versa.

The motor finally smoked on it and off to the dump she went. was a good vacuum.

The reversible window fan I use in my radio room is a Vornado. Nice piece. I had one of their table fans when I was a teenager. It needed some new rubber bushings; I took it apart to change them and that was the end of that...another project never finished :(

Odd to see that name brand thrown away on junk. Yesterday we were in a Goodwill store and they had a 12" bw from the 80s or so branded Vornado.

Funny you mention that,I'm not sure when exactly Vornado was sold,but I have also seen box fans from the 1970's labeled "Vornado" with cheap plastic grilles,they used to be sold at the local hardware store under other brand names as well.

I've also seen the Vornado brand plastered on transistor radios,hair dryers and other unusual items from the 60's so I'm guessing they sold out sometime during that era.

You're right though,the fans today are pure junk.

another area where i would never spend a dime on .except for replacement bags.kirby g4 pulled from the dumpster at my shop 10 years ago.the "house of the reformed prostitute"up front tossed it when the bar jammed on string and burned the belt.they saw me pull it out of the dumpster and asked why i was trashpicking.(its a shared dumpster).i said it must be nice to toss stuff like this and buy new.they are some sort of non profit and their motto is trust no man.our shop water cooler came from them too.thermostat set too cold and it iced up.
and the home unit is a 30's vintage kirby that looks like a turbocharger on a stick.more for a decoration.the tristar canister with powered floor unit does most of the work.another curb find.insurance paid for it after a storm and the folks set it out.broken wire in the plug.and you wonder why insurance is expensive!
and dont get me started on fans.got real tired of plastic junk.now here and at the shop the ones in everyday use are all older than me.some by 2x!

I am going to chime in here also, my Mom gave me their 1952 vintage Kirby when they "upgraded" to a Hoover in the early 80s, I ran that Kirby until the late 90s when it finally gave up. I do still have it tucked away and keep thinking about restoring it back to running condition. When we cleaned out their house a number of years ago I inherited their Kirby G4 with the "tech drive" I really like that vacuum. I honestly don't know if I would pay the price for a new Kirby but they do work well and run forever.

The O. E. Sutton company that owned Vornado sold out in the early 1960's. I have a 1961 Vornado window fan with a 2 speed motor that is really built on the cheap. The motor is nothing compared to the motor in the 1949 Vornado that I got from my dad. He told me that the big dent in it came when it fell out of a 2nd story window! It still works to this day.

I visited Vacuumland, and the washing machine site for awhile. I tried to become a member, but nobody ever emailed me back after I gave the info they wanted. So, I just quit going there.

Oh, how much do I collect? How much room is there in the house?

GeorgeJetson, the International vacuum you asked about... It's turquoise, and looks like a little rocket. It has a cloth bag. There are a bunch of them on the vacuumland site. I got mine when my grandmother passed, and we found it in the basement. I just couldn't toss it...

Wow, I just noticed this thread. :cool:

I've been cleaning up a 1954 Electrolux Model LX that I picked up at the junk store over Labor Day weekend. I think I'm going to purchase one of the newer style plastic hoses and use this thing. Has super suction.

What are you guys using for an after filter in these? The old hairy one is pretty disgusting.

Well I bought a really cool Vacuum today.

It's an Interstate Compact Electra, "Anniversary Model" which as near as I can figure put's in in the mid 60's.
It's "As new as tomorrow" well roughly 16,000 tomorrows have gone by since this was new but it still looks pretty good.

All I got was the body and the hose, no attachments, the bag is still in it though. :puke:
I was surprised to see bags are still available for it.

Anyhow,. I just got it because it looks cool and is a great color, it does run good however so it will come in handy for cleaning up small messes and stuff that you don't want running through the impeller of your Hoover Upright, like old capacitors and solder bits. :yes:

The label says it's an Interstate Quality Product" indeed it is.

Eric, what is the amp rating on the motor? I have a Sharp about 15 years old, that is a similar design, and is no more advanced that yours there. I rarely see that good old vacuum equipment anymore.

I don't know what the rating is, I haven't taken it apart yet.

The history of these is pretty interesting, according to the Internets (which are always right) , they were originally designed and used to clean Hughes Airplanes, they worked so well they started selling them to the public via door to door salesmen in 1946 or 47.

This one has a plug on the side, presumably for power attachments like a beater brush or rug shampooer, I could use it to plug in an old TV I suppose.
Seems like a seriuos shock hazard being completely exposed like that!

The housing is made completely out of Aluminum, early models had skids instead of front wheels, from what I read online the Anniversary model is from 1966, I guess it was the 20th anniversary.

Eric H,

I have several of this little Interstate Compact vacuums. I love them. One of mine had a truly rotton hose, so, I took it to a vac repair shop, and he put me a 16 foot replacement hose on it. I use it to vacuum the carpets in the cars, and that hose can reach everything. The cloth bag is great, too, as I often vacuum up change and things.

My grandmother had one that she bought in 1961. She ran it to death.

Yours has a plug-in for a power attachment. I think they offered a power head. I'll have to dig and see if I have an extra.

Lately, I've been trying to help out some people from my Church, we have a facebook group for things needed, or wanting to donate, etc. Been coming across a bunch of people that need vacuum cleaners lately, and I've started seeing more and more of them in the trash, so for the heck of it, I've been picking them up and rebuilding them (consisting mainly of cleaning all the disgusting stuff out of them, disassembling them, sanitizing them as best I can, new belts, and rehoming them).

I just got done with two bagless units, a Eureka Boss 12 amp, and a Bissell 12 amp bagless. I am highly embarrassed to say this, but they make my Kirby G6 look like a bad broom :(

These are by and large the most incredible vacuums I have ever used. They make the pile look like new, and the Eureka sucked up a SOFTBALL size wad of cat hair and dirt that my Kirby missed, over the whole house and furniture. This is after I just vacuumed the day before with the Kirby. I replaced the Hoover Convertible that I'd been using (had to put a new motor in that when the plastic impeller shattered when it sucked up a nail) with the Kirby, when it was given to me in the usual pre-trash disgusting condition.

Thought I'd hit a gold mine until I used the Eureka Boss. Just wow :(

Tim, If you happen upon a Dyson Animal, I have some experience replacing plastic with metal to keep ours together.

How are those Dysons, in your opinion?

Probably no better than a Kirby, but supposedly filter outgoing air better, supposedly a HEPA filter, which is important as we have severe allergies (not to cats, but dust and mold)

My grandma had a Rainbow canister (looks like a small R2D2) which I inherited, uses water as a bubbler-filter, I use that occasionally but its an involved procedure.

Kirbys just look cool. I swear I always saw them in city hotels..

At my movie theatre, we have a big Royal Commercial upright vacuum that has a huge suction snout on it... 18"! Makes short work of the lobby and auditoriums! It's at least 35 years old.

Royal, also maker of the Dirt Devil. Good little units.

I don't generally have a great deal of interest in vacuum cleaners, but I ran across one of these in a thrift store last week: a 1955-ish Air Way 'Sanitizor' 77 (http://www.vacuumland.org/TD/JPEG/VINTAGE/2012/cam2s%2B%2B8-9-2012-09-08-16.jpg). (Picture is not mine... me no have digicam.)

I decided to pick it up for three main reasons:
1. It looks like a rocketship.
2. It seemed to work a lot better than the vacuum cleaner I had.
3. It looks like a goddamn rocketship.

So $20 got me the unit, plus 30 bags and all the attachments, including a blower thingy for distributing moth crystals, and a... paint sprayer, apparently? Not sure if I'll be trying that one. :headscrat

All it needed was a bit of a cleaning and some new grease in the motor bearings, and it was good to go.

The thing I'd been using previously was a 10-ish year old Simplicity, which did a pretty spectacular job of not picking up dirt. It's pretty much the epitome of plastic crap... although at this point I think it consists of more superglue than plastic, since something or other would break off of it about every time I used it.

So having something made out of metal is a nice change, as is having clean floors. Also, it looks like a goddamn rocketship. :banana:

I've got 3 Kirbys... a 1940's era, a 1966 Sanitronic, and a 1990's era G-3 full size. Of the 3, the 1940's is the best at sucking. It gets stuff out of the carpet when the other two didnt... However, the automatic transmission on the G-3 is a lovely thing to have.

I don't generally have a great deal of interest in vacuum cleaners, but I ran across one of these in a thrift store last week: a 1955-ish Air Way 'Sanitizor' 77 (http://www.vacuumland.org/TD/JPEG/VINTAGE/2012/cam2s%2B%2B8-9-2012-09-08-16.jpg). (Picture is not mine... me no have digicam.)

I decided to pick it up for three main reasons:
1. It looks like a rocketship.
2. It seemed to work a lot better than the vacuum cleaner I had.
3. It looks like a goddamn rocketship.

So $20 got me the unit, plus 30 bags and all the attachments, including a blower thingy for distributing moth crystals, and a... paint sprayer, apparently? Not sure if I'll be trying that one. :headscrat

All it needed was a bit of a cleaning and some new grease in the motor bearings, and it was good to go.

The thing I'd been using previously was a 10-ish year old Simplicity, which did a pretty spectacular job of not picking up dirt. It's pretty much the epitome of plastic crap... although at this point I think it consists of more superglue than plastic, since something or other would break off of it about every time I used it.

So having something made out of metal is a nice change, as is having clean floors. Also, it looks like a goddamn rocketship. :banana:

That's quite the item there. If I ever see one... and I think I have, I will buy one!:yes:

The paint sprayer thing came with the rainbow too. It seems that the filtering is good enough to use the exhaust to paint. I bet that sprayer was a sales gimmick and, like mine, was not actually used.

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