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@briannc and @fan-of-fans Furnaces scared me too -- probably because my grandma said a monster lived in hers (a Coleman-Evcon mobile home downflow unit). I would run like mad past it to get to the bathroom or her bedroom. Now, I work on them for a living, lol :-) Commercial ovens scared me too...

Ironically, I'm a residential/commercial HVAC tech, so I'm frequently around a lot of big fans, especially on the commercial side. Was up in this huge attic of a middle school to run line sets for a walk-in and on one of the gables (this attic had several gables, the building was "staggered" and...

I really wasn't afraid of vacuums when I was a kid (my fear was with metal axial-bladed exhaust fans, like bathroom fans, attic fans, industrial fans, etc., which oddly enough I was interested in, just from a good distance. Squirrel cage fans didn't scare me for some very odd reason), but I...

I'm at eight vacuums so far... Luckily I have room to tuck them away (most are in a closet under the stairs, the only one out in the open is my Dual Sanitronic 50, which sits proudly in the foyer in its gleaming glory) but my wife does not fully understand my eccentric side, which is a desire...

I haven't been to a thrift store in a while... ...especially now that the quarantine is in effect (even though I still count as an "essential worker" as an HVACR tech). Even before then, I stopped going as I figured nine vacuum cleaners is plenty enough in a three-bedroom, 2500 square foot...

I would like to get bulbs for my vintage vacs (since their bulbs have burned out/are missing) but figure that for not much more than a filament bulb, I could get an LED bulb which will last longer. However, I've heard that some Kirby vacuums power the bulb off the field coil and that the wrong...

My 1965 Kirby D50 is my pride and joy... It's basically like a brand-new Kirby D50 with a nice gleam to the mirrorlike polish, new bearings, motor brushes, brushroll, cord, Amodel fan and aftermarket tan bag (since tan OEM D50 bags are hard to come by). It sits proudly in my foyer for all to...

I think the (old-style) Bissell PowerForce bagged vacuums are one of the few residential-grade machines that could hold up decently in a commercial environment. Are they as good as a direct-air machine? No, but for what they were, they were a good bang for the buck. While they are made...

Does it identify Bissell as being the parent company?

I used a Eureka Airspeed One once before... and was surprised how well it picked up and how well it groomed the carpet, especially for the fact that it was an 8-amp bypass motor. The number one deal breaker was that the ONLY form of filtration was a foam disc filter -- that's it. The specific...

I wish I could have salvaged my D50 cord... ...but the motor inlet of the cord was brittle and would not stay plugged into the switch. It was duct-taped to keep it together. Also, the cord had multiple, permanent twists where the material would "knot" (for a lack of a better word). It was a...

I jusr love the sound of the old one, though it is good to know that the new motors have a longer life.

I've noticed that there seems to be 7-amp Sanitaire motors with the metal bearing plate (known as a "metal" motor by some) sold as new. Are these OEM new-old stock or are these aftermarket? If these motors are aftermarket, how well would they compare to an OEM original 7-amp Sanitaire "metal"...

I've seen the occasional refrigerator, stove, washer, dryer and small appliance in the woods -- all presumably too far gone to save but have never run into a vacuum cleaner. I did find a rusty five-blade industrial fan blade that's almost 48 inches in diameter on the side of a remote logging...

Smell of old appliances I know what you speak of. All of my vintage acquisitions had that slightly musty, mothball smell (save for my Heritage II Legend, which actually smelled of ironing starch, oddly enough). Even the Model 640 Hamilton Beach/Scovill InstaBlend I bought from a thrift store...

I rotate through my vacs -- new and vintage -- as I enjoy using each one. There isn't a specific vacuum I use every day, though lately I am really enjoying my Dual Sanitronic 50 with its new HEPA bag conversion and Mini Emptor and tend to use it a bit more often than my other vintage vacs (1974...

If someone saw a Wireless Vacuette in a dumpster Bet they would ask with a straight face: "where's the battery?" or "where's the charging port?".

I'm only 26 so (hopefully) I have a while to go. While I do have all the major stuff taken care of (life insurance, telling my wife where I'd like to have my ashes spread, etc) my collection of different things (vintage computers, a couple small appliances and fans and yes, vacuums) are kinda...

I second the motion re: getting rid of Tech Drive I have an Avalir, a Legend II and a Dual Sanitronic 50. Of those three, the DS50 is the lightest. A modernized D50-D80 with the original nozzle, handle, fancase and motor shell -- yet with a new Kirby motor, LED headlight, trim, bag/graphics and...

Why do they have a ratcheting effect when the shaft is turned by hand CCW? When changing the belt in my Kirby machines, my JCPenney Hoover Convertible or my Sanitaire, I notice that if I spin the spindle, the motor turns "smooth" one way and has a ratcheting effect the other way (I think it does...