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Yes, not to mention cheap looking plastic hoses, which mine has. Although uglier, those might arguably be functionally better in the long run than the original woven ones, in that they would be less likely to spring leaks, provided they didn't split. Mine apparently has a split, as there's a...

Interesting. So the Metropolitan rebuilds were truly frankenvacs in the most literal sense of the word. That would certainly be an efficient way to do it, turning every incoming machine into parts bin fodder. Makes one wonder about the ratio of old machines coming in to finished rebuilds going...

I've wondered the same thing. A little Web research at https://metrovac.com/pages/about-metrovac confirmed it is indeed the same company, which has been around since 1939. It started out selling and distributing vacuums made by other manufacturers, then in the 1940s moved into refurbishing...

I finally had a little time and energy on my hands today, so I took advantage of the nice weather to do something I should have done with this machine the day I got it. I pulled it outside and scrubbed the hell out of it with Tub-O-Towels wipes, followed by a little Armor-All on the vinyl side...

The XXX is a beautiful piece of early-mid 20th century industrial design, and a fine machine to boot. From an aesthetic standpoint, the XXX and its successor, the LX are major standouts. I had an opportunity to buy an XXX a few weeks ago, but I just came home with the LX that was sitting next to...

Nice machine! That was my first Sanitaire. I picked it up at Goodwill about seven or eight years ago for $10. This seems to be a somewhat rare model. In looking for parts and reading lists of models here on Vacuumland, the SC686 seldom appears. Fortunately, I've had 100 percent good luck with...

Welcome back!

As my great-grandfather used to say about horses, it's worth what any damn fool will pay for it. Antique vacuum cleaners are such a niche market that any assignment of value is subjective at best. A collector will see considerably greater value in it than the average person, who will likely see...

Yeah, my favorites are all Kirbys too. Hands down, my absolute favorite is the orange bag on the Kirby Heritage 1HD, and according to my avatar photo, my cat likes it, too. A close second is the red plaid bag on the Classic III, which looks like it should be on a set of bagpipes. For better or...

That's an interesting thought. Initially, only one came to mind, an Electrolux 1205 that my dad got for me at Goodwill, when I was moving into an apartment after staying at my parents' house for 11 months while going through my divorce. As I was packing up my car before spending my first night...

One feature is actually helping me spend less time on the site. The 'Latest Posts' column makes it quick and easy to see what's new and then move on to other things. I find that I'm not casually perusing the forums the way I used to. Not sure whether that's good or bad; it just is.

That's why I've been letting this be a mental exercise for now. So far, I think I've identified about four or five machines I could easily part with and have no regrets. One issue I have is that any machine that I've put any appreciable amount of work into feels like I've also put a measure of...

Ever since my most recent 'vacquisition' binge over the past few weeks, including acquiring a Eureka 1279-D Power Team, an Electrolux LX, Metropolitan rebuild, completing a Eureka 1746-A Power Team, and the return of a prodigal Electrolux Discovery Plus earlier this week. I've had a curious...

While the overhaul may have been arguably long overdue, unannounced changes still can be a shock to the system, but the more I explore the new Vacuumland, the more I find to like about it. Still, there are a couple of features I miss: Different visual themes for each forum--This was a subtle...

For a time yesterday, I could view the site, but I could not log in because my password was not being accepted. Thankfully, that seems to have been corrected. I'm still exploring and getting the feel for the new site, but there's a lot to like here, although I do miss the Vacuum of the Day...

Thank you for all you've done for this site over the years, I've been a member here since early 2013, and have found it an enjoyable and informative site and community. I wish you all the best.

Yes, the Discovery II style uprights are great all-arounders, and I consider them a favorite because if I had to choose a single vacuum cleaner from those that I own, it would likely be the Genesis LXe or Epic 3500SR. That said, for deeper cleaning, I'd reach for a Kirby, but I almost never use...

Check eBay... These are readily available on eBay, both new and used. A couple of years ago, I refurbished a G4 with some black Gsix parts, and the difference between those and the G4's charcoal plastics is hardly noticeable. The most cost effective solution for the parts I needed was to buy a...

@paul--I count both of those 'discoveries' as minor design flaws in an otherwise excellent design. The cord shouldn't have pulled out that easily. From the factory, it has little 'teeth', designed to keep that from happening. I had to replace a damaged cord on one of my Discovery IIs and needed...

So, for the past couple of years, my Electrolux Discovery Plus (Discovery II with onboard tool storage) has been on long term loan to a friend. Tonight, she came over for dinner and brought the machine back to me. She had been using it to vacuum her area rugs, but had gradually gotten rid of...