1969 Sears Best Kenmore Duo Power Upright

[alexb1186]

Here's another machine that didn't make the hot mess thread, it's Sears' Best Duo Power upright in Heather Green, model 3995. This I got from a sale in Maryland Heights in an older neighborhood and apparently the guy liked to be a picker and/or Mr Fix It as he had this and 4 other Kenmore canisters, 2 parts ones and 2 complete ones. I got the whole lot for $20 and this machine still runs great and has plenty of life left on the brush.

 

[alexb1186]

Action pose

The only thing I'm loathing is all the scratches on top of the hood and I need to detail the underside

 

[alexb1186]

Business end

The brushes do a remarkable job on my plush carpeting and also still has the height adjustment label.

 

[alexb1186]

Magicord in great shape

Still has the original "Sears" embossed plug.

 

[alexb1186]

Performance Indicator Light

 

[alexb1186]

Hose attachment port

I have a set for this somewhere downstairs. Oh I forgot to mention it has a 2 speed motor, just flick the on/off switch up or down for hi or lo speed.

I dug up my Spring/Summer '69 Sears Catalog and you'd pay $107.95 for the machine and if you wanted attachments, that's an extra $18.95

 

[kenkart]

Loveit!

You got, in my humble opinion, the best buy in vacuums at Sears!, to me no one else came close in value or performance!

 

[suckolux]

That's nice!

 

[ohio_tuec]

That's a lovely Duo-Power. I have two of them, and in terms of build quality, it's not a wonder why so few of them survive today. It was meant as a direct competitor to the Hoover Dial-A-Matic, but the DAM is superior in every sense. Just out of curiosity, what type of bags do you use? Are there any replacements out there that fit? IIRC, there was even a power drive version at one time.

 

[alexb1186]

Karl, these take 5015 bags which are NLA but I bought the last packs that Henry at Cross Keys near where I work had. Sears also had 5025 for the 72 and later Duo Powers but those are NLA as well. I'm not aware of any substitutes so to speak.

And you are right that there was a PD Duo Power, that didn't show up until Fall/Winter '75

 

[luxg]

I believe my aunt had one of these.

 

[luxg]

I believe that she wasn't very happy with the machine