1980-81 Kirby Tradition w/ Speed Switch Cover!

[kirbyclassiciii]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/KIRBY-TRADI...-GREAT-WORKING-order-ALL-METAL-/182419770010?

Not only does this 1980-81 season Kirby Tradition (serial #G670472) have the infamous rubber speed switch cover, but if you look at the third picture in the link above, where you can clearly see that, it also depicts the machine running without anything attached to the front of it! That would clearly mean something must be wrong with the speed switch, and from past VacuumLand posts I've read about the Tradition's many changes, this rubber cover seems to suggest why.

Kirby previously told its dealerships to uninstall these rubber covers from the speed switches. They were originally used after Kirby had reverted back to this particular design of speed switch by early 1980.

But one mystery remains... why do some Classic IIIs also have this rubber cover (which in that case was red) over the speed switch?

~Ben

 

[eurekafan]

I thought...

I thought you could turn the cleaner on without anything attached to the front but only the headlight would come on. It also doesn't look like the fan is spinning but I might be seeing it wrong. But that last question is a good one!

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

EurekaFan

Harrison,

That was only possible with the speed switch on any Kirby from the Classic 1CR and back. I did that test with my 1969 Dual Sanitronic 80.

~Ben

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

I recently dropped an email to the seller regarding this, and he indeed said the machine runs without anything attached to the front and also admitted it was a problem.

~Ben

 

[dysonman1]

The rubber cover was to satisfy Underwriters Laboratories "double insulated" provision in order to continue to sell the Renovator attachment. That's why the speed switch was completely changed when they went to the Heritage 1.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

dysonman1

Tom,

I wonder if any Classic Omegas and Classic IIIs also had a rubber cover over their speed switches (rosewood on the former, and red on the latter) in original production? I did see a UK 230V Classic III as having one, but I wonder if our 120V Omegas and IIIs did, too?

Attached pic: machineage

~Ben