Eureka/Singer/Montgomery Ward/Firestone/Wizard/Bradford

[kevin]

Hello,

I recently noticed a 1970 package of vacuum cleaner bags that was compatible with the following brands and models:

Eureka - 1010, 1020, 1020A

Singer - C2, C3, C5

Montgomery Ward - SP 362, B390A

Firestone - 14M120, 14M121

Wizard - 2KC3956

Bradford - 61770, 89128


So were all these machines made by the same company; and/or do they look quite similar to one another?
I had never heard of the last three before now, so I'm wondering if they were short-lived.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

I can help you on one of the last three brands mentioned: "Wizard" was (and maybe still is) the house brand of Western Auto.

~Ben

 

[kenkart]

Well..

Firestone is still around, Firestone Tire Co used to sell all sorts of appliances in their stores, Bradford was W.T.Grants brand...Think of a small Sears or Wards.. they went out of business in 1974, Western Auto sold Wizard, large and small appliances as did most other tire companies in the old days...for example,B F Goodrich Tire sold refrigerators called White King, we had one at home, it was a good bottom freezer model.

 

[super-sweeper]

Bradford!

And W.T Grant' s infamous 'free credit' bankrupt bomb! As Kenkart said above, Bradford was the appliance nameplate of W.T Grant, just as Wards used their name on their appliance. The bag package you have found is a vintage 'fit-all' style, used on all bottom-fill uprights except HOOVER Convertibles, which took the fabulous C bag.Eureka made all of those machines besides Singer, and perhaps Wizard, never seen an upright model for it.

 

[eurekaprince]

I don't think these bags are for upright vacs... the Eureka 1010 is a Mobile-Aire canister vac featuring the Vibra-Beat carpet nozzle.

The Eureka Mobile-Aire was rebadged for all those companies - plus Eaton Viking in Canada and Parnall in the UK. As a matter of fact, the British model was called the TenTen!

 

[kevin]

You are correct that the bags are for canisters. I should have mentioned that there was a line drawing of a canister on the bag in my original post.

I've never known that the major tire companies sold household appliances. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find any pics of the aforementioned brands.

Who would have thought that a vacuum cleaner bag package would be the impetus for so much interesting discussion?

Thanks to all for commenting.

 

[eurekaprince]

Yes..indeed....that's the magic of Vacuumland...amazing conversations about the appliance we all love!

If you search Google images, you will very likely find pics of vacs branded for all those stores, including Firestone.

 

[eurekaprince]

Here is a famous print ad for Eureka's Model 1010 vac:

http://books.google.ca/books?id=aVM...a=X&ei=j2ZrU9TxJublyQG_4oGgDA&ved=0CCYQ6AEwAA

 

[paul]

Bradford (Eureka) Lightweight 55407-OA

Found on Etsy ...I think this is the equivalent to Eureka's "Super 95" Lightweight stick vac (the 100-A had a different nozzle).

Photos:

1-3. Bradford

4-6. Eureka

 

[suckolux]

I worked for Grant's in the early 70s but I don't remember seeing that unit, all rebadged but I think decent stuff. Gosh I think I made $1.50 an hour.