Found a $5 Filter Queen

[human]

Forget $5 foot-longs...

Yesterday, I scored a $5 Filter Queen Majestic at Goodwill. I needed the thing like I need another hole in my head but at that price, I just couldn't leave it sitting there. I actually tried to walk away from it. I left the store feeling like I needed to call my vacu-holics anonymous sponsor, if there were such a thing, and got about a mile up the road before I turned back, laid down a picture of Lincoln, and brought it home, rationalizing my purchase by saying that at that price, I couldn't possibly go wrong.

Yeah, the machine looks like it's had some tough use. It looks like someone's been vacuuming up dry wall dust with it, but the inside is relatively clean and has new looking filters in place. That indicates to me it was well used but perhaps not outright abused.

The machine is complete with hose, power nozzle, floor nozzle, upholstery brush, dusting brush and a crevice tool that obviously came from a different machine since it's brown and everything but the power nozzle is charcoal gray. The power nozzle has a cheezy looking chromed plastic finish with a grid pattern on top.

The good news is everything works as it should. The machine has good suction and the hose has no leaks but the brush roll on the power nozzle has seen better days. Motors on both the vacuum and power nozzle are quiet with no discernible squeals, squeaks, grinds or other worrying noises. I'm going to clean it up this weekend (good excuse not to clean the house) and I'll also post some photos.

As I messed with it last night, I was struck by a sense of deja vu. The canister's design is remarkably similar to the pink and gray Lewyt model 130 we had when I was a little kid. Is it a coincidence or does the Filter Queen have some Lewyt DNA in it? I tend to think the latter may be true.

 

[delaneymeegan]

cool

 


 


 


I.... would have......done the same, damn, thing.   And I have over 50 vacs now.


 


What are you going to do with it?


 


As long as you plug up the hole before too much brain juice leaks out, you should be fine.  I've only got 3 or 4 in my life, it's no big deal.

 

[dysonman1]

Lewyt has Filter Queen DNA. Lewyt copied the Filter Queen in 1947, while the FQ still held a valid patent. Filter Queen sued Lewyt, and won a huge judgment which allowed them (FQ) to open their own factory and begin making the machine themselves. Until this time, Royal was the manufacturer of the models 200 and 350. The Golden Monarch model 500 was built in Health-Mor's own factory, by their own workers, beginning in 1955. Lewyt would take out the cone (which infringed FQ patents) and put in a bag.

Here's a bit of irony, which means, the opposite of what you'd expect. Many years later, Filter Queen would take the filter cone and cyclonic action out of their machine, replacing it with a bag (just like they forced Lewyt to do 40 years before) - calling the machine the Optima. The Princess model disappeared overnight, and the Optima was born. When I saw an Optima for the first time, my comment to the representative showing it to me was "Oh, so Filter Queen invented a Lewyt". He replied "what's a Lewyt".

 

[kirbysthebest]

$5

Sounds Like you got a great deal.

 

[human]

Yeah, definitely a great deal considering that most of the time, this store badly overprices their vacuums. I guess the guy in the stock room didn't know what a Filter Queen was and priced it cheap because it looked dirty. I actually had to put on my glasses to make sure I was seeing the price correctly. The thing had literally a dozen $5.00 price stickers all over it. I've never seen so many on one item. I joked with the cashier that I hoped it wasn't $5 per sticker!

I just found another deal to go along with it on eBay: a package of 12 Envirocare filter cones (they look like giant coffee filters), a brush roll and a belt, all for $15 shipped. Looking forward to giving this machine a thorough cleaning over the weekend and tuning up the power nozzle when the package from eBay comes.

 

[human]

A Clean(er) Queen

So I cleaned up the Filter Queen and it's looking pretty good, considering how it started out. My biggest concern is its cord. There's about an inch in the middle where the outer jacket is completely gone, although the inner leads' insulation is intact. Looks like I'm into a power cord, although the redneck engineer in me wants to get a male and a female power plug to put where the break in the insulation is. I wish it was a plug-n-play solution like a Kirby. Has anybody ever replaced a cord on one of these? Any savvy tips you can share? I guess this will be an opportunity to give it a thorough internal cleaning while I have it apart.

I finally found a model number under the lid that covers the blower outlet. It's a 95X. My immediate assumption was that the number corresponded with the year, but on examining the power nozzle, a model 834G, more closely, I found the numerals '3 92' stamped onto the upper right corner of the identification plate on the bottom. Assuming that's a date code, and assuming the power nozzle has always been with this machine, it would be right at 24 years old.

Here are a few photos of this machine for your enjoyment. Just imagine how nasty it was before I cleaned it up.

 

[human]

Power Nozzle Needs Help

Forget what I said earlier about this machine not being abused. I just took the Power Nozzle apart to see what kind of light bulb I needed and found that the plastic retainer that holds the elbow in place is completely shattered, as in nothing recognizable left. That is apparently a weak spot on those power nozzles but from what I've read, usually just the ears where the retaining screws go break off. There was also a huge wad of black dog hair in there that hadn't made it up the hose, thanks to this missing piece, and a wicked dog piss odor to boot. I've got it all cleaned out, now and found the part I needed on eBay for $7.95 plus shipping. Oy! just one more thing.

So by the time I put in the new brush roll, the belt, the bulb and now this piece of plastic, I will have practically rebuilt that power nozzle.

Oh well, as the late Robert Heinlein would say, TAANSTAAFL (There ain't no such thing as a free lunch).

 

[countryguy]

Enjoy your Filter Queen. A word of advice....you should rotate the caster assembly so that the caster is directly under the hose as this will prevent the machine from tipping when being pulled.

 

[kirbysthebest]

Good advice from countryguy.  No tip, follows you right along.


 

 

[human]

Thanks for the tip about tipping. That makes good sense. I was kind of surprised to discover that the casters were mounted to a separate ring instead of directly to the bottom of the canister.

I've now ordered all of the parts I need to fix this machine up properly and my $5 investment has now increased tenfold. Oh well, I knew that would happen. But I'll still have fun putting it all together, though. And then I'll have a little more fun putting it through its paces.

 

[rugsucker]

FQ caster ring

Removing the wheels allows the FQ to sit on a stair or other areas without rolling off.Also the 4 plates the wheels are mounted on can become bent and might need to be flattened and aligned.
Great vac!You should find it makes little noise and much suction.

 

[human]

So I'm starting to tear into the motor housing on this machine, in preparation for replacing the cord. It seems to be a pretty simple and straightforward proposition except for one minor detail. There's a grommet where the cord enters the motor housing that locks it into place, effectively preventing the cord from sliding in or out, which is a good thing. The problem is how to remove this lock grommet to get the old cord out and then put it back in with the new cord to lock it in place. Any ideas?

On a little tangent, I have to say that the machine's filtration system works exceedingly well. The motor compartment is amazingly clean and free of all but the smallest amount of very fine dust. I've got the whole machine totally cleaned out, even scrubbed out the lower bucket portion of the vacuum with Pine-Sol and a toilet brush. Just waiting for replacement parts so I can put it back together.

 

[delaneymeegan]

 


 


Pictures !

 

[fantomfan57]

Just can't walk away from a bargain...

I have done that myself. Then it was a mission to restore the machine. With the research, hunting, I usually find the replacement parts. Once done, I do not add up the cost as I would be surprised at the total. I imagine with the time, cleaning products and money on parts, I could have purchased a more complete, better condition machine from Ebay or another member.

 

[human]

#Fantomfan57, you're certainly right about the cost creeping up. Fortunately, I got into this one right (i.e., for next to nothing), so I'm still okay having spent a little more than $40 on parts for it, especially seeing what they're selling for on eBay. Now, the really interesting question is whether I would have paid $40 or $50 for the same machine in the condition it will be in once I finish fixing it up and will have that much in it? Knowing my insane mind, I'd say probably not. I'd likely look at it and think well, maybe I'd pay $20 or $25 for it, $30 at the outside, but not $40 or $50. Even though I've spent far more on parts and supplies than I paid for the machine itself, I can still say--master of rationalization that I am--that I got the Filter Queen for five bucks. While it's hard to put a price tag on the satisfaction of doing the work myself, I do find that I often fail to sufficiently value my time.

#DelaneyMeegan, Per your request, here are some more photos of the Filter Queen. The first two photos show inside the motor housing, which I didn't even have to clean since it's almost shinier than the outside, and the inside of the lower bucket after a good scrubbing with the toilet brush. The last two photos show the grommet where the cord passes through the motor housing.

 

[human]

Update:

I just got the cord off of the FQ. The grommet just took a little twisting and pushing with a pair of pliers. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Rather than untwist the wire nuts and remove the leads, I just cut them, leaving an inch or so in place to mark where the black and the white should connect when the new cord arrives. Now, if those darn parts would just hurry up and get here...

 

[durango159]

That's a bargain!!

The Filter Queen dealership that I left about 2 years ago is selling new Filter Queens for $2398.00. You found yours for $5!!

The belts seem to stretch on those older power heads fairly quick. So definitely keep an eye out on that. You'll be able to tell when your rugs aren't looking as well groomed. When working properly that machine will produce gorgeous vacuum prints!!


Airflow and suction should be excellent on that machine when working properly. Always be sure to keep your premotor filter clean. That is very thin grayish black disk like filter that rests underneath the plastic cage. There is plastic retainer ring that holds it in place.

Watch your muffler batting-- That is filter that is visible from the outside of your machine going all the way around through the vent holes. It should be white. Yours looks brown. If too dirty it may restrict airflow and not produce as good of emissions. Not sure if it's washable or not. It's possible you may be able to replace it with some generic creative filter material such as muslim cloth???

Tips I used to tell customers:

1. Clean pre motor filter
2. All 3 tabs from filter cone visible upon mounting motor unit
3. Power Switch, over hose over wheel--- Keep all your ducks in a row-- as the saying goes
4. Wait until your motor is completely dead silent before you lift up the motor. By doing this you can lift the motor up without moving the filter cone at all.
5. You can empty the bin virtually mess free by dumping the bin upside down and letting it sit like that on some newspaper or a pizza box, etc. Pat the back of the bin a few times and wait about 15 seconds. Then lift off the bin. Give the bin a little swirl while still upside down and low to the ground to knock some of the dirt off that may get stuck by the rubber gasket. Roll up the newspaper like a burrito and throw away! I emptied these machine in hundreds of customers living rooms without a problem. Never ever went outside to empty a Filter Queen tub like I've had to do with just about every bagless vacuum I've ever used!

You can wash that bin with just water and mild soap. Don't need anything harsh. Dry it well so so that there is no moisture left around the metal intake chute as you don't want to rust the grommets on the intake chute. The gasket does remove and should be removed every few washes to remove dirt caught up under the gasket.

If you lose suction:

You don't necessarily have to empty the bin or throw away the cone! Let the motor completely go silent. Lift off your motor. Then gently with your fingers just flick the inside white part of the cone in various places, just to knock some of the dust off the other side of the cone as thick dust will build up on the other side of the cone. The inside of your cone where the motor sits will and should always be BONE WHITE!!! If after flicking the cone you decide to dump the bin, you may but you don't necessarily have to discard the cone. That's your call and depends on how full your tub is!! Your dirt bin tub will hold 2.5 gallons of filth. But don't get dust inside the cone in the process, otherwise it will dirty your pre-motor filter and then you'll have to clean the pre-motor filter.

Best of luck with your machine and keep us posted!!

 

[human]

#Durango159: Thanks for the detailed maintenance instructions. I've added the muffler batting to the shopping list. By the time I put this thing back together, it's gonna be clean as a whistle from stem to stern. While it's torn down, I took a close look at the motor and was pleased to see that looks to be in great shape--no excessive wear on the commutator or the brushes.

I'm looking forward to getting it put back together and seeing what it will really do. My brief test drive after I got it home was somewhat unimpressive, but once I took it apart and started cleaning it, I understood why.

I don't anticipate having to scrub the tub with a toilet brush again. That was a case of extreme maintenance. I take better care of my stuff than the previous owner apparently did. It seems like a well designed, well built machine--built to last--and more importantly--built to be repaired.

Even though I've now sunk about $50 into this machine, I know I'm still well below retail. Used ones on eBay start around $250. When I bought the machine, I knew that in a worst case scenario, I could part it out and make a good profit. But I'm glad I didn't have to go that route.

 

[suckolux]

Sounds like a fun job Edgar and a good investment when all done