sopranojam85
Well-known member
I caved. I needed a stronger shop vac. I've gone through 3 shop vacs (including a DeWalt) and they all just did not work very well. Clunky, loud, not enough suction, lacking in tools.
I saw an ad for this, and had to have it. It's a DS80, with some basic accessories (hose, and hose tools.) No rug renovator, or any of that stuff. I need to get a crystallator but it has all the other basic attachments, including a ceiling fan blade cleaner (which is light gray in color, hmm)
Several of the attachments are wrapped in plastic with the 80s era Kirby logo printed on it, some of which still unopened. The seller said Kirby had rebuilt it. I believed her based on the plastic wrap I saw in the photo. I didn't even ask for a photo of the bottom plate, I just grabbed it.
Sure enough it was rebuilt in 1989. I have to hope that this bag is only 30 years old and not 50+ years old, because it appears to be in quite good shape with no rips, tears, holes, or overly worn points.
It will see almost daily use in the garage and workshop. I will keep it in canister mode most of the time. No need for a HEPA conversion, I'll just keep the cloth bag and emptor.
I repair and restore keyboards, organs, and things related. Most of what I clean is dust and debris from 50 - 70+ year old instruments that have never had a deep clean. This will do the job nicely. This Kirby does not have a metal fan any longer and so I hope that will prevent blade breakage if I accidentally suck up something coin-like.
I am not sure when Kirby's rebuild department quit making the avocado green attachments (or do they still?) but I am glad it was rebuilt when it was, because I imagine if it was done later, I would have some kind of tan or black hybrid machine. Some of the attachments include 2 I have 2 of - original, and "new" 1989 parts.
When I fired it up with the hose, it had an odd turbulent pulsating sound. I discovered a plastic cap of some kind was in the hose undulating about, just the right size to be stuck in the hose. Once I fished it out, it worked great.
I'm not really planning on doing much restoration work to this thing, at least not for a while. It is being put to work.
I saw an ad for this, and had to have it. It's a DS80, with some basic accessories (hose, and hose tools.) No rug renovator, or any of that stuff. I need to get a crystallator but it has all the other basic attachments, including a ceiling fan blade cleaner (which is light gray in color, hmm)
Several of the attachments are wrapped in plastic with the 80s era Kirby logo printed on it, some of which still unopened. The seller said Kirby had rebuilt it. I believed her based on the plastic wrap I saw in the photo. I didn't even ask for a photo of the bottom plate, I just grabbed it.
Sure enough it was rebuilt in 1989. I have to hope that this bag is only 30 years old and not 50+ years old, because it appears to be in quite good shape with no rips, tears, holes, or overly worn points.
It will see almost daily use in the garage and workshop. I will keep it in canister mode most of the time. No need for a HEPA conversion, I'll just keep the cloth bag and emptor.
I repair and restore keyboards, organs, and things related. Most of what I clean is dust and debris from 50 - 70+ year old instruments that have never had a deep clean. This will do the job nicely. This Kirby does not have a metal fan any longer and so I hope that will prevent blade breakage if I accidentally suck up something coin-like.
I am not sure when Kirby's rebuild department quit making the avocado green attachments (or do they still?) but I am glad it was rebuilt when it was, because I imagine if it was done later, I would have some kind of tan or black hybrid machine. Some of the attachments include 2 I have 2 of - original, and "new" 1989 parts.
When I fired it up with the hose, it had an odd turbulent pulsating sound. I discovered a plastic cap of some kind was in the hose undulating about, just the right size to be stuck in the hose. Once I fished it out, it worked great.
I'm not really planning on doing much restoration work to this thing, at least not for a while. It is being put to work.
