A late 60s Sears Best 2 speed canister
- Thread starter kenkart
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eurekastar
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I really like the tool storage on that model. What is the secondary color? It's a little hard to tell. Thanks for posting!
marks_here
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It was a grey colour I think
super-sweeper
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Sears truly was it's best at that time! A solid vacuum for a solid price...where did I put my Charge-Card and DeLorean keys?
bnsd60m9200
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@ bill. it's a light olive drab. the bottom color. the bumper on the pn matches it
DesertTortoise
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I have one of those. That's the Avocado Bombers twin brother. The lower half is a medium green with just a hint of blue in it. The top is mint green. The lower half is steel and the lid plastic. If you pop the palm of your hand on and off the hose end while it's running there is enough lid flex to get the tools jumping in their holder. The lid hinge is a plastic living hinge, which was pretty innovative for that time period. The motor is rated at 2.7 peak horsepower. Sealed suction is 100 inches but airflow is a meager 34 cfm. Most modern full sized canister vacs have more than triple that airflow. They are also a lot smaller than the cream, blue, green and brown colored plastic bodied Kenmores that would come in a few years. Heavy machine though.
You can use a HEPA bag for a Numatic Henry in these as well as a little HEPA dome filter for the top of the fan housing instead of the thin open cell foam of the original filter. Good vacuums, solid and durable. We certainly got our money's worth out of ours. Now all it needs is some paint and a good lid hinge, or a lid with a good hinge still riveted on.
You can use a HEPA bag for a Numatic Henry in these as well as a little HEPA dome filter for the top of the fan housing instead of the thin open cell foam of the original filter. Good vacuums, solid and durable. We certainly got our money's worth out of ours. Now all it needs is some paint and a good lid hinge, or a lid with a good hinge still riveted on.
DesertTortoise
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Supersweeper, if you take the prices Sears was charging for those and inflate them to 2014 dollars you were paying the equivalent of $1000 today to buy one of those. They were very expensive vacuums.
hydralique
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Nice vac . . .
Love the onboard tool storage and colors!
Love the onboard tool storage and colors!
vac-o-matic
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I was just looking through a 1969 Sears Spring/Summer catalog, and I believe that's the model shown on it's own color page...the others are in b/w. It retailed for 139.95 w/powermate.
DesertTortoise
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Can you scan that page and show it here or e-mail it to me? I have no literature on mine. I would really appreciate it.
DesertTortoise
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This is my favorite really old Kenmore canister. 4.1 peak horses, variable speed motor via a dial on the rear of the lid that operates a potentiometer and the off/on/floor switch was on the hose. The original hose fell apart circa 2007 or 2008 and when I re-hosed it I wasn't even thinking of collecting vacuums. This is what Sears was selling. I was grateful to even be able to find a hose. I would be equally grateful to find another one today to be perfectly honest.
The last four images were taken this past weekend after finishing all of the restoration except for re-foaming the pre-motor filter grid. The requisite foam is still on it's way from Israel, sigh. Other that that, it's done. One of my all time favorite vacuums.
The last four images were taken this past weekend after finishing all of the restoration except for re-foaming the pre-motor filter grid. The requisite foam is still on it's way from Israel, sigh. Other that that, it's done. One of my all time favorite vacuums.
super-sweeper
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D.T, if people will pay $700 for a new Dyson, why can't I go into debt for a shiny new Kenmore?
stricklybojack
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DT, I have nearly that Kenmore vac...
and another same vintage, identically styled Kenmore machine, but smaller in size. Unfortunately i didn't snap a pic of jr. yet and i won't be able to for a number of months. [this post was last edited: 9/10/2014-09:00]
and another same vintage, identically styled Kenmore machine, but smaller in size. Unfortunately i didn't snap a pic of jr. yet and i won't be able to for a number of months. [this post was last edited: 9/10/2014-09:00]
rugsucker
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Sears vacs
Sears always had a variety of vacs that that could be used by anyone who was near a store or could turn the pages in the catalog.Nobody had all features at once.The Kenmore was first with a direct plug in electric hose with built in wiring. Even the prettier Whirlpool had a pigtail cord.The Electrolux had a better,easier bag system and gear belt.Tool Storage-This was even better,again,from the WP and had a specific,marked location for the 4 tools.The front half of the lid was also used as the tool holder for the Sears(by Whirlpool)central vac and hung an a rack under the hose and behind the wands.
Sears always had a variety of vacs that that could be used by anyone who was near a store or could turn the pages in the catalog.Nobody had all features at once.The Kenmore was first with a direct plug in electric hose with built in wiring. Even the prettier Whirlpool had a pigtail cord.The Electrolux had a better,easier bag system and gear belt.Tool Storage-This was even better,again,from the WP and had a specific,marked location for the 4 tools.The front half of the lid was also used as the tool holder for the Sears(by Whirlpool)central vac and hung an a rack under the hose and behind the wands.
dysonman1
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Maybe the color comes through better in these pictures.
dysonman1
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Model 29961 specs
dysonman1
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Beater-Bar PowerMate and other logos on Machine
hydralique
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dysonman . . .
Putting that machine on display on that carpet is so perfect! I'll bet more than a few of these were brought home in the Country Squire, pulled past a kitchen of avocado major appliances and then put to work on matching avocado carpet. And no doubt the carpet was clean in the end, too!
Putting that machine on display on that carpet is so perfect! I'll bet more than a few of these were brought home in the Country Squire, pulled past a kitchen of avocado major appliances and then put to work on matching avocado carpet. And no doubt the carpet was clean in the end, too!
DesertTortoise
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Darn, Tom, yours is so beautiful!
Mine is 116.29971 and had a different pre-motor filter, otherwise identical. I forgot there was a big tag around the High/Low switch saying High and Low. Something else that was lost, sigh. I have to dig around my fiancees garage once more and see if I can find that stuff after she "cleaned" my work bench.
Mine is 116.29971 and had a different pre-motor filter, otherwise identical. I forgot there was a big tag around the High/Low switch saying High and Low. Something else that was lost, sigh. I have to dig around my fiancees garage once more and see if I can find that stuff after she "cleaned" my work bench.
DesertTortoise
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Stricklybojack, I have one of those smaller machines you described as well! Until last month I didn't even know they existed. I saw it on Craigslist, saw the unusual lid with the tools set into recesses cast into the lid instead of on a detachable tool tray and thought, oh cool, another version of the big canister. Imagine my surprise when I opened the box and found this 3/4 scale version of the bigger vac. Wow, I bought something I didn't even realize existed.
It was grungy, rusty (the fan housing was bright orange) and the left side of the handle was broken off the body. You can see the after photos in my thread titled "Swamp Creature". Does yours have the smaller 12 inch wide Powermate? I haven't attacked that yet. I am waiting on a new base plate to arrive. The original base was broken in two places. Amazingly Sears still has a few parts on hand for them. I think a version of that brush soldiers on as a 12 inch wide Centec floor brush.
I would dearly love to find one more of the smaller ones with an unbroken handle in better shape. Mine looks good now, it came out real nice, but the handle repair will never match the strength of the original. I ended up having to paint the whole main body and steel motor covers to get it to look like something, but the repair could not be hidden completely.
It was grungy, rusty (the fan housing was bright orange) and the left side of the handle was broken off the body. You can see the after photos in my thread titled "Swamp Creature". Does yours have the smaller 12 inch wide Powermate? I haven't attacked that yet. I am waiting on a new base plate to arrive. The original base was broken in two places. Amazingly Sears still has a few parts on hand for them. I think a version of that brush soldiers on as a 12 inch wide Centec floor brush.
I would dearly love to find one more of the smaller ones with an unbroken handle in better shape. Mine looks good now, it came out real nice, but the handle repair will never match the strength of the original. I ended up having to paint the whole main body and steel motor covers to get it to look like something, but the repair could not be hidden completely.
dysonman1
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D.T.
Here is the machine I've got for you, to use as repair parts for your avocado bomber. I'll send it complete. Your only cost will be to reimburse me for shipping. Let me know if you want it. It's been sitting in the upstairs store room for several years, over the factory floor, so it will need dusted off. There's no rust and it's not broken anywhere.[this post was last edited: 9/10/2014-15:17]
Here is the machine I've got for you, to use as repair parts for your avocado bomber. I'll send it complete. Your only cost will be to reimburse me for shipping. Let me know if you want it. It's been sitting in the upstairs store room for several years, over the factory floor, so it will need dusted off. There's no rust and it's not broken anywhere.[this post was last edited: 9/10/2014-15:17]
suckolux
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and another good reason for the club and friends
DesertTortoise
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I can't even begin to express my gratitude. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Wow. The Bomber will live again! Thank you.
super-sweeper
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Team Gasko to the rescue again! Be sure to empty and frame that vintage SEARS bag!
DesertTortoise
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Looks like this weekend I have to visit Antelope Valley Paint and have them color match a pint of acrylic enamel to the A-B and get a high quality air brush. No half measures now. All in.
panofan
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I love that Sears put real measures back then - v.s. just amps.
Tom, can you help put into perspective how this compares to todays vacs?
I.e. the 34" working suction and 44 cfm (I believe the small writing says 'at hose end, 3/4" opening)?
Considering most measures today, if you find them at all, are at the motor itself, right?
Tom, can you help put into perspective how this compares to todays vacs?
I.e. the 34" working suction and 44 cfm (I believe the small writing says 'at hose end, 3/4" opening)?
Considering most measures today, if you find them at all, are at the motor itself, right?
