A Question for You British Kirby Owners

[kirbyclassiciii]

For all those of you in the UK that have a Kirby Classic Omega, Classic III and/or Tradition, is it true that while the speed switch is the same design as our 120V version, would I believe that the part number is different?

I know for you guys the setup is different because on our speed switches there are four wire terminal slots, but only two for you.

That would also mean the fields and armatures would be different as well, considering that your motors are all single-speed (as opposed to them being 2-speed motors in our market).

~Ben

 

[ultimatevacman]

I have a Tradition, and I believe it is different. What's the part number for the US versions?

- Joe

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

The US/Canadian version of the speed switch is part 134374 and would have four wire terminals.

~Ben

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Another thing I wanted to tell you was: with regard to the early Traditions, the speed switch was mounted on the inside of the headlight cap (next to the lens), and while our 120V 2-speed version would have had the part number as 134379 (thank you Alex aka SUPER SWEEPER), again, for you Brits, it will be slightly different since your motors are 240V/single speed. This will be even more difficult due to many of this batch of Traditions (both here and abroad) having been converted to the speed switch below the fan intake opening.

The field numbers will also be slightly different: while our 120V motor sets have part numbers 103973 (Classic Omega/III) and 103978 (Tradition) imprinted on them somewhere, for you those part numbers will be different. The armature, part no. 114973, may or may not be the same on both sides of the Atlantic.

~Ben

 

[james]

Ben I will try to locate a few part numbers for you from a Tradition motor I have laying around, but can't do until the weekend

 

[james]

Safety switch on my Classic Omega, as it's at the top of the pile, has the part number 134374. It has terminal holes for 4 wires.

I have a Tradition motor here, the field coil is part number 950173.
The armature from the motor has part number 114973, 120V. These are stamped into the cooling fan, but has a line crossed through them with a permanent marker. Printed opposite is part number 950573, 230V.

I also have another armature from a tradition here, same story, part number 114973, 115V stamped into the cooling fan, but crossed out with a marker. But this time printed opposite it says NL63075, 230V.
Hope this information is of use to you.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

James,

So, the speed switch is the same on your 230V Tradition (but that only two of the four terminal slots are actually used), but the real difference would be in the armature and field, which would be part numbers 950173 and 950573 respectively. Thank you.

Therefore, the speed switch on the short-lived batch of Traditions produced during the first four months or so starting from July 1979 would have 134379 on them, but that two of the terminal slots are not used.

~Ben

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

James,

I wonder if the 950573 armature was used on your country's version of these Kirby models:
* Heritage 1HE
* Heritage II (Legend) / Legend II 2HE
** BTW, I would also like to find out what the field coil numbers on those are. I know here in the USA, the field coils are:
* Part no. 103981 for Heritage 1HD and Heritage II 2HD
* Part no. 103986 for Heritage II Legend 2HD and Legend II 2HD

Thank you,



Ben (KirbyClassicIII)