A Strange Kirby Classic Omega...

[hooverjedilord]

Here's my Kirby Classic Omega, now there's two things on it that are non original meaning it's quite strange...Can any of you guess why it's different?

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

hooverjedilord

Thomas,

That plug I see would be correct for your country's voltage setup. . .

~Ben

 

[hooverjedilord]

Yes, Ben, the plug is made for appliances on 240 volts!

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

hooverjedilord

Thomas,

I may be able to figure at least one strange thing out: the handle grip I see on your machine is a replacement because the cord/bag hook is not on the back but on the left-hand (when viewed from front) side.

My 1974 Kirby Classic Omega's handle grip is the same.

~Ben

 

[vacerator]

question 240 volts vs. 120 volts

I know both current systems are 50 to 60 cycles, but how does a 120 volt motor not overheat when 220 volts is flowing through it's windings?

 

[hooverjedilord]

Vacerator...

Ahh, but it's not a 120 volt motor!

 

[jeschbac]

Two Things?

So there are two things that are not original?

 

[hooverjedilord]

Yep, two things, Ben's guessed one of them! Can you guess the other?

 

[KirbyCollector01]

It obviously has an original classic 1CR bag on it

 

[hooverjedilord]

No it doesn't. It's one of the earlier Classic Omegas, meaning it has the gold bag, the logo patch says classic Omega, from 1973-1974 the Classic Omega had that style of bag,

 

[KirbyCollector01]

Whoops, my bad, it does actually have an omega bag on it. Then I don't know what the other thing is.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

hooverjedilord

Thomas,

The other thing that may be strange about this could be the Kirby Classic KGF-40 style gold bag (albeit with the Classic Omega patch) for it was the first such cloth bag used on the Omega, up to about serial no. M250000, before the pinstriped cloth bag appeared.

~Ben

 

[kirbyvertibles]

That bag and the pinstripe were very short lived bags.

 

[kirbysthebest]

Belt and Brush roll more than likely are not original. 


 


The handle does not appear original as the cord & bag hooks were on the back not the side,  but cord storage is correct for the model. 


 


Though mine still has it's original light bulb, but it is possible that has been changed. 

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I had to use that Kirby in

St. John's Church....it was my FIRST introduction to the world of Kirbys.
I wasn't enchanted by it. Not bashing, just saying.................
John

 

[hooverjedilord]

Funnily enough the brushroll and belt are original, you can tell by the end caps on the brushroll! So far no one's guessed the major difference...

 

[marks_here]

Does it have the short power cord or the longer one??

 

[hooverjedilord]

I believe it's the shorter one.

 

[charleskirby66]

The two things I see that are "out of whack" are the power cord, and the lack of headlight lens/different headlight assembly.  Did I get it right?!?!

 

[kirbysthebest]

Belt and brushrool original

on a 40 year old machine?   Appearance is that it is not a NIB.  Appears to have been used.  My Omega is notorious for eating belts, especially the older style that was original to this model.  Don't care if I'm right or not, but not buying that these are original.


 


They can be OEM replacements and still bear the correct logos.

 

[jfalberti]

If memory serves,

Wasn't the Tradition the first Kirby with a 240v motor made for over there?  If so, then the motor in the Omega would have been replaced with a Tradition motor, since over here, those models share the same motor.

 

[hooverjedilord]

The Brushroll is original, the end caps are different on later models and on genuine replacements, and the belts look old enough, and brittle enough, to be original- I could certainly be wrong about that though. But jfalberti guessed correctly about the major abnormality of this Kirby; it has a Tradition Motor, although he's wrong about the Tradition being the first 240 volt kirby sold in the UK. The Classic Omega was the first, James Sandilands has an original 240 volt Omega, but they're one of the rarest vacuums in Britain, the Classic III is also reasonably difficult to find, although I do have an original UK Classic III, but due to the major rarity of a genuine 240 volt Classic Omega it's a heck of a lot easier to import one from America and switch the motor from a Tradition.

 

[hooverjedilord]

Here's a comparison between my converted Omega and James' genuine 240 volt Omega. Mines the one on the left.

 

[universaldave1]

Here is my Classic Omega that I restored almost 3 years ago. I took it to the 2014 VCCC Convention.

 

[KirbyCollector01]

Universal Dave 1 I remember watching your video of that omega

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

My 1974 Kirby Classic Omega/Pinstripe Bag

Thomas,

Here's my 1974 Kirby Classic Omega with its factory pinstripe bag back on!

~Ben