A very large box arrived on my front porch today.

poconovacman · Oct 30, 2014

I awoke today to a very large "thud" on the porch, followed by someone banging on the door. I'd been expecting a reasonably large box containing an eBay purchase, but wasn't expecting a box so large that a mini fridge and a microwave could share it comfortably!

I haven't had a chance to open it up yet, but will post pics of the contents when I do! 

Your hint: It is a very high end canister vacuum that was manufactured from 1986-1990 and the brand still exists today. 

Let's see if anyone guesses correctly!

super-sweeper · Oct 30, 2014

hmmm, Hoover Dimension 1000? perhaps something Panasonic?

poconovacman · Oct 30, 2014

Not quite, but good guesses! A bit higher end than those.

super-sweeper · Oct 30, 2014

Hmmmm!

Gosh, I have no idea! did i at least get the brand right?

Could it be Eureka? Kenmore? SUPER-Kenmore? Montgomery Penneys?

poconovacman · Oct 30, 2014

Think door to door sales, my friend. I know you can get this one!

super-sweeper · Oct 30, 2014

Door to Door...TriStar? FILTER QUEEN! Filter-Queen, you like those, right? those are pretty deluxe! older Rainbows aren't all that deluxe, hmmm, Kirby CAN be a Canister, but not legally! Silver-King? Silver-KNIGHT? Princess? Has to be one of those!

poconovacman · Oct 30, 2014

You got it right with Rainbow!

I picked up a near PRISTINE 1986-1990 D4 for an absolute song last week. I'll be posting plenty of pics when the box gets opened up!

super-sweeper · Oct 30, 2014

ALL RIGHT! What do I win!?

poconovacman · Oct 30, 2014

A never used Aqua-Mate with the box if you want it

super-sweeper · Nov 1, 2014

LOL thanks, but I'll stick to my Rug-Renovator! Maybe another day!

vintagevaclover · Nov 2, 2014

Very nice find

that's the one I remember seeing ads for as a kid.

durango159 · Nov 3, 2014

Very nice find Matt! Hope that you enjoy the Rainbow.

poconovacman · Nov 3, 2014

The verdict is in: I am completely and 100% sold on the concept of the Rainbow system. I apologize for not sharing pics yet. I've been so caught up in cleaning every square inch of the house from ceiling to floor and everything in between.

As for the machine itself, it looked beautiful in the listing photos. Those pictures did not do this machine justice. It is beyond pristine. The only attachment to show any wear is the dusting brush. Everything else looks like it was never used. The vacuum itself doesn't have a single scratch on it and the motor runs like it's brand new.

I absolutely love how fresh and clean the air smells after I'm done running this machine. Personally, I think that the extra 5 minutes it takes to empty and clean the water pan and clean the separator are completely worthwhile. It's so nice knowing that everything I just vacuumed up is leaving the house forever and that there's a brand new filter every time.

For anybody who has never owned or used a Rainbow system before and are curious about them, I strongly encourage you to find a good deal on a reconditioned system, or if you're fortunate enough to have some extra money to spend, a brand new system. This machine is incredible. It doesn't have "rip your face off" suction, but the airflow is unbelievable.

I can say now, having been a doubter of the Rainbow concept, I'm sold. If I was able to, I would buy a brand new system without a second's hesitation.

I have one photo of the unit on my phone that I snapped earlier while cleaning that I'll share below. I'll take more pics of the entire package tonight or tomorrow.

poconovacman · Nov 3, 2014

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kenkart · Nov 3, 2014

Airflow!

Is what cleans, suction really isnt as important, look at any dirty air upright, they have very little sealed suction, but tons of airflow, the Rainbows are a lot of trouble, but do a great job since the airflow never changes, its the same when you finish as when you started, the same cannot be said of dry filter machines.

electroluxxxx · Nov 3, 2014

I Love my E2 and use it every week when i go through and clean the apartment top to bottom!

pr-21 · Nov 4, 2014

Rainbow dusting brush.....

You can still find Genuine Rainbow dusting brushes on Ebay for your model or at Rainvac.com. You should be able to just get the insert if the rubber part of the dust brush is not scarred up.

PR-21

poconovacman · Nov 4, 2014

Alright. Here's the pics I promised!

First shot is the Rainbow with a Wessel-Werk power nozzle from an Oreck Dutch-Tech canister. For those of you wondering how I made this work, I had a Rainbow electric hose from a D3 that had a pigtail end, so I just plugged that into the W-W wand and it works like a charm!

Next few shots are of the ensemble as a whole. Not pictured are the NIB Aqua-Mate shampooer and the sprayer bottle. If anybody wants to see those, I would be happy to get them out and take pics of them too.

The original Rainbow "shoebox" power nozzle, while original to the machine and in excellent condition, is really rather ineffective for deep cleaning. The Wessel-Werk really grabs the rug and pulls up more schmutz than I would care to admit. (NO, my house is NOT dirty. I vacuum daily. I promise!)