Anyone have info on the new Kirby ?

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Kirby floor tools

The bare floor brush is/was part of a cleaning tool set that included an extra wand and a multi-piece extensible crevice tool (not a Kirby designed tool) The other tool is a plastic rug tool which has (as I mentioned in my earlier post) a CURVED felt clip on pad, very much like the one that fit on the Filter Queen straight suction rug nozzle. It was offered for sale on a couple of websites that sell Kirby parts, including dirt meters. It is optional. Most distributors do not bother to stock or promote the wide array of additional Kirby products available.
 
Now that it's April....

Can anyone verify that there was a distributor's meeting or a Kirby world convention in March?

If so, can anyone verify that a new model Kirby was unveiled, shown in video or pictures, or at least mentioned?

If a new Kirby is not going to be introduced very soon I cannot imagine there will be a new one prior to the 100th anniversary model in 2014.

The marketing and engineering teams are probably having disagreements over this:

Is it better to introduce an interim model which will partially resemble the 100th anniversary model, or just do a color change/minor tweak and then freak everyone out with something that barely resembles a Kirby as we know it in 2014?

There are loyal Kirby buyers who may not purchase a model that doesn't resonate with them, and in that case, the new configuration will have to attract a group of first time Kirby buyers because it overcomes/eliminates the perceived weaknesses/flaws that kept them from becoming Kirby owners before. If the Mothership were to eavesdrop on closed door meetings and broadcast them to us, it would not surprise me in the least to hear arguments in this vein.

Just my thoughts,

Trebor
 
"bare floor brush is/was part of a cleaning tool set that included an extra wand and a multi-piece extensible crevice tool (not a Kirby designed tool"

"The other tool is a plastic rug tool which has (as I mentioned in my earlier post) a CURVED felt clip on pad"

Trebor:
I found several after market items as per your descriptions listed as "Kirby" attachments and one that fits the exact description of the plastic rug tool with the "filter queen-like" dusting pad; but nothing that seemed to be a genuine Kirby attachment. Are any of these that you are talking about actually genuine Kirby attachments that were sold by the Kirby company? When did they offer them and for what model? Do they still offer them? Just wondering because I have never heard of these till today. Not that I would necessarily know this, but I do try to keep up with the Kirby stuff.

Also I think you are spot on about the debates Kirby must now be having regarding a possible release of a a new model. Can't imagine they would do somehting really radically different now and not have some big splash planned for the 100th aniversary. Still wish they would do a retro model alla 560! Or at least use that color scheme.
B.
 
Kirby floor tools

I know that Kirby offered the bare floor tool in the kit as I described from the factory. This was at the time of the Ultimate G. It was boxed in a Kirby logo cardboard carry case. The other tool, I am not 100% sure but think I saw it in a brochure showing all Kirby products available. Kirby offered a mini detail tool kit, an actual ceiling fan cleaning tool, a universal crevice brush, a mini blind dusting tool with four fingers. There was also a kit with a stretch hose, and extra wand, the mini blind tool, the ceiling fan tool, and the mini tool kit all boxed in a logo carry case as well. I saw pics of all of those, and none of them were KIrby designed, except for the hose ends and the wands. I have a hose coupler with a speed control on it to use the hose on low speed.

The local distributor does not bother displaying any extras because you cannot buy them singly, and so he forfeits 5 or 6 K/yr in profit.
 
New Kirby.....

I have thought that with the advances in miniaturized motor technology that it should be possible to make the Kirby much smaller and lighter, more like a Royal, with the Kirby toe-touch control, and the smaller portable handle smaller bag arrangement like the older Royal / Electro Hygiene, still keeping the removable nozzle belt lifter arrangement. Royal copied that in the mid 70's and was told by Kirby to stop it, or risk being sued the model# was the 990.It was not on the market long. The old Health Mor uprights had a removable wheel carriage and a smaller nozzle (straight suction) for stairs/ upholstery.
The past is full of good ideas that could be recycled to create a Kirby that is lighter, quieter, simpler to use, easier to service. They could get the weight of the upright down to about 14 lbs.
 
News about a New Kirby is.....

Zip, Zero, Zilch, Nada,

I spoke for some time this evening with the young man who purchased The Vac Shack, Tom Gasko's former vacuum shop. He sells new Mieles Riccars and Dysons, and a lot of refurbished Kirbys and Rainbows. He orders Kirby bags by the cartons weekly and the local Kirby and Rainbow distributors bring machines to his shop for warranty service. Kirby and Rainbow parts, service and supplies constitute a huge portion of his business because a high percentage of the local populace own one or both of those brands. There is no other vac shop within less than an hour's drive, and no other place to buy a vacuum except Wal-Mart. So he knows both the Kirby and Rainbow distributors quite well.

I asked Evan if there was a distributor meeting in March. He said the Kirby distributor told him yes, he was there. When I asked about the new Kirby, he said the local distributor told him there was absolutely no mention of a new Kirby whatsoever. Evan discussed with me the impracticality of bringing a new model to market now and again in less than three years. The more time goes by, it seems to me, the less likely it is that Kirby will introduce a new model now and again in three years. A 100yr anniversary model could conceivably be introduced in 2013 with a year long celebration, which would make the introduction of the new Kirby just two years away. An 100th anniversary intro in late 2012 seems like jumping the gun a wee bit, but not impossible, which would make the new Kirby only 16 or 17 months away. This is speculation on my part, true enough, but it seems logical.
 
Sentria Smaller Main Head

I wish they would introduce a smaller main cleaning head for carpets as I have gone back to my Sanitaire for a bit simply because the size of the Sentria head does not allow me to get into some areas because of the width of it.

I wish you was able to buy a smaller one as a lot of people complain at the sheer size of the floor head.
 
If they really want to SELL them.....

Go back and make a Dual 50, Dont change ANYTHING ..except better attachments, long hose, a good disposable bag that is easy to change, and make it more powerful, I would rather push something that weighs about 15 pounds than have all that self propel stuff and have it weigh 25 pounds.
 
Hans,

I think you have a point there. The best Kirby could do is make a smaller, lighter vacuum like the earlier ones but with upgraded motors, with BETTER attachments, (those plastic things...........I mean, come on, this is a vacuum that typically sells for over $1000.00!), and a longer hose.

Isn't it about time Kirby had a direct connect hose to the front of the machine, (after you remove the rug nozzle), that has an integral power souce so you could put on a Sidekick type attachment or even a power nozzle?

I think I could design it if they could built it. The concept is easy. If you remove the weight of the transmission and bulk, you have room for having a an integral direct connect type hose to the front of the vacuum.

Air-Way could have done the same thing and still have been a leader in the industry today. I hope Kirby makes the changes that are needed to stay alive and does not go down the road of Air-Way. However, that would be a long way off.

Charlie
 
I like the Kirby attachments....

Plastic wands are the way to go, don't scratch or dent anything, easy to use high over your head. Wish they has kept the longer straight wand and the curved wand IN ADDITION TO the new 2 piece with the smaller elbow. The duster brush and crevice tool are fine as they are. Even Mieles, Filter Queens and Rainbows have plastic tools nowadays. The Zipp brush is great, I keep a Kirby set up by the back door with a hose and Zipp on it to remove dog hair before I leave. I don't care for the straight suction upholstery tool, but I rarely use it, so it doesn't really matter to me. I use the wide brush nozzle a lot. Longer hose, well I just hooked two of them together with an external hose to hose fitting, and it works great. 16 ft, and it does not noticeably reduce the power of the Zipp brush. If you look at the Kirby tools reach by reach and task by task they far outclass most of the standard vacuum attachments out there.
 
I'm all for Kirby !!

If Kirby would go with Charlies ideas and Hans theroy of going back to a smaller, more powerful cleaner.


Like a dual 50 or 80, with a disposable bag.   It would blow the market right open.  I recently noticed that


with the world market line up of Dysons at the Big Box stores. and all the TV advertising going on. It made


me think of how Hoover just soaked the market with magazine adverts (post war II). Pictures of uprights that do all


things, etc.   That is exactly what Dyson is doing.  They take up one third of the display space at the Target


I shop in.   The other 2.3 s are the other brands, types, steamers, carpet cleans.   That is a large portion of


the vacuum market.   If Kirby came out with the quality machine that  can do, with all of the convience


features and combine the two worlds of upright and cannister (which Hoover tried  with the 28's- 66 conv.)


Selling it with an attachment  package.   They would rock Dysons world.  They (Dyson, NOT a put down but a fact)   are selling plastic at 600+ dollars next to


Bissell plastic for 69.99.   If Kirby came to my Dyson household.  Pitted a new Shinny Kirby at 1500.00


dollars with all that has been talked about above.  I would  (with a good credit program of couse)  give up


that 10/15 year Dyson in a New York min. for the rest of my younger life (when it was there) for that


Kirby.  I don't know what Kirby's market share has been. Nor do I know what Dyson's is.   I just hope


I'm still around to see Kirby meet it in the middle and then eat them up for more.   Just a thought for


the future.


Norm


 
 
Look at the past...

If Kirby were to make the motor unit with a step on clasp release to separate it from the wheels and height adjustment mechanism, put a longer swing out handle on the belt lifter for more leverage, add a smaller bag and a smaller nozzle with a belt driven brush roll and a portable handle with its own cord to avoid fiddling with the conversion as much, and most of all, a state of the art motor that was quiet, light weight, and small, they would have the perfect cleaning system. If you want to drag the thing around with the hose on, fine, you can, but if you want to reduce the weight to a hand vac you can do that, too. Everything the Kirby has, or ever had could be available, handi butler, moth crystalator, turbo groom, all of it. And they could sell separate motor units as well for people who want to have it set up as both a hand vac and an upright without any changeover. What do you guys think?
 
The Kirby attachments are OK but the plastic friction fit ones are just not fitting for a high dollar premium machine-lets say lightweight aluminum locking wands-metal floor tools-ditch that HORRIBLE plastic combo thing they now use.and locking tools-its annoying to do averhead cleaning and the tool or wands fall off.For electric motorized hand tools remember kirby would have to go to an electric hose and connectors.the smaller bag would defeat Kirbys purpose-a smaller area filter bag would reduce the performance of the Kiurby system.A variable speed in the hose mode would be nice to use with hand tools.And give purchasers the choice of a wide or narrow width floor nozzle-the customer could chose the nozzle to fit his needs-or he can get both.
 
continuing speculative design of new Kirby...

Thanks for your input Toliver,

The folding over of the Kirby bag restricts the filtering area somewhat already. I was thinking of the old Royal/Electro Hygiene bags that were smaller than the upright bag. They were still pretty good size. I disagree with the aluminum wands. They eventually lose their shininess and start to rub black off on the skin of people who have high acid content in their systems (like me) The locking mechanisms wear as well as place obstructions in the air path. I have never had problems with the Kirby tools coming apart (in fact, if I twist and push a bit too vigorously, they can be resistant to separating) But they do not dent or crush if stepped on (I have accidentally run over the Generation series hose and wands with a car without damaging them. Plastic is a an extremely durable and versatile manufacturing medium. I have dropped a metal hose end with a metal upholstery tool attached on a wood table and nicked it, not so with plastic.
 
I have had no problems with locking or telescoping wands obstructing airflow.I just don't like the plastic tools with a hi end Kirby vacuum.Mine get little use.Oh-only on occasion.Canisters get more use for "hose and bag" cleaning jobs canisters usually do.I have seen the plastic Kirby wands get broken from cars rolling over them-and metal wands get bent or crushed.for car cleaning jobs-just be sure the vacuum,hoeses,and wands,tools are clear of the car before moving it.The useless Kirby floor tool just stays in the Kirby Kaddy-instead I use a standard horsehair gen replacement bare floor tool with the Kirby--MUCH better for hard flooring.the Kirby crevice tool with the little brush is very nice-3M vacuums for cleaning out copiers and printers have such a crevice tool.Only other vacuum I know that has a crevice tool with the brush.I don't have problems with alumiun wands-esp if they are plated.They are just nicer to me.NSS vacuums use them!
 
Improved Sentria aka Sentria II in June

Kirby`s newest total redesign is delayed yet again . According to my local Kirby store where I`ve purchased every new Kirby that has ever come out since the Tradition Kirby will be releasing an "improved" Sentria just like they did with the Heritage to the Legand ll . It will have some new improvements and a different color. The new total redesign Avalir or what ever it will be called will now arrive for Kirby`s 100th Anniversary late 2013 as a 2014 . So one more time with the generation series hopefully this will be the last of that series although I love every one and own every one new in the box plus a double of each to use for my every day cleaning.
 
That makes perfect sense....

...to stay with a tried and true design until the 100th anniversary, and if indeed the Sentria II arrives in June, it will give it a 2 - 2 1/2 year run prior to the new series introduction. If it arrives in June, then production of the Sentria must have ceased so distributors can deplete their stock before the arrival of the new Sentria II. We shall see...

Dan, do you have both the Heritage II with the wide classic style nozzle AND the Heritage II Legend with the streamlined nozzle in your collection? It is not shown on the Kirby model chart, but it was indeed manufactured for a brief time.

And do you have any Kirbys older than the Tradition in your collection?
 
Yes I do

I have both of the heritages with both Nozzles plus the small head as on the older Kirby`s . I do own many older Kirbys form the 500 series through to the Santronics , Classics , Omega`s ect. My brand new Kirbys started with the Tradition because thats was when I was old enough and had the money to start buying Kirby vacuums plus all the other brands (200+) I have purchased through out the years .
 

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