Bison returns to its ancestral home!

[bisonian]

Great news, guys. I finally found a working Bison! I've been looking for one for about five years now. Since the factory was here in Ocala, it just seemed natural to get one.

I stopped to browse a vac shop in South Daytona Beach a couple of weeks ago. The shop was already closed for the day, but sitting right there in the front window was a Centurion in decent shape. It made its way home to the land of its ancestors the following Saturday.

I always expected them to be a cheap Kirby wannabe with lousy performance. But I've gotta say for all its weirdness -- the looks, the silly variable speed switch, and that ungodly screaming motor -- there's something about using this machine that just feels kinda "right." I find it more maneuverable around furniture than a Kirby Classic, and it seems to clean pretty well.

Granted, it feels downright flimsy compared to any Kirby I've encountered. And I know reliability was a major problem. But is it possible the Bison folks almost got it right on their last attempt?

Incidentally, can anybody give me a time frame when the Centurion was made? '70s? Early 80s?

Rick

 

[charles~richard]

I'm confused. (Nothing new there) I thot the Bison was made in Omaha and that was the reason the most recent meeting was called "The Great Bison Round-up." Or have I just been up too late??

 

[compactelectra]

Charles

Rick is right - Bisons were manufactured in Ocala. Charlie just thought that since Omaha is known for its beef that we would have a bit of fun and call the convention "The Great Bison Roundup."