Brand New Royal Pro Series Metal Upright and Old Royal 5700 (9700)

[fairfaxclass]

Well, as is tradition, I bought a new Royal pro series and then immediately found a gorgeous 5700 for sale on Craigslist...  I'm not sure if that is lucky or unlucky... 


 


Why did I buy the Pro Series (UR38200) rather than a commercial version?  If you go to Royal's website, the Pro is pictured with a headlight and, presumably, a scent chamber.  All the online dealers (including my favorite, https://www.ecovacuum.com/1.html) use the same photo.  So, I was willing to lose an Amp of power for that and the stylish black and silver coloring.  Well...  They no longer make any metal royals with headlights and such.  It's an old picture.  I even called Royal and their support staff went digging through schematics and part lists.  They finally found one that had bold letters (which surprised the phone agent) saying HEADLIGHTS ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE.  The manual has a date code of 2012 and does not show a headlight...so the photo must be very old.


 


The pro series is a nice vacuum, but the fit and finish are noticeably cheaper than the older 5700.  Many cost cutting measures have been taken, including a lack of light, scent chamber, handle support spring, no infinite height adjustment, and other minor differences.  The polish job is strikingly poor on the Pro in comparison, even if they were going for a slightly matte look.  The Pro is heavier and has more weight to the front, so it droops when you pick it up (if the handle is unlocked).  The 5700 is nicely balanced.  


 


The 5700 has some speckling to it's finish, but is otherwise magnificent.  I know a Kirby repair man who can work his magic on it I'm sure.  It needs a new belt, so I ordered the older style belts for it.  It also has a bush roll indicator light!  The brush strips are in really good shape.  It was hardly used!


 


To oil the 5700, do you just pull the red plug off of the back and use some motor oil?


 


Enjoy!   


 


 

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

fairfaxclass

Nicholas,

Lucky for you the 5700 does have a headlight! The 9700, which the 5700 is similar to, was Royal's top-of-the-line metal upright from 1990-95 in its master-class "Preferred Collection" series.

I have one similar to it: a 9100, built in 1994. It has the headlight but lacks the brush speed indicator light. It also has the old-style "Rite-Hite" screw-type height adjuster, which many say is more reliable than the toe-touch control your 5700 and UR38200 bear.

Yes, you remove the red plug in order to access the oil port. Make sure you use only SAE 30 grade motor oil, and do not overfill.

The belt for your 5700 is exactly the same as for your UR38200: order part no. 1-672260-001 (style 8).

~Ben

 

[blackheart]

oh!

That is dissappointing I thought the new domestic model had a headlight.
I was looking into getting one but honestly there's no point since i've already got a commercial model.

 

[fairfaxclass]

KirbyClassicIII

I had read that the 7 Amp Royals used a different belt than the later ones. 


 


Wow, it was actually a quote from you from 2014!
"D<a name="start_23834.266978"></a>ependent on the motor size, Royal has produced three different belts over the years: if one of your machines is less than 4.5 amps, use only the soft belt 1043260001; if between 4.5 and 7 amps, use the flat belt 1044260001; if the machine uses a hex-ended brush roll, go for knurled belt 1672260001."


 


https://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?23834

 


The belt it came with seemed different from the one on my pro series, so I ordered the <a name="start_23834.266978"></a><strong>1044260001.</strong>


 


<strong>I imagine the toe touch on the pro series is pretty reliable since it is only a 5-position system.</strong>


 


<strong>It's cool that you live somewhat close to me!  Find any good vacs out in the valley?</strong>

 

[fairfaxclass]

Blackheart

Yah, I know!  I would have gotten the commercial 10 amp if I had known.  The black and silver is great looking though.

 

[broomvac]

@fairfaxclass

Those are some excellent Royals!

You may prefer the Royals with headlights, but I’m the opposite. I’ve always preferred the look of the models without a headlight but with an adjust-o-rite cover. I’m actually happy that the new Pro Series vacuums, like yours, have just this setup.

Funny you should mention the state of polish of your new Royal. You may have seen that I recently had a Royal thread in the Vintage section, and that was one of the topics we discussed. It seems that all Royals now, not just the commercial models as I had hypothesized, no longer receive a mirror finish before they leave the plant.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

fairfaxclass

Nicholas,

Yes, I have acquired one more of my favorites last summer: a 1979 Kirby Tradition 3CB.

~Ben

 

[fairfaxclass]

Nice!  I love the look of old Kirby's and Bell-type vacuums.

 

[fairfaxclass]

Handle question

According to this old dealer VHS:





 


Some models could lay the handle all the way back and lock so you could store the vacuum on its face.  Which models of Royal did that?  The 5700 doesn't seem ot have that feature.  Not that I would want to put all the weight on the headlight cover.

 

[sptyks]

Nicholas,


 I have the Royal 8300 made in 2008. The 8300 has a headlight and the handle latch allows the handle to be locked in the horizontal position which allows the machine to be stored in the vertical position such as in a broom closet taking up very little space. The weight of the machine rests completely on the front bumper and not on the headlight cover. The headlight cover does not touch the floor at all.

 

[dartman]

I got that exact vacuum I think last summer for free on Craigslist but mine has a black bag from some commercial version that the local bookstore here probably swapped onto it sometime in its career with them. It came with a bunch of extra bags and belts and the guy was very happy a person who apricated it was getting it. He install new wood floors and just didn't need it anymore and just wanted the space back. I cleaned it up a bit and threw a belt on it and it works great and really grooms the carpet. Reasonably quiet and easy to push around too. I also have a 4650 canister that also works just as well and better at getting corners and cleaning furniture and things. Royal used to make some really good metal machines and I've liked them since I got a 413 canister for a good deal almost new about 90.

 

[rivstg1]

fairfaxclass,

very nice machine you've got there!!!! I"m looking at possibly getting a Royal 9700 off CL, but I haven't been able to drive to where its located......so, if I"m supposed to get it...I guess I will. AFter using both of yours, which do you prefer?

Kelton

 

[fairfaxclass]

rivstg1

Between the two, the 5700 is a better machine to use.  Lower weight, better balance, and quieter.  It's a decked out Lincoln Town Car vs. a P71 Crown Victoria.  The Pro Series is a more powerful machine, but rougher around the edges.  It really comes down to personal taste and goals.  If you want a deeper clean, the Pro Series is going to do better.  But, both are great machines and I would recommend the current Royals for people who want a solid and reasonably priced vacuum.  It is a shame that the accessory kits have been discontinued though.