Canadian Hoover Model 281

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aeoliandave

Well-known member
Joined
May 11, 2007
Messages
7,347
Location
Stratford Ontario Canada
First, the sad news - Tuesday night April 22 2008, in her own bed asleep, Mrs. Margaret Templeton shuffled off her mortal coil for her Eternal Rest at the grand age of 92 years.

Her daughter May found her list of things to do on the chairside table on Wednesday morning, called me up and asked me to please plan to come pick up the vacuum on Sunday as her Mother wished. The Funeral was held on Friday and as I had a dress rehearsal of Hamlet I could not have attended, tho I dearly wish I could have.

Margaret - here's to you and your fine long life and ageless spirit to the end. I know you're happy out there knowing your cherished vacuum continues in a good home.

For cherished it obviously was. Her daughter says she used it ever since she could remember and would not let anyone else try it, particularly the cleaning woman when she was infequently engaged. :-)

There are not enough superlatives in the Thesaurus to describe the condition of this machine. I'll try to keep it short and let the pix tell the story.

The bag was 1/4 full of fine sweet smelling earthy 'clean' house dust, btw. I have saved it in a sealed baggie. Call me crazy but it does smell nice. Sorta like Kitten Felix does.

Now then, all I have done is change the belt as it was running with a slack belt that would slip on the roll. No Spa Cleaning has been done to it yet. Original cord, original molded plug, original bag with one carefully sewn up 1/4" tear in the top edge corner under the bag clamp, otherwise flawless. No paperwork, tools or hose known of or found after a quick search of the closets but if they are subsequently found May will contact me.

But the Fates were kind to me a few days back, perhaps knowing this vacuum was coming in to my care. The appropriate picture will come up in the sequence. First up, without further commotion, the Money Shot...

4-27-2008-20-37-26--aeoliandave.jpg
 
It looks like brand new out of the box,

except for the minor wear here and there.

Look at that shiny brushroll! This beauty never sucked up water or sat in a humid shed or cellar...

4-27-2008-20-59-44--aeoliandave.jpg
 
About the Hose Converter side port...

Remember I mentioned the Fates saw this coming?

Well, from the pile of parts from Petrolia came this Hoover Converter.

Press the back of the machine down and it slides right in up to the alignment mark, closing off the brush roll inlet. What kinda luck is that?!!!

4-27-2008-21-02-47--aeoliandave.jpg
 
We are now accesorizing with the wrong, but approprately com

Got a two tone brown Hoover (Connie?) unstretchy flex hose with no wand end from the parts bin. Fits the converter like it was made for it.

The lamp bulb was in it and the lense did not need dusting off.

4-27-2008-21-11-5--aeoliandave.jpg
 
I must say, the death of the previous owner impacts me a bit more than the cleaner itself. It's really too bad considering she was computer literate and was planing to move closer to her children and sounds to me like she was still in good health. Must have been a shock for the family I'd imagine, although at her age these things are to be expected I guess. Still, its too bad.
 
Added these vacuumless Hoover button lock wands and brush he

This will do nicely for now til a Model 28 tool set comes my way.

Anyone got a spare set with hose tucked away?

No, really!

4-27-2008-21-19-37--aeoliandave.jpg
 
beautiful!

Thats a beautiful cleaner Dave, in pristine condition!

The hose you have there is the veriflex, which was introduced in the US with model 62 in 1950.
The US model 28 used the 6100 cleaning tool set, which had a brown painted converter, and brown cloth hose with an off white tracer.
 
That's beautiful!

Congrats on your fabulous acquisition! The 28 (or 281) is an incredible machine, and such an iconic machine out of Hoover's product line.

Just don't get that wrinkle-finish paint wet... I had a HORRIBLE experience washing one of those bases once. The paint was never the same. But, it doesn't look like you're gonna be needing to do a whole lot to that machine. :-)
 
Best way for me to celebrate Margaret's life is to keep her Hoover as beautifully as she did.

I do intend to ask for her story from her daughter at a later date. It's too special to be lost. She certainly shouldn't have her story coloured by fantasy. I'm bereft myself, having not met her personally but we did speak over the phone. She was a hoot and a real Lady.

And so I end this slideshow where it began:

Margaret Templeton's Canadian Hoover 281 in Full Sail.

4-27-2008-21-36-8--aeoliandave.jpg
 
Thanks Eric, Fred and Jeff. I've been blessed today.

I agree and I will not do anything more to it than run a feather duster over it and a toothbrush in the crannies. The bag has been Lewyt upolstery brush vacuumed inside and out, does not smell and I will leave it as is without washing it.

Runs so smooth and quiet. Love how the motor comes up to speed and the bag slowly inflates and pops open. The slow wind down is sexy, too. A very soothing cleaner.

I think I've earned a Hoover crest for a ball cap. :-)

Dave
 
Did the cleaner come with those flawless looking brushes or did you add them?

Smart move leaving the bag as-is.

I'm wondering how it sits on that modern carpeting swatch in the pictures when set for thick rugs??

Damn that brushroll looks nice!
 
What a nice vacuum and really nice that the daughter followed through when she could just as easily "not been bothered"
 
class all the way.

My great aunt, Genevieve had the exact same unit...same condition. She slept away, "uncle" went through the place like a bullet. He left it behind, and it was trashed. I was only 16 and powerless. Wouldn't it be nice , someday, for someone to have one of OUR machines like that?
 
hose converter

having had a late 50s uk senior which has the back slide in converter which kicks the high power switch on entry and has the metal pate attached to reach under and lift the brush roller off the carpet, i was never sure how these earlier side hose converters worked,. you say you have to push down? and is the chamber pretty sealed for suction through the hose?

si
 
The chamber side door flap is always closed until the converter flips it up. The rear wheel carrige frame is heavily sprung with two coil springs and has a tab that blocks the side slot from being fully insertable.

Pressing the back of the machine down lifts the tab up out of the way while the converter is slid in. It's a clever 'failsafe' arrangement that lets you put in the converter with the vacuum running, if you wish. There is also a one stop toggle/height limiter.

I would say the metal to metal seal is excellent.
 
When you release your iron grip holding the wheels down the tab rests against the converter, lifting the front 1/2" keeping the brushroll clear of the carpet or hard floor. Perhaps that is why the little girl is always pictured helping Mom - converting is more easily accomplished with a second set of hands. :-)

A great deal if not 99% of the fan suction is diverted to the side converter.
 
suction

i bet thats better suction than the later senior with rear converter as thats quite a poor seal and skinnier channel to get blocked. i must look for a machine with side converter port like yours to use my toolkit on which i got from a junk shop 2 pounds and have never had a machine to try it out on!!!

si
 

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