canadian model 616 kirby ??

[vacuser]

is this real ?

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

vacuser

Dwayne,

Yes, it is.

What you found is the Canadian market version of what is known here as the model 518. The Canadian instruction manual says that the 616 is also sold in the US as the 518.

~Ben

 

[vap0rtranz]

beauty

She's a beauty!

And 3.5amp?! I thought these motors were either 3amp or 4amp. My 514 is 4amp.

 

[collector2]

To get around import duties several different manufacturers (Kirby, President and Regina to name a few off the top of my head) contracted Switson industries of Welland, Ontario to produce their machines in Canada. In the case of Kirby they changed the first digit of the model number from 5 to 6 to denote a Canadian machine. Also they didn't change model numbers as often so, in this case, while the 616 was the same as the 516 the US models may have run up to 518 or even 519 while Switson was still producing the 516 for Canada.( I have the 615 and 662 in my collection)

**Note Switson also made vacuums of their own design under many other brand names including Switson, Valliant, Viking, Eatonia, Waverly, Coronado, Fairbanks Morse, Watermatic, Bradford, Baycrest, Viscount, Healthcare, Master, and Trendvac to name a few.

 

[electrolux137]

Hi Doug, I'd love to see photos of your 615 and 662. Thanks.

 

[collector2]

The 615 and 662

 

[electrolux137]

Thanks for the photos, Doug. They're both lovely.

btw I still have the beautiful Electrolux ZB-89 that I bought from you about 20 years ago. It's still among my favorite vacuum cleaners!

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Collector2

Doug,

Do you still have your 1965 Dual Sanitronic 50, which was re-trimmed in red to resemble the Classic III 2-CB?

~Ben

 

[collector2]

Hi Ben

Yes I do still have it

Doug

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Collector2

Doug,

Thank you! Am glad to hear that.

~Ben

 

[superocd]

Question for @collector2

For Canadian Kirby machines, did they assemble the units with parts shipped from Cleveland? Or was the manufacturing process completely independent, with casting and other activities done in-house, without any involvement by Kirby, other than providing the specs?

I know in many cases, manufacturers of different products will just ship the pieces to the foreign factory to become a whole since that usually makes the most logistical and economic sense. Ex.: Mercedes-Benz does this with the Sprinter vans, they get shipped from Germany, unassembled, to be assembled as a finished product in their South Carolina plant. No stamping, casting or other sub-assembly manufacturing takes place.