Daily driver decisions . . .
Back in June of 1972, I just finished the third year of my high-school teaching career. My parents had divorced earlier, and I was tasked with being the head of the household. At the time, I had already developed my affinity for vacuum cleaners, and I believed the best ones for keeping a clean house were the Hoover Convertibles. I had two Convertibles I bought new, and I was really into beating and sweeping and cleaning the Hoover way. I had my pick of which one to use.
In that summer of 1972, I was in the process of buying a new house, and my younger brother was between jobs. So, he took a job with a local Kirby dealer as a demo salesman. He wanted to practice his demonstration techniques of the Kirby Classic 1CR with me, so I said okay. At the time, I was only vaguely familiar with the Kirby brand. He didn't have to go through the whole demo. I was impressed with how the machine was built and all it could do that a Hoover couldn't. The dirt meter test got my attention. I wasn't aware that he who vacuums last always wins. My brother cut deeply into his commission and gave me a great price, and bought that Kirby.
I kept my Hoovers, but that Kirby became my daily driver for a number of years until I bought my Tradition--the one with the headlight safety switch. I did use my Hoovers from time to time for quick cleanups when I didn't want to drag out the Kirby. I bought the new house, and that Kirby Classic cleaned it from top to bottom before we moved in. I used it to shampoo a carpet and polish a hardwood floor.
Fast forward to 2015. I have 11 Kirbys in my collection, a number of Hoover Convertibles, 4 of the Hoover Windtunnel self-propelled, the Platinum bagged and bagless, the anniversary models, and a few others. Add to this Miele, Sebo, Oreck, and Royal. However, Kirby is still at the top of the list as a daily driver. I've always preferred upright vacs, but I have used canisters, such as the Oreck Dutch Tech, the Hoover Windtunnel (blue with power nozzle and S bag), and a Kenmore Progressive.
Here is my daily driver decision to make:
1. Of all my Kirbys, the ones I rely on most are the Legend II (I like the style), and the Sentria. Both are very good vacs.
2. This past May, My Kirby dealer gave me a good deal on a Sentria II. It has been in the box since I bought it. I bought it new while I could get it to keep as a cushion in case I didn't like the 100th anniversary model.
3. Now that the Avalir has been revealed, should I buy the Avalir and keep the Sentria II in the box? Should I wait for the jury to come in on the Avalir and unbox the Sentria II, or should I go for the Avalir, use it and keep the Sentria II boxed???
4. Of course, if I don't want to use a Kirby on a particular day, there are other options available. The Sanitaire S661 and the Eureka Mighty Mite make a good cleaning team. Hoover Convertibles always clean well. The 719, the Decade 80, and the 4175 have been serviced and run well. The U4725 does an excellent job. The Oreck Platinum Plus is okay as a good electric broom. I like the XL21 out of all my Orecks.
. Love the red brick. Ours is also a 3 story town house but with yorkshire stone. Not quite as nice as the red brick.
