Early Singer Models

[collector2]

Now I have to skip the E7 and E8 (as I have never encountered either of them) directly to my E9

 

[collector2]

Again I have never seen the E10 but this is a picture of the E11 Power Glide taken from the net

 

[collector2]

And on to the last machine I have information on - the E12. Dave has already posted the picture of the E12A (Apricot) Power Glide above so here is the E12B (Blue) Power Glide. Any more anyone can add?

 

[eurekaprince]

I wonder what the contract between Eureka and Singer looked

Does anyone know what the relationship was? Did the Singer machines come off the Eureka assembly lines in Illinois and Ontario? Or did Singer set up their own factories using Eureka tooling and part molds? Doug's website actually shows that many of the Canadian Singer machines were made in a plant in St. Jean, Quebec. Wonder if Eureka owned that Quebec plant, and why they could not just use the Onward Manufacturing plant in Kitchener. Also, it seems that even the later E12 (the last photo) is using a Eureka floor and wall brush, but all other tools look different. The woven hose on the E9 screams "Eureka" - especially the colouring. Any ideas anyone?

Brian

 

[aeoliandave]

We need a flow chart...so many bits and baubles to keep trac

Pardon this sidebar to Singer; Brian brings up a good question. Individual parts like hoses and tools must have been outsourced from dedicated hose & parts companies that would assemble to proprietary handles, couplers, hose weave colours and patterns to specifications from Singer, Eureka and the Store Brand badged variations.

This Viking model 107 from Eatons has all Eureka style tools including a Vibrabeat, in its cardboard caddy. I have since added stray blue tools and it's sitting next to a red Electro Hygeine that is a dead ringer for a blue Royal right down to the tools and hose.

 

[aeoliandave]

The aforementioned blue Royal.

The yellow Eureka Roto-matic bears a striking resemblance to the Singer C1.

 

[collector2]

Ok guys - as it has been explained to me. The early Singer Cannisters were made by Eureka for Singer - to Singer's specs. Hence them being slightly fancier than the Eureka models out at that time. The later Singers (From the C9 and E9 on I believe) were actually made by Singer with some of the attachments still being purchased from Eureka (hence the rug nozzles being the same).

Incidentally Dave - your Viking 107 should have had grey tools with it, not the blue Eureka ones. The only Blue part it had originally was the rug nozzle.

Doug

 

[aeoliandave]

Doug, does that mean I have to find a blue Eureka now, with gray tools? LOL I guess so.

These are what came with it in the caddy but as we can see, only the rug nozzle has a matching turquoise-y blue paintjob.

 

[eurekaprince]

Thanks for the information, Doug. Very interesting .....

Maybe it's just me, but I have always placed a high priority on the design of attachments when I evaluate a vac. Most of the time, this part of a machine's functionality is ignored. Even my beloved Consumer Reports never tells you whether you are getting an efficient and useful set of tools with the unit they are testing. I suppose if the hose is a universal one, we can all attach better tools to the hose of a great machine. But it really goes against my grain to ruin a vac's "image" and "optics" with tools that weren't sold with it. Especially if the tool can't fit into the unit's provided tool holder, and if the colour is completely different.

Which brings up this question: Besides making money, why would Eureka allow a competitor to sell it's sleek and sometimes excellent attachments with their machines? I mean, if Eureka marketed their Vibra-Beat nozzles as something unique and "fantastic", (even though I hear they were really "much ado about nothing"), why would they allow a competitor to offer the same feature? More exactly, I love the classic Eureka floor and wall brush with that air-slot on the front row of bristles. For me, it might have made all the difference in deciding what vac to buy. So why would Eureka allow this to be sold with the Singer E12? I guess I am not much of a corporate maven, so I can't figure out why this would have been done so many times Eureka's history. I think even that grey GE handvac of the 1960's had Eureka tools in direct competition with it's famous blue "Whisk" vac.

 

[vac-o-matic]

Kenmore re-badge?

Back in the '70s I bought a Kenmore that looked just like the above pictured Singer E11. I wanted a cheap canister with tools and that machine fit the bill. That may have been about the time Singer was making their uprights, so the canister would make sense I guess. It was kind of an reddish-orange I think, worked well for the money. I bought it because my roomate at the time hated converting my Classic III to use the attachments. I can't remember the tools though, I do remember it having a vinyl hose.

 

[eluxomarty]

C 3

Going back to Doug's question about the C-3. It was identical to the C-2 but a floor/wall brush was included with the attachments. A place was created for it in the attachment box.

I have many of the vacuums pictured so far. One vacuum that has eluded me so far is the C-10 Golden Glide. My Grandmother had this vacuum in the 70's. It replaced a AirWay 66. I have been looking for this model FOREVER! The AirWay actually outlasted the Singer!

Marty

 

[collector2]

Hi Marty:

Thanks!! I knew the floor nozzle was an optional extra with the C2 as I know a lady that has one and she told me it was bought separately but I didnt realize that they had included it on the C3.

Doug

 

[chestermikeuk]

Morphy Richards / Singer / Eureka...???

Fascinating thread, such a varied selection of models, I wonder if you can shed light on who made this model, this is the second Morphy Richards model and was available here early 60`s...it looks similar to the Singer E2, this was our second family vac, I remember the curved extension tubes, long rubber grey hose and the RED pips to click the tubes n nozzles together, the floor tools where grey coated metal, very heavy!!!

I believe it was made for Morphy Richards but wonder is it a Singer or Eureka??

Cheers, Mike

 

[collector2]

Hi Mike:

You've kind of got me there. I have come across that machine once on line (picture below) but dont know anything about it. From the body style it is possible that it was a Eureka product that was modified but the rug nozzle in your pic definately isnt Eureka.

Anyone else have any ideas.

Doug

 

[petek]

I'd almost say that Morphy Richards looks more like a Royal and note in the 2nd picture unlike the ad there are no wheels. The Royal/Electro Hygiene twins don't have wheels either and have the wheel carrier they sit in.

 

[ge1969]

Hmmm, is it just me guys, or does that Morphy-Richards also bear a striking resemblance to a G.E. Swivel-Top? Later, Trg

 

[kirbyvertibles]

OMG
Doug!!! You have made my day, I have never ever seen another E2 other than the two that I have. Thank you so much.
I remember my Aunt Phyllis telling me that she bought both of hers in 1958-59 and used them three or four times a day. They both still work very well sadly over the years she tossed out most of the tools and one of the hoses. All I have is the hose, wand and floor tool for just one. I saw bags in her house before we started cleaning it out but I never got them.

 

[kirbyvertibles]

Also I seem to remember a brown Singer canister with a powerhead that looks a lot like the Golden Glide. Was this possible? I think my Uncle had one. I remember it being a Singer with a powerhead ( the first Singer I had ever seen) and I am pretty sure it was brown. Of coarse this was 20 years ago and I was two or three.

 

[rugmaster37]

Was this possible?

Phillip,

Yes, it's possible.

I try and do this short. LOL

Singer stopped offering their original vacuum cleaner line duirng 1981-82 for some reason, that I'm unclear of... They no longer offered vacuum cleaners thru their Singer Sewing Centers,and by 1984 you would never have known that they ever sold them. They also started closing most of their facotry stores as well....

Later, during 1984-85, they re-appeared in many major catalogs as the Singer System(s).

Several canister and upright models were offered. And they used the old Squarish "Golden-Glide" canister dies for the new canister line.

A few differences were there, a few options shuffled, and a new powerhead was used, the older Filter Queen Style was replaced by a powerhead of their own. It was wider, and had a headlight.

They were available as far as I can rememeber until serv-Merch closed their doors around 1996-97 or so, as they were one of the catalog houses that offered them..

So yes, it's possible.

Chad

Ann Arbor Michigan

 

[collector2]

Hey Phillip:

I have the later - non power nozzle brown singer (Model CSS220C). I do know they had a version of this machine with a powernozzle too but I havnt come across it.