Electrolux 612

[turbomaster1984]

oh yes the 1996 and onward batches also were called Contour 2's

 

[turbo500]

Rob, IIRC, the Contour 2 range (including the Flexihead) had more basic graffics than the original contours, and didn't feature ESP? My nan had a yellow contour 2, 1000w, and that just said "contour 2" on it, in VERY basic font on the hood, with electrolux written vertically up the bag door. I don't remember a Contour 2 with the ESP logo?

 

[twocvbloke]

Makes me wish I had a picture of the thing (this was before I got interested in vacs), I'm 100% positive that the thing had the ESP logo, in green, printed on the base of the vac...

Thinking about it, I do know we have a post-christmas/new year video somewhere, from about the time that the vac was relatively new, no idea where it is though...

 

[turbomaster1984]

Chris,

This is the SS96 Argos catalogue,

Has the same Contour 2 I have in the storage unit, which is indeed an ESP machine,

You can just make out Contour 2 with the 2 in the turquoise handwriting style and ESP is rather clear on it,

Soon as we get up storage il take a few pics of this model.

 

[sebox4]

oooo

I'll take that green panasonic thank you very much

 

[turbo500]

Ooooh Rob, I've not seen one like that before. The only contour 2's I remember are this style with the oval logo's and such, if you know what I mean

http://andysworld.org.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/electroxlux-coutour.jpg

 

[twocvbloke]

hehe, That was probably the best Dyson ever made, revolutionary, very different, and pretty interesting, can't say the same thing these days unfortunately...

Actually, seeing that Hoover in there reminds me, I have some Hoover Turbopower U1912 tools to rehome...

 

[turbo500]

That was probably the best Dyson ever made...

....thats debatable...

 

[twocvbloke]

Like I said, "probably"...

 

[sebox4]

....thats debatable...

agreed!

 

[twocvbloke]

Just so you know, I wouldn't buy one, even if it was £1 at a catboot, in pristine condition, complete with original box & packaging, all cos it's a one of them...

 

[sebox4]

I like Dysons

Just much prefer the later models over the DC01, DC02 or DC03. They had to start somewhere though!

Matt

 

[turbo500]

DC01...

The DC01 has poor suction, is the flimsiest of all the Dyson's and the messiest to empty. It also has the most impractical tools. The DC04 was a VAST improvement. If only it had the bottom emptying system.

 

[twocvbloke]

Found that video, and have uploaded it, and it was filmed almost exactly 15 years ago...

http://blip.tv/file/4574588

 

[turbo500]

^I love that somebody is singing Alanis in that video !
And it would seem that it's a Contour 2 with "ESP" - I've never seen one like before. Quite similar to my airclean. Even sounds the same

 

[hooverbaby]

I used to get a few..

610s, 612s etc in for repair. They were straightforward enough to work on, though I never really took to them, partly because a few of the examples I came across had already been hammered and suffered from the worn out inner chassis syndrone. In particular, the black inner chassis used to wear badly around the rear wheels, which would then go skew wift and fall out. Later chassis were improved upon but they now seem to be an obsolete part.
The other thing that used to sometimes wear out was the little white plastic fork adjusting the front rollers, though, to be fair, these would generally give good service. A worn one would cause the handle to lean inwards.
Early 612s had metal handle ratchets; later ones had slot-in plastic ones..and on one side the suction pipe was attached.
I remember one week doing well with a couple I fixed on a local car boot sale; this was at a time when they were just becoming popular about 1990.
Early..and some replacement brush rolls were a pain, having a screw to remove at either end, sometimes seized in position. Some of the later Gen Electrolux ones had interchangeable ends for either Contour or 600 series machines.

As for the exhaust grilles, they were forever flying off! I did have a few second hand hoses but many disappeared with a 2004 garage break in. However, it's quite possible I still have a new one in storage and don't know where it's at! I've fixed a few myself, though it's a while since I've seen one; usually you can wedge in some screwdrivers to unclip the end, yank the remaining wire out of the screw thread and twist a new piece in. Some glue might help stop it working loose.

Stephen