Electrolux Model XXX Help!

[caligula]

Hi Luxy1205

Wow! Somebody from home!


 


While I was born and raised in Wallingford, Connecticut, I accepted a job in Northwest Indiana, in I got there on my 22 birthday, September 2nd, 1972. Indiana was dull and boring and I spent a lot of time in Chicago. In 1983, I ended up in Lombard, Illinois and when a house off Roosevelt rd. became available, I bought it, that was August 1985.


 


If you know Naperville, it was a  sleepy little town back then, but perfect for our club. There was the Stardust motel on my corner (Roosevelt rd. and Sherman Ave. ) a little café called Grandma Sally's, and a great restaurant rascals for fine dining.  Shown here is a meeting of the club around that time. Our members are (clockwise)  Norbert Miller co editor,  Don O'Connor,  John Lucia co founder of the V.C.C.C.,  Mike Pupek, Anne R. Taber my mom, who served as our club secretary, and me. Pictured behind Norbert, are the first Electrolux's  models V, and XII. I was very proud of that room, but in time the collection grew to immense proportions, and so I remodeled the garage.


 


Let me know when you get the model LX, I hope it's the one outfitted with the yellow nameplate with the word Electrolux in red. That was the machine which began it all for me and is still my favorite. Keep us posted about the growing collection, and if you want the history of Electrolux, let me know and I'll get it to you.


 


Alex Taber.


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

[caligula]

Hi Luxy1205

Here are a few pictures of the museum that I just found today and scanned in.

 

[caligula]

Hi Luxy1205

Museum

 

[caligula]

Hi Luxy1205

Museum.

 

[caligula]

Hi Luxy1205

Museum.

 

[caligula]

Hi Luxy1205

Museum.

 

[caligula]

Hi Luxy1205

Museum.

 

[caligula]

Hi Luxy1205

Here's a picture of me at about 3, with the two brands I loved then and still do.

[this post was last edited: 12/2/2013-18:00]

 

[caligula]

Hi Luxy1205

The deleted picture was a duplicate od reply 23.

 

[caligula]

Hi Luxy1205

And Finally, here's my Electrolux LX. When this picture was taken, the plug on the cord was being repaired, so the cord winder is not original to the machine, rest assured, it is now, and with the authentic plug.


 


I hope you enjoyed seeing these pictures. Yes, there was some slight repositioning of the display from time to time. And while I'm on the subject, my thanks to Tom Gasko, and Mike Pupek for adding to the collection. A number of machines were donated to the museum by Tom when he attended the 1993 convention, which were called meetings at that time. The conventions would come later.


 

 

[luxy1205]

Alex

Very nice pictures!!! I love the picture of you when you were 3! Are you sitting on a model xxx and what Kirby model is that? I don't remember Naperville that much for the fact that I was born in 1984, so your time period is different than mine! Ha Ha! All I remember of Naperville is a Red Robin and going to the River walk with my Great Grandma and Grandma to feed the ducks! Oh, and a store downtown that just sold stuffed animals! I think either for my birthday or for Christmas I was allowed to pick one stuffed animal out from that store. My LX has the yellow and red logo. I will definitely post pictures of her, hopefully I will get her tomorrow, and be able to post pictures of her. I have noticed some LX's that don't have the yellow and red, what is that all about? I've actually wondered about it. I did go back to Charles Lester's website earlier and learned something about the model xxx that I was wondering about as well. I didn't know why the model xxx was wrapped in vinyl like the LX, but then I learned that it was the later model. That would make total sense since the LX then used that same vinyl! I love learning! -Michelle

 

[caligula]

Hi Luxy1205

Yes, I remember the river walk in Naperville very well.


 


 There were two versions of the Electrolux model LX. The first was introduced in the fall of 1952, it's the one I have as my daily driver and shown here in what Charles Richard Lester calls "a beauty shot." It's the best thing they made up to that point. The ejector, while a great feature, tended to 'pop' as Electrolux termed the process, too soon, causing a myriad of problems. At first, Electrolux salesmen went to the customers home, made the repair (at Electrolux's expense) by installing a dial to regulate the air pressure that caused it to pop. The later model LX's had the dial installed at the factory. I'm not sure exactly when the nameplates were changed, or why, perhaps to save money. At any rate, they were now polished aluminum. To add a bit of color, hammer tone blue was used for trim, and parts like the cord winder. Suddenly the model LX became the LXI, though was basically the same machine.


 


About a year ago a member named 'powermate1970' started the thread Lux XXX/30 tools, I'll look up the thread # so you can read it. It's a fun read, and you will learn a lot about your favorite vacuum cleaner.


 


As for me on the Electrolux XXX, I'm playing with a Kirby model 512 (1952). I was too young to know it, but Air-Way had introduced an upright in 1920 that had a hollow handle, and a hose was used for above the floor cleaning.


 


So now you know why I became a vacuum cleaner collector. The reason John Lucia and I formed the club was so we could pass our knowledge to fellow collectors, exactly as I'm doing for you.  I love digging research , and sharing history. It warms my heart to know you have started to collect Electrolux's.  


 


Alex Taber.

 

[caligula]

Hi Luxy1205

Here's a look at the upright Air-Way's and other machines from my display at the 2005 convention in California. The hose on the table could be attached to the handle. The two shown here are The Air-Way sanitation system (1920) and the Chief, which came out in 1937(?) and featured a rotating brush.

 

[caligula]

Hi Luxy1205

Found it.


 


Go to Vintage archives, type in Lux model 30/XXX tools. The member who created the thread is powermate1970. Thread # 19227, post # 212375. Date of thread is 1/3/2013.


 


This is a treasure trove of Electrolux information. Tools, machines, patents, some wonderful pictures of all things Electrolux, and yes some bits of trivia from me and many others.


 


Check it out.

 

[caligula]

Hi Luxy1205

Check out reply # 3 in the thread I mentioned above, I think you'll be pleased.


 


Alex Taber.

 

[luxy1205]

Thanks Alex!!!

Thanks for the threads!!! I literally was learning so much that I had to take a break because my brain couldn't absorb everything!!! Ha Ha! I will be going back and re-reading and reading more of that! Those Air-Ways are really cool! I love the bag! Looks like an old feed sack! Thanks for the info on the LX too! I actually learned from you and from that thread today about LX's. I'm still awaiting mine! It's almost 7pm here and it's out for delivery! The suspense is killing me! Anyways, I learned about the rug tool. Some of the early LX's had the model xxx's rug tool and then the later model LX's had the rug tool but it was blue on top. Well from the pictures I re-looked up on Ebay, mine has the blue rug tool. I will post pictures as soon as I can, STILL WAITING!!!! Thanks again!
-Michelle

 

[caligula]

Hi Luxy1205

Since you live in Wilmington, Illinois, you are not that far from Cleveland, Ohio. The annual convention is being held at the Kirby company, which will mark the 100 anniversary of the parent company Scott/Fetzer. I believe the convention is in June, but plans are still underway.


 


I suggest that you and your husband attend, because the conventions are great fun, and very educational. Members from all over the country attend, and many of them bring their collections, or at least their favorite machines. We have cleaning contests, and other events to educate members on things like restoration and so on.


 


The convention room is breathtaking, rows of banquet tables draped in cloth and holding dozens of vacuum cleaners of every brand and description. In addition, there are people to meet, talk to, and learn from. We also have a banquet, complete with an award ceremony, and prizes galore! 


 


I'm planning to attend, and if I can arrange transportation, will be bringing my best machines including the non electrics that most members have not seen other than on my posts, and yes, I will bring the Whirlwind.


 


More information on the date, and so on will be posted after the first of the year, as well as registration forms. I would love to meet you, and your husband. I'd also be honored to show you the very first vacuum cleaners, and other cleaning tools like carpet beaters, and so on.


 


So, if you can attend, I know you will have the time of your lives.


 


Alex Taber.

 

[vacosaurus]

Hello, I also have a Electrolux XXX actually three of them and a model LX.I have also been reading posts on this site and have learned alot already about these vacs in just a few days.I also have a couple of posts regarding model XXX searhing for info. Just read the previous post here by Alex about a convention planned for Cleveland Ohio. I live in Cleveland. Just curious about convention. How big? what kind of activities? How many days ect. Thanks Bill,

 

[luxy1205]

Alex

Thanks for the invite!!! My husband is going to be starting a new job in a few weeks, so I will have him see if he could take a vacation then. I got my LX after 9pm last night! It literally scared us hearing a big box dropped on our front porch! Ha Ha! She's in good shape, except both of her sleds are bashed too far inward! My husband is going to fix that as soon as he can. Her cord rewind won't wind in the last foot, but we'll take it apart and fix that. Also, I want to convert her to run with a power head. Not bragging, but my husband is like an Einstein! He's gonna wire her up for a power head and it won't affect her originality, because if I choose not to have it anymore, he can just remove it and it'll go back to being original again. Also, on my model xxx, I want it to run with style c bags. When I went to Charles Lester's site, there was a lot of pictures of the rare option bag converter. I showed my husband all of those pictures and he's going to just make me the bag canister out of metal and make me an adapter door out of metal as well/or he'll see what he can do about possibly using the original door; hence the adapter door is not as pretty looking! So, needless to say, if the bag ejector doesn't work on my LX, we'll take it apart and fix it or modify it so it will work. By the way, the LX is suppose to come with two wands, I had to write to the seller because they were not in the box! Hopefully he will be mailing those out to me! Hope you like all of the pictures!!! -Michelle

 

[luxy1205]

Alex

Here's another picture of Lexy!!!