Did either of those other moded Kirbys prove helpful?
ElectroLux Sidekick compatibility
- Thread starter vap0rtranz
- Start date
The two speed one has me thinking. But I really want the Platinum mods so it's quiet. That would be such a huge improvement. Obtw, Happy New Year,
Happy new year to you too. You could have all of those mods together though. Avalir platinum quiet stuff, and the two speed switch.
My Electrolux is currently a Frankenvac.
I combined a 1205 with SuperJ.
I luv the teal (?) color of the 1205 canister, but not the SuperJ's gold canister. And the SuperJ's powernozzle will stand upright by itself, while I have to lean the 1205's teal powernozzle against a wall or something or it will fall over.
So I use the SuperJ's chrome looking carpet powernozzle. And the Sidekick for smaller areas.
... a question ... my 1205 seems less powerful than the SuperJ. Are these 2 motors the same rating? Can I swap them?
I do think they are different.
The 1205 and Golden Jubilee used the same motor. The Super Jubilee, or Super J for short, used a different more powerful motor. I don't know if they are interchangeable.
That sounds right.
The Super J motors proved unreliable. I believe many overheated and had to be replaced. Someone with more Electrolux experience can chime in and correct me. They were redesigned for the Olympia and again for the Silverado. The Silverado is where they really got it right. Great power with fantastic reliability.
They upped the amps and redesigned it but forgot to improve the cooling I think. Or something like that.
The Super J required a million-dollar retooling at the Connecticut plant. The tank body was different as well. I've never tried that swap you propose. The 1205 motor is actually the last iteration of the G model motor, with different brush holders and stronger than the original G motor. A fire at the Connecticut plant damaged the line where the Super J motor was made. So they outsourced the armature, and that's when they had motor problems. As usual, Electrolux handled every warranty issue, so it's doubtful there are many survivors with the troublesome factory motor.
I've worked on at least a dozen factory Super J motors and never had an issue. You raise an interesting query. There are aftermarket motors we discussed in VL that will fit in, like the Diamond Jubalee. Maybe one of those could fit in the 1205, or perhaps the Super J motor could fit in the 1205 with some minor modification....I dunno. I, too, like the color and style of the 1205. Very 'Jetson' looking vacuum. I agree that the 'gold' coloring of the Electrolux tanks of that period was very blah. But then I've met folks who love that color scheme, mainly because it reminds them of the vacs from their youth.
My ex had a later Aerus tank that had trouble. She took it to the dealer in Spokane, and they gave her a 'loaner' old Super J to use in the interim. Meanwhile, the dealer lost her vac, and she just kept the Super J. She says it's a better vac anyway. The hoses were always an issue with the vintage Electrolux tanks. Aerus was selling them for $150, but I don't know if they still are. That's a bitter pill to swallow, paying that for a hose and putting it on an old vacuum. Lots of old hoses on eBay, but most sellers think that if any air can pass through them, they're OK. The Asian-made hoses are trash: the chrome falls off, or they don't even fit accessories. As late as the early 2000s, they were OK to buy, and then it changed dramatically. Keep your wits about you when purchasing old hoses of any manufacture.
Kevin
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How about a replacement hose from Perfect or Clean Obsessed? Same canister connection as the Super J uses and they seem to pay attention to quality. I have a Perfect and aside from color and a power nozzle on off switch it is indistinguishable from an Electrolux hose.
That might work.
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