So I've recently decided to put my 12 amp Fantom Fury to use again, after having not used it in several months. It was mostly from boredom during quarantine.
The vacuum still runs great. However, the motor has gotten progressively louder the last few times I've used it. As of today, it has gotten unbearably loud, to the point where it sounds like the vacuum is going to blow up.
I thought right away that the motor bearings are on their way out. It seems to me that not using a vacuum for a long time will dry out the motor bearings. Just to make sure that the brushroll bearings weren't bad, I removed the top cover of the vacuum, disconnected the belt from the motor shaft and ran the vacuum like this. Turns out the motor was making all the noise!
I've had this Fury for two years now, after having purchased it from Mike (electroluxxxx) here on this site in March of 2018. I used it as my daily driver for a couple weeks, and then it went out of commission for most of that year (long story) until December, when Mike pulled the motor out of his 2000 Fantom Fury for me to use, which has worked beautifully until now. But then, last summer, the plastic near the handle release pedal cracked, which is apparently an extremely common issue with the Fury.
For the record, I've NEVER vacuumed up ANY type of liquid with this vacuum.
I texted Mike yesterday about this issue, but he hasn't replied yet, hence why I'm posting here.
Well, I've finally realized the limitations of using a vintage bagless vacuum in the modern world, especially from a company that went bankrupt years ago. While the Fantom Fury is a symbol of my childhood (mostly from memories of my mom using it to vacuum our old apartment), it's just not practical to use in 2020, because A) it's not very powerful at all, due to the dual-cyclonic technology cutting off most of the airflow, and B) replacement parts are difficult to find, due to said bankruptcy of Fantom Technologies. I got this Fury as a collectible, but I've pretty much lost interest in Fantoms over time. In addition, the Fury is a rather small vacuum for such a big (3,200 sq. ft.) house. I'm thinking about asking Mike (electroluxxxx) for a refund on this vacuum.
I have uploaded a video showing this issue in action. I also tested the suction through the hose, and it's normal. And somehow, the headlight still works! Please forgive me for the mess; I was working in the garage while filming this video. The mechanical noise in the background is emitted from my tankless water heater.
The vacuum still runs great. However, the motor has gotten progressively louder the last few times I've used it. As of today, it has gotten unbearably loud, to the point where it sounds like the vacuum is going to blow up.
I thought right away that the motor bearings are on their way out. It seems to me that not using a vacuum for a long time will dry out the motor bearings. Just to make sure that the brushroll bearings weren't bad, I removed the top cover of the vacuum, disconnected the belt from the motor shaft and ran the vacuum like this. Turns out the motor was making all the noise!
I've had this Fury for two years now, after having purchased it from Mike (electroluxxxx) here on this site in March of 2018. I used it as my daily driver for a couple weeks, and then it went out of commission for most of that year (long story) until December, when Mike pulled the motor out of his 2000 Fantom Fury for me to use, which has worked beautifully until now. But then, last summer, the plastic near the handle release pedal cracked, which is apparently an extremely common issue with the Fury.
For the record, I've NEVER vacuumed up ANY type of liquid with this vacuum.
I texted Mike yesterday about this issue, but he hasn't replied yet, hence why I'm posting here.
Well, I've finally realized the limitations of using a vintage bagless vacuum in the modern world, especially from a company that went bankrupt years ago. While the Fantom Fury is a symbol of my childhood (mostly from memories of my mom using it to vacuum our old apartment), it's just not practical to use in 2020, because A) it's not very powerful at all, due to the dual-cyclonic technology cutting off most of the airflow, and B) replacement parts are difficult to find, due to said bankruptcy of Fantom Technologies. I got this Fury as a collectible, but I've pretty much lost interest in Fantoms over time. In addition, the Fury is a rather small vacuum for such a big (3,200 sq. ft.) house. I'm thinking about asking Mike (electroluxxxx) for a refund on this vacuum.
I have uploaded a video showing this issue in action. I also tested the suction through the hose, and it's normal. And somehow, the headlight still works! Please forgive me for the mess; I was working in the garage while filming this video. The mechanical noise in the background is emitted from my tankless water heater.