Finally got a power head for my Eureka

[paul]

Sorry to hear that about the eBay seller.

Check with Jimmy (Rugsucker) for wands and other items from his store clearance.

 

[human]

The seller contacted me this morning, apologized for the delay, and blamed it all on USPS, of course. They offered to send out a replacement set of wands, which I've accepted. I've also been considering hitting Jimmy up for some parts and stuff. Where I live in N.C. is about three hours away from his shop in Elizabethton, Tenn. I'm sure I would find lots of interesting things that I 'need'; I'm just a little afraid of what all I might end up dragging back home, kind of like an animal lover visiting the shelter. In this case, I guess it might actually be a good thing that my car has a fairly small trunk.

Also, thanks for the ads showing the 1279 Power Team. I'm surprised it's roughly the same age as the 1255 I used to have (its owner's manual was dated 1977), and slightly older than the 1746A that I'm cobbling together, which I've pinpointed to about 1980 or '81. I had assumed the 1279 was newer than both of them.

@eurekaprince: Thanks for the reminder about the suction relief. I also need to play with the Power Selector control on the machine itself. I'm not really familiar with that feature. At the moment, it's turned all the way over to "Rugs"; maybe it needs to come back the other way a bit. There could have been a good reason it was set in the middle when I first got it.

 

[eurekaprince]

You’re welcome! There is always a “sweet spot” in vacuuming with a very powerful cleaner…just enough suction to provide enough airflow but not too much suction so that the cleaning tool can’t freely move over the surface being cleaned. In the case of power nozzles with rotating brushes, the brush roller does much of the cleaning work for you to dislodge the dirt - the suction does not have to be at its maximum level to move the dirt into the hose. With Eureka’s RotoMatic power heads, there is no height adjuster, so depending on the depth of the carpet, adjusting the suction helps it move more freely over the carpet.

 

[eurekaprince]

*correction: “….but not too much suction so that the cleaning tool can move freely over the surface….”

 

[rugsucker]

"--three hours away--"

Elizabethton is an easy and scenic drive through Boone or Asheville.I am having less time for vacs but anyone showing up in person gets my full attention and many great vacs and parts for what seems to be less time,trouble and money than with todays EBay and shippers.
Jimmy
423-268-4841

 

[human]

I found myself with a little time this afternoon, so I decided to play some more with my new toys. This time around, I tried both power heads on the 1746A, marking the first time I've really run it with its new power head. I must say that combo works quite harmoniously together and it waaaay passes the Persian rug test. I'm convinced that even if they didn't come from the factory in the same box, those two belong together.

Then, just for kicks and giggles, I swapped the burgundy power head from the 1279D back onto the wands, and gave it another run. Hooked to the 1746A, it wasn't nearly as aggressive, but I still needed to open up the suction relief a little to get it to push and pull more smoothly. I'm definitely going to have to experiment with that power selector on the 1279D to get things dialed in where they should be.

Tracking shows that the belts I ordered are set to arrive tomorrow, which is a good thing, since both power heads need theirs replaced. I haven't had any further word from the eBay seller regarding the wands. I'm thinking my best course of action there is to pursue a refund and go visit Jimmy (Rugsucker) in Elizabethton once I get past the end of the spring semester next week and have a little time for myself before summer classes start in June.

 

[paul]

Glad to hear the situation has become more promising. Way to go on the experimentation—a benefit of owning more than one of the same cleaner make and design. It's great that those vintage Eurekas are still going strong after nearly 50 years.

You're welcome for the info. I discovered that the 1277-B (at least) was also Brandywine & White. Type A may have been brown as I had written down from an eBay seller's claim in her/his listing of a brown non-headlight power nozzle model 1238-BC.

Let (us) know when you're at Jimmy's, so you can do some scouting around for (us) if you have the time.

Anyway, here's an edited table that reveals the comparisons & contrasts of the Brandywine & White "trunk" Roto-Matic Power Teams in case you or someone else is interested:

 

[paul]

Cinnamon & Beige 1700 "Trunk" Roto-Matic Power Teams

I should mention that my research is ongoing and therefore incomplete and not necessarily 100%, such as my discovery of the 1277-B in Brandywine & White.

P-V stands for Power-View (belt window).

 

[human]

Yeah, those older machines were built to last, and a big part of that was that they were designed to be repaired and maintained, not just chucked in the bin after a couple of years like today's plasticrap. Working on old vacuums is kind of like working on old cars, except they're less expensive and don't take up as much space. Of course, fewer people understand the appeal, but that's okay.

The new belts arrived in today's mail, and both power heads now have them installed. It'll tomorrow before I'll have a chance to give them a run. It's such a pain having only one set of wands, though. I'll be glad when that finally gets resolved.

 

[human]

Belts!!!

I just tested both power heads with their new belts, and both are now far more civilized. The white and brown one wasn't bad before, and is even better now. The difference in the burgundy power head is night and day.

In taking the bottom plate off of the burgundy power head last weekend, I discovered that one of the posts that holds a screw was broken off, I tried to epoxy it, but when I was screwing the bottom plate back on yesterday, it didn't hold. Fortunately, the other power head held a solution. One of its two screws was a replacement and slightly longer than the original, so I swapped it over to the burgundy one and it went deep enough into the post to hold everything together. I just love when I find what I need is already at hand.

I just wish I had a second set of wands at hand. Swapping the set from the 1279 back and forth is such a pain. I put everything back together on the 1279 and there it will stay. The 1746 is effectively sidelined until I can procure a set of wands for it. I've requested a refund with eBay on the grounds that the seller has not followed through with shipping out a replacement. We'll see what happens...

 

[human]

'Wandering Wands' Update

So, I just checked tracking for the 'wandering wands', and I was totally surprised to see the package is now in my city, as of early this morning. Interestingly, no projected delivery date is given, but I suppose it's plausible it could be delivered as soon as tomorrow.

If the tracking history is to be taken as a linear narrative, the package showed back up in Philadelphia, its point of origin, ten days after last being scanned in Indianapolis, and then made rapid progress to North Carolina over the weekend. What isn't clear is whether it's the original package or the seller sent a replacement, reusing the same tracking number. Either way, this nightmare just might be about to come to a conclusion. I just hope I haven't jinxed it by posting this.

 

[human]

Epilogue...

Every saga worth its salt needs an epilogue, and I'm glad to finally be able to write one for this little story. After more than a month of waiting and rankling, the wands I ordered arrived today. Honestly, I've gotten things faster from China. They're not OEM Eureka wands, which I knew when I ordered them, but generic replacements. The most obvious difference is the cord retainers are only an inch long, versus the ones on the original Eureka wands that run almost their entire length. While the original design makes for a much neater look, the generic ones are much easier to assemble and swap. This doesn't worry me a bit. I'm more interested in functionality than originality, especially given the number of things that have been replaced on this machine.

In comparing my two Eureka Power Team canisters, I've noted a few interesting things. Both were sold new, and presumably serviced, by the same local vacuum shop, which amazingly is still in business at the same location, apparently catering primarily to commercial customers, judging from the machines in the front window. They both sport the same gray and black replacement hose. In both cases, the original hose would have been all white. They also both appear to have had their plugs replaced with the same heavy duty third-party plug. I say this because the 1279 would not have had a retaining clamp on its plug, since it was originally equipped with a Cordaway winder. Also, the 1749 has a black power switch pedal, while all the other plastics on it are white. None of this bothers me at all, given the age of both machines. I'm just fortunate they've received good care over the years so that they will likely give good service for the foreseeable future.

All of this leads me to the remaining question to be answered in this epilogue, which is whether putting the 1746 to rights, and unexpectedly acquiring the 1279, has allowed me to let go of the resentment I have felt toward my ex-wife, over having to give up my grandmother's Eureka Princess. I suppose time will tell, but at this juncture, I feel more peace around that subject than in the past. Since I began this project some five weeks ago, I've been far more focused on the here and now than on what transpired more than two decades ago. Forgiveness can be a relative term, but at least I'm at the point of not letting that incident have any further power over me. And that's progress, maybe not perfection, but definitely a huge step in the right direction.

I'll post some photos of the two completed machines together in the next day or so, when time permits.

 

[paul]

All's well that ends well—congrats on getting your replacement wands! I can understand your frustration and would have likely felt the same, yet maybe the wait as heightened your enthusiasm. I'm also glad that it seems to have at least in part brought you some relief from your past emotions. Indeed, as the saying goes, "Harboring unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to be harmed."

That's something that both of your Eurekas have been serviced at the same local shop and are equipped with the same style hose and plugs. Incidentally, your "mix-and-match" reminds me of a trend some time ago—I think in the Sixties—with dinnerware. I recall seeing something about that in an ad. I do appreciate when accessories are matching, but the main thing is that your vacuum cleaners are usable. My 1514-A has a mis-matched dusting brush, so I speak from experience. If I can get a white Eureka one to match for a couple bucks at a thrift store that would be great, but I'm not losing any sleep over it.

Regarding the second generation-style wands, they were introduced circa 1976 according to what I have read, so that is what both of your canisters would have originally had. The early power heads, too, were different in that their bottom plates were not secured with screws, and the hose inlet attachment was different with a side latch incorporated into the inlet for securing/releasing the hose rather than the more common fit & twist arrangement with the button release on the hose. I have never used the first generation style cord, but really like the quick change convenience of the second's smaller cord tracks.

Euphoric Eurekaing!

 

[human]

Yes, it's good to have this project finally completed and for both machines to be fully functional without having to swap parts back and forth. When I was testing out the power heads, I didn't bother to snap the cords into the retainer strips on the 1279's wands. When I finally decided to put the 1279 back together, that was the hardest part, quite painful to my fingertips. I had forgotten that about the Eureka I'd had previously, which also had the full-length retainer strips. The one-inch retainers on the new wands weren't that much easier, but at least it was a quicker process.

I know what you mean about mix-n-match tools. The set that came with the 1279 included an Electrolux-branded stubby four-inch crevice tool and one set has a square-headed dusting brush, while the other one's is round.

In pulling those two Eurekas out onto the deck for the quick photo shoot below (I had to sneak it in between thunder showers), I discovered that all three of my Eureka branded vacuums, including my Eureka 2091 upright were sold and serviced by the same local vacuum shop, although the upright still has its original plug.

Enjoy the photos...

 

[eurekaprince]

As much as I love Eureka, I was very dissapointed with the hose handles these Power Teams had. The original 1973 Roto-Matic Power Teams had a molded rubber hose handle that gave the user a safe and comfortable grip to hold on to while vacuuming. A few years after these cleaners debuted, Eureka got rid of that hose handle and replaced it with the cheaper set up you see on these machines. The only safe way to hold the handle on these is grasping the small plastic part at the end of the hose itself - the part where you plug in the power nozzle wire. If you grasp the handle further down on the metal part, it’s uncomfortable because you have to hold onto the electric cord at the same time.

It’s unbelievable that Eureka spent so much time on designing the rest of the vacuum but completely ignored how to make it comfortable for the user to grasp the hose handle. The problem would not be solved until 1985 when the Eureka Express arrived on the scene with its user-friendly gas-pump hose handle.

 

[human]

You'll never guess what showed up in my mailbox today. Another set of wands! Apparently, the ones that arrived Tuesday were the original pair sent out. One corner of that package, just a plastic envelope, had gotten torn and taped up, and the word "tape" was hand written on the shipping label. I still don't understand why that delayed delivery by ten days but this is USPS we're talking about. The package that arrived today had the same tracking number and date, so the seller reused the shipping label. I'm surprised they got away with that, but it explains why I didn't get a new tracking number.

@eurekaprince: I agree the Eureka hose handles from that era aren't the best design. It's really hard to improve on the Electrolux pistol grip handles that came out in that same time frame. That said, I don't find them particularly uncomfortable to hold onto. What I find most bizarre is the four-inch pigtail that the 1279 has. There's just no excuse for that when it would have been simpler, and doubtless cheaper, to simply equip the power head with a cord that's a few inches longer. The only thing I can figure is it was some sort of transitional design and the pigtail was a way to use up some existing power heads.

 

[rugsucker]

"--four inch pigtail--"--

--was probably needed and added after changing hoses.