First Compact

[s31463221]

Good morning everyone! So I ended up placing a bid on Shopgoodwill.com for a vintage compact vacuum cleaner. I've never owned one so I thought it might make a nice addition to the collection, and being a mostly Electrolux collector, it only seemed natural to add a compact to the mix! Anyway I got this thing for a reasonable price and am excited to get it in so I can try it out! I don't think it has it's full complement of attachments, but there are several included and a fairly neat storage box, so I think I will like it!

So, now compact/tristar experts, what do you know about these models, I don't have a model number yet, but here's a photo of it and I'll update with model # as soon as it arrives!

 

[dysonman1]

C-4 from 1958

 

[s31463221]

Thanks Tom!

I didn't realize it was that old!

 

[danemodsandy]

Well....

It looks like the photo leaves a little room for doubt; I think there's a chance it could also be a C-5, manufactured from around 1961 to around 1970.

The big visible difference in a C-4 and a C-5 is that a C-5 has three casters - one swivel caster at the front and two stationary ones at the rear. A C-4 has two stationary casters at the rear and two molded-in feet at the front.

If you will look at your photo, a wand is laid beside the vac in such a way that it's not possible to see the area where there would be a third caster.

You did very well to find one so complete; Compact/TriStar tools can cost a bunch of money to replace, especially those cast-aluminum floor and rug tools. The bristle strips in those tools, as well as the bristles in the dusting brush, are replaceable, TriStar Canada has them.

The plastic floor tool shown is not a TriStar part; it's something someone threw in with the vacuum.

If you need parts, TriStar Canada is easier to deal with than TriStar in the U.S.; TriStar Canada will take a parts order direct and ship it to you. TriStar U.S. refers you to a service center that must order the part from TriStar and then ship it to you once they receive it. A link to TriStar Canada is below:

http://www.tristarvacuumscanada.com

 

[danemodsandy]

P.S.:

It's pretty sure Tom is right, and that's a C-4, but I was hedging my bets because of that wand in the way.

Whatever it is, you did well.

 

[s31463221]

Sandy

Thank you, here's another closer photo of the unit, I believe based on your description of the two, it is a C-4. That wand is still in the way but it looks like a c-4 perhaps! I ended up having the winning bid of $7.99 plus shipping of course, but I figured if it run at all, it would be worth that!

 

[kirbylux77]

Steve...you got a great find there! $7.99 for a vintage Compact with most of it's tools, storage chest & spare bags is a GREAT price!! And what really makes this one special, which I am surprised hasn't been mentioned yet, is you have one of the short-lived flattop bag cover models. The hose points out at an angle from the top, rather than from the front like most Tristar & Compacts do, this was an attempt to improve it's airflow as the bag fills. Unfortunately, it also made the vacuum more tippy, so be careful when you use it on it's first cleaning in your home.

Enjoy your new find....Rob

 

[danemodsandy]

Definitely a C-4:

I missed the flat-top bag door; that nails Tom's identification of the machine.

SEVEN BUCKS? You will have to pay more than that to replace a bristle strip on one of the tools, LOL.

You did very well indeed!

 

[hydralique]

C4 and C5

The rear wheel area of the lower casting clearly identifies the OP's Compact as being pre-C5. His machine has a very beautiful curve at the front of the rear wheel skirt; it appears that the skirt is an integral part of the design. Starting with the C-5 the skirt shape was changed to one that is much more vertical as seen on the C-5 below. This skirt shape lasted until the last of the original design Tristars.

The second skirt design features wider rear wheels which is nice but IMO the earlier design is much prettier. Starting with the C-8 the side vents (that came out on the C-4) disappeared in favor of the single vertical outlet. The flattop C-4 is arguably the most beautiful Compact with the pretty wheel skirts and vents, although the C-2 has a nice design purity.

As with any discussion involving the C-5 it must be mentioned that Tristar's own history poster misidentifies the C-5 as a C-6; the C-4 has two rear wheels, the C-5 one front castor and two rear wheels, and C-6 and later have two front castors and two rear wheels.

 

[suckolux]

Lovely!

 

[kenkart]

The first flat lid..

Is this one, introduced in 1957, Tom is right the green one is a 58, I think they went back to the regular lid in 59, here is my 57.

 

[kenkart]

Mine is..

A mid year model, the very first flat lid had a suction adjustor on the hose.here is the box.

 

[kenkart]

1957

20th Anniversary.