Free Royal Upright today

[dartman]

Well I have many automatic searched set fir things I need or want on Craigslist and eBay. Last night I saw one that basically said Royal commercial vacuum with extra bags and belts and a old CRT HDTV.
So I emailed the poster asking how much he wanted for the machine seeing how no price was stated. This morning he replied back that OH, it's free as my wife wanted a newer lightweight vacuum and if you want it let me know, it comes with bags and belts and runs excellent.
I basically said free is a great price etc and I'll head out as soon as I'm ready.
I showed up and he answered the door before I knocked and had the machine in his hands with the new bags and belts inside the bag. We talked a while about vacs and life and he said he used to work for a division of Powells Books out here that they closed and were going to just throw the vac away so he asked if he could have it and they let him take it home. They used it about 15 years but now the whole house has hardwood floors so wife wanted a easier to deal with machine that likes bare floors better. He figured it was still a great machine and didn't want to just junk it either and figured hopefully somebody that would appreciate the monster would get it and it would live on forever.
I have almost bought several similar machines that came up but distance and money, even if cheap, are a consideration but this one was pretty close to me and free
So here it is in all it's faded glory.
It truly does seem to run like new, has several older Starks Vacuum service sticker on it and the weird commercial Panther bag that may be what it was sold as or one that fits. It did groom my carpet great and makes a kind of humming noise with the belt or something as it rolls grooming the carpet which I spose is normal.
I couldn't find the original model sticker but it probably is there somewhere as I'm used to their canister vacs which I really like and have a couple of.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

dartman

Terry,

I recognize that Panther bag (Panther was the brand name used by the National Sanitary Supply Company of Los Angeles, CA)! The NSSC actually sold versions of the Royal commercial uprights models 654, 655, 660, 662, 680 and 682 in the 1987-90 period, but with "NS" added to the model #; the color of the bag on those machines was blue.

The black one yours has probably was from a model 655, 656, 670, 671, 672, 673, 690, 691, 692 or 693 or even the drop-in motor models 1010, 1020, 1030, 1040 or 1050. All of these would have the "NS" suffix in the model number.

The cleaner itself, however, is a Stark Deluxe model 5700, same as the Royal Classic model 9700.

Yes, the humming noise you describe is coming from the brush roll assembly, which is a double row type with stiffeners (part no. 2-802259-000 if square ends, or 2-673274-000 if with hex ends).

~Ben[this post was last edited: 2/25/2018-21:34]

 

[dartman]

Hey, thanks for the info, I'll poke around google and learn more. I've been kinda wanting a upright to complete my collection plus my 4650 I finally broke the little pigtail that goes from the wand into the power head so I've been working on my older 4.3 413 power tank to try and do my heavy duty vacuuming.

 

[jpsbgt]

You have to love free ! Nice looking machine

 

[dartman]

Yeah I don't get that lucky often but it's great when it happens. I did finally find the factory build sticker and of course it agrees with everything Ben says. Nice to get lucky and get their older top of the line machine and bags are even cheaper than the 4650 canister bags are. Also it's a bit simpler machine so parts, cords and belts should be available longer. I have problems finding about anything for the 4650 even though it's the best one I've ever used as far as a Royal version goes. I guess there's a taped up spot on the cord but he said the outer cover was split but wires inside were fine so he taped it up.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

dartman

Terry,

May I ask you: what is the serial number for this model 5700? I do know, though, that it will be a 1991 model.

Example: B91076746A (B91 = February 1991)

It will also most likely have the brush roll assembly with the square ends (part no. 2-802259-000).

Thank you,



Ben

 

[dartman]

OK, a couple more shots, one of the data tag, other the brush roll. It does have 91 stamped on the power head case too so I figured it's a 91 and I think the newest service sticker is from 05. If you can't see it well enough I can post the numbers.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

dartman

Terry,

The date code I see says your 5700 was made in November 1991. It would originally have had the mauve Scafitex outer bag reading STARK DELUXE on the front.
(attached picture by vinvac)

I can see the original factory sleeve-bearing brush roll, too!

~Ben

 

[lesinutah]

Ben

Hey
I found belt installer thanks.
Today I got my royal prince belts. You said there was a specific way to install regarding writing on belt or something like that. Could you explain once more. I want to start her up today but not with belt on incorrectly.
Les

 

[human]

I had a time putting a belt on my Royal Prince the first time. Being left-handed, I kept wanting to make the 90-degree twist from the brush roll to the motor shaft the wrong way and it would throw the belt off as soon as I turned the thing on. I didn't have a belt installer tool at the time and was just using a large flat-blade screwdriver. I have since gotten the proper tool and it works much better. It made me realize what an elegant system the Kirby belt lifter is.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Lesinutah

Les,

On the Royal metal uprights and the Prince, insert your belt lifter tool into the opening at left (at about the 7 o'clock position), then grab the belt with the lip of the tool and twist the belt clockwise around the motor shaft. When installed, the front of the belt should face you.

~Ben

 

[lesinutah]

Ben

Thank you
Les

 

[dartman]

Thanks for all the info and pics. It makes sense they may have swapped out the bag considering they were cleaning a large building and probably used what they had on hand or they could easily get to keep it going. My car has all kinds of parts from newer and older versions that would fit or were stronger and better than what it was built with.
If I can't find the pigtail for that 4650 I'll make a bypass cord for that part or something. A member here says he has a couple that will work but don't think he's made it to the post office yet.
Right now I just want to use it along with my other machines but might be fun to get the right parts and pretty it up again someday.

 

[kirby519]

@dartman

In the second picture it looks like there is a brush roll performance indicator or is that something else?

 

[dartman]

It's a led that lights up as long as the roll is turning and it still works.
My sister was showing my mom the machine and they were checking out the bag and mom noticed the bag had fallen off the feed tube it plugs into. I guess I missed the notches or at least the bottom one and it just blew off. It took me a while to figure out how to get it over and locked in properly but last I checked it was finally locked on and not blowing back off. I don't remember ever dealing with bags on the kirbys we used to have so no clue how they worked till I got this one. This things moves a lot of air and you can feel it around the bag and I looked around for holes in both bags and I think they are good.
I also found out mom still has the Anthony James/Tristar canister I remember from the late 70s early 80s and hasn't gotten it out of the closet in years. She just bought a Costco Shark upright. I told her the Tristar was a better vacuum old and used then the new Shark, at least she saved it all these years.
Anyways any tricks or things to check on the bag setup on these things besides making sure it's actually locked on over the tabs