Grandma still has Rainbow after all

[fan-of-fans]

My grandma used to have a Rainbow D4 ever since I was a kid. But a few years ago she had gotten a Bissell bagless upright (I forget what model). I know it was around 2012 because I'd gotten my Kenmore Progressive that year and she said she'd gotten a new vacuum too.

Well I hadn't seen that Rainbow whenever I'd go to her house since, and she had gotten wood floors so I figured she must have gotten rid of it. Because I don't think she vacuums much anymore other than mopping the floors.

But the other day she was talking about how she was doing a deep clean around the house and she had gotten out her Rainbow and had been using it.

So I was glad to hear she still has it and is putting it to use.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

My grandparents still have their 1975 Rainbow D2 to this day... in this case, though, they are the second owners of the machine (since the mid-1980s).

~Ben

 

[firebirdman55]

Ben,

I’ve been thinking of looking into a Rainbow like that. Is this still their daily driver? How do they hold up?

 

[human]

It's funny how things disappear only to resurface later. I've got an Electrolux 1205 that spent almost 20 years in my parents' attic until I discovered it when they were downsizing.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Firebirdman55

Nate,

As far as I know, no... they alternate between the three metal uprights they have: the 1985 Kirby Heritage II, the 1994 Royal 882 and the 2011 Kirby Sentria.

~Ben

 

[rivstg1]

firebirdman55

I'd say Rainbow's hold up beautifully, I've had my E2 black since brand new in 2012 and was my daily driver till mid 2018 when I became a kirby guy.  I also use my D4 SE (1986) and it works just great as well.    I'd encourage you to explore getting one!


 


Kelton

 

[fan-of-fans]

Didn't D4SE come in 1990 I thought?

 

[kenkart]

Rainbows

Hold up only as well as they are taken care of, if the owner is very particular and a fastidious person, they last as long as anything, but if they are a hit and miss type of housekeeper and don't go by the book on cleaning and maintaining it,,,they wont be around long.

 

[rivstg1]

fan of fans

that might have been the year it came out with the new pn2 power nozzle. I've taken my apart and found the dates of 1985 and 86 ( prob left over parts from '85)

 

[fan-of-fans]

If I recall right the main difference was the SE had the direct connect hose with gas pump handle and also they introduced the mini power nozzle then. So dates on parts on machine might be earlier, since it was mostly the hose that changed.

But 1986 would be plain D4 machine with separate PN cord run up the hose to machine and curved metal handle.

Pretty sure PN2 came out in 1996 with the Performance Edition.

 

[rivstg1]

Fan o fans

Your last msg motivated me to go look at my machine again. It is an SE and the date inside the machine show ‘85 & ‘86 so isn’t that logical that hose number represent the most resaonsablw dates to use??

 

[fan-of-fans]

This site gives the date code info:
https://myrainbowsystem.com/rainbow-serial-number/

Also for what it's worth, Rainbow's website states the D4 was introduced in 1986.
http://rainbowsystem.com/about-us/our-history/

Wikipedia shows the SE V1 came in 1990 and V2 (which I would assume is the Performance Edition) came in 1994. So I was wrong on the date for that second one.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rexair