Handy Way

VacuumLand – Vintage & Modern Vacuum Enthusiasts

Help Support VacuumLand:

The bags for the Royal Pony vacuum might fit, or possibly Air-Way, though I'm not familiar with the latter. That looks like a Metropolitan vacuum that was possibly re-branded.
 
It is an Air-Way!!

I have the new Air-Way (or rather my mom) and it looks EXACTLY like it except our's is matte black, and this is chrome. The handle, the, well, EVERYTHING is like that of the new Air-Way. Interesting...

Kyle
 
Rocketwarrior:
Are you sure you need the tank part. I have a gold HandyWay, just like yours but gold in color with chrome end bells. I would LOVE to have the chrome one like yours with the attachments. If you do indeed HAVE to use the chrome body, could I get the hose and tools from you. Yes, it IS an Air-Way design (priscilla) from the 1960's but made by Handy Way Corp, which is now out of business. Could we trade the chrome one for my gold one? Let me know please.

Tom G.
 
Handy Way was started by former Air-Way sales people. Later the company was purchased by Air-Way, and continues as the Air-Way Sani-Clean. This is the lighter weight less costly companion to the Air-Way Sanitizor we all know and love. And yes, they both use the same disposable bags. I am an Air-Way dealer, and, although I primarily sell the Anniversary Edition, I sell a few Sani-Cleans. Other dealers sell only the Sani-Clean. Air-Way offers six different models, based on two different cleaners. There is the Best Value, a Sani-Clean with attachments, but no Power Nozzle, for homes without carpet, the Sani-Clean, which includes a Douglas (low cost) Power Nozzle, and the New Century, a Sani-Clean with the better CenTec Power Nozzle (with geared belt, headlight, and quick release). Then there is the Sanitizor Mark V, in black and white, with the Douglas Power Nozzle. The Centurion is the same cleaner but with the CenTec Power Nozzle. The Anniversary Edition replaces the white upper section with one painted a beautiful purple, the same color, and in honor of, the original Air-Way Sanitizor, the pre-WWII Model 55. This machine was originally suggested to Air-Way President Steve Tomberlin by our own Tom Gasko. It was originally intended only for Air-Ways 80th Anniversary year, 2000, but customers and dealers like it so well it has continued as a regular model.
 
Do you know of Air-Way Vacuums in Birmingham, AL?

That is my local vac shop. They haven't started selling the Centurion, but I can't wait until they do! They have gotten the new 3M Filtrete bags, though!
 
Destruction

Status: I removed the motor and other internals. I cut the canister about 5 inches shorter. I cut off the hose attachment collar and cut the remaining hole larger and off center. I am locating other parts and hope to start assembly of (you have to guess) soon.

http://www.goodfirm.com/marksart
 
Karl doesn't like my assemblages! I'm crushed.

Karl, so, like, how much would you pay for the Handy Way? If I encounter an "interesting" machine, I let the club know - so I don't "carve up" something pretty special. No one bit on the Handy Way -- (and when a member wants something I encounter, I usually trade or something - never sell). From what I can tell, there are plenty of vintage vacs - sold an XXX lately? A compact without parts?

I think that people like myself, and Jimmy Descant, "value add" by multiples and we are recycling at the same time.

So, you wanted the Handy Way? I doubt it. Stay tuned for pics of this thing when I am done. And look at my link (and Jimmy Descant's) - you don't like what we are doing?




















http://www.goodfirm.com/marksart
 
Let me put it this way, in my garage sits a 1921 Ford Model T. I bought it from the owner under the premise that I would not "chop it up" or turn it into a hot rod. It got a dignified restoration, and is now all original. My job here is not to make sour grapes. I am a purist. I like to keep things as I find them, or restore them. To me, it just seems wrong to rip the motors or alter these vintage vacs, because that is now one less machine that a collector can enjoy for historical purposes. It would be better to leave the machines in your artwork intact. I don't dislike your artwork, quite the contrary.
As for the Handy Way, I was under the assumption this was a somewhat rare machine. I've never heard of one. In my collection sits two Air-Way 55's that someone gutted, painted and used as umbrella stands. Totally useless....
 
Purist - Give me a Break

Leave aside the Handy-Way, People have been giving me vintage vacs for years. And the most I have ever paid for one is $25 (and that was as a favor to the seller - usually it is $0 to $15). That's the market value, for an incomplete machine and for most machines with a pile of attachments. Y'all aren't exactly big spenders. A friend of mine in town handled an estate sale for a collector. I took about 6 Air-Way 88's and he tossd more than that in the dumptster. If I had not, there would have been 6 more in the dumpster! Would a "purist" touch a compact that has sucked water and has no attachments? No way, garbage. But I turned one into an open wheel racer and it would piss me off big time if someone only bid $100 at a charity acution. I sold a miserable XXX and three chrome toasters (I value added, of course) in 1990 for $750. That was a market test. I don't sell my pieces - not yet. Now and then someone talks me into donating a piece for charity - I usually regret it because I would rather give them to my grandsons and just write the charity a check for $100 instead. Like I said, if I come across something of interest I let the club know. No takers - then it is fair game to chop up, cut up or just toss in the dumpster.
I have a sweet XXX in an ottoman that I will trade you even up for that Model T -- not the same, is it? Okay, okay that was silly. I'll trade you the Mighty Maid for the T. No? Charles Lester on another thread asked the club for some XXX faces for Jimmy Descant - your blood boiling? I didn't catch your response to Charles.
I am wrong, of course, to let you get under my skin. I feel I have been respectul to the club interests but I am not going to let anyone tell me this thing is some public treasure that I am obligated to preserve for the greater good of humanity. Give me break.

http://www.goodfirm.com/marksart
 
Tom, the attachments are Yours

Tom, sorry so late to respond to your post - frankly, I missed it pure and simple. In a way, I am sort of glad I did because if I had seen it earlier I would have been in a devil of a quandry about whether to cut it up or not. ...and then Karl is ragging me (I know, I know, I am over reacting - I'll calm down).
Anyway, I really, really (in my value system) need the chrome. I put some time into the piece tonight. I will email you "off thread" about the attachments.
 
Parts is parts.......

I've parted out many vintage vacs. I have literally a vacuum bone yard in the old hayloft in my barn. 600+ machines and that's being conservative. I regulary take switches, handles and other various parts off of these to help myself and others complete a better machine for their collection. I have Lux 30's stacked like firewood up there. Many others too. The problem I find with the 30's is they rust thru on the bottom due to damp dirt in the bag. These vacs are useless and unrestorable, but yield many good parts.

My point here is that parts just are not made for vintage, and in some cases, newer vacuums and you need doners for parts to fix and restore others.

I had a guy call for a Dial-A-Matic part and was kinda bothered that I was stripping it off an old machine. Again, these "klunkers" donate parts to a good cause.

Using cars as an analogy, most people restoring vintage cars, usually have a parts car or know where to find one. You can't go to a Ford dealer and get a grill for a '56 Crown Victoria. Another Crown Victoria has to give her's up.

Rocket Warrior, as soon as things let up a bit around the farm here, I'm going to go thru the Luxes, Compacts and others and let you know what I have to offer for your work. I need to thin out and make room for more older machines. Like the auto junkyards, you have to send stuff to the crusher to make room for more.

Joe
 

Similar threads

amtraksebo1997
Kirby Accessories are kinda weird
2
Replies
35
Views
52
tolivac
T
amtraksebo1997
I kind of want to get a car wash vacuum for my collection.
2
Replies
25
Views
61
amtraksebo1997
amtraksebo1997
amtraksebo1997
Had these ideas floating around in my head.
Replies
0
Views
13
amtraksebo1997
amtraksebo1997
kirbyman65
The Handi-sweep
Replies
4
Views
6
ohiokirby
O
kirbyclassiciii
A Tip on Using Kirby 301291 Belts w/Older Machines
Replies
10
Views
12
kirbyclassiciii
kirbyclassiciii

Latest posts

Back
Top