Help! I bought yet another Kirby!!!

[human]

If there were a Vacuholics Anonymous, I'd be picking up a white chip at the next meeting for sure. I needed another Kirby like I need another hole in my head but I just couldn't help myself.

I was on my way to a friend's for dinner and found I had a little time on my hands and the Goodwill store where I found the Sanitaire a few weeks ago was on the way, so I wheeled in for a quick walkthrough and was feeling pretty good about myself because I wasn't seeing anything to tempt me to open my wallet. But then I got to the vacuum cleaners and lurking behind a bunch of ugly plasticrap vacs that no one in their right mind would want was the prettiest, shiniest Kirby Heritage II Legend you'd ever want to see and the prettiest part of all was the price tag, which was just $15! At that price, I just couldn't leave it behind.

Not surprisingly, it has a full bag and a bad belt but what is most surprising is the cord is missing. Yeah, I know. That's why it was so cheap. The only thing I can figure is whoever donated the thing must have kept the cord, cut off the end that plugs into the machine and made a drop cord out of it. I'll be testing it tomorrow with the cord from the Legend II and if all goes well, I'll be shopping for a new one that will doubtless set me back more than the machine itself did.

Right now, it's late, I'm tired and I have to get up early in the morning so I'm going to leave the testing until tomorrow and I'll post photos once I've inspected it further.

I really do need help...

 

[huskyvacs]

You're lucky, I have never found a Kirby at my Goodwill. I got all mine on eBay that I have now for $40 or around that. BUT this was before the USPS increased their dimensional rates. Nowadays getting a Kirby on eBay is a thing of the past, like $60-$90 for shipping alone!

I just have a 1CR as my oldest, a Heritage II, a G3 as just the motor, a G5, a G6 2001 Edition, a Ultimate G ($2 grand bought new from Kirby salesman), and a Sentria. My local ReStore was using a G4 to clean the entry rugs for awhile (they will put the vacuum for sale when the bag has filled to the maximum) but it disappeared quickly after that and never got a chance to buy it.

 

[rivstg1]

Nice story

I enjoyed your tale of plunging in, again, to the Kirby madness ( ala reafer madness from the 1950's)

 

[human]

After starting this thread last night, I just couldn't wait for today to see how she ran, so after brushing my teeth, I grabbed the red cod off of the Legacy II and fired the Heritage II up. I was very pleased to see how well it runs. When I got further into the machine a little while ago, I found it held a couple more surprises for me. Once I took the nozzle off to replace the belt, I was taken aback to see how pristine the nozzle housing was, inside and out. There is absolutely zero crud on the inside, virtually no battle scars on the outside and there isn't even a paint scuff on the rubber bumper. The wheels also show almost no wear. But the biggest surprise came when I peeked into the fan housing and spied a white Amodel fan. There's only one possible conclusion I can make: It's been rebuilt. Whether it was a factory or third party rebuild is anybody's guess but you just don't find a 30+ year old Kirby in that condition every day.

The missing power cord is still a bit of a conundrum but not a deal killer. I have one on order and it will be here later this week. Under other circumstances, I might have gone with a second hand cord and saved a four or five bucks but I decided this machine deserved a brand new one for the modest difference in price.

I don't have time to do it today, but I'm going to have fun putting a spit polish on it.

 

[suckolux]

Nice one Edgar! I'm in love.

 

[human]

A few more photos...

So I was getting ready to put the red cord back on the Legend II when I got the bright idea to take a couple of family photos of the two siblings. For the last photo, just for fun, I was going to put the red Legend II bag, which is presently wearing black Heritage II Legend plastics, on the machine. I never could unhook the Heritage II's bag from the top of the handle, so I decided just to drape the red bag over the gray one to get an idea of what it might look like. I kind of like the look, so a swap might be ultimately be in order, but not today.

 

[kirbyklekter]

Professor,

This is great! Though not of your doing, you lost your Kirby and within a few weeks you've got two to replace the first.Sucha deal! I had trouble unhooking my Heritage bag too. Just twist the emptor off the machine and you can raise the bag up and off the hook a bit easier, congrats!

 

[human]

Yes, I always tend to go overboard. Since losing the Heritage 1HD in September, I've acquired a total of three vacuums--the two Kirbys and the Sanitaire. The funny thing about the one I picked up yesterday is that it needed a cord because the cord on the one I lost also needed replacing. Either way, I would have been buying a cord.

 

[human]

All polished up!

It's a pleasant, sunny afternoon here in the Piedmont, so I decided to pull the Heritage II Legend out on the deck for some polishing, not that it needed a whole lot in that department. When I got finished, the late afternoon sun was hitting it just perfect so I had to show it off gleaming in the sunlight. While I had it apart, I went ahead and threw the red Legacy II bag on it and I really like the look. It picks up the red accents on the body of the vacuum. I think Kirby missed the boat on both this machine and the Legacy II with the monochromatic color schemes. I've got a cord ordered and it should be here Thursday. It cost a little more than I paid for the vacuum cleaner but it's worth it.

 

[texaskirbyguy]

Legend looks great and was a steal for the price! It may have had a bad cord and was discarded. Did you check all around for the attachments? Sometimes they are back in another aisle of housewares. This happened with my G6. Might be worth a revisit...
I am glad I see few Kirbys at thrift stores as I would be getting them all. Always plasticrap though and I look past them. Thrift stores are a bad habit for me and I never leave empty handed...

 

[kirbyklekter]

Pride of ownership

is what collecting is all about! Some collectors have "spa day" for their machines. All you need now is a strip of red carpet for a "red carpet event!" I forgot to ask you what kind of inner bag are you using with these? Having different fans do they sound notably different running side by side?

 

[human]

I looked for the attachments but didn't see them. This store is pretty good about keeping the cleaners and their attachment kits together, usually with about a mile and a half of cling wrap. I bought a Gsix there a few years ago that had a complete set of tools bundled with it like a cellophane mummy.

I agree. I rarely see a worthwhile vacuum at a thrift store. The past month has been unusually fruitful with two really nice machines for dirt cheap prices: a $10 Eureka Sanitaire SC686 last month and this Kirby last weekend. I can go literally years without seeing that many good vacs at the thrift stores around here.

 

[human]

Now that I have the red Legend II bag on the Heritage II, I'm running genuine Kirby G3 paper bags in both machines. They were my last two genuine Kirby bags. The bag I took off the Heritage II has an Envirocare paper bag in it. I've got a huge stack of those.

I haven't been able to run the Legend II and the Heritage side by side because I only have one cord for the two machines. That will be remedied later in the week when the cord for the Heritage arrives. That said, I did have the impression when I ran the Heritage II that it was a bit quieter than the Legend II. I'll be see if that impression was correct.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

nice

job!

 

[suckolux]

I love the look size and color of those machines very nice

 

[human]

The mail just came and the cord was in it. Now the Heritage II is complete.

 

[lesinutah]

Nice

The thrift store I seen a sanitairre 667 blue line edition and a heritage legend. I have a 667 sanitairre and the one they had looked trashed. The heritage was on good condition. It had a new brushroll and bag.
In last 5 weeks I've got a 518 in excellent condition, tradition in fair condition, and classic 3 2cb in excellent condition.
I didn't get heritage or sanitairre.
I don't know how many heritage's I have. It's 6 to 8 range.
The heritage 2 legend 2 is my favorite heritage model.
Glad to see you made lemonade out of situation. The Kirby bug is contagious.
The vacuums look great.
Les

 

[human]

Les--sounds like you've been having pretty good luck where you are. Sometimes when I go into a thrift shop, I find other things like the HP workgroup laser printer I picked up for $13.50 with my educator discount last Tuesday. It's total overkill for my needs but the price was better than right. I'm thinking I might need to stay away from thrift shops for a while. Don't want to be pushing my luck.

 

[kirbyklekter]

I figured it out

Day after day, I sit here turning green with envy at all the great vacs people pull out of the thrift stores. I walk past the steam irons, I think the 5 that I have will see me through this life time. Who irons anymore? Don't need a wall clock with the hour hand missing, and look there's a jig saw puzzle and you KNOW all the pieces are there. Here's the rub, the S.F. Bay Area is one of the most expensive places to live in the country. Lot's of big houses and not so big also. Lot's of cleaning people make a decent living here, good ones are in demand. There are many many independent cleaners who either go to the big box stores with a hundred dollar bill or make the rounds at the thrift stores, scooping up the good vacs to replace their plasti-crap vacs. Use up and toss is their mantra. I would have to work at a thrift to even have a shot at a decent vacuum cleaner, so I digress. My cap is 50 and I've held the line,but if I chance upon a pampered Heritage II Legend,...thanks for reading this, I feel better and I'll settle up with the receptionist on my way out. Have you had the chance to do a side by side sound comparison on the Kirby siblings?