Heritage 2

[danielsand]

This morning, I used my newly acquired Heritage 2 for the fist time. It was restored, and some pieces were missing (scuff plate, and hubcaps), and being as anal as I am, I didn't want to use it until it was complete. It was finally completed last night.

I was AMAZED! It's way quieter than Omega (my DD up to this point), easier to maneuver (due to slightly wider rear axle), and I think my Omega will be jealous in the future. This thing rocks! (and you Mitchell were right, I love it!).

There is only one thing that bothers me about it,......plastic emtor!

Is there a "conversion kit" of some sort that would have metal emtor, outfitted with the plastic tube, and retain the usage of disposable bags? Or do I have to source a metal emtor, and weld (?) a plate with the "spout" that would accept the tube? I'm afraid to weld (although I'm capable) because it might discolor the aluminum. Did anyone attempt to do this in the past? And do you think that "cold welding" (epoxy) might work?

Please chime in if you have experience in this endeavor.

Other than that,.....I'm VERY pleased with it's performance/looks, and I won't be parting with it in any foreseeable future.

Thanx.

 

[rugsucker]

Kirbys

There are no bad Kirbys but many prefer the Sanitronic styles and then the Heritage styles with the Her II with gray bag being even better the the 1st Her with orange bag.One reason the II is better IS the plastic emptor.The first had a metal insert to connect to vac,the second and later improved was all plastic.I would use a Her II or Legend with the newer & better filtration paper bags and a good original emptor that should give no problem with careful or normal use.

 

[bnsd60m9200]

you have three options.

1.a heritage I sani emtor which has the filltube but have a garish grey sani emtor.

2. finding a heritage II sani emtor and search for quite some time for a heritage II shakeout bag (both are VERY rare and extremely hard to find. it took me a year and a half to find both pieces and one came from kansas the other in a vacuum shop pick in fergerson, MO)

3. find am all metal sani emtor, lob the top off your mini emtor to the sani emtor shape (lots of sanding required here) and expoxy the mim emtor lid into the sani emtor top. welding will be entirely too hot for this aluminum and far beyond overkill.

id go for no 3. if you want a bag setup albiet not an original sani emtor to that model.
me personally i dont like kirby's paper bag system, even in the heritage series it restricts airflow too much and the classic III and later dump bags dont leak anyways. i looked for a year and a half to find the sani emtor and original dump bag for my heritage II because i wanted it for use to replace that stupid airflow restriction IE filltube/ paper bag

 

[danielsand]

I appreciate your response. Could you please elaborate on your statement that plastic emtor, is what makes H2 a better vac? I dislike plastic, and one of the reasons I am attracted to older Kirbys, is the minimal amount of plastic on them.

I realize that it's not a "problem" per se, and it will last longer than me (with normal use, and no abuse), but just for looks. Those metal emtors on the older machines (when all polished up), sure look nice. At this point, it's all about aesthetics (for me!), and not the functionality.

 

[danielsand]

The question here is,......"to customize, or not". I know purists will cringe to any modifications, but since I am not a serious collector, it doesn't matter to me. I do have the old plastic emtor (with the broken connector collar) that I could cut up. I also have a spare Omega emtor (bought a complete motor unit for parts) that I could epoxy the top of the plastic emtor into.

Since you said that you waited a long time to find the right setup, I will assume that standard H2 outer bag will NOT fit on Omega emtor? Is the opening on the Omega bag bigger than what's stock on H2? (I have them both here, and I guess I could check). They look so similar, it's hard to see if they would fit, without trying.

I know that I prefer the airflow of the shakeout setup, but wife WILL NOT empty the shakeout bag ("disgusting"!)! She can vacuum with disposable bags, and I'll stick with Omega. For a quick "once over", disposable bags are nice, and no worries about picking up some dog kibbles (for example), and stink up the shakeout bag.

 

[rugsucker]

Kirbys

The plastic emptor is only one of many reasons the Her styles are better.Others include wheel/axle as you have seen,2 speed safety switch moving into motor housing,less metal on rug nozzle,better fill tube and more.As above you could easily snap on a Her 1 bag assy and even paint or polish the gray emptor.But with the Her II emptor Kirby made the transition from all using(dirty,nasty)shake out bags to many using paper bags and then almost all using paper bags with better fill tube.The plastic emptor improves the air path with no possible leaks at swing down door and less bulk & weight and the bag filtration has been improved since Style 3 bags.
Again there are no bad Kirbys or combinations but if you have a good plastic emptor,fill tube with no cracks(simple to find & replace) and better, newer bags you and your pet hair may like it.

 

[suckolux]

I think the disposable bag is also some of the reason its quieter? Much noise in my feeling comes through the shakeout bag, they even sound different when fresh cleaned. Great air flow, yes!

 

[danielsand]

Thank you gentlemen. One last question.......will all "newer/better" bags fit on H2 tube (currently using "Style 3")? If only some will fit, can you specify which ones should I get for this machine?

 

[matty]

You can change the fill tube head to accept the newer bags.

 

[sptyks]

Keep in mind there is a rear axle modification if you plan to go with the older metal sani-emptor.


 


Also, if you use the plastic sani-emptor, keep in mind that the airflow will be reduced if you use paper bags, so it's best to use the newer HEPA cloth filteret inner bags for maximum airflow and suction. These cloth HEPA bags fit both old and new style fill tubes.


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 

 

[danielsand]

Thank you. I'll get the ample supply of newer HEPA bags. I ordered only three "Style 3" bags, when I was purchasing parts for it (just to try). I know about the rear axle. Like I said, I have extra Omega motor unit, that I purchased for parts, and the axle off of that should do nicely, along with Omega emtor.

Thank you all.