Hi everybody! I just want to share my vacuum collection with you all!

[broomvac]

Hello fellow vacuum collectors!

After enjoying seeing many of the fantastic vacuums shared here on Vacuumland, I thought I would share with you all my vacuum collection. It has changed a lot since the last time I shared many of my machines with you all. This collection is modest compared to many of the masterpiece collections many members here possess, but my machines make me happy nevertheless!

I hope you enjoy the pictures and little stories of each vacuum. Hopefully this won't upset people here, but I will post one reply per vacuum cleaner so I can give a short description with each picture.

So, without further ado, let's get started! Rather than begin with "A" for Aerus, or "B" for Bosch, how about we pick "K" for Kirby?

This is my Kirby Heritage I, given by my local Kirby service center and converted by me to accept the twist-on Kirby bags.

 

[broomvac]

Heritage II

Next up is the Heritage I's younger sister, the Heritage II. I put an aluminum fan in this one since the metal ones are supposed to be the bee's knees! This cleaner was a five-dollar-find.

 

[broomvac]

Generation 5

My Generation 5 was another five-dollar-find. When I came across it, the G5 came only with a grey elephant's trunk rather than it's nozzle. For the longest time, I couldn't find a suitable nozzle that was worth it...until last week! The nozzle I found for it is currently in the garage and about to receive "the treatment" so it will be nice and clean, just like the rest of the machine.

 

[broomvac]

Generation Six 2000

Craigslist led me to this Kirby Generation Six 2000. The aluminum and trim have seen better days, but the mechanicals haven't aged a day!

I also have a (much lower mileage) GSix 2001 edition boxed up in storage.

 

[broomvac]

Concept I U3317

How about some Hoovers? Here is a five-dollar-find Hoover Concept One Model U3317, featuring power drive, power surge, cord winder, headlight, air freshener, etc...

The machine is good now, but let me tell you, it took work to get it to this state. Two Concept Ones and one Concept Two gave their lives for this U3317. I also replaced the fan-side ball bearing and lubed the belt-side roller bearing to make it sound smooth(er). Concepts are not exactly known for being quiet though, lol! I like this model better than others since it is well optioned and has a cloth bag rather than a vinyl bag.

 

[broomvac]

Hoover C1403

Next up, the Hoover C1403. This is basically a commercial Hoover Elite 200 with a few different details. The C1403 preceded the C1404. Want to learn more about this cleaner? Check out the link below to my thread talking about this machine.

http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?34230

 

[broomvac]

Hoover Air

My third Hoover is the original Hoover Air upright--the non-steerable model. Pardon the dirt in the canister; I reach for the Hoover Air to clean out any new additions to my collection. This little guy was a five-dollar-find from out of town!

 

[broomvac]

Sanitaire S661

My Sanitaire S661 Professional Blue Line is the only vacuum cleaner I have ever purchased online. At first, I regretted my decision.

The previous owner really tore this one up. He or she must have vacuumed up something quite hard and exploded the fan, because the fan was in bits and the vacuum's base was totaled.

After I told the Ebay seller about the state of the cleaner, he/she refunded me completely and told me I shouldn't bother returning it. After a new 7-amp "plastic" motor, fan, spindle, motor gasket, base, and Vibra-groomer II, this one turned out very nicely. I just love the sound!

 

[broomvac]

Dirt Devil Broom Vacs Model 702

Here are my (almost) twin Dirt Devil Broom Vacs, both model 702. Strangely, although both are the same model, they have many differences. Early is on the left and later is on the right. The bags, front covers, wheels, model information sticker materials, and other details are different between these two. I also used to have a Broom Vac model 712, but it became an organ donor for these two.

I don't know why I love these so much, since they seem so delicate and I can't say they deep-clean well. There's just some charm about these little cleaners.

Both were five-dollar-finds.

 

[broomvac]

Dirt Devil Can Vac Pro Series

Seven dollars bought me my only canister. It is my understanding that this short, fat cousin to the Broom Vacs is rarer than other Can Vacs since it is the maroon Pro Series model, which features locking chrome wands and hand grip and a power port for the "Power Pak," which, sadly, I don't have. This machine is also missing its crevice tool and I don't believe the floor nozzle is original, but what's there is in great shape!

 

[broomvac]

Kenmore Progressive "Inteliclean"

I never showed Kenmore/Panasonic much interest until I ran across this five-dollar-find in remarkably good condition. This Kenmore Progressive "Inteliclean" features a direct drive brush roll and a digital dirt sensor.

I can't say I've ever been more surprised by a vacuum cleaner. The performance of this machine is something to behold, especially after I installed a four-row direct drive brush roll from an older donor machine in place of the original two-row roll--see the second picture.

 

[broomvac]

How about some Handhelds?

The oldies can't seem to figure out this newfangled Dyson DC35.

Left is a thrift-store Hamilton Beach Model HV, which is probably the most "vintage" vacuum in my collection. It has gold lettering on a green bag. I believe this is from the early 1960's, but I could be wrong--if I am, somebody please correct me!

Middle is a Royal Prince Model 501, 1.8 amps.

Right is an Electrolux Little Lux II.

 

[broomvac]

Dyson DC33

Correction, the above handheld is a Dyson DC34, not DC35!

Last but not least, below is a Dyson DC33, my only upright purchased new--only because it was steeply on sale at Walmart.

 

[broomvac]

That's all, folks!

Anyways, that's it! Any comments and questions are welcome! If anyone wants to see more of a particular machine, let me know!

 

[kirbyvertibles]

I agree,
that Kenmore is quite an impressive machine. First time I used one I was blown away
Very nice collection. You are working your way to one of those "masterpiece" collections lol

 

[gottahaveahoove]

THat's quite an array of

interesting machines there.

 

[oreck_xl]

Hoover Concept

That's a beautiful machine you've got there, and a NICE collection overall. My hats off to you for taking the time to rebuild it. I myself prefer the earlier Concepts with the vinyl bag. It gives the cleaner a more vintage look, and it's easy to wipe clean with a sponge. I also have a soft spot for Orecks with the vinyl outer bag. There really is nothing like the soft whirr of the energy efficient 2.8 amp motor in a 100C. Just my two cents.

Hershel

 

[broomvac]

Thank you all for the kind responses!

kirbyvertibles--That Kenmore is one of the best all-around vacuums I have had my hands on. Both the suction and the filtration are top-notch the agitation is out-of-this-world with the four-row brush roll. Now it's "self propelled!" Plus, the attention to usability and detail that went into the design of this cleaner makes it a pleasure to use. The HEPA fleece bags just seem to last forever; the suction never dies!

I'd love to have a huge collection, but I just don't have the space for it. Many vacuums have actually passed through my hands--sixty something machines--but I can keep only a few, so I try to limit myself to only the nicest vacuums. A good number of the long-gone cleaners were procured to be parts machines which I kept only long enough to pull parts from. Others end up re-donated to make room for ones which I like even better. One in, one out. I try to buy cheap vacuums which also don't require a lot of money to fix up.

Oreck_XL--Thanks! The Concept is one of my favorites in the collection. Learning how to work on a Concept was a bit of a challenge, but with patience, the whole thing came apart nicely so the motor could be serviced and the whole machine could be cleaned piece-by-piece. All of the scrubbing paid off!

I used to have a maroon base Oreck XL with a grey cloth bag, a foot-operated switch, and no headlight. I kind of miss it and would like to get my hands on another Oreck. I'll keep my eyes peeled for one with a vinyl bag.

 

[eurekaprince]

No surprise about the performance of that blue Kenmore Direct-Drive upright: it was the top-rated upright vacuum in Consumer Reports tests when it was on the market. I remember some of the convenience features they liked: tip-proof hose clamp, long cord, "gentle" setting for delicate rugs, and fingertip electronic controls. I love the ingenuity of Panasonic's invention: place the brush roll motor inside the brush roll! No gears or belts!