Hoover 160!

[74simon]

I've wanted a Hoover 160 (Perivale's version of the 150) for years now, but earlier this month I got an email from a visitor to my website offering me one. Although the photo I was sent wasn't great, the description sounded good, so I sent off a cheque and then spent a week worrying. Would it be a pile of junk? Would it get lost in the post? Or damaged? I was so worried that I wouldn't even tell Seamus what I was getting, in case that 'cursed' it...

But it arrived this morning. It's no minter, but is very original, except the flex. It trips my RCD adaptor though, so will need further investigation. The motor bearings seem tired, although it turns freely, and some of the rubber has calcified a bit, but I don't care, I have a 160 at last! I have even been babbling on to my work colleagues about it today, much to their bemusement.

Anyway, on with the pictures! As you can see, she is a bit battle scarred, but it seems she was in use up to the 1990s! Note the main difference between the 150 and the 160 - different handle bail arrangement!

 

[74simon]

nasty flex...

 

[74simon]

Nice bag! The original too - how rare is that?

 

[74simon]

And there's more!

 

[74simon]

All the tools! I was suprised the adaptor was metal - aren't they bakelite on 150s?

 

[74simon]

All set up - can't wait to start sorting her out!

 

[vintagehoover]

OMG! You lucky, lucky...

I'm SO jealous! My 160's not in good condition, I'm half-way through restoring it. The paint I got to re-do the chassis looked correct when I sprayed it on, but dried much lighter, and I've yet to find a better match. It doesn't have its original bag, either. I have a partial toolkit, but it's missing the hose and convertor. My 960's in much better condition, although again lacking its original bag.

BTW - is yours pre- or post-war? Mine's a pre-war version from '38 or '39 - I forget how you tell them apart, it may be a letter pre-fix before the serial number on post-war machines.

About the bag - what a great find! Alistair Kerr has a 160 with the original bag...not sure who else has. It's very close to the one which came on my 543 - same colour (although mine's very faded apart from the folds), same pattern, same writing, although it doesn't have the blue underlining - difference is it has the vertical line pattern like on the 375 Junior.

 

[seamusuk]

Hey Si

Im impressed- the bag alone makes it worth having, yet alone the tools etc!- sure its gonna look great when restoration is complete .

Honestly id never jinx anything lol!

Seamus

Jack.........

Im sure you really meant to say 541 lol!

 

[vintagehoover]

Oh yeah!

Lol, I do mean 541

 

[74simon]

Not too sure where to go from here...

I stripped her down today to try to find the reason why she's tripping my RCD, but there are no obvious shorts or damaged wiring. I did manage to break the belt pulley though! I'll be getting the UHU out later to fix that. Jack, do you know if it uses the same pulley as the 262?

So I'm not sure what to do. If she's tripping the RCD, I don't want to plug her direct into the mains, although she at least has a three amp fuse fitted now. She is earthed, and the seller told me she ran, so does anyone think that I'd risk life and limb by just plugging straight into the socket and switching on?

 

[vintagehoover]

Hey Simon - I can't actually remember off the top of my head whether the pulleys are the same, I'll check sometime when I have a few moments - I take it your 262 isn't readily to hand? How did you manage to break it, btw? I tried cutting through one once to remove the fan from a scrap 825 motor - suffice to say I didn't get very far!

I wouldn't have thought you'd be in much danger plugging it into the mains, especially if it's earthed. What I always do to test a cleaner when I first get it is switch the machine on while it's unplugged, connect it to a socket, then turn it on using the socket-switch, so I'm not in direct contact with the machine - I don't know if this is really safer or not, but it makes me feel better!!

 

[hoover1060]

Simon,
US model 150's used a metal tool connector too, and it had a little lever on it to unlatch and remove it from the cleaner.

I'm curious to see the underside of that 160, namely to see if it is the same as the US model. The 150 featured a floating chassis on the wheel carriage, and the funky automatic height adjustment.

 

[74simon]

Jack, the pulley snapped right through! It seems to be a lot lighter in construction than on earlier (and later!) machines, and it snapped when I was gripping it to try to free it off, not realising that the fan assembly and armature can come out as one.

I don't think I have my 262 anymore, as I had a big clean out when we moved, and I suspect it was one of the victims! It may be in storage though, I'll have to go up there and check. Shame on me if I did chuck it!

In an attempt to try to cure the earthing fault, I've wrapped the handle socket to motor wires in insulating tape, and added extra insulation where the wires emerge from between the motor housing and the metal plate to the carbons, as old wiring touching metal bothers me! Still tripping the RCD though.

I know it would be safe to run with the earthing intact, but I'd rather not just in case it did fail! I always joke that my appliances will be the death of me, but I'm not willing to encourage them...

Jeff, I can't see any evidence of any sort of height adjustment under the cleaner - how does it work on the 150? The 160 has a convertor like you describe, with the little button. It is possible that the 160 doesn't have height adjustment of course (although that seems odd for a TOL model), like it lacks the 'empty bag' indicator. Here's a picture of her undercarriage, minus fan and pulley:

 

[vintagehoover]

Height adjustment...

No, ours doesn't have any kind of height adjustment, or a bag-full indicator, for that matter, as the 150 did. We just have 'self-levelling' wheels. Like the aromador and the headlamp on/off switch of the older machines, I guess Hoover thought the British market didn't require these features!

If you don't have your 262 anymore, I can't believe you didn't eBay it, or offer it to another collector! I would have given it a home, even if only as a parts donor!

I'm surprised to hear the convertor is metal - the 262's is a sturdy bakelite piece, you just push down on the handle and put it in. The suction's not bad on the 262 when used as a 262, better than the 652-type senior...

 

[74simon]

Don't...

If I did chuck it, boy am I regretting it now, it terms of belt pulleys!

In my defence though, I didn't think anyone would want it. I do normally try to save bits off my parts cleaners, anything from screws and washers to the handle with the 2-speed switch for the 750!

I'd be terrified to use that bakelite converter! I've got an Ekco bakelite radio, and I remember driving home v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y in case it slid across the car and cracked! I guess you could call it bakelite paranoia...

 

[vintagehoover]

Be re-assured!

It's VERY sturdy!

 

[74simon]

Wicked!

That's a great picture! Made me laugh, didn't expect such proof of its strength! I may give that particular test a miss with my 160 though. So it's not bakelite, it's DUREZ! Is that not a slightly unfortunate name, though?

I do know that lava lamps and Swedish green 652A hoods don't get on...

 

[vintagehoover]

Rest of the ad...

In case you're interested! It is an American ad, so I don't know if the Durez name applies over here.

Yes, I remember your terrible tale of lava-lamp mayhem...I haven't really had any serious mishaps so far *touch wood*...I did break the retractable bag cord on my 875 when I picked it up by the handle, with the handle-securing bolt wasn't properly tightened. The motor unit/bag stayed on the floor, while the handle shot up and the cord snapped and disappeared inside the handle. Luckily, I know how to fix these now, so it's waiting for me to find some suitable black cord to use.

 

[ian88]

Durez..

I'd have called it Durex, nice and unbreakable...or was the brand name taken way back then? ;p