Hoover Anniversary self-propelled windtunnel.

[royalfan103]

So, you know how I was scammed out of an Anniversary supreme Windtunnel? Well, my Habitat for Humanity received this and I snagged it up the day after getting a parts shop-vac for my QPL45a. Granted, it’s not the exact Windtunnel I wanted, but hey, it’s probably fate’s gift to me after being scammed.

Of course, the Self Propelled function was broken, but I fixed it up with some JB-Weld and it works. Unfortunately, the transmission sounds really dry and rattles, so I need to figure out how to lubricate it and fix it up.

It also had a very stretched belt, as it was extremely hard to push with the belt that was already in there. It was also strangely easy to reinstall the old belt when I was putting it back together.

This one was made during April 2010 in Mexico.

 

[centralsweeper63]

Good score! I hope you can easily fix it up.

 

[royalfan103]

My self-propelled windtunnels.

 

[panasonicvac]

I like these TTI Windtunnel models the best, I wish they were still around today.

 

[royalfan103]

I like these TTI Windtunnel models the best, I wish they were still around today.

These Self Propelled Windtunnels were probably the most popular unit of Hoover’s up until they’e discontinued it. They work with Sebo turbine tools pretty well.

 

[cheesewonton]

Keep an eye peeled on ebay. Parts for these turn up regularly. You will, in the fullness of time, find a good used Powerdrive unit but you have too look every other day or so and be ready to buy as soon as one turns up because parts for these don't linger unsold.

 

[cheesewonton]

These Self Propelled Windtunnels were probably the most popular unit of Hoover’s up until they’e discontinued it. They work with Sebo turbine tools pretty well.

They are not self propelled but the Commercial Hushtone series is a worthy successor. I am neither a Hoover enthusiast nor a big fan of upright ( I call them upwrong ) vacuums but I have a true admiration for the CH54113 I bought on a lark after seeing a glowing review of it on Vacuum Wars.

 

[royalfan103]

Keep an eye peeled on ebay. Parts for these turn up regularly. You will, in the fullness of time, find a good used Powerdrive unit but you have too look every other day or so and be ready to buy as soon as one turns up because parts for these don't linger unsold.

I know a guy on youtube who works on these units all the time, Tylon Barnes. I may ask him for a tutorial on how to rebuild the transmissions. If I have enough money, maybe I’ll replace the transmission.

 

[centralsweeper63]

Very nice selection.

 

[cheesewonton]

I'd like one myself but not one with Powerdrive.

 

[centralsweeper63]

Why not?

 

[cheesewonton]

Why not?

I don't like mechanical complexity. More things to break and wear out. OP will spend a lot of time and some money to fix his broken power drive. I am the same way with cars and motorcycles. I prefer simple and basic things. If I could buy a modern car with manual steering, manual brakes, manual trans and mechanical crank windows I would probably buy it. But it would have to have air conditioning. In the desert that is mandatory. When we bought a van a few years ago we chose the Ford Transit Connect because it was the simplest one made. No power doors or power hatch, no video screens on the seat backs or dropping down from the headliner. No, cough cough, "infotainment". Just a simple basic van with nice seats and good A/C. I watch people in the parking lot with vans and SUVs where all the doors and hatches operate from a clicker. Some don't even have a door handle. They have a button on the door post you push and the door magically opens. No key. Not even a place for a key. Hope their battery doesn't die! I had a battery call it quits at a gas stop on a road trip. But my car was old fashioned so a simple jump had me up and running to the auto parts store for a battery. But if I had one of these new cars with electronic opening doors I'd have had a really long day. So no surprise my favorite vacuums are old Tristars, Electrolux, Patriot, Miracle Mate and Metrovac.

 

[centralsweeper63]

I agree with that viewpoint.

 

[royalfan103]

I don't like mechanical complexity. More things to break and wear out. OP will spend a lot of time and some money to fix his broken power drive. I am the same way with cars and motorcycles. I prefer simple and basic things. If I could buy a modern car with manual steering, manual brakes, manual trans and mechanical crank windows I would probably buy it. But it would have to have air conditioning. In the desert that is mandatory. When we bought a van a few years ago we chose the Ford Transit Connect because it was the simplest one made. No power doors or power hatch, no video screens on the seat backs or dropping down from the headliner. No, cough cough, "infotainment". Just a simple basic van with nice seats and good A/C. I watch people in the parking lot with vans and SUVs where all the doors and hatches operate from a clicker. Some don't even have a door handle. They have a button on the door post you push and the door magically opens. No key. Not even a place for a key. Hope their battery doesn't die! I had a battery call it quits at a gas stop on a road trip. But my car was old fashioned so a simple jump had me up and running to the auto parts store for a battery. But if I had one of these new cars with electronic opening doors I'd have had a really long day. So no surprise my favorite vacuums are old Tristars, Electrolux, Patriot, Miracle Mate and Metrovac.

That's very valid. Infact, I don't like using these if I have to clean stairs because the self propel mechanism in the base makes it heavy as well and the hose is a top-mounted hose. making it very inconvenient for such. This is mostly the reason why I like using my Windtunnel Lite or Tempo and wanted/open for a Hoover Windtunnel Supreme because both the Bagless and self propel have strange mechanisms in the base that make things hevaier.

OP will spend a lot of time and some money to fix his broken power drive.

Regarding this, I'm fine with spending the time to fix it. It just sounds squeaky and dry with some rattling. I also already have the necessary tools to repair it, so the only thing left to do would be to ask Tylon for a tuorial/video on how to disssemble and rebuild the self-propel mechanism.

 

[centralsweeper63]

I hope it is easy to oil/ repair.

 

[royalfan103]

I hope it is easy to oil/ repair.

I think it's just held together by a nut, which I have the tools to remove.

Update - It is. Should be easy to rebuild and oil.

 

[centralsweeper63]

Thats good to hear.

 

[huskyvacs]

I don't like mechanical complexity. More things to break and wear out. OP will spend a lot of time and some money to fix his broken power drive. I am the same way with cars and motorcycles. I prefer simple and basic things. If I could buy a modern car with manual steering, manual brakes, manual trans and mechanical crank windows I would probably buy it. But it would have to have air conditioning. In the desert that is mandatory. When we bought a van a few years ago we chose the Ford Transit Connect because it was the simplest one made. No power doors or power hatch, no video screens on the seat backs or dropping down from the headliner. No, cough cough, "infotainment". Just a simple basic van with nice seats and good A/C. I watch people in the parking lot with vans and SUVs where all the doors and hatches operate from a clicker. Some don't even have a door handle. They have a button on the door post you push and the door magically opens. No key. Not even a place for a key. Hope their battery doesn't die! I had a battery call it quits at a gas stop on a road trip. But my car was old fashioned so a simple jump had me up and running to the auto parts store for a battery. But if I had one of these new cars with electronic opening doors I'd have had a really long day. So no surprise my favorite vacuums are old Tristars, Electrolux, Patriot, Miracle Mate and Metrovac.

They last forever when cared for. The reason they do not is because of improper use. Picking up the vacuum by its upper handle tip will destroy the fly-by-wire cable that controls the power drive transmission lever over time. The Concept Two Electronic has a locking slide switch for the handle for this purpose. Also not maintaining the vacuum and checking on the grease every year or so can also attain to wear. It is very common to have dirt and lint build up in the mechanism and make a mess. The Power Drive system in these vacuums is the most mechanically uncomplex things you can imagine. All the lever does is engage or disengage the gear off the motor that drives the roller wheels.

 

[huskyvacs]

So, you know how I was scammed out of an Anniversary supreme Windtunnel? Well, my Habitat for Humanity received this and I snagged it up the day after getting a parts shop-vac for my QPL45a. Granted, it’s not the exact Windtunnel I wanted, but hey, it’s probably fate’s gift to me after being scammed.

Of course, the Self Propelled function was broken, but I fixed it up with some JB-Weld and it works. Unfortunately, the transmission sounds really dry and rattles, so I need to figure out how to lubricate it and fix it up.

It also had a very stretched belt, as it was extremely hard to push with the belt that was already in there. It was also strangely easy to reinstall the old belt when I was putting it back together.

This one was made during April 2010 in Mexico.
View attachment 171274

Does yours have the chrome and grey rubber wheels or the plain plastic wheels? Chrome wheeled ones are rare and they were part of a special batch of the Anniversary series that was the last ones made at the North Canton Hoover factory. It was a limited run of something like a few hundred? I forgot the exact number.

This model with the power drive, dirt finder, covered tool caddy, and dual floor selection levers was the TOL model. There are a few other variations.

 

[cheesewonton]

They last forever when cared for. The reason they do not is because of improper use. Picking up the vacuum by its upper handle tip will destroy the fly-by-wire cable that controls the power drive transmission lever over time. The Concept Two Electronic has a locking slide switch for the handle for this purpose. Also not maintaining the vacuum and checking on the grease every year or so can also attain to wear. It is very common to have dirt and lint build up in the mechanism and make a mess. The Power Drive system in these vacuums is the most mechanically uncomplex things you can imagine. All the lever does is engage or disengage the gear off the motor that drives the roller wheels.

Sounds like there are enough things that can get crudded up or neglected to cause them to fail. If you can't pick them up by the handle without damaging them then that seems like a pretty serious flaw. If you have the version without the power drive you don't have to worry about these things. Simple is just better.

 

[centralsweeper63]

Simple is indeed better.