juniorsenior
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A friend of mine recently bought a Hoover Dustette and wants to find out its age, does anyone have the production numbers that tally with the years?
Thanks
Mark
Thanks
Mark
Hoover Dustette
- Thread starter juniorsenior
- Start date
Help Support VacuumLand:
Dustette and National Trust
Sorry I can't help, but I learned of the Hoover Dustette while reading the National Trust Manual of Housekeeping, first published in 1984. I love the National Trust (and English Heritage) and am in awe of how clean they keep those stately homes. Thanks for the post which triggered some wonderful memories.
Jay
Sorry I can't help, but I learned of the Hoover Dustette while reading the National Trust Manual of Housekeeping, first published in 1984. I love the National Trust (and English Heritage) and am in awe of how clean they keep those stately homes. Thanks for the post which triggered some wonderful memories.
Jay
vacbear58
Well-known member
Mark
Can you post the serial number please - that coudl help, along with colour scheme
Al
Can you post the serial number please - that coudl help, along with colour scheme
Al
juniorsenior
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I wont be seeing it until during the week but i will be sure to get the serial number and the colour.
juniorsenior
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Here is a couple of pictures of said Dustette.
juniorsenior
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A d serial number.
juniorsenior
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And box
twocvbloke
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I've got a bag somewhere that would probably fit that (not sure though cos I don't know those vacs at all), in dusty blue, cos someone forgot to empty it before chucking it into a box of spares I got last year... 
juniorsenior
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My pal hadnt even tried this out till he brought into my work today and it was filthy and the bad was full of dust, He has left it with me for a few days and i,ll clean it up a bit for him.
juniorsenior
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Any ideas on the age?
vacbear58
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Dating
With that colour scheme it is pre-1950. The picture on the box shows the earlier style with a rocker switch but this is the later version - I would suspect that this would be pre-war, but sorry cannot be more specific than that
Al
With that colour scheme it is pre-1950. The picture on the box shows the earlier style with a rocker switch but this is the later version - I would suspect that this would be pre-war, but sorry cannot be more specific than that
Al
juniorsenior
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Ok thanks Vacbear.
vintagerepairer
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Vacbear, do you happen to know who was the target for such cleaners like these? For instance was it people who couldn't afford a full-size machine, or were they extra items to supplement an existing cleaning? You've suggested before that you and I are of a smiliar vintage (I'm 73 now) but as I've said before, I had little / no understanding of vacuum cleaners and the history much before I bought my shop in the late 1970s. I feel I ought to know the answer to my question, but I don't.
While I am asking you this, do you know what year the Hoover 262 is from? You may have read that my mother owned one. My mother bought it in the early 1950s but it was 2nd hand even then. I remember it was a private sale from a well-to-do family who my mother used to keep house for. They emigrated and sold off most of their belongings. They already had the cleaner by the time my mother went to work for them in 1949/1950.
While I am asking you this, do you know what year the Hoover 262 is from? You may have read that my mother owned one. My mother bought it in the early 1950s but it was 2nd hand even then. I remember it was a private sale from a well-to-do family who my mother used to keep house for. They emigrated and sold off most of their belongings. They already had the cleaner by the time my mother went to work for them in 1949/1950.
vacbear58
Well-known member
Similar Vintage?
Well Benny, not quite - I was 54 at the start of this month (and I dont know how THAT happened so quickly) although sometimes I feel a LOT older.
Some quick checking reveals that the Dustette was first introduced in 1930 with rocker switch and polished alloy nozzle, the later version being similar to the one shown above.
It was introduced at the same time as the Minor 200, which was essentially a straight suction cleaner derived from the "Coffee Can" uprights. It appears both these cleaners were concieved as supplements to the uprights for, although the tool suction was quite good for an upright, the method of connection was cumbersome requiring the cleaner to be turned over, belt removed and hose connector attached before being turned right way up again. The Minor was not popular and produced for a very short time in the US. The early UK models appear to have been made in Hamilton, Ontario with a revised version being one of the first cleaners to come out of Perivale.
Back to the Dustette. Although by no means cheap by the standards of the day (almost £5) it was a much more convenient alternative to the "coffee cans" and more practical than the tools supplied from model 160 onwards and not much more expensive than the tools supplied with the "Ensemble" version. I think this remained one of its main selling points right through its very long production life as a supplement to to uprights. There must have been something of a market for these as there were several different makes, notabaly the very similar Vactric hand cleaner (although the Vactric offered a choice of tools which the dustette did not until the mid 1950s) and others I have seen over the years such as a Universal model and Dudley (Co-op). Indeed pre war Vactric top models (which were either imported from Apex or built under lisence) did not have tools at all but offered the hand cleaner as a supplement.
Now the question I have always wondered was - would they have been sold as a "stand alone" cleaner. I have more or less come to the conclusion that the answer to this is yes. At about 2/3 to 1/2 the price of the cheapest cylinders (and a long way behind uprights) for people who could not afford any more it offered a much better alternative than a dust pan and brush, and there were certainly enough different models about (and sold - even the very earliest dustettes crop up quite often on ebay) to indicate that there was a market beyond a supplement to an upright.
To answer your other question the 262 was introduced in 1939 as a cheaper and lighter version of the 160. The initial production run was quite short running only into early 1940 when production was stopped for WW2. Production started again in 1945 (shortly before the end of WW2) and carried on, alongside the 160 until 1950 when both models were replaced by the 612. Of course the pre-war 375 and dustette also resumed production around the same time as well.
Al
Well Benny, not quite - I was 54 at the start of this month (and I dont know how THAT happened so quickly) although sometimes I feel a LOT older.
Some quick checking reveals that the Dustette was first introduced in 1930 with rocker switch and polished alloy nozzle, the later version being similar to the one shown above.
It was introduced at the same time as the Minor 200, which was essentially a straight suction cleaner derived from the "Coffee Can" uprights. It appears both these cleaners were concieved as supplements to the uprights for, although the tool suction was quite good for an upright, the method of connection was cumbersome requiring the cleaner to be turned over, belt removed and hose connector attached before being turned right way up again. The Minor was not popular and produced for a very short time in the US. The early UK models appear to have been made in Hamilton, Ontario with a revised version being one of the first cleaners to come out of Perivale.
Back to the Dustette. Although by no means cheap by the standards of the day (almost £5) it was a much more convenient alternative to the "coffee cans" and more practical than the tools supplied from model 160 onwards and not much more expensive than the tools supplied with the "Ensemble" version. I think this remained one of its main selling points right through its very long production life as a supplement to to uprights. There must have been something of a market for these as there were several different makes, notabaly the very similar Vactric hand cleaner (although the Vactric offered a choice of tools which the dustette did not until the mid 1950s) and others I have seen over the years such as a Universal model and Dudley (Co-op). Indeed pre war Vactric top models (which were either imported from Apex or built under lisence) did not have tools at all but offered the hand cleaner as a supplement.
Now the question I have always wondered was - would they have been sold as a "stand alone" cleaner. I have more or less come to the conclusion that the answer to this is yes. At about 2/3 to 1/2 the price of the cheapest cylinders (and a long way behind uprights) for people who could not afford any more it offered a much better alternative than a dust pan and brush, and there were certainly enough different models about (and sold - even the very earliest dustettes crop up quite often on ebay) to indicate that there was a market beyond a supplement to an upright.
To answer your other question the 262 was introduced in 1939 as a cheaper and lighter version of the 160. The initial production run was quite short running only into early 1940 when production was stopped for WW2. Production started again in 1945 (shortly before the end of WW2) and carried on, alongside the 160 until 1950 when both models were replaced by the 612. Of course the pre-war 375 and dustette also resumed production around the same time as well.
Al
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
Hello vacbear. What an interesting reply. Thank you. You are indeed a mere young man to someone of my years then!
I did think that the appeal of the dustette and indeed similar cleaners must have been to differing markets, as we suggest, to supplement an upright and to use as the only cleaner in the house. Interesting to hear that a dustette and a Hoover cleaner would not have cost a good deal more than the upright with tools, and as you point out, the convenience aspect of using a dustette over an upright with tools must have been apparent for all to see. Yet, the dustette must have been rather limited in it's use, and somewhat 'basic' when compared to the tool kits available for the uprights, seeing how it was not until later in life that a whole range of attachments could be used with it? As it stands, it looks like it might have been ok for stairs, curtains, rugs, and curtains, but for actual dusting, I think probably not, which makes me smile as it conflicts entirely with the very name given to the cleaner!
The cleaner my mother already had when I was born was a Hoover 370, at least I think it was bought before I was born. I recall seeing her with no other. Do you know the year which the 370 was on sale from? I know mother sold hers to pay for the 262. I have no idea what money changed hands from each sale, other than to say that I think the sale of her 370 more or less paid for the 262 as I know mother said she was sold the 262 "for a song" as she put it. She was well loved by the family she worked for and of course they needed to sell everything in order to move on with their life.
I don't recall her having any issues about the 370, I don't know of it breaking down, it seemed to pick up all right, though it seemed to make sense to upgrade to a newer model, even if it was second hand, when the chance to do so arose. The only thing my mother ever used to complain about -and it seemed to me she did this every week on the day she cleaned the bedrooms of our home- that the 262 was much, much heavier to lift up the stairs, and this became a job which fell to myself or my father. Taking the cleaner upstairs, not cleaning with it, heaven forbid my father should do 'women's work'! I did ask my mother once how ever she had managed to carry it about when she cleaned for the family, and she told me that it would already have been taken upstairs in preparation for the day in which she did those rooms. The family saw to that for her. The house was on three floors too, but she went in at least twice a week and I am not so sure that she cleaned the whole of the house every week.
I did think that the appeal of the dustette and indeed similar cleaners must have been to differing markets, as we suggest, to supplement an upright and to use as the only cleaner in the house. Interesting to hear that a dustette and a Hoover cleaner would not have cost a good deal more than the upright with tools, and as you point out, the convenience aspect of using a dustette over an upright with tools must have been apparent for all to see. Yet, the dustette must have been rather limited in it's use, and somewhat 'basic' when compared to the tool kits available for the uprights, seeing how it was not until later in life that a whole range of attachments could be used with it? As it stands, it looks like it might have been ok for stairs, curtains, rugs, and curtains, but for actual dusting, I think probably not, which makes me smile as it conflicts entirely with the very name given to the cleaner!
The cleaner my mother already had when I was born was a Hoover 370, at least I think it was bought before I was born. I recall seeing her with no other. Do you know the year which the 370 was on sale from? I know mother sold hers to pay for the 262. I have no idea what money changed hands from each sale, other than to say that I think the sale of her 370 more or less paid for the 262 as I know mother said she was sold the 262 "for a song" as she put it. She was well loved by the family she worked for and of course they needed to sell everything in order to move on with their life.
I don't recall her having any issues about the 370, I don't know of it breaking down, it seemed to pick up all right, though it seemed to make sense to upgrade to a newer model, even if it was second hand, when the chance to do so arose. The only thing my mother ever used to complain about -and it seemed to me she did this every week on the day she cleaned the bedrooms of our home- that the 262 was much, much heavier to lift up the stairs, and this became a job which fell to myself or my father. Taking the cleaner upstairs, not cleaning with it, heaven forbid my father should do 'women's work'! I did ask my mother once how ever she had managed to carry it about when she cleaned for the family, and she told me that it would already have been taken upstairs in preparation for the day in which she did those rooms. The family saw to that for her. The house was on three floors too, but she went in at least twice a week and I am not so sure that she cleaned the whole of the house every week.
vacbear58
Well-known member
Prices
A long time since I have been referred to as a young man, so thanks for that.
I did a quick check after posting above and from "On Judging a Hoover" from 1936 a set of tools for model 825/425 show the price of a tool set was £3/3/- (3 guineas) which price remained for the tools for 160 although they were completely different. The cost of a Dustette was £4/19/6. At that time the 370 cost £10/15/- with 370 tools at £2/2/6.
Production of the 370 began in early 1935 and ended at the end of 1936 although there may have been some carry over into 1937 - the 375 began production in December 1936. It is likely that the 262 was at least 10 years newer, and probably newer than that given how much of post WW2 production went for export and would have been percieved as a supurior to the 370 anyway so i dont doubt she would have been delighted with such a bargain.
Al
A long time since I have been referred to as a young man, so thanks for that.
I did a quick check after posting above and from "On Judging a Hoover" from 1936 a set of tools for model 825/425 show the price of a tool set was £3/3/- (3 guineas) which price remained for the tools for 160 although they were completely different. The cost of a Dustette was £4/19/6. At that time the 370 cost £10/15/- with 370 tools at £2/2/6.
Production of the 370 began in early 1935 and ended at the end of 1936 although there may have been some carry over into 1937 - the 375 began production in December 1936. It is likely that the 262 was at least 10 years newer, and probably newer than that given how much of post WW2 production went for export and would have been percieved as a supurior to the 370 anyway so i dont doubt she would have been delighted with such a bargain.
Al
juniorsenior
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I was looking at this Dustette and am beginning to think this has been painted at some point.
juniorsenior
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Old and new together.
vacbear58
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Painted?
Dont think so mate, it looks like later production of teh first version. bag is a replacment though
Dont think so mate, it looks like later production of teh first version. bag is a replacment though
