How do you adjust the height of your Kirby and other uprights?

[toastermike]

I'm curious how some of you choose the best height on your uprights, especially Kirby's. Since I started with Royals with the screw knob adjuster and adjust-o-rite belt cover many years ago, I learned that it is important to have the right amount of airflow to achieve the best performance. I have seem many people with Kirby's adjust them so low that they create such a strong seal that you can hardly move the thing. I can't believe they work well that way and belts surly can't last long. I'm using a Kirby Legend II for most of my vacuuming and if I follow the manual I can hear a change in sound (the brush beating the carpet) after two stops. The airflow sounds the same and it is very easy to move. If I go one more stop the beating action is stronger, the airflow a little quieter, and it is marginally harder to move. Anymore stops and it becomes very hard to move. What are your thoughts?

 

[suckolux]

Sounds dead on to me! Same here

 

[pr-21]

Adjustment

I listen for the motor change and press the toe touch control one more time. I have always done this since my first Classic in the 70's.


PR-21
Bud

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Mike,

I always do the same thing with my D80 and Classic III: lower down the nozzle one step at a time until the motor sound changes and/or the bristles start beating down on the surface being cleaned.

I also do the same thing with my Royals: lower the nozzle with the Rite-Hite just enough so that the Adjust-O-Rite stub gets sucked back in.

~Ben

 

[countryguy]

I have a Diamond Ultimate G and adjust it according to the manual...lower one notch at a time until there is a change in sound and then lower one more notch.

Gary

 

[jeschbac]

Owner's Manual

Confirms what Bud and Gary wrote: lower one notch at a time until the sound of the motor changes, then one more notch. That said, I have had issues with the Heritage II and Legends not being "balanced" correctly at that height and breaking the connection to the carpet on the back stroke.

 

[kirbysthebest]

I concur with the majority

For Kirby, Raise nozzle all the way up, then lower one notch at a time until motor changes sound, then one more click.


 


I bought my brother a Royal Powercast several years ago, and it felt backwards.  it actually starts all the way down and raises one click at a time until it breaks contact with the carpet, then you count how many clicks that was and do it over again.   Like I said backwards.


 


 

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Kirby also recommends that the brush bristles stick out at least 1/16" beyond the rug plate opening. They need to be adjusted if they fail to stick out at this length.

~Ben

 

[ultralux88]

If in doubt, the best way to know if your machine is adjusted right is feel in front of the machine where the nozzle meets the rug, if there's a slight gap there and you can feel air sucking in then you're adjusted right, if the nozzle feels pushed down into the nap and no air can be felt being sucked into the machine, its too low, raise it up bit. You need the airflow to carry the dirt away.

 

[vacuumlover]

I always start it up in its highest setting then keep pressing down one at a time untill i hear the pitch of the motor change then i press once more and away i go lol

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

The other thing I was going to mention that if a certain carpet gets pulled up too much; on models 516 to Tradition there is a suction relief vent you can open in order to reduce the suction to avoid such extreme pull-ups on certain delicate carpeting. Do keep the headlight cap down if the vent is open, though.

~Ben