How old my my royal 801?

[nubz3760]

I just got back from the vacuum shop, what a joke! This place obviously sells more sewing machines than vacuums. The guy told me they fix more kirbys than other vacuums. I asked what breaks, the tech drive? he said "mainly belts and brushrolls". oh wow, because a broken belt is way more serious than a burnt out motor or broken plastic housing. The reason they fix alot of kirbys is because they are worth fixing, plastic vacuums get thrown away. I pretty much stopped listening when he said that direct air vacuums cant clean a carpet any better than a bypass LOL

Anyways I picked up a belt and bags so I'm off to vacuum the carpets

 

[nubz3760]

he even said direct air motors burn out quicker than bypass because the dirt goes through the motor LOL, this guy must have been the sewing machine salesman

 

[nubz3760]

Would the fact my 801 has small silver screws covering the oil port for the front and rear bearing instead of a red cap with no port for the front bearing give a clue to its age? As far as I have seen most royals have a permanently lubed front bearing and a red cap for the rear bearing oil port, I have never seen this screw type before.

 

[kenkart]

Probably...

The newer models had a ball bearing on the front, also the handle grip is different on the very old ones.