If you could re-engineer any machine in your collection, what would you change about it?

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superocd

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Jan 18, 2019
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Here's what I would change:

Sanitaire/Eureka F&G upright (SC886, SystemPro S675):
- Go back to a cast aluminum metal base
- Steel fan chamber insert (for non-Quick Kleen) or steel Quick Kleen cover, cast aluminum or Amodel fan
- Steel motor/bearing plate and motor frame
- Improve the sealing surface where the bag meets the discharge, the motor seal and Quick Kleen seal, or rather, eliminate the gaskets altogether and employ air duct sealant (I've used air-duct sealant on my S647 and 643 to seal the motor to the base)
- Heavier duty cord wraps bolted to handle, with upper cord wrap hook able to pivot to facilitate easy cord removal

(643)
- Hex-end brushroll rather than the extinct square-end for sure, or just keep the square-end setup for later machines

Hoover Convertible (JCPenney Convertible, Hoover Model 1010, Hoover Model U4004)
- The field coil and bearing is removable from the motor/bearing plate via bolts instead of rivets
- Bearing plate and motor frame is made out of steel rather than bakelite
- Eliminate the male/female power connection at the handle fork/bottom of handle and just have a plug connector pigtail coming out of the motor a la Royal
- Bumper is easily removable/replaceable

Royal (880, 884, Preferred Series 6103f):
- Hole in armature a la Kirby to facilitate easier shaft/fan removal by inserting a pick or thin screwdriver through the shaft
- Handle is bolted to handle fork rather than clamped
- Easily removable/replaceable bumper

Kirby (Avalir):
- Steel motor frame and bearing plate rather than plastic
- Keep the cast aluminum lower base rather than going to plastic

Kirby (Heritage II Legend):
- Mini emptor made of cast aluminum rather than Lexan
- Easily removable/replaceable bumper
- Better reinforcement for handle stop on motor shell to prevent leaning

Kirby (Dual Sanitronic 50/Sanitronic 7):
- Disposable bag system (note - I've added a Mini Emptor/discharge tube to both and added zippers to both bags to facilitate disposable bags)
- Easily removable/replaceable bumper
- Better reinforcement for handle stop on motor shell to prevent leaning

What would you change about your machine(s) in your collection?
 
For my Miele C3 canister, I would definitely move the power pedal to the front of the unit like the old Eureka canisters had....right under the handle grip. This way, it would be easier to step on in normal use, and would be easier to access by hand when the cleaner is stood on its end for stair cleaning and cleaning in high cabinets.

I would also replace perimeter bristles in Miele's combo carpet/floor nozzles with a single strip of bristles along the center of the nozzle, thus allowing pickup on both the forward stroke and back stroke.
 
Hoover 543 and 300: Make the fan case/body of vac in a more durable metal. My 543 has a crack in the corner of the brush housing, and I have seen several coffee cans on here that have had parts shattered in shipping. Also, soft plastic(much more durable) wheels like on a late 500 series Kirby.

Eureka F&G: Kevlar fan like on a modern Kirby. Make the bag coupler out of metal so it doesn't crack, same goes for the fan case. Also, replaceable cord hooks like on a Sanitaire, and Philips head screws.

Electrolux G(I don't own one, but this needs to happen) Metal hub soft plastic wheels. The original hard plastic ones are always broken.

Electrolux XXX: Removable wheels


Kenmore/Magnetic/Bee Vac Super Junior: Hole in fan spindle and rotor to remove fan, motor brush holders attached to the stator by more than just the wires

Hoover Elite: Metal fan case, kevlar fan
 
Interesting thread...

I think I've managed to fix a lot of the things on my machines that I would consider flaws. I up-fitted my Kirby Heritage 1HD with a Heritage II mini emptor and fill tube to eliminate the dump bag as I also did with my Sanitaire SC686, adding an F&G setup. I've also made a minor modification to the hose for my Eureka "Ironsides" canister so I can use it with an Electrolux wand and power nozzle, although I would ideally like to have the Eureka accessories like it came with originally or in a fantasy world that the Eureka would have accessory couplings identical to those used by Electrolux.

The only other fantasy item I can think of is it would be nice to have a Discovery II style Electrolux twin-motor upright with a power head based on say a PN4 power nozzle instead of an Omniflow. I'm just not a fan of the little extension. It's on the wrong side for a left-hander like me but I don't really want an outrigger on the the left. I just prefer the square PN2 and PN4/4A nozzles. While we're on the subject of Electroluxes, it's a minor thing but it would also be nice if the Electrolux canisters and uprights used the same bags.
 
Kirby Strain Relief

On the Generation series, change the cord strain relief because I replace too many with shorts and broken, exploded power cords on the Ultimate Gs
 
Go back to the metal fans in the G type Kirbys-the plastic fan deforming when used as a "compressor" mode is unacceptable.With the tapered fan blade configuration in newer Kirbys the blades would be stronger to impact from hard materials.Seriously Kirby could go to titanium fans since this metal is becoming cheaper now.Now worry of fan breakage there!
 
Re- Engineer Older Kirbys

The later 500 -series and early Sanitronics would have 2 speeds,handle fork more like Classic and later, longer hose and flexible shaft, suction relief valve on swivel hose end, disposable bag with fill-tube, more basic attachments, more Handi-Butler accessories,zipper on back of cloth bag, more detailed instructions, and a quieter motor.
 

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