Is this worth it? Tristar.....

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vacuumfreeeke

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Hey guys... I found a Tristar for very cheap near me but there seems to be a few issues. There is tape on the hose/handle and there is no power nozzle or attachments and those are things I'd want. Is the machine worth this amount in that condition? Are the extras that make it workable readily available and reasonably priced? Here's a link to the CL ad..... I've never had or even used a Tristar before and while I'm curious about their legendary power, I'm apprehensive because they seem bulky and hard to maneuver and and don't have a retractable cord.... Here's a link so you can see what I'm talking about.... what would your advice be?

http://orlando.craigslist.org/atq/2819660574.html
 
They are!

NOT bulky, on the contrary, they are just about the most manuverable vacuum ever made!, Try it You will like it!!..Oh yeah, its not all that old either!! the name changed from Compact to Tri Star in the 80s!
 
You cant lose

with a deal like that! You can get a new hose cheap on eBay, any fit all attachments would fit, and most older Eureka power nozzles fit too!
 
Depends....

,,,,On what you expect from a vintage vac once you get it. If you're looking for a driver, and do not care about putting it back in collectible condition, then this one would be fine. It's also a great parts machine at that price.

But if you have dreams of owning one in really original condition, keep looking until you find a more complete one. The reason is that TriStar replacement parts can be EXPENSIVE. Mine came without a hose and missing a few tools. I ended up putting about $400 into it to get it into the shape you see below. The rug tool alone was over $100. My goal was to get it absolutely complete and correct, and I paid dearly to achieve it.

So, know what you're expecting and don't go thinking "Oh, I'll just buy what it needs," because that will cost a lot more than you might think it would, okay?

P.S. - The TriStar is one of the most maneuverable machines around, much more so than any Lux you've ever used, trust me.

danemodsandy++2-5-2012-16-12-6.jpg
 
Forgot to Explain:

Bobby, what I meant by the cost of putting a TriStar back in shape was putting it back in shape using only genuine TriStar parts. Obviously, you can get one usable again for a lot less than I spent if you don't mind using fitall parts. Wanting only genuine was what cost me so much. Heck, the cord alone was $30, but universal ones were not the right color.
 
Hey Guys! Just my two cents worth. If the pistol grip is the only thing wrong with the hose, that can be replaced without replaceing the entire hose. It's a bit of a pain, but still very doable. Also, if you're not in a big rush to get it complete, I would think you could come up with a decent set of used stuff for it realitively cheap. Good luck, Trg
 
Used:

Been there, tried that.

Didn't really work; used TriStar stuff at a real savings just doesn't surface very often. The floor and rug tools are the problem; they're big-bucks items and everyone knows it. Ditto on the wands - $50 a pop for genuine.
 
I'd buy it in a shot, the hoses aren't that much on ebay, and if you can, get the "gas pump" hose, they're not a s awkward as the pistol grip... :)

As for lacking a cable rewind, just thing of it this way, one less part to break, and you get a longer cable compared to the retractables on most cannister vacs, with my tristar I can plug it in downstairs and vac upstairs it's that long... :P
 
True!

You get used to winding the cord back up on a TriStar, and the vac has a winding hook on the bag door that's actually pretty convenient.

There's nothing quite so disheartening as an automatic cordwinder that has decided to stop doing its job. Ones for vintage Luxes are repairable, but it's not a fun job, and there's a hazard from the winding spring to boot.

Here's a pic of the winding arrangement on a TriStar:

danemodsandy++2-5-2012-18-32-16.jpg
 
I wrap my Tristar's cable up under the footswitch pedal, keeps it all together without a risk of it falling off when moving... :)

Strange that I can only find this pic of it with the 'taire S663 though... :&#92

Ah well, I have others, somewhere... :P

twocvbloke++2-5-2012-18-55-10.jpg
 
Dont Cuss..BUT!

I bought one just like the last photo at the Goodwill for 15 bucks and all it needs is a dusting brush!! it even had the tag hanging on the machine handle, NOT A SCRATCH, the dummy at the store said she was sure it was very old...I said oh im sure it is too!!!as I gave her the 15 bucks!!
 
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOON'T!!!

David:

Using the switch pedal as a winding point is not good practice. What happens is that it puts strain on the pin that is driven through the body to hold the pedal in place. Eventually the pin will work loose or break - and actually, breakage is the better of the two outcomes. If it works loose, the holes in the body may have worn a bit large and a replacement pin won't stay in readily.

Learned this one the hard way! The proper winding point is the underside of the afterfilter.

By the way, your TriStar is an EX-20, same as the one in the ad at the beginning of this thread - the last model before the new MG series.
 
"By the way, your TriStar is an EX-20"

Says CXL on the base, it was a later one so had the DXL paintjob rather than the paintjob in yours, it was made sometime in 1992, the serial is 9212206, if anyone can decipher that...

As for the cable wrapping thing, that's what I was told to do, and what I have seen many other Tristar & compact owners do, it prevents someone accidentally pressing or even intentionally the power button (handy for me as my nephew liked to try!!), it's not done my tristar any harm, the pedal's still attached after 20 years, so it can't be doung anything bad as far as I can tell... :)
 
Electric hose

I got this one here & have been VERY happy with it since. It has a more comfortable grip, ON/OFF switch for PN, & doesn't have the 'bulky' cuff at handle end like the genuine pistol grip hose does.

I don't know why none of these electric hoses have suction control? Or is there at least one TriStar CXL hose that does?

floor-a-matic++2-5-2012-19-29-27.jpg
 
David:

It's your machine, I'm just saying I broke one that way.

The later TriStars are a bit confusing; there are different paint schemes and the CXL designation on the bottom appears on machines sold with other model numbers on the packaging. I usually go by the paint scheme and date, if known. 1992 is the year the CXL/DXL model changed to the EX-20. Yours could have been sold as either one.
 
Suction Control:

I don't know of a TriStar hose with a suction control, even from the aftermarket. And it's a machine that could really use one - very powerful.
 
I don't think any of them come with a suction relief control on the hose, I too wouldn't mind one, but I don't think anyone's out to make an aftermarket hose with one unfortunately... :(

And I'm not wrapping the cable as tight as a duck's arse as some do, so, there's not much chance of a PVC coated copper damaging metal parts on my CXL... :)
 
Thanks for the feedback guys. I e-mailed the guy and he said he doesn't know if he has the power nozzle or parts but I can come take a look if I want to. I would really like to know that because that will help me determine if I want it or not. How can someone sell something and just not know if they have all the parts?

I actually prefer a pistol grip to a gas pump grip.... just as I prefer straight open handles on uprights to loop styles. The gas pumps get in the way and are just too bulky and I like to think of the dirt going through my hand!

The same white aftermarket hose you have pictured below.... I have that one in black (at least the grip part, I know the hose is different) for my Rainbow SE and I hate it. I'd much prefer the original.

Sandy, yours looks great! I'm not too anal about all original, I prefer it, but I'm not obsessive about it. Is this the one that came with the glittered tools?

I would want an original power nozzle though!

We'll see... I looked around on Ebay and the accessories do not look cheap. I used to have two old Eureka power nozzles that would have worked... one from a Rainbow D2 and one from the exes Mongomery Ward canned ham, but I threw them both away!
 
Vacuumfreeke

U shouldn't have thrown out the PN! I NEVER throw anything out, ever. I don't care about the condition or anything; I just keep it.
 
Clear/Glitter Tools

Yes, the tools are clear/glitter; a pic of them is below. The tool caddy that clips to the wands is also pictured. These tools are not too bad to find or replace; the floor and rug tools are the expensive ones at around $100 each. They're solid cast aluminum, with natural horsehair bristles, so that's why they're so spendy.

The effort I put into making the machine complete and correct was because this TriStar was intended to be a "memory machine"; it is the closest modern machine to the Compact C-2 we had when I was a kid. That C-2 was horribly mistreated (and eventually killed) by my mom, something I always regretted. This CXL gets treated with the respect it deserves.

I hear you about the "gas pump" hose; I prefer the pistol grip of the original myself.

danemodsandy++2-6-2012-03-22-29.jpg
 
And Here's.....

....A pic of the tool caddy clipped in place on the wands, with the tools on their holders. The dusting brush and upholstery tool are on the top holders; the crevice tool (which isn't clearly visible here) hangs down from the bottom holder:

danemodsandy++2-6-2012-03-27-17.jpg
 
I haven't got the clip thing for the tools to sit on the tubes, it has a hard enough time staying stood up on the PN as it is without adding extra weight (with the demo-tool/bag saver fitted, it's even worse!!)... :P

As for Eureka-type PNs, yes you can use them, but, they do not lock onto the Tristar or Compact tubes so would not be secure, they used to have an adaptor for Eureka PNs before they designed & supplied their own. The easiest way to get them to stay put though is to wrap some electrical tape round the end of the bottom tube in order to make it friction-fitting, it's not perfect, but it makes use of a PN that isn't 100% compatible... :)
 
I also live in a 2-BR apt; but I still have plenty of room for all. However, it's NOT really safe when the kids are there & so is the 'pile' of parts due to entrapment, choking & laceration hazards.

btw, I attach the tool holder onto the handle of the vac & not the wand.
 
Do the old Eureka PNs fit on the Tristar wands as-is, or do you need an adapter? I have a Rotomatic and a 50th Anniversary CXL. It would be cool if it just fits.

Lucky find, that new and spiffy Tristar for $15. Congrats! That's very lucky!
 
if anybody is interested... i have an extra tristar hose from the cxl/c80 that i'm not using. i have the 'gas pump' style and the other one. if anybody's interested email me.
 

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