Some Info:
Fred:
This is a great score - an uncommon find in any condition, and even more so in such fantastic shape.
This is the uppermost of the MOL Kenmores from that era, just one model below the Sears Best version. The basic differences were: The Sears Best model had a detachable "tool garden" tray that fit on top of the canister, holding all the tools, and it had a two-speed motor.
The 10-foot hose you found is pretty rare. It was an option; if you will look at the specifications label you show in one of your photos, you will see it specifies a 6-foot hose. You could buy the 10-foot hose as an option. If you were buying a machine in a Sears store, you could specify the 10-foot hose and get credit for the standard 6-foot hose. The "credit back" arrangement was only available in stores; you could not get it through the catalog.
That power nozzle is one of the best and most versatile ever made, its "Rube Goldberg" appearance notwithstanding. The biggest feature is the carpet height adjustment, which puts the brush roll at the perfect height for any kind of carpet. One of my Atlanta houses had shaggy rya rugs over low-loop Berber carpet; the Sears Best version I had could handle both pile types easily. It also makes it possible to compensate for brush-roll wear. I can't tell from the photo if yours has the headlight or not; the same housing was used for both versions. The headlight is a nice, nice feature. The Edge Clean is passive, meaning there's a little non-powered red plastic brush in the corner of the soleplate that is supposed to whisk dirt away from baseboards, etc.
These were excellent vacuums, but their survival rate is not great. First, they're plastic-bodied. Second, the Sears customer wasn't the kind of "old money" customer that Electrolux had, who would maintain and repair an older vacuum.
I have only one question: What wonderful thing have you done to deserve this AND an Ironrite 95? You must be living right!
