Kenmore Destiny Plus/Fantom Thunder

[gmerkt]

A vac store that I patronize always has lots of trade-ins sitting around. When I go there to get something, I always snoop around the store and see if I can see anything of particular interest. The owner will usually sell me a trade-in that he hasn't serviced for resale for $15. I've been on the look-out for Fantoms and today in his back room I found a Kenmore Destiny Plus which is a rebadged Fantom Thunder for Sears. This one is Kenmore Model Number 204.3499990 (that's what it says on the machine). It does not have the typical Fantom Thunder large Hepa filter on the side; it merely has an exhaust cover where the bottom of the Hepa filter housing usually sits. Kenmore also marketed a Destiny Plus Model number 204.36999690 (the two different models don't have the same number of digits in their model numbers) and that one has the Hepa filter.

The decorations on the Kenmore Destiny resemble those of the Thunder, but oddly, they are paper decals stuck onto the body of the machine and not painted on like the Fantom-marked machines. Also, the Kenmore is marked 11.0 amps on the hood and the Thunder is marked 12.0.

I was happy to get this machine; it's in better condition than my Thunder and took a minimum of work to clean it up.

I'm not too crazy about those bagless chambers in any of my Fantoms. They are difficult to clean. But then again, I'm not fond of any bagless machines, rather I prefer bags. My main interest in the Fantoms is their blackness, their slight weirdness, and the styling of the Fury and the Cyclone.

 

[opelgtkarl]

Awesome

Now there's another example of a ClearTrak copy. Whenever we meet again I'll have to come see that thing.
Is it a pretty loud machine?

 

[electroluxxxx]

I have that same exact machine, excellent cleaner and Karl, they are not all that loud, these either  use a 2 or  3 stage ametek lamb motor.

 

[mark40511]

Cool. But..Oh this brings back memories of when I bought the Fantom Fury at Kmart in 1996. It lasted until 2000. I hated that vacuum with a white hot passion. Especially when you would vacuum and you could literally see thick dust collecting on the outside the vacuum all over it as you vacuumed. The dust cup never felt like it made a very tight seal to me at all. I used it A LOT in those few years.

 

[vacman117]

I actually have an early Fantom Thunder and it has stickers on it instead of being "printed" on it. And I have later Kenmore Destiny Plus that does not have the stickers. Interesting...

 

[gmerkt]

As to the graphics, it seems that the stickers versus direct application of paint has to do with vintage rather than brand.