Kirby 516

[electrolux137]

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I was using a Kirby Model 516 earlier today for bare-floor cleaning. As my mom once said about Kirbys, "With all the racket they make, you'd think they would actually pick up stuff!"


 


Truer words were never spoken, but it's still fun to lug out one of my old Kirbys and use it with the hose. "It takes me back to days of yore."

 

[cb123]

I wouldn't necessarily blame it on such a fine machine, most likely it was only user error, on account, that you have to gently wash your shakeout bag at least once in a blue moon. It's kinda of a no brainer that it will eventually clog after years of abuse...Oh, I mean use! It would also help to shake it out every now and again, at least for sanitary purposes.  

 

[kenkart]

Chalies Mother!!

Was used to a Electrolux, I'm sure a Kirby with the hose hooked up seemed anemic to Her after using something with as much power as a automatic E!

 

[cb123]

I've experienced the supreme dominance of The Kirby's most awesome POWER! It excels in discreet nimbleness across even the most filthiest of floors, therefore, the problem must lie with, whomever is walking with leisurely ease behind it.    ...And as for the racket, please remove the sock!?

 

[sptyks]

OR replace the broken fan!!!


 


 

 

[electrolux137]

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The fan wasn't broken. The plain and simple fact is that all Kirbys -- even modern models -- have wimpy suction through the hose. "What Hans said."

 

[dysonman1]

Hans and Charles

Remember what our dear friend, and former VCCC Member said when he found out the Kirby had only 35 inches of water lift:

"If my Rexair model B had as much suction as the anemic Kirby, I'd take it apart to find out what was wrong with it".

 

[cb123]

Well, you know what everybody likes to say: A Kirby can eat five or six of them nasty things for breakfast, without even chewing and blow'em all out before noontime lunch is served!

 

[kirbyuser]

not enough suction ???

love those years of kirbys. plenty of suction.

 

[electrolux137]

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@<span style="font-family: arial black,avant garde; color: #0000ff;">vacuser</span> -- Not enough suction THROUGH THE HOSE (an important distinction).

That's a plain and simple fact. This was addressed to a certain degree with later models starting with the Dual Sanitronic, when the hose coupler selected a higher speed for the motor. But even at that, the suction power is less than impressive and really not very efficient.

 

[cb123]

...Whatever!

 

[kirby519]

You have to keep in mind that at time it was new. No other upright could be converted to an above floor machine and produce the same level of suction or air flow. Also Kirby's aren't about Hi inches of water lift but High air flow.

 

[cb123]

That's right, Kirby's are all about exceptional, first-class, top-rate cleaning, and its power is all at the push of a finger!

 

[kirbylux77]

Charles

"The fan wasn't broken. The plain and simple fact is that all Kirbys -- even modern models -- have wimpy suction through the hose. "What Hans said."

Good point there. BUT, like Kirby519 said above, Kirby's do have high airflow CFM ratings through the hose, which is what REALLY is responsible for cleaning. Plus, if the Kirby's suction was really that dreadful, then do tell as to why they introduced a handheld Turbo Brush on the Kirby Heritage in 1980.(and later the Zippbrush on Heritage II). Those don't operate very well unless the vacuum has decent suction.

Also, one HUGE advantage Kirby & Royal direct air uprights have over ANY filtered bagless canister with a dust cup filter, or bagged canister vacuum, with the exception of Miele canisters & any water filtration canister, is the ability to maintain decent airflow & suction even when the bag starts to get a decent amount of dirt in it. You can literally pack the bags right to the brim with dirt & have great cleaning power. It's a known fact that this is the downfall of MOST canister vacuums, once the bag gets past 1/3 full, you lose most of your cleaning power. The only exception I have found to this rule is Miele canisters, & that's due to their AirClean bags.

Rob

 

[electrolux137]

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Hose attachments for upright machines were hardly new in 1956! Attachments for Kirby machines go all the way back to the Vacuette Electric & Scott & Fetzer Sanitation Systems from the late 1920s. The early Kirby sets even had portable handles to completely convert the machine to a canister-type machine, although most people never bothered to swap out the long handle.


 


Indeed, many vacuum cleaner manufacturers offered attachments sets for their machines as far back as the early 1920s -- Eureka comes immediately to mind, who even had an air-powered floor attachment in the 1920s!


 


The very first Air-Way upright (1920) had attachments; in fact, a big selling point of the machine was how easy it was to convert for use with the hose simply by turning the clear cover on the front.


 


The earliest Hoovers also had attachment sets.


 


And there are many other examples. Sad thing is, the early upright attachments were by and large useless and usually very difficult to convert to. They were really just sales gimmicks. Homemakers would have been far better off with an upright cleaner for carpets and a canister machine for straight-suction use.


 


The first photo below is the very comprehensive attachment set for the S&FSS, the next ones are of various Eureka models, then the last is of a very, very early Hoover set.

 

[cb123]

I'm startin' to feel a mini micro aggression comin' on strong, because after this little inescapable thing called experience with THE MIGHTY KIRBY, we who are wise know the TRUTH! Now, we can all retreat to our own little safe zones, PLEASE. 

 

[cb123]

You know, I've been thinking, who are we listening to here, someone who's still hearing momma's voice ringing in his ears! He plainly regurgitates this fact in the beginning of the "Thread" about all the so-called, alleged problems his mother had, which was inculcated within his young subconscious mind. So, therefore, he's been made bias to THE MIGHTY KIRBY a long time ago. I on the other hand found THE KIRBY Rather late in life, after a whole lot of vacuuming with crap of many makes and models!

 

[sptyks]

I find the suction in hose mode with my Sentria to be very good and quite adequate for all my above floor cleaning. It's second only to my Royal Everlast 8300 with a 10 amp motor in hose mode. That thing is equal to any canister I have tried.


 


My Sentria measures an 8 on my Baird meter at the end of the hose. Not bad. But my Royal Everlast nearly pegs the meter at 10 at the end of the hose. Too bad the Royal is not so easy to convert to hose mode as the Kirby.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

electrolux137

Charles,

It is true even the Dual Sanitronic 50's suction with the hose isn't that great (that machine only had 5 amps!) when you compare it to anything Kirby made later like the Classic series (6 amps) and then the architecturally-similar Tradition and Heritage/Legend, and then later the G series (which has 7 amps).

~Ben