Kirby 519

[justjunque]

As I've stated ad nauseum, I'm trying to limit my buying, and I'm not a Kirby collector.
That being said, as I now have two of them, there's one for sale within easy driving distance from me, and I don't know if it's a good deal. I've been seeing it on Craigslist for a good little while now. It's described as a 1959 Model 519. They claim it still works. It's just the vacuum. No accessories of any kind. And, its just been used; not pampered. Very dull, rough looking aluminum. The red bag is very faded. I'm guessing this model would have a shake-out bag, as opposed to using disposable bags?
Anyway, they're asking $20 for it. I don't know if that's a good enough deal that I should go against my better judgement and bring home yet another Kirby. Like I said, it's been listed at that price for a while now. I'd hate to see it, or any vintage vacuum, end up getting scrapped because nobody wanted it.
Thoughts?

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

JustJunque

Barry,

Yes, all Kirbys up until the Tradition 3-CB that came out in 1979 only ever had the shake-out bag.

Even after the Tradition came out, Kirby still had the shake-out bag but it was now optional instead of standard, with the Legend II (1989-91) being the last machine to do so.

I suggest you shell out the $20 for it so as not to see it go to scrap.

~Ben

 

[justjunque]

I contacted the seller. I'll probably end up getting it, unless it's a huge mess when I see it in person.
Not that it's the biggest problem, but from what I've found online, I'm assuming that the bag isn't original. It's red, and it seems like the 519 had a grey bag. If that's the worst of its problems, I'd consider myself lucky.

 

[human]

Red bag

The red bag could be from a Classic III, or it could be a third party generic bag. If you prefer disposable filter bags, as I do, it is possible to replace the bag assembly with one from a Heritage II or Legend II. This would entail swapping the metal emtor for the plastic mini emtor, along with the fill tube, bag coupling, and outer bag, but retaining the original bag header. I did this with my Classic III, using a Legend II outer bag, but I kept the original Classic III bag that can be swapped back onto the machine in less than a minute.

But yes, I would think $20 would be a reasonable price for the machine, assuming it's not a total basket case.

 

[justjunque]

Well, I went and met the guy today, and bought the 519.
Super nice guy. He said it used to belong to his aunt.
Time will tell if it was a smart move or a mistake. But, he ran it, and it didn't seem to make any strange sounds. There's one broken wheel, but it hasn't broken all the way yet. It's wonky, but solid.
I found it interesting that it has an Alcoa Aluminum sticker on the main body, opposite the Em-tor side. I don't think I've seen that on any 519s I've looked at pictures of.
I figured, if I decide I really don't want it, or it ends up needing work that's too much for me, or I can't afford to have done, I can probably get my $20 back. If nothing else, by parting it out.
I'll post some pictures when I'm on my iPad.

 

[justjunque]

I was planning on taking a few pictures outside today, for better lighting. But, we got some snow overnight.
Also, let me state before posting pictures, it's not going to win any beauty contests. The aluminum is oxidized, or whatever it is, to the point of being rough and white in places. There's no way this one is going to clean up with my elbow grease and some Mother's on an old sock. I kind of wish there was someplace that I could send just the main base unit, and have it professionally polished. But, if such a service existed, I'm sure I couldn't afford it.
As for the bag; it's red, not original, and very faded.
Can the shake-out bags be washed? I don't have to worry too much about the color running, since it's already faded.
I don't know if it's a Kirby bag or aftermarket. It has a zippered area with a little pouch that you can reach into, and there's a little scraper on the end of the pouch, to help loosen schmutz from the inside of the bag.
Oh! And I almost forgot to ask.
The wheels look like they're held on with screws. There's a slot like for a flat screwdriver. Does each one just come off that easily? I'd like to see if I can straighten the cracked one, and maybe reinforce it with some Gorilla glue or something. Or, if need be, replace it, if I can find a correct grey wheel.

Edit:
Yeah. This one might be a lost cause.
It's neat to have an older model like this, and it's cool that it still works. But, the more I look, the more I lose hope. The plastic power switch (button) is broken. It's there, but it's just resting there. It's broken off where it attaches.
The bumper is messed up in places; chunks missing.
I guess I should try to accept it in its current cosmetic condition, and maybe just use it once in a while, for the experience of using an older, shake-out Kirby.
That goes against my nature of wanting to shine everything up, though.[this post was last edited: 12/16/2024-12:30]

 

[justjunque]

Some pictures; whether you want them or not! LOL
I tried to show the broken wheel, and the ALCOA sticker.
If anyone wants a close-up of any specific parts, let me know. I’ll try.
I never saw that suction control feature before, so I tried to show that too.

 

[lesinutah]

Hey

The alcoa aluminum sticker you can take off. It has nothing to do with vacuums. They make metal siding for houses. The suction relief iirc wasn't on kirbys until 560. I could be wrong but I believe that suction relief is off a hoover maybe.
It has the sweet aire cap on the back side of the emtor. The bags seen better days and is aftermarket bag.
The vacuum is in good shape. I have a wheel you could have if u want to pay the 1 or 2 shipping. It's a solid kirby that looks well kept being 66 going on 67 years.
Email me if you want a wheel. [email protected]

 

[panasonicvac]

Very nice!

The oldest model I have which happens to be the oldest vacuum in my collection currently is the 512. I was gonna send mine in to Kirby and have them factory rebuild it but unfortunately I missed my chance because they just changed their policy recently where they'll only rebuild for original owners and not second hands. I guess either they have so many Kirbys to rebuild that they were behind or they only have limited parts left where they can still rebuild for customers in this generation like for example some if not most of the parts for the Heritage II have since been discontinued that their customers rarely use anymore.

 

[justjunque]

Oh, that's too bad about the factory rebuilds.
I so wish I knew someone near me who shared my interest in vacuums, and knew something about working on them.
I'm thankful for the knowledgeable people on this site. But, it would be a whole different ballgame to have someone in person who knows what they're doing.

 

[panasonicvac]

During my younger days, I'd go to my vacuums shops for any help or advise. Even had they opportunity to work for them as well. I left mainly because I had a different career path ahead of me. Occasionally I'd still drop in whenever I'd need something like bags and such but I can pretty much do the repairs myself unless I'd need their assistance with some tools they have that I don't own.