kirbysthebest
Well-known member
. . .and the brush roll.
Oh Saints Preserve us.
Oh Saints Preserve us.
Kirby Avalier
- Thread starter djkain2007
- Start date
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not detail-obsessed enough
While I think that Kirby vacs do the best job on carpet cleaning (and I am a big fan of Kirby) I do tend to utter that Kirby has lost track of time.
While the standard setup (metal cleaner and metal front brush roll nozzle) is finest what you can get, the accessories and some details of the machine are just lousy to what comes to my mind:
The accessory caddy is a joke: a lousy throw-in-and-forget type of PE plastic box. What is that? No easy access once you exceed the standard set of tools? A clutter inside, the sprayer and the zip brush fighting away each other? A joke.
A velcro strip to hold the hose.... (velcro! nuff said...)
From G3 to G4 and G5 sooner or later the metal base plate of the floor nozzle had gone. Why?
A good idea: Let a Kirby have a decent metal telescopic wand (don't remember our member's name, but this is more than true) - instead there is offered: two flimsical plastic rods, no click-on connector but a mediveal turn&twist hope-it-holds connection.
The zip brush: Good idea to have the inner rim of the brush insert divert the air stream to the turbine blades, but why is it that there is only this ridiculous brass-type bushing instead of a good ball bearing? Have used so many zipbrushes, most of them rattling along and vibrating, not even capable to hold initial speed after just a few years just because the bushing is worn out and has some "play" (e.g. wobbling some fractions of a millimetre inside the socket? answer: unnecessary wear, thoughtless engineering). Greasing will do away with that for some weeks, then the game repeats itself.
O-rings done the wrong way: The connection from blower housing to the bag/mini emptor is a perfect example of NO thinking: From G3 to G4, there were only O-rings, the emptor attached with a twisting motion (meaning a great deal of rubbing between emptor socket and o-ring). This is what you learn first hand in ANY engineering class: O-rings go press-type connection only, never rub-type.
Result: From G5 to G6 Kirby went to having this revolving twist socket in the motor base (hoping to do away with friction on o-rings) but then again: the twist socket inside the blower opening had this felt-seal only (not the same HEPA-wise, if you ask me).
To top it off: A belt lifter IS a joke in the 21st century. We live in a click-on 1,2,3 society, so having to lift the light cover, then turn the belt lifter, then dismantle the nozzle, put on another attachment, tighten it, re-turn the belt-lifter, then lower the lamp case, that IS just a plain joke.
Bison made some efforts on that, yet with no success.
And besides: A friction belt can easily made into a toothed belt for better brushing power, come on! So why these alledgedly "hair-cutting" x-patterned belts instead of some real gears?
My minimum requests for a new Kirby (and you know they cost a LOT, when I pay a lot, I want a lot):
Basics:
1. Keep the original design (and the outer bag because cyclonic = cough-o-tronic) (Bagged Kirby = Real Kirby)
2. Keep as much as you can in quality (metal that is, no plastics)
(Lifetime Kirby = Real Kirby)
Basic "Kirby-isms":
Have a standard unit with a powered cleaner nozzle (brushroll)
Have a standard unit with a powered shampoo unit
Have a standard unit with a powered floor unit (polisher)
Have accessories (major upgrades needed)
Wishful thinking:
- why not make the old tip-toe control automatic? Sink down until good grooming/brushing action is attained? (could be done via suction/air stream/low pressure comparison and a chip that stops the power head from sinking down too much (e.g. too much motor torque)
changing areas (floor, shag, rug, carpet etc.) would heighten the power brush to top.
- why not have a good click-on press-to-o-ring connector on the suction opening and the blower opening as well? (using the tool hose now)
- why not have a good sani-emptor BEFORE precious family jewels enter the fan? (e.g. in the power nozzle head or just before the suction opening? why not have magnetic or other contraptions to keep objects entering the fan?)
- why not return back to GOOD bag material (before the G7, 8, 9 ultimate and what have you series)? G6 is the best to keep paper filters from tearing.
- why not re-introduce that good old Heritage swivel-elbow thing? LOVED it on the floor and wall brushes.
- have metal wands and have a ball-bearing in that darn zip brush!
- have a decent flexible hose spiral, not that run-off-the-mill stiff plastic hose of today's Kirby models. Remember Heritage/Legend? Most pliable, most easy to use!
- do away with "suds-o-gun" derivates, instead deliver a decent turbo-action foam brush for upholstery.
- Shampoo unit: WHY the heck this horrible 90° valve down there? Can't you guys just stick a tiny trigger to the top handle? Why bending down? On/off we go, by the flick of a switch! Besides: Look for a better rinsing option! Just wiping it out and up onto the tray isn't the way to go as we all know... Add some fresh water spray and wet suck-up thingy! Or a squeegee....
and so on, and so on.....
Best vacuum I know, please STAY the best, I implore you!
with a so-so tongue-in-cheek "oh well" smile
Joe
While I think that Kirby vacs do the best job on carpet cleaning (and I am a big fan of Kirby) I do tend to utter that Kirby has lost track of time.
While the standard setup (metal cleaner and metal front brush roll nozzle) is finest what you can get, the accessories and some details of the machine are just lousy to what comes to my mind:
The accessory caddy is a joke: a lousy throw-in-and-forget type of PE plastic box. What is that? No easy access once you exceed the standard set of tools? A clutter inside, the sprayer and the zip brush fighting away each other? A joke.
A velcro strip to hold the hose.... (velcro! nuff said...)
From G3 to G4 and G5 sooner or later the metal base plate of the floor nozzle had gone. Why?
A good idea: Let a Kirby have a decent metal telescopic wand (don't remember our member's name, but this is more than true) - instead there is offered: two flimsical plastic rods, no click-on connector but a mediveal turn&twist hope-it-holds connection.
The zip brush: Good idea to have the inner rim of the brush insert divert the air stream to the turbine blades, but why is it that there is only this ridiculous brass-type bushing instead of a good ball bearing? Have used so many zipbrushes, most of them rattling along and vibrating, not even capable to hold initial speed after just a few years just because the bushing is worn out and has some "play" (e.g. wobbling some fractions of a millimetre inside the socket? answer: unnecessary wear, thoughtless engineering). Greasing will do away with that for some weeks, then the game repeats itself.
O-rings done the wrong way: The connection from blower housing to the bag/mini emptor is a perfect example of NO thinking: From G3 to G4, there were only O-rings, the emptor attached with a twisting motion (meaning a great deal of rubbing between emptor socket and o-ring). This is what you learn first hand in ANY engineering class: O-rings go press-type connection only, never rub-type.
Result: From G5 to G6 Kirby went to having this revolving twist socket in the motor base (hoping to do away with friction on o-rings) but then again: the twist socket inside the blower opening had this felt-seal only (not the same HEPA-wise, if you ask me).
To top it off: A belt lifter IS a joke in the 21st century. We live in a click-on 1,2,3 society, so having to lift the light cover, then turn the belt lifter, then dismantle the nozzle, put on another attachment, tighten it, re-turn the belt-lifter, then lower the lamp case, that IS just a plain joke.
Bison made some efforts on that, yet with no success.
And besides: A friction belt can easily made into a toothed belt for better brushing power, come on! So why these alledgedly "hair-cutting" x-patterned belts instead of some real gears?
My minimum requests for a new Kirby (and you know they cost a LOT, when I pay a lot, I want a lot):
Basics:
1. Keep the original design (and the outer bag because cyclonic = cough-o-tronic) (Bagged Kirby = Real Kirby)
2. Keep as much as you can in quality (metal that is, no plastics)
(Lifetime Kirby = Real Kirby)
Basic "Kirby-isms":
Have a standard unit with a powered cleaner nozzle (brushroll)
Have a standard unit with a powered shampoo unit
Have a standard unit with a powered floor unit (polisher)
Have accessories (major upgrades needed)
Wishful thinking:
- why not make the old tip-toe control automatic? Sink down until good grooming/brushing action is attained? (could be done via suction/air stream/low pressure comparison and a chip that stops the power head from sinking down too much (e.g. too much motor torque)
changing areas (floor, shag, rug, carpet etc.) would heighten the power brush to top.
- why not have a good click-on press-to-o-ring connector on the suction opening and the blower opening as well? (using the tool hose now)
- why not have a good sani-emptor BEFORE precious family jewels enter the fan? (e.g. in the power nozzle head or just before the suction opening? why not have magnetic or other contraptions to keep objects entering the fan?)
- why not return back to GOOD bag material (before the G7, 8, 9 ultimate and what have you series)? G6 is the best to keep paper filters from tearing.
- why not re-introduce that good old Heritage swivel-elbow thing? LOVED it on the floor and wall brushes.
- have metal wands and have a ball-bearing in that darn zip brush!
- have a decent flexible hose spiral, not that run-off-the-mill stiff plastic hose of today's Kirby models. Remember Heritage/Legend? Most pliable, most easy to use!
- do away with "suds-o-gun" derivates, instead deliver a decent turbo-action foam brush for upholstery.
- Shampoo unit: WHY the heck this horrible 90° valve down there? Can't you guys just stick a tiny trigger to the top handle? Why bending down? On/off we go, by the flick of a switch! Besides: Look for a better rinsing option! Just wiping it out and up onto the tray isn't the way to go as we all know... Add some fresh water spray and wet suck-up thingy! Or a squeegee....
and so on, and so on.....
Best vacuum I know, please STAY the best, I implore you!
with a so-so tongue-in-cheek "oh well" smile
Joe
singingrainbow
Well-known member
Well I never cared for kirbys much until I recently got A kirby tradition and it has changed my opinion on them because it just feels right when you are useing it and I hope they stick to metal or one of the last quality vacuums will die. But I have never used one of the newer kirbys, in fact the tradition is the newest one I have used, So what do I know!
eurekastar
Well-known member
I wish I could remember where I saw it, but I stumbled across a website recently that was selling a plastic aftermarket brush roll for Kirby vacuums. I always thought that CWP was the only company that makes aftermarket brush rolls for Kirby. But I don't think this was a CWP product.
With all of the publicity the "new" Kirby is getting-wouldn't be surprized if they change the design and the name.that is probably another reason for the delay of the rollout of the new version.
I suggested the metal telescope wand-and yes redo the tool kit case.The one the Heritage used was nice-a peg or whatever for each hand tool to go on.and yes-a better way to secure the hose to the case.right now my Kirby tool kits sit unused-use one of my canisters instead.Just more convenient and effective.(TriStar,or Meile)And yes-I could go along with the spiral reinforced hose like the older models.
If the "new" model Kirby has an electrified hose-guess the air powered tools will go by the wayside-just as well.And an electrified carpet power nozzle would be nice to go along with the regular nozzle-the powered one could get into places the regular Kirby can't.It would be a simple matter to put a "scrap trap" device in the hose adaptor-that way coins,nails,screws won't go into the fan-lighter dust and dirt would-and for jewery items-they could go into the trap rather than getting chopped up in the fan-and PLEASE go back to the metal fans-the plastic ones erode or break more easily.And yes-provide a SEPARATE bare floor tool with castle cut brushes instead of that stupid combo tool they provide now-its almost useless on bare floors anyway-and could scratch them.And put METAL in those tools instead of plastic.Why I like metal over plastic-better durability,more easily recycled when that time comes-and on an expensive machine like a Kirby-the plastic is tacky.And oh yes-the latching tools.No more friction fit-it falls off or worse can freeze on to where it won't come off.You can get separate metal magnetic "scrap" heads to go onto Sanitaires and Royals-wonder if they could be adapted to fit a Kirby.that way steel items don't get into the brushrolls either-the metal can tear up the roll.and lets go to a METAL brushroll with replaceable brush strips.forget the TACKY plastic ones-they have no place in an expensive vacuum like a Kirby.The wood ones are even better.I can go along with Joe on most of his points-Kirby PLEASE--STAY THE BEST.with the measures that are suggested here-Kirby will stay on top!
I suggested the metal telescope wand-and yes redo the tool kit case.The one the Heritage used was nice-a peg or whatever for each hand tool to go on.and yes-a better way to secure the hose to the case.right now my Kirby tool kits sit unused-use one of my canisters instead.Just more convenient and effective.(TriStar,or Meile)And yes-I could go along with the spiral reinforced hose like the older models.
If the "new" model Kirby has an electrified hose-guess the air powered tools will go by the wayside-just as well.And an electrified carpet power nozzle would be nice to go along with the regular nozzle-the powered one could get into places the regular Kirby can't.It would be a simple matter to put a "scrap trap" device in the hose adaptor-that way coins,nails,screws won't go into the fan-lighter dust and dirt would-and for jewery items-they could go into the trap rather than getting chopped up in the fan-and PLEASE go back to the metal fans-the plastic ones erode or break more easily.And yes-provide a SEPARATE bare floor tool with castle cut brushes instead of that stupid combo tool they provide now-its almost useless on bare floors anyway-and could scratch them.And put METAL in those tools instead of plastic.Why I like metal over plastic-better durability,more easily recycled when that time comes-and on an expensive machine like a Kirby-the plastic is tacky.And oh yes-the latching tools.No more friction fit-it falls off or worse can freeze on to where it won't come off.You can get separate metal magnetic "scrap" heads to go onto Sanitaires and Royals-wonder if they could be adapted to fit a Kirby.that way steel items don't get into the brushrolls either-the metal can tear up the roll.and lets go to a METAL brushroll with replaceable brush strips.forget the TACKY plastic ones-they have no place in an expensive vacuum like a Kirby.The wood ones are even better.I can go along with Joe on most of his points-Kirby PLEASE--STAY THE BEST.with the measures that are suggested here-Kirby will stay on top!
kirbyvacuum
Well-known member
Kirby 505
Hi All Any guess as far as when the new Kirby will be out?Thanks Doug
Hi All Any guess as far as when the new Kirby will be out?Thanks Doug
Would guess next spring.
testing
testing again
kirbyworker
New member
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2015
- Messages
- 1
kirby avalier is out
hey just thought i let everyone know the the new kirby Avalier is out for its 100th anniversary came out in december.
hey just thought i let everyone know the the new kirby Avalier is out for its 100th anniversary came out in december.
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