Kirby Classic III question

[kloveland]

MY HISTORY WITH KIRBY’S

Let me start off by saying Kirby Vacuums have been in my family for a long time. My grandmother purchased a Kirby Classic from one of her former students who was selling them( she was a high school drama teacher) in the early 1970’s. She was amazed by the power and paid for it in weekly payments out of her teaching salary. My grandfather could not see spending three hundred dollars for a sweeper at the time.

My mother later sucked up a live coal from the fireplace and when the bag started smoking, she took it outside. They called the fire department to put the fire out in the bag. Anyway I thought this was a cute story. I have no idea what happened to this Kirby that was quite a while before I was born. She later got a Kirby Classic Omega which I know have after she moved. She now has a Kirby Generation 3. She loves the self propelled feature.

My grandfather and step grandmother got a Classic III after they married. This is has got be my favorite Kirby because the red plaid bag.

QUESTION.

FILTER BAG.
I have the Classic III and I purchased a used Cloth Bag for $30 from a local Vacuum Shop because the original one was leaking dust. Now the bag I bought is leaking dust as well around where the bag meets the emptor. I am wondering if I need to put the filter guard over the opening of the bag and then stretch it onto the emptor to make a seal. Or should the filter guard go over the bag after it is already in place.

THE MOTOR.
It sounds like it has some bearing noise when I first turn it on and then it quiets down after I run it for 5 seconds or so. It is either the front or back bearing. Do I need to be concerned about the motor freezing up. I know the two bearings are hard to replace. I did take the metal housing off of the power plant and blew out the motor with an air compressor so it is clean.

Thanks,
Kenny

 

[briankirbyclass]

Kenny, if the bag that is on the Kirby now, is the one in the pic, its VERY old, and very porous, thats why its leaking dust so badly.
Id recommend getting a brand new bag installed.
The bag Guard is installed after the bag is installed on the Sani-Emptor. A brand new bag should NOT leak much dust at all,,the bags only start to leak dust badly when they are old and porous.

About the motor,,it dosent sound like you have anything to worry about for now, or anytime soon, keep in mind that a Classic 3 is at least 30 years old now, so, someday, you may have to have a new motor, or at least new motor bearings, but for now, you should be OK.

 

[kloveland]

Yes a new bag will help. I might try to get a paper bag bag conversion kit later on. I will just have to keep this bag clean for now (I paid $30.00 for this used bag at the local vacuum shop the other day). I like the look of the original bag. The motor runs good I used it with the attachments and the rug nozzle for about two hours today. I read from this site that Kirby armatures have a very long life span.

Thank you for answering my questions,
Kenny

 

[kirbyvacuum]

Kirby Classic

Hi Kenny the kirby classic is a wonderful machine I also have one. Keep that bag as long as you can if you put the paper bag on it will change the look of your Kirby not for the better. Also when you use the cleaning tools the Kirby uses speed two that puts more wear on the motor so use then only when needed. Your Kirby is now about32 years old so use it by all means but it is getting old. Enjoy it, take extra care it will last for many more years Doug

 

[briankirbyclass]

You are welcome,glad i could help. If you have a Kirby Sales and Service Center in your area, they should be able to get the standard "Dump" bags in the plaid color scheme, brand new, that matches your Classic 3. I know Kirby puts a new one on any Classic 3 that is sent into the factory for rebuilding, so they certainly have them avalible.

I put a Silver Heritage 2 dump bag on my friend's Classic Omega, and it looks really sharp. I would imagine it would look great on a Classic 3 also.

Yes, the conversion system is nice, i personally feel it takes away from the originality of the machine, as the metal Sani Emptor is part of the original equipment of a Classic 3, and looks really nice when its all shined up.
To me, the pastic Emptor's are kinda flimsy and cheap looking, and can crack after awhile.
Of course everyone is different, and has their own preferences, to each his own!
One thing that helps too, with the old Classics, is to have the brush roll upgraged to the 4 row brush,intead of the original 2 row,,the 4 row brush roll will not only clean better, and twice as fast, but also makes the Kirby easier to push.
When a 4 row brush roll is installed and adjusted correctly, on a Classic series, (or any model of Kirby for that matter), the machine should be able to almost pull itself across the carpet.
Of course, a new belt is a must too.

 

[kirbyvertibles]

Hello, If you must put a paper bag conversion on it PLEASE use the heritage II or Legend II bag system with the mini emptor. I know they aren't the best of quality like the metal but they are so much better than those stupid eureka F-G conversions they sometimes use.

 

[kloveland]

Yes I bought two new belts for the Kirby. I will get a four row brush roll in the future and update the bag with a new cloth bag. I like the satisfaction of dumping the Kirby and watching the mountains of dirt fall out of the bag when I haven’t empted it for several weeks.

I have an Electrolux model L which I will use for above the floor cleaning. I don’t understand why using the second speed will wear down the motor faster. Is this because the Classic III is 32 years old or is it not advised to use the attachments with a newer Kirby?

 

[charles~richard]

Does this thing about bags gettting more porous as they get older only apply to this particular Kirby bag? I ask only because I have never heard this before about any other old cloth bags.

 

[briankirbyclass]

Charles-Richard, yes,this is true with many of the original older dump style Kirby bags.
The fibers of the bags deteriorate with time,and age,and after so many years of use, will finally fall apart,or even begin to rot, which allows so much space in between the fibers, that the bag become porous, and allow dust (and air) to go right thru.
At one time (1970s) Kirby addressed this problem by making the current bags (at the time) avalible in what they called "Filter Felt",,it was a very heavy and tightly woven fiber.(like a golf bag),,,And was an improvment over the older, thinner materials that the bags were made out of up until then. I know that the original Kirby Classic 3, Tradition, and Heritage had the heavy "Filter Felt" bags.

Of course, its been one improvment after another ever since.

I know the genuine replacement dump bags, avalible from Kirby, are all thinner material, until you get up to the Plaid Classic 3 bags,,,then the material gets thicker and thicker with each model.
The now avalible Heritage and Heritage 2 Dump Bags are almost like a heavy slick doubled gunny sack type of material thats been plasticized.

 

[lesinutah]

Ben

In a half hour the rest of the magazine will be uploaded.
The OEM 2cb and 3cb or classic 3 and tradition bags are not good. I have original tradition bags and brand new OEM bags. The Classic 3 I did have the bag. I'm attaching a picture of bag I got on my classic 3. Original were like thin cheap flannel.
I put d50- heritage 2 adapter on a g series hose. The hose is better but the attachments are apples and oranges. The good majority of the attachments are the same.

 

[lesinutah]

Bags

The OEM bag on the classic 3 and tradition are bad. It's like a thin fleece/flannel bag.
I'll attach pic of my bag. If you put a bag system use a heritage assembly. The legend 2 bag looks pretty good on it.
If I did have an original bag I'd never use it. There just very bad.