Kirby Lengend ll

[madabouthoovers]

So the Heritage 1 was the first Kirby to feature that type of serial number then - mine has the number 1811000548. When in 1981 was the Heritage started? I take it mine was only the 548th one off the production line making it an early example?

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Steve,

Your Heritage 1HE was built in October 1981. Production of the Heritage started in Cleveland, OH and Andrews, TX in August 1981 (at serial X810800001), and initial sales were in September.

~Ben

 

[madabouthoovers]

Thanks - so does that last number mean that it was 548th off the line in October 1981, or 548th since the start of production of the 1HE in August?
Didn't take long to reach the UK market then did they lol. I still prefer using it over the later G series though - I think its a remarkably good vac for its age.
I have another 1HE but it has a cloth fill tube, dated 12/81 was this original?

How do we tell whether it was made in Andrews, or Cleveland? I think its the first digit on the serial number which indicates the plant? 1 for Cleveland is it?

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Steve,

The 548th from when production began in August 1981.

~Ben

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Steve,

I wanted to answer you on your other 1HE thoughts:

*The cloth fill tube - I wish I knew what to say.

*The plant code is indeed the first digit in the serial #. As far as I know, 1 indicates Cleveland, OH and 2 means Andrews, TX. It should be known that digits 3 and 4 are likely respectively the same as 1 and 2 but in different times of the day (there's day shifts and night shifts, you know).

Any Kirbys exported to the UK or other European and Asian countries will be finished locally since not all countries use the same voltage system.

~Ben

 

[madabouthoovers]

<span style="text-decoration: underline;">It should be known that digits 3 and 4 are likely respectively the same as 1 and 2 but in different times of the day (there's day shifts and night shifts, you know). </span>


<span style="text-decoration: underline;"> </span>


Not sure what you mean by this sentence.


 


I believe the early model 1HE originally may have had a cloth fill tube, but this was superseded by the usual hard flexible tube. I was quite surprised when I first saw it, but then again it has the red outer original bag, which my other Oct 81 model does not - that has a H2 grey bag fitted, but has a flexi fill tube and oval bag adaptor hole. 


I'm wondering if the Tradition had a cloth fill tube as well.


 


When you say that exported Kirbys are finished locally - I'm assuming you mean that the distributors have to fit local type cords and plugs to them, as surely the motors are still fitted at the factory in the US, even though these motors will be the 240V ac type


 

 

[a007kirbyman]

Ben & (some) Kirby Info...

Hello Ben.

I'm curious as to some of the 'sources' you use for some of your Kirby information???

This not being combative, or critical; however, I would consider 'other sources' to verify your information, ...before posting.

I've seen posts of people complaining about the information they've received from Kirby dealers; or 'fibbed' (I'm being polite) to outrightly.

However, that being said, if we don't verify 'our' information, we do no good in minimizing or reducing those false information situations.

And understand Ben, you do have a lot of great & helpful infomation for many members! You are more than welcome to call me, if you have questions. Or I'd call you. I don't mind either way, just ask for my contact info. As 'Evelyn Woods' I'm NOT, it's much easier for me to call. ~lol~


*****

Anybody international, that offer applies to you as well.

*****


Usually you're own with 'OTHER' brands though!!! ~lol~ My knowledge is with Kirbys. If I don't know the answers, I won't 'throw you some BS.' ~lol~



Back on point:

I have posted numerous times on serial numbers, etc. If anybody searches the archives with my username & keywords: Kirby or serial, you WILL probably get the RESULTS & ANSWERS you desire.

This in large part to a great database & search feature that Robert has created here on Vacuumland.



As for the Legend II's when the Generation 3's came out, 'our' distributorship was selling 200 to 300 Kirby's at that time, & it took 'us' about 9 months to finish selling the Legend II's. That including some of them considerably discounted. We showed the customer both, & let them decide. So I am confused by your prior post?!?!

Again, I would encourage you to re-think some of your Kirby sources Ben. No disrespect.


Cheers & hagn/d all,


Bill

Ps: I just added a link to one of the posts about serial numbers, & reading them since the 1HD (Heritage).

http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?9910



198[this post was last edited: 7/13/2013-21:55]

http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?9910

 

[kirbylux77]

Kirby Heritage cloth fill tube & rug plate

Bill, just wondering if you could clarify a mystery for me here. I just bought a used Kirby Heritage from a thrift store. It was all original with the cloth fill tube, but something REALLY strange, is the rug plate has no rug guard bars across the bottom. It is totally open except for the guard in the middle around the belt. Also, the brushroll has more of a "chevron" shape to it than a normal Heritage or Heritage II brushroll.

So, was these experiments Kirby was trying? or a design mistake that was corrected later??

Rob

PS- Bill, I would also like to take you up on your offer to talk to you sometime. I can be reached at the email address in my profile if you want to leave me your number.

 

[normvac]

Was wondering about the Attachments

Was wondering if it was a late Legend model. As my son has a legend 11, and his tools were in the box, but still the older style. So good to see, as I never have
seen those. Must be the introduction, just proior to the G series being introduced.
Thanks, great machine, as all Kirbys are !

 

[a007kirbyman]

Rob & Kirby 1HD ???'s (& Steve)

Hello Rob.

On the Kirby Heritage (1HD), I have seen the rug plate with only the 'crossbar' where the belt is located. This is to help prevent the belt from accidentally leaving 'marks' on carpeting. My belief, is that it was NOT accidental, rather experimental.

As for the brushroll, they were to my knowledge always 'helical' (like DNA ~lol~) thru the entire production, & even into the Kirby Heritage II (2HD). If it has a more 'chevron' design, then it's a replacement. If you wipe off the brushroll, & L@@K closely, you may be able to see the brushroll's manufacture date. Provided that it's a genuine Kirby brushroll.

I sent you an email earlier with my contact info.





Hello Steve.

The Tradition (3CB) never had a 'soft' fill tube, only the tube with the wire coil thru it was available.



Cheers & hagn/d all,


Bill

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Bill,

I also sent you an e-mail regarding what the plant code number means on my 1989 Legend II (s/n 4890314320).

Thank you,



Ben

 

[a007kirbyman]

Ben & Kirby 2HD LII serial #

Hello Ben.

To answer your question Ben, the first digit in the serial number (1HD~G10) on an individual Kirby, represents which plant it was made in. And, when there was/is a substantial change in the model(s), then the first digit would change also.

Your particular Kirby Legend II was made in Andrews, TX. (serial #4890314320)


I also sent you an email earlier with my contact info. & answer to your question.



Cheers & hagn/d all,


Bill

 

[madabouthoovers]

My Kirby 1HE has the chevron shaped brushroll and no rug guards either:

It also has KIRBY stamped on the brushroll too, so its a genuine one as far as I can see.

 

[madabouthoovers]

Here is a picture off Ebay of another 1HE, manufactured 11/82 but showing the rug plate WITH the rug guards. I presume that later models of Heritage cleaners had them fitted:

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Kirby Heritage 84 (by twocvbloke)



This video by twocvbloke shows that the rug nozzle on this Heritage 84 (an April 1984 build) has only a single crossbar (watch at 1:26), suggesting the plate is the unguarded first version (maybe replacement?).

Serial # is 1840407920 - which, going by the first number and Bill's information, suggests it was made in Cleveland, OH.

~Ben

 

[madabouthoovers]

Notice also that on the predecessor to the Heritage, the Tradition did have rug guards fitted on the rug plate, so it seems that the Heritage could have been the only model to have had them omitted - my guess is that it helped to give a more aggressive clean to the carpet fibres by drawing them deeper into the nozzle.

A Tradition rug plate:

 

[madabouthoovers]

Here is a (rather dirty) Legend 2, again off ebay, WITH the rug guards, so there must have been some reason why they started fitting them again having not done it on the Heritage:

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

About that Heritage 84 of Dave C.'s with the single dividing bar, I suspect that was probably from leftover stock - a case of older parts being used up.

I also want to say that even here in the U.S., the Legend II attachments produced after around July 1990 were molded from the same tooling as the G3 attachments, except for the spray/Suds-O-Gun and the air intake guard.

~Ben

 

[electrolux137]

Interesting. I've never seen the Legend II attachment kit in the G3 style. Have to say, I do prefer the earlier version. The longer and narrower rug nozzle in particular is much lovelier and also much easier to get into corners, narrow spaces etc., than the more rectangular-shaped G3 nozzle.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

The very early Heritage I brush rolls--in both the standard 16" and the shorter 13" flavors--actually had a 180-degree helix pattern, according to the pictures of a 1982 Kirby Heritage (built 1/82) in this thread:
http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?6461

It would appear Kirby changed the brush roll bristle arrangement to the 90-degree helix design when the rug plate was redesigned.

~Ben