Landers, Frary & Clark Universal Vacuum Cleaner

[wcash]

Hello All. I am not a vacuum collector but have an old Universal Vacuum Cleaner manufactured by Landers, Frary & Clark that I have had for many years. See attached photos. The tag is very difficult to read but I believe it says model No. F701.
I discovered this vacuum in a building owned by my father in the 1960's. It was just as pictured with no handle or accessories. It looked old and interesting even then so my dad gave it to me and I've kept it ever since, though never tried to restore it. Now I must clean out and downsize and must let it go. When I first found the vacuum in the 1960's I connected a lamp cord, plugged it in and it ran fine. Now, 50 years later I tried again for a few seconds. It ran but sounded very rough so I immediately unplugged it. It may just need cleaning and lubrication or maybe bearing replacement or? Any interest from anyone here? Thanks, Bill

 

[huskyvacs]

Very cool vacuum! As much as I could find out, Landers, Frary & Clark were a department store in business from 1865 to 1965 in Connecticut. They rebadged name brand appliances to their own brand, sometimes making cheaper counterparts of the name brand models. I think this vacuum originally had a plug that would screw into a lamp socket, but I am not sure.

It looks like it's been sitting in damp places, and being open like that it likely has gone rusty as well as had the oil gum up. I'm making a rough guess that it's from early in the Prohibition era. Not sure if the green is original to it or someone painted it, but I can't imagine they would have back in those days.

 

[huskyvacs]

If nobody else here is interested, I'd be willing to save it if you're not asking too much. It looks almost like an exact copy of a Bee-Vac I have, even down to the shape of the name tag. These early electric vacuums are just too cute with how small they are.

 

[wcash]

Landers, Frary & Clark Universal Vacuum Cleaner

Wow, I initiated thread #37553 on 11/7/2018 and didn't realize anyone had ever responded. I guess I thought I would get an email alert and never checked back to this forum until now.

In any event, I still have the vacuum as was pictured in my earlier post. Huskyvacs, if you still want it you can have it for the shipping cost. I have no idea what it will cost to ship. I guess it weighs about 6 to 8 pounds.

 

[texbodemer]

The paint looks original

The paint looks like finishes on a lot of prewar office furniture--my office has some fireproof cabinets (from around 1930ish) that are painted a similar green. Underwood painted their portable typewriters a similar shade of green, and based on the way it's flaking, it's consistent with pre-WWII paint.

That is an awesome machine, by the way!

 

[texbodemer]

Out of curiosity,

do the wheels turn the brush roller?

 

[lesinutah]

Boom

This thread husky. It took me a while to find it.

 

[wcash]

Landers, Frary & Clark Universal Vacuum Cleaner

From visual inspection I believe one of the wheels is geared to turn the brush roller however the wheel will not turn freely and I did not try to force it. The other wheel does turn freely.

 

[hoover300]

I found the ad for it, I don't think that paint is original. The motor and maybe head were made by Birtman. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/..._Cleaner,_1919_-_Landers,_Frary_and_Clark.jpg

If Husky is no longer interested, I'll gladly take it.

 

[wcash]

Landers, Frary & Clark Universal Vacuum Cleaner

Hoover 300 - I sent you an email at your profile address.

 

[huskyvacs]

Hoover300 yeah I'm still interested. I contacted him about it in 2018 and never heard back. Forgot about this topic. lol

 

[wcash]

Landers, Frary & Clark Universal Vacuum Cleaner

Huskyvacs - please contact me via email. I didn't find your email address on your profile. My email address is [email protected].

 

[huskyvacs]

I took delivery of the vacuum everyone, it has been rescued!

I'll post pics of it in my own topic thread about it at a later date so as not to clog up the topic here.

Thank you again, William!

 

[hoover300]

I eat my words sometimes. Found in a 1936 Buckeye Vacuum parts catalog. If you read the top paragraph... The green is original.