My Eureka Model Data Thread

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texbodemer

texbodemer

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Hi, everyone! This is going to be the thread I will use to document my journey into creating a Eureka F and G upright database, to make it easy to date your Eureka F and G upright. Please edit as needed.

250.....1950
255.....1955-58
238.....1963-72
258.....1961-??
260.....1958-70

1401....1972-??
A continuation of the Eureka 238 upright.
1402....197?-7?
A continuation of the 1401.
1403
1405....1975-??
A basic upright (like 1401 and 1402.)
1406....197?-7?
A basic upright, with two-position Dial-a-Nap. Body, hood, handle, and vinyl outer bag are all Lagoon Blue.
1407
1408
1409
1410
1411....1981-??
A budget upright, with two-position Dial-a-Nap and a headlight.
1412
1413
1414
1415
1416....1975
Mid-range upright, with a four-position Dial-a-Nap.
1417
1418
1419
1420
1421
1422
1423....1975
Mid-range upright, with a four position Dial-a-Nap, and a headlight.
1424....1976-79
High-end upright, with a six position Dial-a-Nap, and a headlight.
1425....
A basic upright, with a two-position Dial-a-Nap, with a white body, handle, and outer bag
1426....
1427....1981-88
A high-end upright, with a six position Dial-a-Nap, headlight, and Vibra-Groomer II. Advertised heavily by Woolco stores.
1428....1981-89
A mid-range upright, with a four-position Dial-a-Nap, and headlight, with white body and Windsor Blue base. White plaid vinyl bag.
1429....1982-88
Mid-range upright, with a four-position Dial-a-Nap
 
You can certainly add the Model 270 that was sold from 1968 to 1969. This was the last model to feature a top side hose port, but the first to feature a large box top bag.

Here’s an old Vacuumland thread showing this beautiful early version of the famous 2070 Eureka Vanguard with the very first Rugulator height adjuster:



https://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?29044
 
Nick,

Apparently, you keep missing my posts to let you know that I have completed my own Eureka F & G upright lists (200, 600 1400, 1900, 2000, 4000, and 5000 Series) and posted them last May on another thread. Search "Color-Pak" and when you access it, scroll down to replies 16, 17, & 18. Here is the 200 Series list:

paul-2023100912274401901_1.jpg

paul-2023100912274401901_2.jpg
 
Paul

Paul,

Thank you very much! My goal is to help sort out the various letters by year. Because there seems to be no serial number data available for Eureka uprights after 1947, my biggest goal is to make it possible for a person to date their Eureka without having to rely on the nipple from the molding process. I know after 1990(?) Eureka started incorporating a date code into their serial numbers.

Similar work has been done with typewriters, for a collector database, and I think our hobby could benefit from it too.

texbodemer-2023100921253607774_1.png
 
Thanks Paul!

Thank you! I'm hoping anyone with any data points can add them to this thread, especially those that can expand information on manufacturing date and model variations. (I'm trying to make heads/tails on each letter suffix)

Thanks!
Nick
 
Hi Nick and Paul,

If you have not already done so, you should visit a great webpage set up by Vacuumland’s sister website for washers…click the link below. For a small download fee, you can buy several nice sets of scans of specification sheets for Eureka vacuum cleaners, including uprights. It’s worth the price to get original Eureka documents. As well, there is one Eureka Roto-Matic clone user’s manual under Montgomery Ward.



https://www.automatice.org/cgi-bin/index.cgi
 
You bet, Nick! I hope you are able to figure out the differences among the Types; that's quite an undertaking, but patience and determination will lead you to success.

_______

Thanks for the tip and link, Brian! I have visited the site a few times but hadn't perused the ephemera scans available for purchase. It would be awesome if Eureka's online vintage ephemera were more complete. Kirby definitely takes the lead in that category!
 
I have Eureka model 260 D that seems to be an anomaly.

Nick I was wondering what your thoughts are on my Eureka 260 D in the picture below. The model number plate says it is a 260 D but it has a square handle with the rear facing switch and has chrome hood but there is no K on the model number plate to indicate it should have the chrome hood. What do you think the situation is? PATRICK COFFEY

appliguy-2023101714330501533_1.jpg
 
I don't know when the handle changed from square to round. Yours looks all-original, so I'm guessing it is. I think it's a case where all models with K are chrome, but not all chrome ones are K models?
 
Patrick,

Please post a close-up photo of the manufacturer's tag. It looks to me like a 260-B.
 
If the bag on this 260D is original, this is also a change from the original 260A. The first bags on the 260 had only a small vertical rectangle at the top of the bag. At the top of the rectangle was the famous curved E+W Eureka Williams logo. Below the logo were vertical stripes and the word Automatic written vertically. The first 260 had the golden 50th anniversary colours of green and gold. After the anniversary year of 1959, I guess the 260B debuted with a white hood and square handle and Lagoon Blue bag, base, bumper, cord and plug. This is the version we had when I was a toddler. It was made at Eureka’s Canadian factory in Kitchener, but assume the 260B would have been identical in both countries.
 
Nick do you have any info on the model 239 Eureka upright?

Here is a picture of mine. Close to the model plate there is a little circle with a 72 stamped inside. I was told by another vacuum collector that this means my 239 was made in 1972, is that correct? PATRICK

appliguy-2023101818131902133_1.jpg
 
I didn't know there was a 239

Patrick,

I didn't know they made a 239. Can you post the serial number? Based on my data for the 238, a manufacturing date of 1972 would be likely.
 
Nick you did not know they made a model 239 because.......

they didn't, I misread the model number. My Eureka is a 238 not a 239......sorry about the mistake and thanks for all your help. PATRICK
 
Hey Nick! My 260D has the serial # 100521

Does that mean that the early 260D's might have had the 260B's square style handle and rear facing switch and that the conversion to the round handle and front facing switch did not happen until sometime later in the 260D's production run? PATRICK
 
Hi, Patrick

1. I would love the serial number of your 238, and the letter of it--I think you just gave me a data point! (Thanks!)

2. In terms of the 260D, I'm wondering if either (a) you have a machine with a replacement handle, or (b) if those changes became the 260E.
 
Nick,

I understood that the 260-A and 260-B were the only versions with the square handle. Also, according to your list the 260-B was the chrome-hooded version of the enameled-hooded 260-A, the 260-DK was the chrome-hooded version of the enameled-hooded 260-D, and the 260-EK was the chrome-hooded version of the enameled-hooded 260-E.

Unfortunately, most VL posters have neglected (or refused) to post photos of the manufacturer's tags and either misidentify them or leave out the letter type. This lack of information makes it hard to verify data; and after awhile repeated misinformation gets accepted as fact like fake news.
 
The Model 260-C was a product of Eureka Canada (Type C denoted this in at least the '60s & '70s for various models). It also appears to have been factory-equipped with a square handle.

It seems that Hoover USA copied the handle style for its premium upright models in the '70s.

Something tells me that the "260-D" pictured in this thread may be a "Franken'reka".
__________

260-C photo posted by Petek in another thread:

paul-2023102218590306103_1.jpg
 
Texbodemer

I am sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. My 238 is a 238FK with the serial number 6163225. As for whether or not my 260D is original, I believe it is because I looked in my 1965 Western Auto catalog and their TOL Wizard Imperial Upright was a 2 speed Eureka with a square handle and rear facing on/off switch that looks just like my 260D. PATRICK COFFEY
 
Serial numbers?

Does anyone know if Eureka serial numbers are model-specific, or if it's a big consecutive series? From Hoover300's work in pre-1947 Eurekas, it looks like the D model may have a single range, across models (?)

I'm really curious about the 1400 series models. It would make more sense of the factory to have the same set of serial numbers across the 1400 series (before the date codes), since the primary differences are just features and colors (and if adjustable, all feature the Dial-a-Nap). If this is the case, we would just need to catalog as many 1400 series uprights as we can to determine the ranges.

I've attached an example of a consecutive serial number series from Royal Typewriter's office standard line. Both manuals and electrics share ranges, and the numbers begin at 1 in 1906 and end around 12,367,000 in 1975.

I'm also wondering, when Eureka added the date codes to their serial numbers, if they completely restructured their serial numbers, or just tweaked them slightly.

Thanks!
Nick

texbodemer-2023110614390708279_1.png

texbodemer-2023110614390708279_2.png

texbodemer-2023110614390708279_3.png

texbodemer-2023110614390708279_4.png
 
Nick,

You're welcome to use whatever information from my "Color-Pak" list to complete your 1400-Series list. I know it is less than 100%, so feel free to synthesize your information to correspond with your research.

I still think the best way to get the most accurate data is to visit the McLean Museum of History's library in Bloomington, Illinois, where the Eureka-Williams archives are collected.

_____________

I now wonder, too, if the 200-Series information is inaccurate. Might it go something like this ... ?

260-A square handle, cream hood
260-B square handle, chrome hood
260-C square handle, cream hood (Canadian version of Type A)
260-D square handle, chrome hood (Canadian version of Type B)
260-E round handle, cream hood
260-EK round handle, chrome hood

(no 260-DK)
 

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