My First Heritage!

[hoover300]

I recently picked this up for $20 from a friend of my neighbors. It has original 1980s bags, a good headlight bulb, A nearly complete attachment kit (just missing wand), the manual, and a pamphlet on where you could buy bags in 1985! From what I can tell, it is a 1985 model as it has no brush indicator light. I will post more pics after I am done polishing it.

 

[huskyvacs]

Nice find! I have a Heritage II and I like the soft sound of the motor.

 

[rivstg1]

What huskyvacs wrote!

 

[human]

The Heritage vacs were a nice transition between the classic Kirbys and the modern G series. I claim nominal ownership over a 1983 model Heritage 1HD that's been on permanent loan to my (now-ex) girlfriend since 2013. I still get to use it every now and then to clean up after she cuts my hair. She likes to complain about its weight and keeps threatening to replace it with a plasticrap vac from Walmart, which in some ways I wish she would so I could get the Heritage back and give it a much needed refurbishing. It would be all to easy to be mean and say she doesn't deserve a Kirby as she subscribes to the 'it's just a vacuum' school of thought, so common among the unwashed masses.

 

[sptyks]

I love my 1988 Heritage II...

I bought it in 2015 completely reconditioned and in brand new condition from a fellow collector. It has all of the attachments.


 


I prefer it over my Sentria for cleaning my house. It is quieter, lighter, more maneuverable and cleans my carpets as well or better than the Sentria. It is probably my favorite machine to use with my Royal Everlast 8300 being a close second.

 

[blackheart]

No BPI?

Huh that's interesting, it's also in the earlier years of the model too which makes me wonder if you had one of the "winged" heads. I know a local shop used to offer to cut the wings off to reduce weight i've seen a few that have had this operation performed on them, does your seem to have had them cut off? You can usually tell by looking at the rear of the nozzle the texture will differ where the "wings" were.

 

[kirbyklekter]

" ...and it's a yes from me..."

I still think this is one of the finest Kirby's ever made. As Huskyvacs mentions the "soft sound" of the motor is the first thing I noticed, and it just seemed to be very refined.I look forward to seeing yours all polished up! Also laughing @human's last sentence above, the "unwashed masses", love it.

 

[lesinutah]

Legend 2

I believe the heritage 2 legend 2 light grey bag is when bpi was put on the machine. I believe it is only 16 inch nozzle not a g series so the ends are like all Kirby's before it. It it took a g series brush roll it would be more desirable. The heritage without bpi is what I would prefer.
I do like the heritage line quite a bit. They all are good looking no general issues other than they must have machine or torqued screws insanely tight. That makes for a screw busting on almost every single heritage tear down. The good thing is there freaking beasts the do bring nap up and really clean excellent. If I were to guess the heritage line is one every one likes. They have power no goofy safety switch issues. There asthetically pleasing and the good bag assemblies started with them. They also started the sander attachment, prequel to zip brush the turbo brush which I prefer over zip brush. It has great attachments across the board. Laying a solid foundation for the g series.
Sptks that is a beautiful machine.
Les

 

[sptyks]

Thank you Les.


 


I am curious, why don't you like the BPI light?


 


~Stan


 


 

 

[craig_1982]

The Kirby Heritage 2 legend/Legend 2 models are the best machines Kirby has produced in my opinion. If I had to choose from my collection Id go for the older Heritage's every time, they are quieter, easier to manoeuvre, far easier to fix and much lighter and also aesthetics wise they look just so much better than a Generation machine.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Hoover300

Kieran,

Welcome to the group! Here is a picture of my first Kirby Heritage I've acquired (in 2016): a 1984 Heritage 84!

A year later, I acquired a 1987 Heritage II with the shake out bag, but it took me until this year to find it its proper black hammertoned Sani Emtor!

~Ben

 

[lesinutah]

Bpi

The bpi means only 16" brush roll with sensor is a hard to find unique brush roll.
The bristles hit it and they just get sut and residue and screws rust onto it. So this little sensor you have to screw off clean use steel wool and clean rust off the screw. When you polish the nozzle you have to take it off as the buffer would potentially harm it.
I don't mind g series this just is a rare expensive brush roll for this model only and bristles off brush tent to hit it also.
I guess until g6 it's pretty similar problem.
I'm just not a fan of it as they just get crud on them all the time. It's just in the way and inconvenience when repair and polish it up. If you clean you have to take off. Ya just annoying little things.

Les

 

[human]

Les wrote: I guess until g6 it's pretty similar problem.

I reply: I think the change actually came with the G5. The G3 and G4 have the indicator on the left and starting with the G5, it moved to the right, where it has remained ever since. I haven't gotten close enough to a G3 or G4 to compare the indicators but having a G5 and two Gsixes, I can say they're pretty much identical except for their respective color schemes and a change in the Emptor design from the larger, more squarish design that the G5 shared with its two predecessors to the more rounded, lower profile version that came in with the G6 and remained in use through the first generation (gray and orange) Sentria.

 

[rodknock95]

Differences

I have noticed there is a Heritage and a Heritage 84, Then Heritage II broke out in Legends. So really how many models and what differences are there through the Heritage series?

 

[hoover300]

Thanks!

This is one of my favorite kirbys to use. Between the sound and the handling, it is probably my best kirby. While this one has very light scratch marks where the wings would be, I don't think this was ever taken to a vac shop as it still has the original non bpi brush roll and original cord. I should be able to do some polishing on it tomorrow.
~K

 

[rivstg1]

Unless I read it wrong....the Legend2 was not the first kirby with the BPI, I have 2 Heritage 2's with it.

I've shined/polished with a wheel, all my H2's and Legend 2's without hurting the bpi light.
fyi

 

[craig_1982]

Rivstg1 It was indeed the Heritage 2 when Kirby introduced the BPI on the front nozzle, for cleaning and polishing the BPI is easy to remove only takes a minute to do so.

 

[lesinutah]

Yes

I have not taken apart a g5 but thanks for the info.
The legend is a heritage vacuum. If you look on nameplate the legend nameplate reads heritage on it. The heritage 2 legend 2 would be same model of heritage. It's mostly trim upgrades to the vacuum. They also have heritage 2 13. It's a heritage 2. Same mother just it's brother.
Les