My future Kenmore...

[orecklover]

When I was born, I didn't realize that I was born into a family of many vacuums. A Hoover Legacy, Hoover Convertible, Orecks, and my favorite a Kenmore Whispertone. It was bought by my grandmother in Sears in the 1990's. It's definitely one of my favorite childhood vacuums. My grandmother has always taken good care of it even though she has the inability to use it anymore. It has all the original attachments from when it was bought new. My grandma even uses genuine Sears Kenmore filter bags. It also has the original instruction booklet. I use it on some occasions to clean the parts of my grandmothers house that the Oreck can't reach. It still purrs like its new from the Sears showroom. I'm not sure what year it was made, any help is appreciated. It's an amazing vacuum even though it's older.When I was very little, I would pull it around a pretend to vacuum because my grandma didn't want me vacuuming up things that weren't supposed to be. In my opinion I like the eighties and nineties Kenmores better than the new ones. Maybe one day it'll be mine! What do you guys think?

I am wondering what your childhood vacuums are, let me know and also include any stories if you want. I am including a picture of the spectacular Kenmore.[this post was last edited: 7/21/2014-15:36]

 

[DesertTortoise]

Late 1970's through the 1990's Whispertone series were the high point of Kenmore vacuum quality. It has been down hill from there. That is a good durable vacuum, though it was the beginning of Kenmore trying to push more air through single stage fans using smaller motors turning higher speeds, though it is a pretty decent Lamb motor. The Whimpertone was still pretty conservative that way compared to what would come out later using cheap Chinese motors.

That Panasonic made Powermate is still the state of the art today and is very popular with central vacuum system sold under a variety of names like Hayden Deluxe, Nutone and Centec. A lot of vacuum makers try but none have come up with a better powered brush. Kenmore still gave you real, adult sized tools then, not the kids toys you find on more recent Kenmores.

I grew up around Kenmores too. Many collectors sniff at them as just a department store vac, but compared to the mega buck high zoot Electrolux carpet torpedo I bought recently at the Salvation Army, I don't think Electrolux or Aerus Lux can even begin to justify their high prices based on quality and good design. A Whimpertone like yours is a better vac in every way IMHO. I would compare it favorably to any canister vac I've seen from Sebo or Miele as well. I laugh when salesmen like to point out their adjustable suction, varying motor speed to change suction, something i like to point out my parents old 1982 vintage Kenmore 4.1 has, in addtion to that adjustable opening at the hose end. Vacuums in general have lost so much quality over the past two decades that it is to the point where a good vac from 20-30 years ago is a better vac than the mose expensive new vacs on the market today. It is sad when you think about it.

Keep that old Whimpertone. Take it apart, sanitize it inside and out, put some elbow grease into the finish, polishing it and waxing it to a nice luster. That vac won't let you down.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Nice vacuum! I would say that vacuum is from around 1994-1996. It is probably no later than 1996 as that's when the newer logo with the "swosh" came out. I'd say it's no earlier than 1994 as I have the last catalog from 1993-94 and it's not in there. That gas pump style handle came out in 1994-95 I'd guess.

Hmm, I just noticed the manual has the newer logo, but the vacuum itself doesn't. I'd say it's from around 1996 then, sort of a transition model.

 

[DesertTortoise]

The very first Whimpertones said "Made in the USA" on their data tags. If it doesn't say that then it's Hecho en Mexico senor. I'm guessing this is the latter based on the graphics. The US made ones usually labeled according to the peak horsepower of the motor, such as Kenmore 5.4 rather than saying 12 Amps.