My latest aqcuisition - Hoover Ranger

[madabouthoovers]

Just bought this from an Ebay seller for £26 - it says its a U4002 but I am not sure of whether it is or not - I thought U4002 model rangers were a different colour to this one - could it have had a replacment hood from a U4014? or is is genuine? the outer bag seems to be in excellent condition, and the bellows are very good. Motor has good brush length, but headlamp bulb is missing. It cleans very well, and I can feel the floor vibrate as it comes near me.
What does Jamie Murray think as I know he is Ranger mad lol?

 

[madabouthoovers]

View of the underside - has a good fan and spindle!

 

[madabouthoovers]

Serial plate - Seems to date from August 1975?

 

[madabouthoovers]

Cant get over the build quality, that fan is metal, not even Kirby's have metal fans, I wish they would start making them like this again - at nearly 40 years old and it cleans like it was new, and its only using 400W as well - I am joining the Hoover Ranger fan club started by JMurray lol

View of the back:

 

[gottahaveahoove]

That was pure HOOVER

quality....thus, it's still working perfectly!
I have a few Rangers, not my favorite design, but, you gottahave one, or two, or three.
John

 

[madabouthoovers]

This is my first Vintage hoover, all my others are post 1995 models. I am always on the lookout for a good vac, but with the costs of postage and travel I only buy if its fairly local and I can drive to collect it. This cleaner means a lot to me, as it was the first model I ever pushed about as a small child. My parents bought a Ranger identical to this in about 1977 and I was fascinated by it and the noise it made. Always said I would get one of my own one day - and the opportunity arose to bid on this one. I am only interested in cleaners that were made within my own lifescale (1972 ownwards), and now plan to collect more 70's and 80's cleaners when I can find good ones at a reasonable price.
Parts are not as easy to find for vintage vacs, and I dont want to end up with a vac that needs an essential part that is obsolete. Its a bit of a game of chance really as to whether I land on a good vac or one thats a nail.
I must say what a joy it was to use the Ranger after so many years - its unique sound and brushroll hum - the smell of warm 3 in one machine oil - and the amazing thing is it cleans as well as my Kirby G7e.
If the trend now is towards less energy use, why on earth cant manufacturers return to dirty fan cleaners like this in the UK?
I know Jmurray would agree with me on this - he always makes great contributions for such a young age!

 

[gottahaveahoove]

I'll have to round up alll of my rangers

and post them. I, too, have the vacuum from the same year I was born.

 

[jmurray01]

Well well, t'was you who won it!

I must say if he had a postage option I would have been tempted to bid myself, even though I already have a...

1977 HOOVER SENIOR RANGER U4014!

Ha ha, yes, I do - believe it or not.

That hood is indeed original, that was the difference between the U4002 and U4014, the Hedlite lens was white on the U4014 and the same colour as the hood on the U4002.

I'm sure you are very pleased with your purchase, as am I with my U4014 even 10 months after purchase.

Have you a tool kit for it ? If not, you should buy one. Contrary to common belief they are useful. Alright, you wouldn't do a thorough above floor clean with the tools, but there is more than enough suction for going along the skirting boards or dusting with the fantastic dusting brush.

 

[jmurray01]

"I, too, have the vacuum from the same year I was born." I could be VERY nasty and say a Hoover Model O, but I shall not!

I actually don't have a vacuum for the year I was born, just my 1994 Hoover Turbopower 1000 which is one year older.

I never seem to find a 1995 vacuum!

 

[gottahaveahoove]

They are great, indeed

Did something happen to the 'badge'? It seems way off....22 or 23 degrees, depending on the person to whom you speak. Dick Pike swears 22.5, I think. Not that crucial. The tools had the great Tuflex hose. In my opinion, the LAST of the good hoses.

I have a yellow, red, blue Ranger. I'll 'show you mine", soon.

 

[madabouthoovers]

No Jamie I dont have the toolkit for it - but I think my parents still have theirs in the loft, will have to ask. I just cant get over what good condition its in, let down only by a cracked light lens which I superglued, when held to the light its a deep yellow colour, so when I get round to getting a new lamp bulb it should glow up beautifully. Someone removed the old bulb, so theres not one in there, but its a small bayonet pygmy 25W lamp I believe.
Just need to get some spare belts and bags now. Do you think its the original bag, as it looks too clean to me to be original.
Parts for this cleaner are now mostly obsolete which is a shame, but at least I can still obtain motor brushes and a few other bits, but the bellows, outer bag, brushroll, etc are now all gone sadly.

 

[jmurray01]

Yes I did just notice that John, it is at about 70 degrees I'd say, WAY OFF!

Mine is fine though, if anything a little too straight.

Trust me John when I say I absolutely ADORE the hose I have in my Senior tool kit.

It is thick, glossy, stretchable, strong and just GORGEOUS!

I would love to see "yours", I didn't know for sure if America had the Ranger series, but it seems they did.

A blue one ? Better lock your doors tonight, I may be over to steal it!

 

[madabouthoovers]

The round badge has been stuck back on in a strange position I agree, I tried to lift it off, but dont want to damage it or bend it. All adds to its Hoover charm lol.
Would be nice to see all of gottahavahoove's Rangers, (or Covertibles as they are in the States). This is just the start for me, caught the vintage bug now, so no more Dysons for me for a while lol.
Want more vintage Hoovers, and Electrolux - possibly 502/550/560 etc I'm more interested in uprights, so I need a Hoover of the 80's now - let me guess, the Ranger was replaced by the Turbopower 1 in 1983?

 

[jmurray01]

Actually Steve, the brush roll and bellows can still be bought from online spares websites.

As for the bulb, yes it is a 25W Pygmy with a Bayonet Cap.

When you buy bags and belts, PLEASE buy Genuine Hoover parts. Nothing compares to them, especially the bags. I just put a Genuine H1 bag in my 1977 Ranger on Sunday just passed for the first time (before then I'd used ElecTruePart bags) and the suction just about doubled!

 

[jmurray01]

It was actually replaced by the Turbopower Junior which was the last of the Juniors and the first of the Turbopowers.

Those were early 80s.

 

[madabouthoovers]

The blue ranger is like this one I think - the US version:

 

[jmurray01]

Scrap what I just said, I don't know what I was talking about, none of that is correct!

Not one of my finest moments...

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Jamie!

I have 2 blue ones.
the Ranger was not terribly long-lived here.
AS you know, your "Junior' was our "lightweight, or, "apartment"
Your "Convertible" was our "Dial A Matic". Our "Convertible" was your "Senior". Yes please use ONLY Genuine HOOVER bags, etc. I stood in the plant where all of the HOOVER bags are made. THat'll end on New Year's Eve, sadly. The paper used IS simply, better. Sounds like you, indeed, have a superior hose there.

John

 

[madabouthoovers]

Love the look of the Blue Ranger, but I think the UK mustard/brown colour is so ultimately 1970's. Why are they called convertibles? I assume its to do with the tools that slide into the back of the cleaner base?
Will probably get genuine bags, but the belts can be aftermarket cant they? after all, the Ranger does snap them quite regularly if I remember back to my mother's one in the 70's, she was always using a pair of nylons (Pantihose) to replace them when she ran out of new belts lol.
Looked at Espares, and Buyspares, both had no bellows or anything much else to be honest - found a set of bellows on Ebay, might bid for them so I have a spare one, as I can imagine they split quite easily.