My New Swingette Model 404

[arh1953]

I made my bi-weekly trip to The Mustard Seed in Fort Pierce, which has been vacuum poor for the last couple of weeks. "Let me find something worth my while today" I thought. I was somewhat saddened to discover my old friend the early '60s Astro-Sonic was missing, but as I rounded the corner from the housewares department, I discovered a hose laying in the record department. What's it hooked to? Upon closer inspection, I discovered a taupe Swingette, with the floor tool, upholstery and dusting tools, telescoping wand, and an Electrolux crevice tool. I found another clock radio,(more in another thread)and took the things to the register. Cha ching! $6.39 for the whole schmeer! How much better can it get? Then I went to Goodwill..........(see Off-Topic site)

 

[petek]

Good find, I never seem to get the attachments with my stuff or the hose is missing, or the wands

 

[arh1953]

I couldn't believe this myself. The attatchments came in a 20 year old K mart plastic bag, too. I think this is at least late '60s vintage, somebody will tell us. The bottom ridges on the front and back are worn from being dragged, that is the only real damage to this unit.

 

[ian88]

Hm, that Crevice tool looks like the ones on older European Electroluxes ;] 70s/80s..

Nice tools really, functional..love the "Swingette" posh font too! good find Alan.

 

[arh1953]

Thanks Ian, it was such a nice surprise, and my two Electroluxes can fight it out over the crevice tool.

 

[myhooverco]

Congrats...this is a model 404 which debuted in 1970. This is known by Hoover people as the "lunch box" or the "camera case". The original design was thought of as an employee at the company tried to steal a motor in his lunch box. He was caught and an idea was born. These are very handy little machines and powerful too. They use the Dial a Matic/Portable/Slimline motors and they run forever. Thanks for the photo.

--Tom

 

[arh1953]

Thanks for all that information, Tom. I was close to right on the intro date. I want to find whatever else goes with it, in its original color. The vacuum is a little darker in real life.

 

[ohio_tuec]

Did they fire the employee or make him head of the Swingette production line for inspiring the idea?

 

[electrogirl]

Alan,

That is a spectacular find! Looks like it is in wonderful condition. I am so happy it was complete with all the tools. I loved Tom's story about the employee who spawned the idea for this. I am sure he got fired while some paper pusher got all the credit.

 

[arh1953]

I hope he wasn't fired, even though that incident marked him. I don't condone theft however. My luck ran out. Here is a Western Auto model HOV 4915 A97 I procured today from the No Kill Dogs and Cats Forever thrift store, for $6.85. They had a white Porta Power with a bojack hose and no tools. I opted for the W/A, because it had a much better correct hose, but no tools. So now I will be looking for grey or cream tools and a set of wands, or a telescoping one like on the Swingette.

 

[ian88]

I do wonder why he'd steal a motor in first place ;p

"Oleg steal this for Soviet industry!!!"

God knows.

 

[ohio_tuec]

Perhaps he was gonna build a Dial-A-Matic piece by piece....

 

[ian88]

Probably be cheaper than buying one new... ;]

 

[petek]

Anyone making good money who steals from their company deserves to be fired. No ifs ands or buts. This happened on a few occasions at the company I worked for all my life and I certainly had no sympathy for the guys who got caught the stupid fools. I remember one guy got caught filling his car with gas at a compound, gone. A mechanic stealing a truck type battery, gone. He had worked for the company for over 20 years the idiot. You could do practically anything else short of murdering your boss which might lead to a temporary suspension but stealing something meant instant dismissal.

 

[arh1953]

Yes Pete, the more I think of that, the more it makes sense that the individual should be fired. How could you trust them not to do it again?

 

[electrogirl]

I have a friend who worked for Target last year, and he was letting his friends purchase flat screen TV's, iPods and other high ticket items for literally pennies. He also shuffled things out the back door and was selling them on ebay. Well, he got caught and is lucky that all he got charged with was retail theft. He has to pay restitution over 15,000 dollars as well. I have no sympathy for him, even though he is my friend, nor did I participate in this.

When he got caught, he came home and called me up crying on the phone. I told him how foolish he had been and asked him if it was worth losing his job and good name in the process. I hope he learned his lesson, but he deserved to be fired, and probably should have wound up in jail for a bit.

 

[arh1953]

Imagine having something like that follow you around for the rest of your working life. I don't have any sympathy either. In my former place, the management is guiltier of that kind of conduct than the underlings.

 

[arh1953]

Help me--I need more Hoover Tools!

I will need the following tools for my new Western Auto Porta Power/Swingette clone. An aluminum telescoping wand, dust brush, upholstery tool, crevice tool, floor tool, anything suitable for that model. Also, anyone have any good Western Auto vacuum cleaner pics or catalogue art to show off?

 

[ian88]

Surely any white tools with pip-fittings would fit the Western Auto (how yankee is that!?) Portapower.

I know mixing and matching sounds like sacrelige