New Addition--Electrolux Super J

[human]

Well, I've gone and done it again. My Electrolux 1205 now has a companion in the form of an Electrolux model 1401 "Super J". Couldn't have the Kirbys ganging up on that lone 'Lux, right? It's got a few scratches and a small dent on one side of the tank, but it runs great. I've already posted in another thread about a problem it has with the lockout switch that is supposed to shut the machine down if the bag is full or the bag door is open. I've got it functioning okay for now and I have a new lockout switch on order to permanently fix the problem. I will install that when it arrives in a few days.

The machine did not have any accessories with it, but as if on cue, I spotted a complete PN5, wand and hose assembly on eBay that was flying below the radar and I was able to snag it for about the average cost of a good, used hose by itself. I really didn't need another hose, but I was glad to find it, along with the other two pieces, for a good price. The Power Nozzle has a few battle scars but is otherwise in good working order with a solid brush roll. Yeah, it's not a "correct" pairing; the PN5 is a almost a decade newer than the Super J. While I would have loved to have found one of those shiny metal PN2's to pair up with it, what I've got works just fine for my needs. I'll post pix once I've got everything cleaned up a bit.

I think I am having a small issue with the wand in that seller took it apart for shipping and it's not going back together the way I'm expecting it to. When I slide the metal tube into the plastic sheath with the spring clip pointing upward to align with the release button, It will push in about three inches and click into place, but the button is immobilized and I cannot push the shaft any further into the sheath. I am assuming this white wand assembly is meant to telescope like the teal one for my 1205, but maybe it's not. Is there a trick I'm missing here or do the two halves just click together at full length?

 

[countryguy]

No, the white wand is not telescopic....it is a fixed length.

 

[human]

Thanks for confirming my suspicions.

 

[ronni]

Congrats on your Model 1401/Super J purchase, Edgar. It is one of Electrolux Corporation's finest mid-century cleaners--sometimes dubbed as 'Electrolux Royalty' due to its golden hue.

A few facts I've gleaned on the Super J:

1) Manufacturing Period: October 1975 - April 1979
2) Similar to 1205/Jubilee but larger, more powerful motor; body is a bit longer to accommodate it
3) First iterations used PN-2s (with ivory elbow instead of jade like the 1205s); mid- to late iterations used polished aluminum PN-4s; very last iterations (short-lived, rare) had golden-hooded PN-4s; by the by ... the PN-5s were introduced during the mid run of the Model 1505/Silverados (1983)
4) First iterations had white hose with teal/gold/teal tracers like 1205/Jubilees; mid- to late iterations had gold hoses with teal/white/teal tracers
5) Attachments were all the same (as 1205/Jubilee)--ivory; brush plate on floor/rug tool is golden like the body
6) The armatures with the K_S serial affixes were farmed out after a fire occurred on the armature line. They were soon found to be problematic and as a result were recalled for armature and motor brush replacement;
7) Other serial affixes (not necessarily in alphabetical order according to years of manufacture):
K_A, K_F, K_K, K_N, K_P (5-year warranty decal), K_R, K_S, K_T, Z_Z (first iteration since it followed the Model 1205/Jubilees' sequence?)

Happy Electroluxing (and Kirbying)!

______

Current eBay listing for a Super J owners manual: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ele...135?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ae923102f (ends Monday morning)

 

[rugsucker]

Super J

Good information above.A bit more--
The armature problems were not so much a recall but a free fix if (I should say WHEN) a SJ motor failed.I have seen SJs with a third armature before it was truly fixed.During this time the motor warranty was extended from 2 to 5 years.At that time inventory in stock and from factory had a '5 Year' sticker placed under the carry handle.
Wand/sheath--No US telescopic wand after the 1205.The first 2 piece required removing the upper wand from sheath,attaching lower wand and sliding both back in sheath.Later sheath with rectangular opening(and later push button)quickly snapped together for demo.

 

[human]

Here are some pix of my new Super J and the PN5 I got to go with it. As you can see, they both have a few battle scars (you can see the little dent in the canister, just behind the bag door in the first one), but they work well together. The gold color scheme is a little garish but it's growing on me. It's a true artifact of its era.

 

[ronni]

Thanks for the clarifications, rugsucker.

Edgar,
Nice photos. I do think that the sand-colored PN-5 closely matches the ivory trim on the Super J, so they complement each other well.

Fyi ... the PN-5s were made in 2 colors--black (to complement the Silverado's 2-tone gray colors) and later sand/jade (to match the Model 1521/Diamond Jubilees. In fact, I believe the first Diamond Jubilees may have had the black PN-5s. Rugsucker would know for sure.

As for the golden color of the Model 1205/Jubilee and Model 1401/Super J--it was first used on the Golden Gs (salespersons' award model--a golden Model G with a special name tag) in the early- to mid- 1960s. And, yes, it--like other Electrolux colors--is not a favorite of everyone's (albeit some found them attractive). The lackluster hammertone blue Models E and AE and the institutional gray of the Model F are two that don't appeal to me but I suppose I'd get used to them, too, if I ever find one for cheap. Actually I'd have liked the blue better if a secondary color would have been used for the ends.

 

[suckolux]

The gold is pretty, but not my first choice either, nor my Silverado's gray.

 

[human]

The more I see of the gold, the more I like it, but my favorite will always be the 1205's standard teal. I guess it's because that's what I remember from my childhood--that and my grandparents' gray XXX.

 

[suckolux]

about the same here bud

 

[human]

New lockout switch is in!

The new lockout switch came in the mail today and I just got finished installing it. The machine now works good as new. Now that it's out of the machine and I can look at it closely, the old switch is downright scary looking. It appears that the black wire (blue on the new switch), which is permanently attached to the switch, had broken off and was soldered back together in the past--yikes! I'm glad that switch is now in the trash.

I just love it when I can look at the guts of a machine that I've never opened up before, immediately spot the problem, and know exactly how to fix it. It doesn't always happen like that, but it's fun when it does.

 

[suckolux]

Nice!

 

[rugsucker]

PN-5s

Silverado & Diamond Jubilee nozzles always matched.(One of very few PN-5 problems was rear axle coming loose causing the wheels to no longer adjust.Fixed with an improved axle cover strip.)

 

[human]

The rear wheels seem to be securely attached to my PN5 but there isn't any sort of adjustment control. The axel is spring loaded and will retract about 3/4 of an inch if I push straight down on the handle, but as soon as I release pressure, it goes back to its normal position.

Looking back at an earlier thread, my Super J does have its serial number sandwiched between a K and an S so it was likely part of the run that had bad armatures but I don't see a 5-year warranty sticker on it, unless it's on the motor itself. I haven't torn that far into it and don't intend to if I don't have to.

After I put the lockout switch in, I was inspired to do a little more cleaning and polishing to the exterior. It looked so nice when I got through, I pulled my 1205 out of the closet and gave that dusty old warhorse a similar treatment. Now both are ready for their close-up. I don't think the metal top panel on the 1205 has shined that nicely in the 11 or 12 years that I've had it.

 

[rugsucker]

Electroluxes

Both look great.
The spring at PN 5 rear wheels IS the adjuster.The idea being that if you push across a thick rug wheels will raise.
Black lettering on side trim is another sign of a later SJ.Yours probably never had motor trouble or was fixed with improved parts.Only sticker that might be found inside would be placed and dated by service mgr at time of repair.
Happy Vacuuming

 

[human]

Thanks for the clarification. It seems then that my PN5 is fully functioning as it should.

The motor on that Super J runs smooth and strong without any noises that would cause concern. At this point, I think it's pretty safe to assume that any motor failure I might experience would be a result of age and wear rather than defect. I don't know that it's an indication the motor was ever serviced, but there is a sticker inside the bag door from an Electrolux dealer in Moline, Illinois. It's faint but the name "David Sloan, Svs. Mgr." is rubber stamped on the sticker.

If this machine originated in Illinois, it is indeed well traveled, considering It came to me in North Carolina by way of Bonita Springs, Florida.

 

[suckolux]

Service stickers! Mine had that when I got it 21 years ago at pawn shop, when it needed work or bags, the phone # was still good, still is! 50 miles away sorry to say. Great work there bud! Made yourself proud

 

[rugsucker]

Service Sticker

Electrolux seems to have always supplied service stickers to branches with address.I have a Mo XXX with an original silver sticker.The above sticker is about 1982 and was to be put on new Elux after demo & sale or if no sale put on older vac.Also used when delivering bags.At one time if a customer brought a vac in branch for service,repair,supplies and it had a sticker with a currant salesmans name he would get commision.
There was also a smaller plain white sticker for service & repairs with lines for date,number of repair ticket(to verify 1 yr warranty on repair),service mgr name that could be put inside door as above,on or near motor,inside power nozzlw,etc.

 

[human]

Yeah, the service stickers provide a nice connection to the machine's past, which is especially good when the machine has developed quite a past before it reaches to you.