New Kirby Info

[caligula]

Okay, so Kirby is upgrading!

Seeing the second set of patents pleases me and draws it into better perspective. Please understand this everybody, as I said before, I'm not at all happy with the new Kirby design, but I can live with it! As I also said in my previous post. If we must, we must!

These patent drawings are abstract and give an over-all idea of what the "new Kirby" might look like. Till it goes into production nobody knows for sure. What I see, I can live with! Am I to believe that because there are no cord hooks, there is some sort of cord rewind feature? I've been in favor of that since I gave my first training class in 1976 (Classic Omega). However, it also means that the cord is no longer detachable. An idea I don't like! I also like the way the hose connects to the main housing, and the over-all design. I just checked my Kirby patent book and found patent # 2,648,396. Filed Feb. 3, 1949 by Jim Kirby himself. Interesting similar to the 2010 concept. The question is about other Kirby features. Rug Renovator, Mirical head, shoulder portable and whatnot.

I guess we will have to wait and see.

Alex Taber.

 

[kirbyultimateg]

It sounds like that the new Kirby model is very radical in design.
I wish Kirby would bring back the Heritage II with a metal fan.

 

[countryguy]

I like the new design with the bag behind the handle. I always find the bag on the right side gets in the way when trying to vacuum close to the wall on that side. Attaching/detaching the brushroll looks a lot simpler - no more belt lifter - and attaching the hose looks easier also. Being able to add an electrified hose and power nozzle might be nice for those times when you are doing a thorough house cleaning, rug and above the floor and being able to switch back and forth. When you just want to vacuum the carpets then you can use the Kirby in the standard way. I have an Ultimate G and I use it mainly when I am vacuuming the carpets only. When I am doing a full cleaning I use my FQ with power nozzle.

Overall, I like the design.

Gary

 

[aeoliandave]

The last company to bring back an old favorite was Hoover with the Stainless Steel (or White) Constellation even as dark forces were gathering at the gates. Sure it was made in China and much of the interior fittings were plastic but the styling and suction remained intact. To me this is the last of the true Hoovers...with the 100th Anniversary Series from TTI a final dying gasp, as I imagine the Centennial Editions were the last to have actual input from North Canton. As for the machines we see today lining the aisles of Big Box and Department Stores or small independent Vacuum Shops, with the purloined Hoover Bug slapped on, let no one for one minute in their most fervent wishful fantasies believe that these are 'Hoover'. You can now find these SS Connies un-opened in the box for less than $75 if you search far and wide enough. I intend to put a deserved 100th Anniversary sticker on mine.

If Kirby can make a go of it (and I believe they can judging from what these radical and eminently practical designs suggest) re-interpreting their own legacy machines as all-new, unique and quality machines that look and operate like no other on the market then they will soldier on as the last of the Great American Vacuums. Electrolux and Compact/Tristar have managed to keep afloat producing the same basic configurations that will today set you back in excess of $2000. There will always be a market for Maseratis, Maybachs, Veyrons and Aston Martins, too. Then along comes Fisker with his uber-luxury Electric Vehicle appealing to the same but less conservative crowd of early adopters - he will sell every automobile he produces.

Kirby occupies a singular and lofty niche in high end versatile metal vacuums for which discerning consumers have been content to pay the asking price as Sentrias evolved from the G Series and with that kind of willing customer base a smaller company like Kirby will have no need or temptation to over produce product. Kirby has enjoyed steady success over many decades and has not had to cater to the masses with a cheaper secondary economy line with the Kirby name applied on something plastic. Riccar and Miele own their targeted markets because they take the same basic design and offer upgrades from economy model to top-of-the-line.

Should this new machine be produced primarily in cast metal as the patents indicate, whether to these exact specs or something equally innovative that allows for Kirby's legendary power and versatility, then folks will buy it and thank their lucky stars such a fine device is still available.

Certainly Kirby could put out this new machine at a more attractive and more widely attainable price point if they opted to replace body & nozzle castings and things like the handle with plastic but I bet they will not and would not do so - that is not their style.

I'm so wishing for the best outcome my wisher is sore; I won't be able to afford a new one but then, that's why I'm a collector of fine vintage machines to satisfy that craving for well built products.

Within 6 months, you say? Be still my anxious heart...

Dave.

 

[luxlife]

I'll reserve my judgement until I see it. I love Kirbys, but I never end up keeping them because it's not a good fit for my home because of cleaning obstacles like stairs, low furniture, etc. I'm glad to see Kirby is still a good fit for plenty of folks, as evidenced by the fact that they're still in business.

 

[ohio_tuec]

New Kirby Prototype

Yes, I'm with you John. The final product will tell the tale. All in all, not a bad looking machine. I only wonder how much of it will still be aluminum? I hope the bag graphics will be a little more conservative with this one. Ever since the G4, they keep coming out with wacky prints. It's cool that they have two different bag systems - reminiscent of what Air-Way did on their Sanitary System when converted to handheld use. Also, I hope the machine is polished aluminum and not painted, maybe coated with some sort of lacquer so the aluminum does not tarnish. For the first time in history, Kirby will have a "BagInTheBack," and for the first time in more than 60 years a switch in the handle!

 

[joe22]

any royal fans remember when royal put out the *powercast* radical in design, 2 motors, hard bag compartments, and much heaver than the normal metal upright. it was an innovative design.

they were dropped from production pretty fast, there is no way to really improve on the basic design, brush, fan, dirt in the bag. royal went back to the basic design with pretty colors for the outerbag (green, maroon, various blues)

just a thought shared. . .joe

 

[whirlpolf]

hope it will stay a "person"....

What I like about the new style:
- Nice to have a smaller bag in the hand-held setup (I found that folding of a long bag strange all the way through).
- If I understood the drawings correctly, this would be an easier way of changing the front accessories (not that the regular belt lifter was bad, not at all: sturdy and reliable - BUT making 4-5 different hand movements just to get a nozzle off?) Looking forward for a simple "click and done" solution.
- odd thing: why have that extra motor brush when you have the power brush anyway?

But one thing is most important to me, no matter what the new design is:
I find Kirbys have sort of a "personality", more than other vacuums: This friendly (sometimes somewhat grumpy) roar of the brush roll, the singing whine of the motor joining in and all along this the neverending stormy rushing sound of the air streaming up the fill hose ("...bet you, I will never be out of breath" it seems to say).
Overall just it is just like having an old, dear and reliable sheperd dog in your home, grumpy and "hmmpf" at times, but never leaving you alone.
(Right, since the introduction of the Tech-Drive, a sheperd with a cat biting his ass, but still a nice set of friendly and helpful pets.)
Somehow Kirbys always have "bushy eyebrows" to me, very much like the blue eagle of the muppets show. Distiguished, yet "no-nonsense" attitude.

Is this too "artsy"? I feel all my Kirbys are alive somehow ;-)

 

[thunderhexed]

traditonal bag

I'm just happy to see that they are potentially going to stick with a traditional soft bag design. I personally have never been a fan of emptying dust cups and cleaning filters after every vacuuming, plus i feel still having a soft bag is part of what sets Kirby apart from the rest (not to mention the big bucks they rake in from selling those disposeable bags!). They should be lined with Kryptonite at those prices!!

 

[ohio_tuec]

"They should be lined with Kryptonite at those prices!!

Well, yes, but who's to say you have to use GENUINE Kirby bags? I find the knockoffs work quite nicely ;-)

 

[thunderhexed]

kinda odd like that...

well, I'm kinda strange i guess. I just like supporting Kirby and I like using genuine products. I kinda feel like using a generic bag in a high end vacuum would be like taking my Infiniti to a jiffy lube or wal-mart for maintenance. I like the whole experience. I have no doubt that the generics work just as well, it's just an idiosyncrasy of mine. Besides, it gives me a chance to pop into the various vac shops around town to see what might be lurking in a corner for sale .

 

[vinvac]

Kirby Bags may be expensive...but they sure do filter well. The brown paper looking bags are awesome and I am now just trying to use the cloth type...so far, not a spec of leaked dust...

And your not shaking out a dirt cup and having it all come back in your face...no matter how carefull you are, any of the bagless machines with filters or cyclones...you still have to mess with a certain amount of yuck! With my Kirby, you remove the bag, take a damp cloth and wipe the inlet tube...boom your off and running for another month.

My only complaint with my Kirby is that my house is not big enough...the Kirby doesn't work well here for that reason. However, neither would a Dyson due to the bulky head on it.






Morgan

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

I guess it doesn't look as bad as I thought it might... wonder how true to that design the real one will be. I think it will be good to have the bag in the back so the Kirby won't tip to one side when full. I'm glad they will be keeping the power drive and excited about the prospect of a power nozzle, I've often wondering about the first real upright/canister in one machine. Not so crazy about the loop style handle though, I've never liked those.

Wow, Morgan, you wipe the inlet tube when you change the bag? That's pretty clean! I know what you mean about small places... the Kirby and Dyson both are hard to fit under things. I have a small 1 bedroom apartment, and in small spaces, frequent changing of direction is required. With the weight and transmission in the Kirby, I feel like I'm backing up a bus when I have to change directions... it should really beep when reversing. Due to the transmission, I have gotten my toes a few times on the back stroke (usually with the power drive dial-a-matic more than the Kirby has done it too).

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

By the way

... It's hard for me to even comprehend a new Kirby at this point... I've never even touched a Sentria yet!

 

[frkirby511]

Kirbys ...can't beat 'em!!!!

I have to agree completely with Morgan. I have not found any vaccuum as clean and odor free as the Kirby with filtrete bags including Electrolux which I sold for 4 years in college.

I find the enclosed cases with bags develop an odor unless you use a new bag each time. The dirt cup, bagless indeed are impossible to empty without getting some mess back at you.

But the bagged uprights with a cloth bag seem to avoid getting an odor. I found this especially with the filtrete bags. You can leave them in for a month and they remain fresh.

Of course I still use my Luxes...they are so classic...but... if I had to choose it would end up being my Kirbys first.

I use the Filtrete bags on my G-6, Legend, and a 519 fitted with a Legend II Mini-emptor and assembly. They are great!

As far as the new Kirby...its fascinating to me what they seem to be doing with it from the drawings presented in this thread. The "power nozzle," is intriguing. Like to see the rest of the planned attachments.

The shampooer seems to have gotten some improvement; but hard to tell exactly what they have in mind for collecting the dirty suds. It says there is a tray..but I couldn't see it. I wonder if the bag is going to come off the handle or if there will be another handle just for the shampooer??? The bag looks pretty fixed into the handle..but then its a Kirby--the first "transformer...!"

I wonder about the floor buffer..always liked that. And with so many more hardwood floors, surely they will not abandon that item. In fact, I can't imagine them not giving the hard-floor care a bit of a boost. So maybe there is more to come; but from what I read in the text above they didn't mention it.

I would definitely trust Kirby to land on its feet and come up with a first rate cleaning machine.

Bruce,
Memphis, TN

 

[tolivac]

The info on the PROPOSED Kirby is interesting-and unique.Truely a change from the "G" platform.I do like the "powernozzle" attachment-but DON'T like the external cord wrapped on the hose-PATHETIC for a machine like a Kirby.The wires should go into the hose like the other makes.Much better.The Powernozzle would be handy for places the regular upright config won't fit.Why not put a separate motor in the main carpet nozzle too?eleiminate that complex Rube Goldberg belt system.Quite contrary any vac including the Kirby outer bags will pick up odors in time.Esp if the user cleans up after some types of "smelly" dogs.You will have to change bags more often-have the outer one cleaned or replaced-and have the fan and fancase washed regularly.And with the new wired roller drive system-separate motor-we could have a motored hand tool as well.No more air powered ones.And they could bring back their hair clippers-again with the electric motor and connected to the hose so the airstream picks up the hair clippings as they are cut-Kirbys answer to the Flowbee!And a motorized "Handy Butler toolkit.That could be more powerful than the air powered one and could do some serious work.I am looking forward to whatever new model Kirby introduces-We just have to HURRY UP AND WAIT!!6 Months sounds about right-with the Kirby dist I have dealt with-the new models were introduced in the spring-typically to one city as a "test Market"If it works well in the test market-the machine is then distributed nationwide.I am sure the Kirby guy here will call me when the new model does come out-for the area I am in I did buy among the first of the Sentria customers.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

just pray TTI

doesn't try to get it's claws on any of this. Think if they acquired Kirby as well..........

 

[tolivac]

If TTI bought up or "obtained" Kirby it would be the kiss of death for Kirby-Under their name Kirby would turn into another cheap plastic Chinese vacuum.I am thinking TTI is to vacuums-what WCI was to major appliances.
Another thought on that new proposed Kirby-it would appeal more to people whose homes have "mixed" flooring.The traditional Kirby is great for folks that have acres of wall-to-wall carpets in their house.Another thing for that Kirby-make a straight suction floor nozzle with brushes on the rear nozzle lips.Perfect for large hard floor areas.

 

[ohio_tuec]

"DON'T like the external cord wrapped on the hose-PATHETIC for a machine like a Kirby. The wires should go into the hose like the other makes."

Well yes I agree, but this is Kirby's first attempt at an electrified hose. For what a customer pays for one, I think the wires should be hidden as well. While they do make a superior machine, once again Kirby is LATE TO THE GAME. They didn't start using a disposable bag system until 1979! Air-Way had one 59 years earlier. Hoover already had one thirty years prior.

 

[vintagehoover]

Remember, the drawings are illustrative of the specific technology relevant to the patent, and do to necessarily represent the exact final appearance of the product...