LONG POST ALERT!
Les,
He mentioned you when I was there. I am sure he would understand if he knew the situation. 75 is asking price on the D80. He might toss in the parts unit also for that. That is his last complete one. He is negotiable but will not give it away. I plan to go back there next week or the week after, as I need some stuff I forgot plus some resto parts for this and a D50 project. Make me a list of what vacs you want and I will inquire. I DO plan on remembering my camera, too! In fact he invited me to take some pictures to post here.
Broomvac,
I kept the one on the left. Why? Read on and find out!
)
Ben,
I figured you would get a kick out of this! As I said, I had no intention on getting myself one. But for the price, and my liking of the color, I could not resist. The size of the pickup bed can really get me in trouble if I am not careful...
Gottahaveahoove,
This is the least I can do for him and collectors everywhere. To say he is nice is a serious understatement; his reviews support this. I found him more as a friend than just a shopkeeper. Even if he sells the shop, the new owner may not want a hundred old vacuums and they may all be scrapped or put on ebay for crazy prices. These machines are easy to work on and restore, and the prices are right – perfect for hobbyists! Come to think of it there was an old two-tone brown Hoover in there, as well as an old Sanitaire.
SO – what does 20 bucks get you?
As advertised, a complete working vacuum. Colors may mismatch, parts may be unoriginal or bojack, but they do what a vacuum should do - suck.
The owner DID let me swap around some parts, like cords and bag assemblies to get an original looking machine. In fact he was ready to swap bag toppers, emptor bottoms and bag guards, but I would not let him go that far. It was 6pm after all and the cool shop dog was reminding us it is closing time!
Today I broke them down, took the rear covers off and inspected both machines to get an idea of exactly what I got.
The RIGHT one (casting dates of 1978):
A trained eye will be able to point out that the bag on this one is not original, but almost new replacement. The color is redder and the plaid is different.
It also has some stickers from this shop, one being his 40 year anniversary in 2008! I really liked these items, but not for an all-original vac like I want. Therefore this was to be my neighbor’s. After some disassembly and brushing and blowing out lots of fine dust, I noticed many more irregularities about this machine, indicating some replacement parts…
The emtor bottom lacked the metal bottom clamp (is plastic) and rivet at the release lever. It has a thick felt gasket that prevents it from closing easily. The nozzle’s suction release dial is white and has a replacement ball-bearing brush roll. Unit has a plastic fan with a too-long fan shaft that damaged the lens. Safety switch has been bypassed and runs in low speed mode. Current draw is 4A, which is kinda low for this model...
The good:
Newish bag.
Cleaned up easily, could really shine with a wash and polish.
Commutator bars had practically no groove and looked normal.
Carbon brushes were about 5/8” long.
No broken or missing parts or hardware.
Runs quite well and did a great job on my neighbor’s 8x12’ outdoor rug. It even gulped down some full size red oak leaves with ease.
The bad:
Front bearing is a bit noisy when turned by hand. No excess noise while running though, and no excess play.
Brush roll is worn – at end of adjustment with 1/8” of bristles left. I will see if he has another good used roller. Wait – I think I have an extra in the garage…
Emtor hard to close but will see if he can trade me for another bottom piece.
The LEFT one (casting dates of 1979):
This one had a used but original bag. I swapped the bag assy with another to get the best looking one. I swapped the cord for an original red one.
This one has labels on it for not using on wet surfaces and the model label on the front of the fan case. This one had all original looking parts. Having a working two speed safety switch, low is 5A and high is 6A, the rating plate spec.
The bag topper looked horrible close up, but I popped it off and washed it with simple green to make it look almost like new again.
The good:
Nice looking metal fan!
Bearings seem tight and quieter in this one.
Commutator bars have next-to-no groove.
Carbon brushes were also about 5/8” long.
No broken or missing parts or hardware.
Sounds stronger than the other one.
Brush roll is sleeve bearing and looks original, but lots of bristle left and good bearings.
Worked very well on my matted garage carpet pieces, even raising the nap on it!
The bad:
Belt is slipping.
Bag had been washed but still lots of animal hair. No smell, thank goodness. Needs a good cleaning. If this bothers you, open the emtors to inspect before buying.
The metal has more damage than the other, but with some sanding and polishing, it will look better. None of those machines lacked scratches.
Nozzle hooks are worn and is a little loose. Gasket is a bit smashed so replacing it may tighten it up some.
Conclusion:
For 20 bucks, these were a very good buy. Bags are empty and were quickly washed (or rinsed) to get the worst of the crap out. Motors run and are able to run a long time as-is. (My Omega ran on dry bearings for 10 years until I could not deal with the noise anymore!)
Units were complete with no missing or broken parts.
These had been handled and put together by a Kirby expert.
Try to get this from a thrift store or individual seller at this price!
With mine I plan to do my usual service – new bearings and belt, and maybe a HEPA bag insert. So for another 20 bucks and some labor, I will have another addition to the collection that will last several more decades. .
Note - pictures are after brush 'n' blow cleaning...
