PN2 and PN4-A head-to-head

[human]

So I vacuumed my living room a couple of days ago using my Diamond J with the Silverado gray PN4-A attached (I'm just not a fan of the PN5's outrigger) and was somewhat underwhelmed by that power nozzle's performance so when I vacuumed my bedroom today, I swapped it out for my PN2. Both rooms have a similar combination of commodity grade carpet and a Persian rug and the latter demand high performance from a power nozzle, especially with two cats in the house.

I was totally blown away with how much better the PN2 performed. It picked up on one pass what took the PN4-A two or three passes to accomplish. I also noticed the PN2 was more maneuverable in tight spaces, which surprised me at first since the two nozzles have almost identical footprints, but I think the difference was in the placement of the wand connector. The PN2's connector is almost in the center of the nozzle, while the PN4-A's extends an inch or so off of the rear. In tight spaces, the PN2's configuration seems to work better, at least for me.

And as an added bonus, the PN2's polished aluminum shell looks great with the Diamond J. I know, I'm just a sucker for shiny metal.

 

[bnsd60m9200]

if a pn4's motor bearings and brushroll bearings and lubricated every few years it will not perform as well. electrolux pn's from that vintage ive noticed the sleeve bearings soak up alot more oil than other comparable bearings of similar vintage machines. pn2's and pn1's also act this way without oil in the sleeves every few years.

 

[dysonman1]

The PN-2 was sold for a relatively short time period. With the launch of the Super J and it's far more powerful motor, the PN-2 sealed down hard on rugs, making it hard to push. The PN-4 was designed specifically for the 'new at that time' shag carpeting. Which is why there are airflow openings at the front of the soleplate of the PN-4 but not the PN-2. The brush opening on the PN-4 is much wider, and the brush bristles themselves are longer. PN-2 works better for flat carpet, PN-4 works better for tall carpet.

 

[kenkart]

PN2

Has always been my personal favorite, I don't care for the two wheels mounted to the elbow of the PN4, it makes the nozzle hop on some carpets.

 

[vacuumlad1650]

If you installed a new generic brush in the pn5 you might like it. The current genuine brush is very soft and has more brush, putting strain on the motor.
Andy

 

[human]

I've never noticed my PN2 being terribly hard to push when attached to either my Super J or my Diamond J; in fact, it works great with either machine. The PN2 seems to me to be especially well built with a completely enclosed motor compartment that separates the motor from the airflow. The PN4-A doesn't have this, although maybe that's part of what the off-center motor hump that doesn't extend the full width of the body tries to accomplish. I haven't had a PN4 to see how or if it differs internally from the PN4-A.

Andy--my primary objection to the PN5 and newer power nozzles is its shape. The one I have that came with my Diamond J picks up great but the 'outrigger' on the right side constantly catches on things like furniture legs. I think this is partly because I am left handed. I just find the more compact, symmetrical shape of the earlier power nozzles (PN1, PN2 and PN4/4A) work better for me, especially in close quarters.I realize that individuals' mileage may well vary on this point but that's what works for me.

 

[collector2]

Personally I preferred the PN 2 style myself. It always seemed to work better.

Interesting that the PN2 style was used on the Canadian machines from about 1973 to 1982 (PN100. PN200. PN280) while the PN4 style was only used from 1982 to 1985 on the E2000 (PN2000)

 

[human]

So the replacement aftermarket brush roll came this weekend while I was away and I finally got an opportunity to install it today. The PN4-A functions infinitely better now. The only thing is there was a rubber bushing that came with the brush roll and I couldn't figure out how to put that on. It's too tight to fit all the way down into the hole and barely fits on the shaft on the belt/motor side. Without the bushing, there is a whole lot of play side-to-side and the power nozzle has much more noise and vibration.

Is there a trick to putting that bushing i&#92on? I was hesitant to use any sort of lubricant since some will dissolve rubber over time. I've also considered drilling out the hole a little bit wider but it would seem to me that the manufacturer would have drilled the hole to the proper specification.

The other thing I noticed when I had the power nozzle apart is it has the wrong belt. It's the narrow one instead of the wide one.

 

[vacuumlad1650]

Slowly wiggle it on, twisting side to side with some pressure. It will go on, just be patient.
Email me if you have more questions.
A

 

[human]

I can slide it onto the shaft fairly easily but then it won't go all the way into the hole. Should I be trying to get it into the hole first and then onto the shaft?

 

[human]

Success!

I finally got the bushing installed. The trick I found was to push the bushing into the brush roll with one of the screws that holds the power nozzle together, then push and twist the shaft into the brush roll. Because the screw is a little narrower than the shaft, the bushing can flex and slides in almost effortlessly. The shaft then went in almost all the way on after about a minute of pushing and twisting until I got down to the point where the crossmember on the shaft needed to seat into the groove on the end of the brush roll. I couldn't push and twist it any further but a few taps with a hammer to accomplish seated it perfectly. Once reassembled, the Power Nozzle now runs smooth and quiet and cleans a Persian rug just as well as the PN2.