Embossed Wands etc.
=-> You have mentioned on your website and through other threads on DOV that the thrift T lux was made up of parts from any number of sources. Do you think that this could have been happening with the wands? <-=
Possibly. There are many enigmas in the history of Electrolux. One that comes to mind is the two versions of the XXX/LX rug tool. One was all metal except for a rubber bumper, the other was metal and plastic. I always assumed the metal/plastic one came out later, with the LXI, as it is not depicted in ANY Electrolux literature that I've seen. However, over the years, I have seen or found XXXs, LXs and LXIs with the early all-metal version. AND, I have seen XXXs with the plastic version, a couple of them with the plastic in a matching dark gray color instead of dark turquoise. Now figure THAT one out!!
=-> I would be curious too, what were the Canadian machines being fitted with during this time period? I wonder if they, (Electrolux) were practiceing what Harley-Davidson was doing and keeping minimum parts supplies to keep inventory costs down, or if they were buying from multiple suppliers, etc. <-=
Canadian Lux went to a telescoping wand MUCH sooner than USLux did. They first appeared on "Version 2" (1963-67) of the maroon ZB88. "Version 1" (1957-63) had chrome-plated steel wands, whereas I think the first telescoping wand did not appear until the second 1205 (1970) -- Fr. Bruce or Sandy??
n.b. that Canadian steel wands were a little different than the US versions - the slits at the top were longer and narrower, and the lip around the top was a little narrower.
=-> I'm going to throw an other wrench in the gears here be telling this little story. I had to be seven or eight years old and a neighbor across the alley had two "rich folks" vacuum cleaners. One was a Kirby, (can't tell you what model, only that it had red parts), for the rugs. The other machine was a Lux E, strictly for above the floor, dusting, etc. Being interested in tank cleaners. the E was the one that got most of my attention. And I remember that machine had steel wands with the XXX-type logo embossed at the female end with the slots. I thought those wands only came with the XXX. <-=
Well, the embossed wands only went with the first XXX (or Model 30 as it was called at that time), in 1939. At least, I believe this to be so based on the many XXXs I've found over the years. The only ones I've ever seen with those wands are the couple of early 1937 models that I've found or seen.
=-> It does not seem to me that if these people needed replacement wands they would have gotten ones that much older. Could this have been an over supply of XXX wands? <-=
Possibly. While Electrolux branches were forbidden to sell earlier models, or rebuilt machines, there was no such prohibition, to my knowledge, of selling "NOS" parts. I do remember a neighbor in Virginia who had a Model E with an XXX hose. Either she had had an XXX at one point and the hoses between the two machines got mixed up, or the E hose got damaged or ruined somehow, so she swapped the XXX hose. OR, maybe that's what the Friendly Electrolux Man had in his station wagon for replacement hoses, and sold her one when he came by one day.
Ah, details, details. I just absolutely LIVE for this kind of stuff. That's something I really miss from a certain former member who used to be a pretty good friend of mine until, well........ won't even go there. We'd get on the phone and talk for HOURS about all the minuscule differences and variations in different runs of the same models --- I do believe between the two of us, we have studied Electrolux machines over the years more closely than anyone else. I kinda miss talking about stuff like the cord hook on the early and late E, how the later one had two screws to hold it in place instead of one; or how the early L had a black rubber "Model E" style switch and the next version had a blue turquoise sliding plastic switch.......
"And the beat goes on"
