Presenting!!

[luxg]

Hi all, Thanks to two very good friends that live out east I have two new vacuums to share with you. First is a Bissel carpet sweeper. I believe that this is a very old machine because its case is all made out of wood. On the very front of the machine it says "Grand Rapids". The brush roll is in perfect condition and it really does pick up when you push it back and forth. The second is a Hoover Special, model 543. I believe it was made between 1926-1929. I do believe that the handle and cord have been replaced on this machine but I have a feeling that the bag is orginal but I am not sure about that. It is in amazing condition and it appears that it has not had a hard live. The wheels are near perfect and have no deep scuff marks on them. The machine runs quietly. It is missing the belt. Does anyone out there have any idea what belt I should get for this machine? The story behind these machines is fun! My friends found them at an estate sale in Connecticut in a large old home. The story is that a 85 year old woman had lived in the house her entire life and never got rid of anything. If anyone has any information on these machines I would love to hear it. Terry

 

[hoover1060]

Hoover 543

Terry,
The 543 was originally made 1926-1929, as less expensive alternative to the model 700.
Yours is a special, which means it was rebuilt at the factory at some point in its life and re-sold. You should be able to find the rebuild date stamped into the casting on the underside. It should be somewhere near the model number and be a month/year
Nice finds, they look great!

 

[truckerx]

543 Hoover Belt

Terry,
You can use a round Eureka belt; it's just a bit longer than the standard round Hoover belt and should fit perfectly.
It's what I use on my 543.
How are you enjoying Florida? I'm in Fort Lauderdale. Maybe we can get together sometime for a Florida Mini-Meet?

 

[luxg]

Thanks Jeff and Bernie for the information. Jeff I checked and can't seem to find a date but will look better when I clean her up. There is a date written on the bottom in pencil that say 11-24-49 I'm guess that was the last time it had service. Bernie we need to work on getting together you are welcome any time. Terry

 

[truckerx]

Thanks Terry...

Just getting back into the swing of things after a three year hiatus from the club and vacumm collecting activities. So very glad that I could make the convention this year. I'd hate to have missed it and hear about it later.... ;-D

 

[normvac]

Hey guys, I think I have a Hoover 543, I just got from my brother in law in NE OHio. I went up late Sat. night and back
today, Mon. He kept telling me "it's old Hoover, with a wooden handle". Plus he happened on to a 1920's Royal too. With the
wooden handle grip. It's straight suction nozzle with a clip on Brush like my 1920's Eureka.
I'll try to post pics soon.
Norm

 

[charles~richard]

Eureka Belts on old Hoovers

The Eureka Sanitaire-style belt is not only smaller in diameter than the belts for the early "coffee can" Hoovers, it's also thicker in wall-size. Using a belt this tight and thick can damage old Hoover motors by putting too much pressure on the armature and front bearings. What I do is use slightly worn-out Sanitaire belts that are not as tight as when they were new. I can get all of them I want from a local vac shop who throws them out by the dozen on a daily basis.

Another option is to place Sanitaire belts onto a glass jar of sufficient diameter to give the belts a good stretching - put the belts on the jar and leave them there for at least a couple of weeks, better a month or so.

 

[luxg]

THanks for that tip Charles!