Pulled an old friend out of the closet...

[human]

One of the joys of owning too many vacuum cleaners is having the luxury of deciding which one I want to run on a given day. Sometimes it comes down to which machine is best suited for a given task and other times it just comes down to my mood. Today, I decided to run a machine that's been languishing untouched in a closet for at least three years, maybe longer—My Electrolux Super J.

Paired up with a period correct polished aluminum PN4 and an OEM vinyl hose, my biggest question was why haven't I been using this machine more? I believe it got put away around the time I brought a 1205 home from my parents' attic and then turned around a few months later and snagged a Diamond J with a PN5 for $10. I was overrun with canisters and decided to set this gaudy girl aside in a closet with my two Kirby Gsixes, which also haven't seen service in several years.

People like to accuse the Super J of being loud but I found that not to be the case. The power nozzle was actually much noisier than the vacuum itself, and it cleaned Pesian rug in the dining room quite well. I've got a couple of other rooms that need vacuuming so I think I'll have a little more fun with this one today and I just may put one of my 1205s in storage and leave this machine out to use for a while. Frankly, this has been almost as fun as acquiring a new machine.

 

[huskyvacs]

I hope to do the same when I get all my vacs fixed up and put back together. You do have to run them often anyway or the grease gums up and drips away from the bearings. My jukebox that hasn't been run in 25+ years has this problem. All the grease turned to like bubblegum or bathroom caulk consistency and all the parts struggle to move if you try and turn it on.

The only loud Electrolux I have ever heard is when they have bad grease or bad bearings and they vibrate and roar. In good shape they are really quiet actually.

 

[detroitdirtbag]

Pics

 

[jo]

Yep

Certainly using a vac you’ve had stored away for a while is fun....all over again. I try to keep my Non regular use canisters on the top shelf of my closet so I can grab them easily to Plug them in and give them a spin every few months. The Electrolux XXX I have that was my Grandmotherks has sort of the noisy bearing sound now, and that may be because it sat unused in my parents basement in a box for around 20 years. I don’t remember it sounding that way when I first got it in 1985 after we dismantled my Father’s childhood home after his sister who lived there all her life passed away.

Jon

 

[human]

Yeah, I have several vacuums that have been, shall we say, out of the running for the past few years. Perhaps it's a sign I may have too many. I guess it's just human nature to grab repeatedly for the same ones. The Electrolux 1205 I brought home four years ago hadn't run in 20 or more years when I plugged it in and turned it on. I was amazed that it ran just as quietly as ever. I don't know if it makes a difference for those particular machines but it was stored all those years sitting up on its tail end instead of down on its wheels.

 

[chris]

Im waiting to get my 1205 back from the dealer after a total restoration. I will basically be brand new. It belonged to my grandmother. Its been 14 years since I last used it. It was on its last leg the last time i used it and has been sitting in a basment since then. The original pn1 was trashed beyond repair so I desided on a pn2 or pn4 doesnt really matter which one as long as its the shiny aluminum. He did send me a picture of it friday. Can't wait till i get it back but who knows when that will be with the way shipping has been lately. Might have to put my rainbows in semi retirement for awhile

 

[human]

Super J...

Here's the machine in question. The funny thing is when I first got it five or six years ago, I hated the garish gold paint job to the point that I actually considered painting it a different color. Burgundy was the odds-on favorite at the time. But looking at it today, I like it a lot better than I did then and I really enjoyed running it.

@Chris—That's really cool that you have your grandmother's vacuum. It's always fun bringing a formerly derelict machine back from the brink of oblivion but being a family piece makes it all the more special, both to have it and to use it.

 

[real1shep]

Very.......

cool Chris on the 1205! Be sure to share the restorers name and contact info if you really like the job he did.

Nice looking Super J...I have a few to restore....not sure how many. I have a lot of armatures and brushes.....should be fun.

I don't know what to expect pitted against my Diamond J. I appreciate the older Elux's power and quiet, but what really matters to me is how they clean when running correctly.

I have an Anniversary Edition PN4 that I started to clean up and restore. I was hoping to use it with a 1205 or a fixed up Super J.

Pics look like you're having fun!

I have 'fun' sometimes running my Hoover Convertible around, but it doesn't clean like a PN5. It's more a nostalgic experience.

Kevin

 

[human]

Right after I got my Diamond J, I did a side-by-side with my Super J (probably the last time the Super J was run before yesterday), pairing both machines with PN4/4A power nozzles and I found little difference in their performance although the Super J is a bit quieter. The Diamond J came paired with a PN5 but I prefer the square design of the PN2 and PN4/4A because I'm not a fan of the later Omniflow nozzle's L-shaped design. It's awkward in tight spaces. Oddly enough, I find that design less awkward in the Discovery II upright and its descendants.