Royal Commercial 662 with red shake out bag

[toastermike]

I've found this Royal 662 at the Goodwill outlet store a few years ago and bought it because it had a red shake out bag. It was made August 1988. I know that they usually have the traditional grey bag. The handle was bent, and I found a doner vac with the correct handle. I finally performed the handle transplant this weekend, cleaned and polished it a little and installed an LED headlight. I'm curious about the red bag. Was it sold new this was or might it have been a replacement bag?
Any ideas?

 

[vinvac]

Those were awesome machines!

As teenager I worked as a custodian at the school during the school year for two hours before school started and then full time during the summer.

We had those Royal Machines badged as HILD if my memory serves me correctly. Those machines ran flawlessly for years.

The district hired a new head custodian and he replaced all the machines (except for the two we hid) with Hoover Conquest machines.

In the first year, they had to replace two of the Hoovers and hide to buy a Portable Hoover for above the floor cleaning.

Meanwhile, we still had out two Royal machines with all the attachments and never missed a day of cleaning. One day we took our hall and door mats outside to shampoo them. The mats cleaned with the Hoovers were fill with grit and sand. Those that we cleaned with the Royal were much cleaner.

Just my story and I am sticken to it...LOL

 

[tolivac]

I beleive the grey Royal bags were their commercial ones.The colored bags were household.I have grey bags both dump out and use "B" disposable inner bags.

 

[toastermike]

According to Ben's information on commercial models of this time period, bags were grey but red and black bags were also used. This is definitely a commercial shake out bag and not a household model bag. It says commercial on it just below the Royal 5 graphic.

 

[centralvacs1928]

I love this style of Royal...the red "bulb shaped" bag, the front and side cord hooks, and the way the cast headlight cowl matches the curve of the nozzle housing.

This will be a great but decently quiet performer too...unlike the howling 10+ amp motors they started using a few years later.

Royal made a commercial line a few years after this with red outer bags that said "Duke Series". Very pretty. Maybe these were for the same "Master Dealers" who got access to the burgundy Classic and Preferred residential models?

I have a Duke Series with zippered bag, but it's the BOL gray painted model, not polished aluminum. Plus the motor is a screamer. This one is from 1997.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

toastermike

Mike,

Here is my 1987 Royal 662Z Heavy Duty Commercial, which is mostly original except for the rear wheels (according to the brochure of the period, the rear wheels were intermediate size, 1-1/4" wide in diameter). This one was given to me for FREE!

My 662Z was built in April 1987, one of the first ones ever built.

~Ben

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

toastermike

Mike,

I think these red bags first appeared in the 1990s; other than the 360 and 380, Royal also had a series of cleaners called the "Duke" series ("Duke" being an apparent John Wayne reference) in 1989, which included such models as 7500/Z (same as 655/Z), 7600/Z (660/Z) and 7800/Z (680/Z), and I believe the red color of the bag on these was a reference to actress Maureen O'Hara (who was Wayne's co-star in five films and was known for her vivid red hair).

~Ben

 

[tylerhawkins84]

Duke Name

I am not sure but I would be more inclined to believe “The Duke” name references the royal title kind of like the Royal Prince hand vac linking the “royal” titles with their brand in a clever way.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Tylerhawkins84

I think your view sounds more accurate.

I also know Health-Mor (one former link between both Royal and Kirby) used the "Princess" name for one of its canisters.

~Ben