Royal Metal Uprights 1980-1995 (UPDATE 4-21-2012)

[kirbyclassiciii]

ROYAL METAL UPRIGHT PRODUCTION LIST

(UPDATED: APRIL 21, 2012)

Only models sold since April 1, 1980 (look for serial to start with "D80" for April 1980) and March 31, 1995 ("C95") will apply in these tabulations; thus, any model not sold before 4/1/80 will not be covered here.

All models produced since April 1, 1990 will have the 9-blade impeller fan instead of the 6-blade impeller fan.

153 (c. 1945-1987)
350 watt motor: c. 1953-1970
400 watt motor: 1971-1974
3.0 amp motor: 1975-1985
4.0 amp motor: 1985-1987
(also available with 3-wire cord as model 3-153)
Trim attributes: Blue hammertoned motor housing throughout; grey bumper/handle grip/cord, standard metal belt cover, light blue shake-out cotton-twill bag

602 (1966-September 1985)
350 watt motor: 1966-1970
400 watt motor: 1971-1974
3.0 amp motor: 1975-1985
(also available with 3-wire cord as model 3-602)
Trim attributes: Blue hammertoned motor housing in back; grey bumper/handle grip/cord, light blue (before 1975) or red (after 1975) Adjust-O-Rite, light blue cotton twill bag

604 (October 1985-1987)
4.5 amp motor
(also available with 3-wire cord as model 3-604)
Trim attributes: same as 602 post-1974

801 (1953-March 1987)
350-watt motor: 1953-1970
400-watt motor: 1971-1974
3.0 amp motor: 1975-1981
4.5 amp motor: 1981-1987
Trim attributes: Grey bumpers/handle grip/cord (after 1966), red Adjust-O-Rite (after 1958), tan vinyl bag

880 (1966-March 1987)
350-watt motor: 1966-1970
400-watt motor: 1971-1974
3.0 amp motor: 1975-1980
4.0 amp motor: 1980-1981
4.5 amp motor: 1981-1985
5.4 amp motor: 1985-1987
Trim attributes: Light blue bumpers/handle grip/cord/Adjust-O-Rite; light blue vinyl bag

903 (c. 1973-March 1987)
400 watt motor: 1973-1974
3.0 amp motor: 1975-1980
4.0 amp motor: 1980-1981
4.5 amp motor: 1981-1985
5.4 amp motor: 1985-1987
(this was an Electro-Hygiene-branded product through 1983; and then became a premium Royal product after that)
Trim attributes: Red bumper/handle grip/cord, red Adjust-O-Rite, red (before 4/82) or tan/red (after 4/82) vinyl bag.

881 (1987-1989)
4.5 amp motor
Trim attributes: Light blue bumper/handle grip/Adjust-O-Rite, grey cord, light blue cotton twill bag

884 (1987-1989)
5.4 amp motor
Trim attributes: Light blue bumper/handle grip/Adjust-O-Rite, grey cord, light blue vinyl bag

886/887 (1987-1995 for 886; 1987-1989 for 887)
6.0 amp motor
(887 is similar but has attachment kit included)
Trim attributes: same as 880 but with light blue Scafitex bag (before 4/91). From 4/91, all trim attributes changed to dark blue.

889 (1987-1988)
6.0 amp motor
Trim attributes: Burgundy bumper/handle grip/cord/Adjust-O-Rite, mauve Scafitex bag

883 (1989-1991)
5.0 amp motor
Trim attributes: same as 881

885 (1989-1995)
6.0 amp motor
Trim attributes: Dark blue bumper/handle grip/cord/Adjust-O-Rite, dark blue corduroy bag

992/993 (1988-1990)
6.0 amp motor
(993 is similar but has attachment kit included)
Trim attributes: same as 885 but with dark blue Scafitex bag. Early production models also used a white cord instead of dark blue.

6000 (1988-1990)
5.4 amp motor
(no headlight)
Trim attributes: burgundy bumper/handle grip/cord, burgundy Adjust-O-Rite, mauve Microtex bag

6005 (1989-1991)
6.0 amp motor
(no headlight)
Trim attributes: grey bumper/handle grip/cord, burgundy Adjust-O-Rite, grey Microtex bag

7000 (1988-1990)
6.0 amp motor
(with standard cast headlight)
Trim attributes: same as 6000

8000 (1988-1990)
6.0 amp motor
(with deluxe headlight and crystal deodorizer chamber)
Trim attributes: same as 6000 but with mauve Scafitex bag

9000 (1988-1990)
6.0 amp motor
(like 8000 but with Au-Toe-Matic toe-touch adjuster instead of Rite-Hite screw-type adjuster)
Trim attributes: same as 8000; early production (1988-89) models used a white cord instead of burgundy.

9005 "Classic" (1989-1990)
6.0 amp motor
(a special edition version of 9000)

9089 "Classic" (1989-1990)
6.0 amp motor
(another special edition version of 9000)

882 (1991-1995)
5.4 amp motor
Trim attributes: grey bumper/handle grip/cord, rubber faceplate on nozzle, green cotton twill bag.

994/995/996 (1990-1995 for 994, 1990-1992 for 995, 1992-1995 for 996)
7.0 amp motor
Trim attributes: same as 992/993. 995 (and 996) has attachment set included with unit.

6103 (1990-1995)
6.0 amp motor
(Adjust-O-Rite and Rite-Hite; Microtex bag)
Trim attributes: burgundy bumper/handle grip/cord/Adjust-O-Rite, mauve (before 4/91) or burgundy (after 4/91) Microtex bag.

6103F (1990-1995)
6.0 amp motor
(like 6103 but with rubber faceplate on nozzle instead of Adjust-O-Rite; and Au-Toe-Matic toe-touch adjuster instead of Rite-Hite)
Trim attributes: same as 6103

9100 (1990-1995)
7.0 amp motor
(like 6103 but with deluxe headlight and crystal deodorizer chamber; Microtex bag)
Trim attributes: same as 6103

9700 "Classic" (1990-1995)
7.0 amp motor
(like 9100 but with Au-Toe-Matic toe-touch height adjuster instead of Rite-Hite; and also Scafitex bag)
Trim attributes: same as 9005/9089

COMMERCIAL MODELS

Trim attributes on all models are: grey bumper/handle grip/cord and red Adjust-O-Rite. Models 607, 654, 655 and 656 have a grey painted motor housing throughout. Models made before April 1987 will have a dark blue denim bag; those made from April 1987 will have a grey denim bag, although a red denim bag was also available on the post-1987 models.

607 (1985-1987)
4.5 amp motor
Standard metal belt cover plate instead of Adjust-O-Rite.

608 (1977-1987)
3.0 amp motor: 1977-1981
4.5 amp motor: 1981-1985
5.4 amp motor: 1985-1987
Attributes: Adjust-O-Rite; deluxe square headlight w/o deodorizing chamber

611 (1977-1987)
3.0 amp motor: 1977-1981
4.5 amp motor: 1981-1985
5.4 amp motor: 1985-1987
Attributes: Adjust-O-Rite

618/620 (1984-1987) (18" wide track nozzle)
5.4 amp motor: 1984-1985
6.0 amp motor: 1985-1987
(620 is similar to 618, but with headlight)
Attributes: Adjust-O-Rite; headlight (latter on 620 only)

654 (1987-1990)
5.0 amp motor
Attributes: same as 607

660 series (1987-1990)
6.0 amp motor
(models 660 and 662 have Adjust-O-Rite and Rite-Hite; models 661 and 663 were introduced in 1989 and have a rubber faceplate instead of Adjust-O-Rite; and also the Au-Toe-Matic toe-touch control instead of the Rite-Hite screw-type adjuster; models 662 and 663 have headlight)
Also available (after 4/89) with red denim bag as the Duke 7600 series

680 series (1987-1990) (18" wide track nozzle)
(basically the same as the 660 series, but with 18" wide track nozzle)
(680 and 682 have Adjust-O-Rite and Rite-Hite; models 681 and 683 were introduced in 1989 and have a rubber faceplate instead of Adjust-O-Rite; and also the Au-Toe-Matic toe-touch control instead of the Rite-Hite screw-type adjuster; models 682 and 683 have headlight)
Also available (after 4/89) with red denim bag as the Duke 7800 series

655/656 (1990-1995)
5.4 amp motor
655 has red Adjust-O-Rite; 656 has rubber faceplate
Also available with red denim bag as the Duke 7500 series

670 series (1990-1995)
7.0 amp motor
(670 and 672 have Rite-Hite screw-type adjuster and Adjust-O-Rite; 671 and 673 have Au-Toe-Matic toe-touch height adjuster and rubber faceplate on nozzle; 672 and 673 have headlight)
Also available with red denim bag as the Duke 7700 series

690 series (1990-1995) (18" wide track nozzle)
7.0 amp motor
(690 and 692 have Rite-Hite screw-type adjuster and Adjust-O-Rite; 691 and 693 have Au-Toe-Matic toe-touch height adjuster and rubber faceplate on nozzle; 692 and 693 have headlight)
Also available with red denim bag as the Duke 7900 series

I will still welcome any additions and corrections. Thank you for looking.

~Ben

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Addition

Will also need to say that the commercial uprights made after April 1988 will also have a front-facing upper cord hook (the lower cord hook remains in the same position), because the 660Z that I have a picture of (with me standing next to it, taken during an open house meeting sometime in 1989-90) has the front-facing upper cord hook, so the cord will look staggered.

In writing "front facing upper cord hook" that is to say you're looking at the vacuum cleaner's front view (you are looking at the nozzle).

~Ben

 

[appliguy]

What about the model 603?

What time frame was that manufactured in. I have a 603 and would like to know when it was made....PAT COFFEY

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Pat,

The 603 I believe was discontinued in 1976. What is the serial # on yours, just so I can verify it?

~Ben

 

[appliguy]

Hey Ben my Royal 603's serial # is 30958

Wow that model ran until 1976 I always thought mine was from the early 60's at the latest...wow....when did they start making this model Ben?....PAT

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

appliguy

Pat

Is the serial #603-30958 or, if after 1971, something like #17A-A-30958?

The 603 was similar in every aspect to the 602 (color of bag, overall trim color), except that it had a standard belt cover plate instead of the Adjust-O-Rite. Both models were introduced around 1966, and replaced the prior 601. Jeff Schroff (hygiene903) might be able to tell you more about it.

But while we're talking about this, I am submitting a picture of a 603.

~Ben

 

[appliguy]

That looks like my 603 Ben EXCEPT.......

My 603 has a red and gray bag....red on the left side where it says Royal and then gray on the right side where the crown is. Mine also has a gray cord that I suspect is a replacement because it says Victor on the molded plug. Did they make any 603s with red and gray bags? Also do you have any idea why the motor surges whenever it is running? PAT

 

[appliguy]

My serial # starts with 17J L

does that mean mine is from the end of production?...PAT

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Yours is dated September of 1971. So that means according to the build date it would be too early to be covered here in the post-1980 discussion, but rather in the pre-1980 Royal metal uprights discussion board, which I'll create an updated version of tomorrow.

Could you please submit pictures of your 603 so I and other Royal fanatics can see whether or not the bag on yours even belongs on it?

~Ben

 

[hygiene903]

I Have An Older 603

Serial # is 603-8655. As Ben said, it is quite similar to the 602, but the motor cover is hammertone green rather than hammertone blue. Mine also has an adjust-o-rite cover rather than the plain cover, and a replacement bag from mid 80's.
As for the 153, mine is also an older machine, with black cord and nozzle guard and red and black bag. The cover plate appears to be brass with the words "motor driven brush" on it.
Jeff

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Trim Details 101

TRIM DETAILS 101 (1980-1995)

I. BAG DETAILS 101
Models 153, 602 = Light blue, cotton twill fabric bag with silver/red R-O-Y-A-L letters (with silver stripes running through them) on left half and crown logo on right half of bag. Model 153 is shake out and has a black plastic bag top, while model 602 has a zipper on back for paper inserts.

Model 801 = Tan diamondback vinyl fabric bag with Royal "ribbon" logo, with crown logo and R-O-Y-A-L letters. Nylon zipper on back of bag for paper inserts.

Model 880 = Same details as 801 bag except it's light blue in color instead of tan.

Model 777 and 285 (Electro-Hygiene) = Red cotton-twill bag with silver/black "ELECTRO" (with a raised initial "E") on near top center, with black lightning bolt and silver "HYGIENE" (vertically) on top and bottom of the ELECTRO.

Model 903 and 980 (Electro-Hygiene) = Through early 1982, the bag is a red diamondback vinyl fabric with silver "SUPREME ELECTRO-HYGIENE" logo on front. In mid-1982 it will change to a tan diamondback vinyl bag with red "SUPREME ELECTRO-HYGIENE" logo. In early 1983, following the demise of Electro-Hygiene, it will look roughly like the 801's bag, but with additional hints of red to distinguish it from the 801.

In early 1986, a new logo was placed near the top left corner of the bag. It is called "Royal Five" and it is described as having the Royal crown logo on the top red box, the name Royal written five times in the center, clear part of the logo, and "QUALITY SINCE 1905" ("COMMERCIAL" for commercial models) on the other red part of the box below the clear part of the logo.

Starting in April 1987, all commercial models would have a grey bag (whether shake-out or with zipper for paper inserts). The "Royal Five" logo would have its clear portion be blue instead.

The new mid-1987 Royals: Model 881 used the same light blue cotton twill bag as model 604 (and would be exactly the same for the 1989-91 model 883). On model 884, the 880's light blue diamondback vinyl bag is carried over. Models 886, 887 and 889 have the new "Scafitex" high-quality fabric bag (models 886/887 have a light blue color with the red portions of the logo in light blue, whereas for model 889 the bag is mauve in color, and the red portions of the logo are now burgundy).

Preferred Collection: The "Preferred Collection" models of 1988-91 have the same mauve bag as the 889. Models 9005, 9089 and 9700 (the latter of which replaced the two former models after April 1990) use a burgundy bag with the "Royal Classic" logo on the front, whereas the 6103/F and 9100 (which replaced the 6000 and 8000 after April 1990) continued to use the 889/8000/9000's mauve bag through March 1991 (a month later, it would use a burgundy Microtex bag with the "Preferred Collection by Royal" logo).

II. ADJUST-O-RITE 101

Prior to 1987, the words "Adjust" and "Rite" encircle the top and bottom halves of the plate respectively.

In January 1987, this will change so that the words "Adjust" and "Rite" (still in the same cursive font as Royal's then-current corporate logo letters) both encircle the top half of the stub opening, with a drawing of the belt position seen below the stub opening (the words "BELT POSITION," below the drawing, encircle the bottom half of the plate). Directional arrows to properly pull off the plate are also included, which encircle the entire plate. Red plates with a black plastic pull knob were used on commercial uprights.

In January 1988, on the nozzle, a small decal was briefly placed below the Adjust-O-Rite and above the Royal logo. It reads: "CAUTION: MOVING PARTS. UNPLUG BEFORE OPENING." Three months later, the decal would be dropped from the nozzle, and the same text would become part of the Adjust-O-Rite plate, encircling its bottom half.

Red: used on models 360, 380, 602, 3-602, 604, 3-604, 608, 611, 618, 620, 660/662, 670/672, 680/682, 690/692, 784, 801, 903, 7500, 7600/7620, 7700/7720, 7800/7820 and 7900/7920.

Light blue: used on models 880, 881, 883, 884, 886 (before 4/91), 887, 888 and 85103.

Dark blue: used on models 885, 886/F (after 4/91), 992, 993, 994 and 996.

Burgundy: used on models 889, 6000, 6005, 6103, 7000, 8000, 9000, 9005, 9089, 9100 and 9700.

A polished metal belt cover was used on models 153, 607, 654 and 781.

A grey rubber plate was used on models 361, 381, 656, 661/663, 671/673, 681/683, 691/693, 882, 6103F, 6805, 7510, 7610/7630, 7710/7730, 7810/7830 and 7910/7930.

III. WARNING LABELS 101

All versions have this text: WARNING: ELECTRIC SHOCK COULD OCCUR IF USED OUTDOORS OR ON WET SURFACES.

From circa 1971 to 1985, this text was in red, and with a red border.

From 1986 to 1st qtr. 1988, the text and border are black.

From 2nd qtr. 1988 to 3rd qtr. 1990, the border around the text is removed.

From 4th qtr. 1990 to 4th qtr. 1994, the text would be seen in a different font, with the word WARNING in bold, and the text below that in italics.

Starting in January 1995, the warning label would be bi-lingual (English and French text).

IV. OTHER TRIM DETAILS 101

The white "Royal" logo (with the crown logo in front of the text), first used on the 501 Prince hand vacuum starting in 1982, would be seen (applied to the front of the nozzle, below the Adjust-O-Rite) on the metal uprights for the first time starting in October 1986.

Commercial Quality: this meaningless decal was used starting in 1988 on the Preferred Collection uprights. It had the Royal logo and said words on the bottom, with the burgundy border running up through the top of the nozzle by the headlight. After April of 1991, the decal lost its special Adjust-O-Rite bordering, and this new version of the decal would be used on all Royal metal uprights with the exception of model 882, and its trim color would be coordinated with the trim color of the vacuum itself (dark blue for 886/994/996, burgundy for 6103/9100/9700, etc.)

Heavy Duty Commercial Quality: Also used from 1988-91, this decal is white in color and has the Royal logo (in very small print), with the "H" in "HEAVY" and the "Y" in "DUTY" more bigger than the other letters, and an oblong ellipse shape with the words "COMMERCIAL QUALITY" are squeezed between the "H" of "HEAVY and the "Y" of "DUTY." Used on models 885, 6000, 6005, 6103/F and 6805 prior to March 1991.

For commercial models (with 3-wire cord), this would be represented as a marquee of Royal logos on a black background, and below that are the words "HEAVY DUTY COMMERCIAL" on a white background. It replaced the previous HEAVY DUTY COMMERCIAL decal used on the 1984-86 models, which was represented as a silver decal with red text/border.

Between January and March 1988 (see also the "Adjust-O-Rite 101" section), a second decal was applied above the Royal decal, again below the Adjust-O-Rite, which read: "CAUTION: MOVING PARTS. UNPLUG BEFORE OPENING."

Grey paint: models 607, 654, 655, 656, 7500 and 7510 have grey metallic paint for the motor housing, including the nozzle.

Model 882: replacing the 883 after April 1991, this used a rubber face plate instead of the Adjust-O-Rite, and all trim was green except for the cord. The 8801AE Anniversary Edition model produced from 1992-94 had much the same trim as the 882, except its bag had the dubious "Anniversary Edition" logo.

~Ben

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

For Pat aka appliguy

http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?16905_0

You can discuss all about your 1971 model 603 in the above link.

~Ben