Royal Metal Vacuums - New, Used, or Decades Old Used?

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That Settles It

Once again Ben, you are a fountain of high vacuum knowledge. A Kirby isn't going to suit this household. I ended the Royal auction. I'm keeping it for sure, and I'll keep experimenting. If that elusive 90's model comes along with all the bells & whistles, I'll buy it, then sell this one.

Thanks so much for sharing your wealth of information. It's helped me a LOT!

John
 
John,

If you're interested in any late '80s/early '90s Royals, you would want one of the following, all of which have the "Au-Toe-Matic" height adjuster and top-of-the-line (TOL):
Model 992/993 (1988-1990) - dark blue trim, 6 amp motor, 6-blade impeller fan
Model 9000 (1988-1990) - burgundy/mauve trim, 6 amp motor, 6-blade impeller fan
Model 9005/9089 (1989-1990) - burgundy bag "Classic Edition 1989," 6 amp motor, 6-blade impeller fan
Model 994/995/996 (1990-1995) - like 992/993 but with 7 amp motor and 9-blade impeller fan
Model 9700 (1990-1995) - like 9000/9005/9089 but with 7 amp motor and 9-blade impeller fan

These will be somewhat loud (definitely louder than the 880 you once had), but not quite as loud as the 4008 you have already.

~Ben

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Been Looking And Inquiring

Ben,

I contacted Vacstar a couple times. They have more than one vacuum listed. The details for that particular one is: "Correct amps 6. Model. 992. Serial. 388a002143"

Based on your ROYAL METAL UPRIGHT PRODUCTION LIST, which is my Bible, that would have a 6 blade fan.

I contacted one member from here, last night, about selling his Model 886/F. Got a reply already. Replied, "Sorry I'm pretty fond of it and it does a great job."

Contacted another fellow this morning, who also happens to be a member here, about the same model. His handle has Kirby in it, so maybe he'll be willing to part with it. I keep finding these units doing a search on Bing, and they always seem to lead back to posts on this site. Big surprise, eh?

This is such a shame. The one I have, has it all. I can even tolerate the normal high decibels. I made that choice before I even purchased it, but I didn't bargain for the "rattling" noise. Still don't understand why I can't track it down. I'll redouble my efforts today.

Thanks once again for the well thought suggestions, and model details.
 
Tracking Down The Rattle

One son is here for Christmas from Boston. Younger son usually sleeps in late, but got up relatively early this morning. As soon as I knew they were awake, I started screwing with the vacuum. Pulled the plate, nozzle plug, chamber and bag off. Tapped it all over listening for rattling. I can hear something inside the motor housing. Also, the handle latch wiggles quite a bit, and the rubber bumper surrounding the bell housing seems to vibrate significantly. It's only held by two rivets at the very ends.

Ran it against the carpet with the roller beating the carpet. No rattle. Added one piece at a time till it was all assembled... no rattle, except for the rubber bumper occasionally vibrating against the bell housing. The boys must think I'm crazy. I shut it off as soon as they came in the kitchen.

If it turns out to be that rubber, I'm going to kick myself. I thought sure I'd eliminated that already. I'm almost positive I did! But, at this point it seems rattle free. I also observed that with the bag off, the scream from the motor is intolerable. The bag muffles a LOT of the noise. So, as soon as the boys are done with breakfast, I'm going to have at it again. It would be awesome if this is over. Every minute it runs without rattling is a minute toward its having a permanent home here.
 
May Be Base Plate After All

It was rattling with base plate off, but more with it on. I ended up shaping the front curve around the lip on the front of the bell housing. Literally formed it to the lip. That not only insures the plate is tight, but it captures the flimsy center of the housing to keep it from resonating. So far so good. Hoping it won't work loose. If it does, I may glue in a rubber or cork gasket. That's probably the better way to go anyway.
 
Tweaked 4008

Hey Ben,

I took that one off my list when I contacted them on the 13th. 6 blade fan was the deal breaker. I guess if I stumbled onto an 1990 or later 886 with the 9 blade fan, 6 or 7 amp motor, toe height adjust (infinitely variable would be awesome), Adjust-O-Rite nozzle plug, quick release hook and two conductor cord, I'd probably buy it.

As it is, the 4008 is 95% dialed in. Only once every few minutes does it buzz or rattle for an instant. I can live with that if it stays this way. Tightly wrapping the base plate and adding the felt has worked wonders.

Thank you so much for the valuable input and past research. I'm sure it's helped many more people than me, and I REALLY appreciate it.

Have A Merry Christmas!

John

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Wrap It Up!

Awesome, I'll take it! It will look great under the tree. I'll email you my address.

Actually, I think we over extended a little this year, so I should refrain... but, if it were available, I'd probably grab it anyway!

ornery++12-24-2013-23-27-50.jpg
 
John,

Merry Christmas to you, too. However, I am just a fanatic of vacuums like this.

As much as I would like to have your 4008, but it is a post-1995 model and I prefer pre-1995 models like the two that I've got (both branded for Stark's Vacuum Cleaners here in Portland, OR).

Thus... good luck in finding an 886F like the one in the picture I'd uploaded (and that was a former eBay auction). I don't own that vacuum, if you are concerned.

~Ben
 
Learning about Royal Metal Uprights

Hello Ben and John. I'm new to vacuumland and this is my first post!

Have been reading your old threads about Royals and have enjoyed learning. I purchased my first Royal about a month ago (model 992) and am having issues with the Au-toe-matic adjuster staying at the set position. Also do not like the A style bag.

Can one of you please send me the ROYAL METAL UPRIGHT PRODUCTION LIST? I am shopping for another used Royal and want to make sure I get all the features that I want (made in USA, 6A or greater, B style, Adjust-Rite, oil motor, 9 or 10 blade fan, etc...).
Thanks
David
 
Quest For Perfection

The part you need for the height adjust would probably be the Adjuster Release (1133715000) for $6.52 at ereplacementparts.com. Grab a $.50 Rod spring (1003009000) while you're at it.

Nothing wrong with the "A" style bags. They're plentiful in the F&G version. Can be had in many generic brands and filtrations, at a better price than the "B" Style.

I'll link to Ben's Bible, and it just so happens I'll be selling a Model 994 in about a week (and it's NOT going cheap), but you already own a pretty decent machine.


http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?11412
 
Here's another tidbit guys...

I learned from a Royal guru that --it goes something like this, though I am not sure and will find out the truth--


 


Some commercial Royal uprights that use a dump bag but still  have the black shoot that comes up the bag are really not meant to use a paper bag and that is why it is difficult to get the paper bag cardboard collar on the tube. Then there are those upright that are designed for household use that also have the same black shoot BUT the size is different making it easier to get the paper bag cardboard collar on without a fight. Stay tuned and I will find out the answer. 
 
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I have used the "B" bags in the dump bags that had the black plastic fill tube-When they are FULL that is the hassle of getting them out!!!So I just use that type of bag as just that-a dump out bag.
 
1973 Royal 801...

My wife bought a Royal 801 in December 193, and it's still used occasionally here in the house. It's built like a tank, and has never given us one single problem - still has the original motor brushes. The selling price at that time was $124.95, and we purchased it from an independent dealer along with a Thompson & Sons Silver Knight canister for $94.95. The "big brother" to the Silver Knight, the Silver King is still manufactured by Silver King International in Colorado, and has a selling price of $3.275! Wow!

The simplicity of the Royal 801 is what intrigues me, since I'm a retired engineer. I found this thread to be most interesting and informative. I'm not, or better yet we're not, vacuum cleaner collectors - far from it, but this site is very informative and helpful to those who have questions. Much unlike many technical forums I occasionally post on, as those folks are always trying to one-up each other. I'm glad I found this site!

Don
 
1973 Royal 801 (Update)...

Since I'm not an upgraded member, I couldn't edit the above post. The price of the Silver King is $3,275, not $3.275... I apologize for the typo, and I thought I had proof read the post!
 
Not A Collector?

Howdy Don, I'm not a collector either. It would be nice to own a few vacuums. Maybe the best candidate from each manufacturer. But, they would take up more space than our little ranch can hold. We're bursting at the seams already, just with the coats & linens that take up our closet space.

Glad to hear your Royal purchase has panned out so well. Never heard of Thompson & Sons, but I see a "Knight" and "King" for sale on Ebay for around $100 each. I also see their "Blue Max" selling new for $1,250. Guess that's par for a quality machine these days.

Curious to know what you use instead of your 801, since it's only used occasionally? I'm firmly in the Royal metal upright camp for our vacuuming needs. But, if something better came along, I'd switch right over. Guess I'm not that loyal to Royal :)

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odk...+King+Vacuum&_nkw=Silver+King+Vacuum&_sacat=0
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$100 each?

This nice one went for $6 (see link).
I have two Silver King vacuums, a clean red one & a rusty black one that lived on a boat and will need a lot of work when i ever get to it.
These 'small batch' metal 'shop-vacs' for inside the home, with nutty high prices, are another wonderful corner of the often bizarre world of vacuums. Fairfax, Silver King, and Filter Queen all (apparently) sell for astronomical sums when purchased new.
Then there is the Tristar, Patriot, Miracle-Mate galaxy of vacuums with a similar sales MO (metal and expensive) but different design idea, bags!
Not knockin' 'em per se, i like to snap them up when i can, but the price i'll pay is a minute fraction of what they sold for new.


http://www.shopgoodwill.com/auctions/Thompson--Sons-Silver-Knight-Canister-Vacuum-14818180.html
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Our other uprights...

After the purchase of the Royal 801 in 1973, my wife bought a Eureka 2062D in the early '80s I believe. It's an all-metal one that uses the F&G bags inside the cloth or poly bag, and it was manufactured at the old Bloomington, IL Eureka plant. Several years ago, my wife sort of jumped on the "bagless" bandwagon (much to my chagrin I might add), and purchased a Shark Navigator Pro. Except for dumping the dust bin, it's suprisiingly quite good, but I still prefer bagged vacuums. A few months ago, she bought a Miele S7-series "Cat & Dog" upright. It's a bit heavy at 22lbs., but does a beautiful job in vacuuming, and in the typical German fashion, is built like a watch. The filtering is amazing - a 9-layer self-closing bag, a true HEPA exhaust filter, and a totally sealed system. She bought the Miele upright based upon her experience with the Miele S6 Quartz canister, which has been a great vacuum - and, very quiet.

We have four levels in this heavily carpeted house, and she keeps an upright on each level!
 
Re. $100 each?

Wow, a Silver Knight with the original swivel-end hose for $6! Absolutely amazing - I wish I could find such deals. If I ever come across something similar, it always has a stratospheric price. Here's a picture of our Silver Knight purchased in 1973 for $95 new - still works as new, and thanks to Tania here on this site, I was able to acquire some OEM bags for the vac.

Don

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No Deals For You!

I'm guessing a retired engineer, who lives in a three story house, and buys various Miele vacuums, probably doesn't spend much time in thrift stores, flea markets, and auctions. Hell, I'm broke and I don't spend much time in thrift stores, flea markets, & auctions!

If you're looking for deals, Salvation Army and Goodwill occasionally have treasures to purchase. I think Wednesdays are half price! Also, Craigslist is a possibility if you feel like sifting through there.

Ebay is where you find the "true value" of an item, but not the place for deals.
 
I use

A 1958 Royal 801 fairly regularly, I like the old knob adjustment and narrow wheels much better than the new stuff, its quiet, and it cleans well.here it is with a 1963 975

kenkart++2-18-2014-21-06-39.jpg
 
John,

I've noticed you're selling this Royal 994 made in July 1991:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Royal-Metal-Upri...

~Ben


Yep, I'm keeping the 9700. I doubt I'll find one I like better, but that doesn't mean I won't keep looking!

I enjoy getting my hands on these different models. There were so many subtle upgrades over time. It's a simple machine, but the little details make a difference in the character of each generation. And, generally, the changes are true upgrades, not change for the sake of change.

I've noticed other tools and appliances, where they start out with high quality, then find cheaper ways to manufacture them over time. Not so with these Royals. Even though they've sent production abroad, they're still solid, with no corners cut anywhere I can see.

Still, the lower amp motor with the 9 blade fan does seem to be the sweet spot in its history. I'll keep poking around in that vintage in hope of outdoing the 9700. It's a fun endeavor for sure!

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