Royal Prince Model 501

[dwhdarren97]

I am new to the forums, and am just 14 years old. My parents and most my family strongly object to my hobby. However, I still have 3 vacuums that were quite difficult to obtain due to my mother saying "somebody elses filth removing machines will not be brought into this house!" Despite that issue, I have just recently got a Royal Model 501 hand vacuum from Goodwill for $7.99. Was this a good deal? I think it is, it has no attachments. But it is the really old red and grey bag model. I was a little mad to see that the model and serial number sticker has been torn off the bottom of the vacuum! I will post pictures as soon as someone replies, and hopefully they will be able to help me decipher the year it was manufactured, or a narrowed range of.possibilities. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance .

 

[lux1521]

It sounds to me like a 1960s or 70s variant. I have a lot of different Royal hand vacs in my collection. The full list is in my profile. They were made from 1937 to the late 1990s and are some of the best hand vacs ever made.

Plastic Dirt Devil attachments will work if you want to use it that way. Paper bags are also available, along with replacement brush rolls and belts.

 

[dwhdarren97]

Thanks, I used to have attachments for the dd, not sure what happened to them. I just put new belts on the dd and the royal. The royal belt split to pieces as soon as I barely moved the brush. The brushroll is in good shape on both, and the dd has a disposable bag on it currently. Will the prince disposable bags work on the older prince models such as mine? I think our local discount vacuum shop carries them.

 

[lux1521]

The Royal Type H bags should fit all Prince models. They all used the same metal bag ring. Just watch out for hair and stuff causing clogs with the paper bag.

 

[dwhdarren97]

The Royal. More pics to come.

 

[dwhdarren97]

Side view of the royal, PN of my Electrolux Ergorapido Ion 18v in the background.

 

[dwhdarren97]

Thanks for the info, the studs that hold the motor in place are a real pain for clogs on these machines. You cannot beat the quality or power or noise level on any new plastivac though when compared to the 501. This is the picture with the Lux powerhead in the background. My 103. The plastivac that isn't a plastivac.

 

[floor-a-matic]

Royal 501 Hand Vac

Cute vac, looks like mine. I have a red/gray one & a red/black one.

All data (model & serial #s, watts/amps/volts, etc) were etched onto the back of motor (inside the bag on early hand vacs) & did not have sticker outside the vac.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

I know Dave aka sukething has two of these 501s with the gray and red bags. One of them even has its original box included.

~Ben

 

[dwhdarren97]

(Floor-a-Matic) . Oops . I guess I was a little unclear. The remnants of the sticker are there, 115 volts is all that's readable. Would it still be etched on the motor?

 

[kirbylover]

That's a nice looking Royal, I would love to get one! The Kirby hand vac looks cheaper than a plastic Dirt Devil.

I must say that for 14 you have excellent grammar!

 

[dwhdarren97]

Thanks. Most kids my age don't. But, I have self-diagnosed OCD. So, naturally everything has too be near perfect or I feel extreme anxiety. Anyway, the Royal was in near perfect condition when I got it! I do think it could use some polishing though. The front end of the machine can be seen in one of my pictures in my profile.

 

[dwhdarren97]

Royal Nozzle

http://www.vacuumland.org/COLLECTIONS/DWHDARREN97/01@The Mighty Royal 501 (Front)@DWHDARREN97.jpg

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Darren,

About that 501 belt cracking after installation; I suppose you did not properly install it. That's the only known case of a belt not working right after installation.

~Ben

 

[super-sweeper]

Ben,

I'm sure he meant the original, brittled belt he found on the vacuum. A new and soft Rubber belt shouldn't plug-plain-out snap like that!