Seeking info on this GE vacuum

[paul01]

I've inherited this vacuum and am interested in knowing more about it, if anyone can identify it. It appears to have all original parts.

 

[canisterman]

This was

The last GE upright made until the U1 came out in 1959, this was made in 1952, It was a wonderfully well built powerful machine but the automatic height adjustment was prone to give problems.

 

[paul]

Hi Paul,

Congrats on obtaining a well-kept vintage "floor-type" G-E vacuum cleaner! I would imagine that if there is no ratings plate, the information was stamped somewhere on the nozzle.

Here's a list of model numbers of G-E's AV/AVF Series (American Vacuum - Floor?) that I found online - mainly using a periodical database or mentioned on VL. I was unable to find an ad with a line drawing of your model - going mainly by the bag graphics. Most ads omit model numbers, so the years below may or may not relate to actual production.

AV-1 1936-
AV-3 1936-
AV-5 1935-1942 (VL thread)
AVF-18 (VL thread)
AVF-19 1942-53
AVF-25 1943
AVF-26 1947-52
AVF-28 1948-54
AVF-55 1942-43
AVF-101 1943
AVF-801 1949-
AVF-804 1951-
AVF-807 1951-55
AVF-812 1950-

AVA-180 attachments
AVA-808 attachments

I'm uncertain how the model 800s features differed from the those of the lower-numbered models. I did read on a couple VL threads that some models were either updated or had different versions, indicated by letter suffixes in the service manuals, if not on the cleaners themselves. At one point, G-E had several concurrently-marketed uprights with different price-point features; but I was unable to locate further details. Some models may have been promotionals with short productions.

Below are some of the ads I located.

1. 1947 Oct 24 OWOSSO ARGUS-PRESS - G-E AVT-150, AVF-26, AVF-19
2. 1947 Oct 26 LEWISTON MORNING TRIBUNE - G-E AVF-19
3. 1948 Apr 12 LIFE - G-E De Luxe & Medium-Priced uprights
4. 1948 Apr 12 LIFE - G-E Tidy & Tall
5. 1948 May 2 SPOKESMAN-REVIEW - G-E AVF-28 & AVA-180
6. 1949 Jun 16 EVENING INDEPENDENT - G-E AVT-173 & AVF-801
7. 1950 Nov 15 KENTUCKY NEW ERA - G-E AVF-812, AVA-808, & Tidy
8. 1955 Nov 5 LODI NEWS-SENTINEL - G-E AVF-807

Regards