So I Splurged Over the Weekend

[MikePdx]

I have 5 little dogs, 2 of them being Poms (they shed mercilessly). I have been using a Bissell Powerforce Bagged Upright as my daily driver, and a little Hoover Canister for above the floor stuff. I have a Kirby Classic Omega in great shape, but it's not as good on pet hair as the Bissell (although it really seems to deep clean well otherwise). Thing is, the Bissell is a good design (one of their older bagged designs) for carpeting, but is rubbish on the tools. The Hoover is good with the above floor stuff but terrible on carpets. I have no plans of using my Kirby 561, or my Electrolux 1205 as daily drivers. Good machines that run good, but the Kirby is unique and a little old for daily (heavy) duty, and the 1205 is heavy and kludgy to drag around.

So I started looking this weekend for something that would do both well. I saw the Kenmore Lime Green Canister at Sears for $119.95. I went down, looked at it, and tested it. It came home with me. It seems to do both pretty darned well. The air flow is good for tools, and I really like the power nozzle for the carpets.

I really like the machine, but I keep hearing the motors aren't what they used to be. So how long do you think I will have it for as a daily driver if I keep the bags changed, the filters cleaned and the brush roll cleaned?

http://www.sears.com/kenmore-canister-vacuum-cleaner-lime/p-02029229000P

 

[daknx1994]

I think you could get a good two to maybe four years out of it as long as you keep the bags and filters changed. I would highly recommend to use the cloth hepa bags from Sears for them as they are much thicker and filter way better than the yellow paper bags. They are the type O bags. I have seen these canisters last for that amount of time under everyday use, so I could see you getting about the same which is not to bad for the price invested into the unit.

 

[MikePdx]

Thank you. If it lasts two years, I won't be disappointed at all. If I can get 4 out of it, I will be thrilled. That will buy me some time to find something of quality to replace it.

Thank you too for the cloth hepa bag tip. That's the kind I bought for extras, so it confirms what I thought.

 

[tase]

I actually just bought one and it is amazing!

I may end up getting rid of it in a few years, but I like it as I can get under my bed with it. My Rainbow took a bit of a fall and is in rough shape so I needed a canister for some daily use.

You won't be disappointed. It is a great vacuum.

 

[MikePdx]

I agree!

I used it again tonight, and it gets everything in one pass. That's saying a lot considering it takes two or three with the Kirby Classic. The Electrolux 1205 never could get everything off the dark brown commercial mat in my entry. One pass with the Kenmore and it was pristine.

Seriously, I do hope it lasts a while. I am really starting to love it.

 

[sptyks]

Your Kirby Classic must need a new belt and/or a new brushroll.

 

[MikePdx]

Nope. It has a new belt and brush roll in it and a good fan. The mats I have and my particular carpet is a challenge for anything. Compound that with the Poms, and I hold nothing against my Kirby. My setup is an exceptional case.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Nice. I bought one of these when the lime first came out in late 2012 and they were promoting them for $99. I haven't used mine, I just looked at it and listened to the motor and put it back in the box. LOL

They look really nice and I like the color. I also like the simplicity of them, reminds me of Kenmores from the 1980s and 90s.

 

[DesertTortoise]

Good advice to use premium bags. Also buy a premium secondary filter, the one behind the bag that the motor takes air through. Any dust that gets past that goes through the motor. There are Hepa exhaust filters available too. Those won't prolong life but are valuable for allergy sufferers.

I think the motor is the last thing you will wear out on a Kenmore. Ametek Lamb sells replacement motors for just about every vacuum ever made. Some are better in terms of airflow and suction than what came in the vacuum from the manufacturer. If your motor dies new ones are cheaper than a whole new vacuum and not terribly hard to install. Become familiar with Sweetsweep.com. They are very good.

I think you will have more trouble with the moving contacts on the canister end of the hose or the switch(es) on the handle of the hose than with the motor. I am sticking to pre Whimpertone Kenmore vacuums rebuilding and cleaning them as necessary to avoid this particular "feature".

Under the plastic top cover, all the many different Powermates are basically the same, sharing motors, belts, brush rollers, base plates, swivels, height adjusters and overload protectors with all Kenmore, Panasonic, Hayden and a bunch of other powermate attachments made over the past four decades. I recently rebuilt an early 1980's powermate with current production parts shared with a newly purchased Hayden Superpack I use with an old 1970's Kenmore canister (on a hose from MD Central Vacuum intended for a central vacuum system). That kind of parts commonality is nice.

 

[MikePdx]

Hello DesertTortoise

Thanks for the advice. I looked at the motor protection filter that it is equipped with, and I ordered the upgraded microfilter for the machine online. I will get that installed.


 


This one has a HEPA exhaust filter on it. I noticed the difference the other night. I had been vacuuming with the Kenmore for a few days, and I used the Powerforce Bagged Upright because...well...it was handy. It cleaned things up okay (they really aren't a bad throwaway vac), but I had a sneezing fit afterwards. This after changing the (genuine) bag and cleaning the filters a week ago. So I think I'm going to enjoy the upgraded filtration.


 


That's nice to know about the Amatek Lamb motors. I may make one of my first rebuild projects a Kenmore Power-Mate. They're easy to find and generally dirt cheap to buy. Plus, it would be nice to find one of the old ones to restore. I remember the ones from the 1970s and 80s and they rocked (except for the hoses always splitting...LOL). Plus, if I get a model with the 2-wire electric hose and cord, I would have a great deal of choice on what power nozzle I used (I have a couple upstairs).