So what is the story with Douglas Qwikut

[DesertTortoise]

Looking through the website I posted earlier on "How to keep a vacuum collector busy" I noticed a company called Douglas Qwikut. They seem to make or have made hand vacs including cordless wet/dry hand vacs (way cool idea), canister vacs. powered floor brushes and a very interesting wet/dry canister vac/shampooer thingamabob.

The company has a Linkdin page and from what I can tell is a going business, but darned if I have ever once seen any of their products advertised or for sale.

What does the collective brain trust here know about them?

 

[MikePdx]

<a name="start_25775.289189"></a>Douglas Qwikut is under the Berkshire Hathaway umbrella like my workplace and Kirby. They make (or have made) a lot of generic power nozzles for a variety of vacuums. I have one of the generic Douglas power nozzles, nothing special, but nothing particularly terrible either. It does the job and has been reliable.



 


You can some of their other wares under the name of Readivac. I have seen those for sale on Amazon before, reviews tend to be mixed or negative but I have no personal experience with them. They also make Ginsu knives.

 

[DesertTortoise]

Interesting. I had never heard of Readivac. I Googled their home page and looked at what they call the Surge Canister. Neat vac. Is it made in the US?

 

[mieles7]

Amazon says that the Surge is made in China, but other sites are saying that it is made in the U.S.

 

[DesertTortoise]

Surprising someone here doesn't have a couple and know. Maybe when I run out of interesting Kenmores to collect ..................

 

[tolivac]

Didn't the Douglas Quickut make knives as well as vacuums?The kitchen knife set was often a "deal closer" offered to Kirby prospects to seal the deal.

 

[thermokid]

Douglas Brand

I think is made by Scott and Fetzer(Kirby) I have a shopvac that is a scott and Fetzer product. I bought it in the mid 70's.. It has been a good wet/dry shop vac..

 

[MikePdx]

@tolivac


 


Yep....they still do make knives.


 


Here is their website....



http://www.douglasquikut.com/

 

[DesertTortoise]

I saw the Ginsu Knives link on their home page and kind of chuckled. Funny combo knives and vacuums. Anyone out here have one of their modern vacs? That canister kind of interests me. I have to see one in person now. Also the older model canister wet/dry vac/shampooer thingie really interests the Desert Tortoise. It looks like an old Hoover canister vac, not a shop vac, with a handle on the front and wheels and the hose coming out of the front like an old Hoover or Sears canister. Might have to start hunting one of those down. Oh boy, here we go .....

 

[paulg]

I have a Douglas Readivac

It is identical to the Oreck Ironman, except for some basic cosmetics. I use Oreck bags.
It isn't fancy, but it works quite well and is surprisingly powerful. I remember checking its water-lift. Don't recall the result but it was higher than I expected.
Not my daily driver, but I keep it in the closet for quick pickups on the second floor as the house has all wood floors.
My friendly Oreck dealer gave me a free turbine brush to use with it. It takes off like a jet engine on the Readivac.

 

[DesertTortoise]

Where would someone find a Readivac?

 

[paulg]

Where I found mine

I bought mine NIB at the Salvation Army.
However if you search on Douglas Readivac, it comes up as an item readily for sale.

 

[super-sweeper]

I have that darn ReadiVac!

Or i think i do! It's a handheld the same as the Kirby Vacuette and the Craftsman models, only gray!

 

[DesertTortoise]

I'm sorry, I meant the older canister that is a wet/dry vacuum and shampooer with a powered floor brush for vacuuming. It looks a lot like an older square Hoover canister with a handle on the front and wheels in back. It's a true jack of all trades. I think that it would be a most useful appliance, aside from it's uniqueness.

 

[DesertTortoise]

Here is where the expertise of this group comes in. Look at this pdf

http://www.vacshopusa.com/pdf/Douglas Parts.pdf

They show diagrams of a Deluxe Twin Vac Canister with Power Nozzle and below that something called a Hydro Flow Home Cleaning Unit. Both look like canister vacs but one is wet/dry or something. What do the rest of you know about them?