Supervac 180? What is this thing?

[heviarti]

I just pulled a "Supervac 180" out of a dumpster. It seems to run just fine, but the belt could sure stand to be replaced. I can't find a manufacturer name anywhere on the machine. it's just a big red white and blue vacuum. Anyone seen anything like this before?

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

What you have is very rare. The brand is American Lincoln which, like Kirby, was a division of Scott Fetzer (until 1984, when the conglomerate had sold American Lincoln to McGraw-Edison). 1984 was also the year the entire janitorial lineup of Kirby vacuums had come to an end (the ComVac line).

The brush roll is 18" long and it has since been NLA from Kirby. You can still buy replacement belts for it (part #159056 soft gray belt, or #301291 knurled belt).

(Attached picture by bvac6)

~Ben

 

[heviarti]

I grabbed it because I thought it might make a good vacuum for the store. Would this be better served by selling? The brush roll seems alright. It did come with an accessory hose strapped to it. It doesn't seem to come close to fitting. I have a couple of things I should probably post to the marketplace.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

I would suggest you keep this for now due to the fact it is rare.

~Ben

 

[heviarti]

I don't really collect vacuums per se. Like i said, it just looked like a good, beefy vacuum. I have a Royal Classic I use at home. it needs a new lamp, but other than that it's a conderful machine. I saved it from a dumpster as well, just like my Oreck XL commercial (miss that little bugger), and my Compact (which i more directly saved from scrap...) and my neat little handheld westinghouse.

I'll have to see if ClassicVacs in boise wants it; otherwise i'll see if the hardware store has belts. It came with a bag full of bags for a Eureka?

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Like I said earlier, you can still buy replacement belts for your Supervac 180 since it has much of the same mechanicals as the Kirby 500/Sanitronic line. It is only the 18" brush roll that is NLA, along with a few other peculiar parts.

And, regarding your Royal Classic upright, I am wondering what is the exact model # on its nameplate (which is affixed to the back of the nozzle by the front wheels)?
Here's how to determine its age:
1989-1990: front of bag will read "CLASSIC" (with "1989" on machines made before November 1989). Motor specs: 6 amps, 6 blade fan. Front decal will read: Royal COMMERCIAL QUALITY which encompasses the entire angular part of the housing where the Adjust-O-Rite/belt drive is. Model numbers will be 9005 or 9089.
1990-1991: same burgundy bag and front nozzle decal as models 9005/9089, but new motor specs: 7 amps, 9 blade fan. Model number will be 9700.
1991-2002: revised COMMERCIAL QUALITY decal (no longer borders the whole angular part of the nozzle where the Adjust-O-Rite is). Model number will be 9700 (7 amp motor) through 1995, model 4000 (10.5 amp motor) from 1995-2002. Bi-lingual English/French warning label is used on 1994 and later models.

~Ben

 

[heviarti]

I am minding the store tonight, so I can't look over the numbers right now. I think the little Hoover I traded to my mother for the old red and chrome Kirby is a more interesting vacuum (it looks like a little, tiny, brown on brown version of the supervac almost and is marked june 1957)

I still need to pick up the red and chrome job. she stopped using it because the belt started to burn. i think it probably hasn't been touched in 16 years.

 

[kirbyvertibles]

Hello this will use the same belt as your royal and the eureka fg bags are what it uses. Very nice find