The Bison

[phaeton]

Hello All and kirbyvertibles,
Thank you, so the made an easy access to the belt on the Mark III and Centurion. Do I cry now? I took the nozzle off and then struggled getting that belt off my Mark II. I took the 4 screws that hold the belt transmission out, (not sure if you call it that), the bottom plate and the brush roll. Putting a belt on was just dumb. What I would give for a Mark III nozzle if I were to keep the Bison. I wonder if the Mark III nozzle would fit?

No I don’t think white push down lever is the nozzle release as the silver lever in front of it and between the nozzle and fan cage is for that. On your, kirbyvertibles, Centurion they put a matching brown foot pad on the nozzle release it looks like.

Pictured above are 3 Mark IIs, super-sweeper’s, vacuser’s and mine and you can see the nozzle release. On super-sweeper’s picture you can almost see the for screws that keep what I called the belt transmission attached to the nozzle.

The Royal belt is a great idea as they were slightly longer/bigger then the Kirby, thank you kirbyvertibles. I will let you know if it works within a day or two as I don't have an easy access opening or port LOL and cry.

Thank you all for adding to the Bison Saga,
Pete

 

[phaeton]

Oh, Sorry all the above Bison Mark III and Centurion are dysonman1's not kirbyvertibles'. Sorry for the mistake and error in my above Post.
Thank you,
Pete

 

[phaeton]

Hello All again,

I just got back from the local Vac Shop. I took kirbyvertibels, and got a Kirby belt, a Royal belt and I also got an Oreck XL belt as it came closer to matching the Bison belt I taken off plus it was smaller. Can you believe the Oreck XL belt was the winner? So the struggle of getting belt on was worth it. I vacuumed a thick pile carpet and the brush roll never stopped turning. I used the Bison on maximum speed just to see if it would pick up all the falling plaster. Seriously it did a great job on the carpet.

You know how the older or all of the Kirby’s have a sliding stop that allows to tilt the front up when you press down on the handle when vacuuming to go over something. I cannot find any such devise on the Bison. Am I just not seeing it or is there no second stop?

Referring to the picture above the super-sweepers supplied, Is that a Bison Mark I? I know it is not a Mark III as it has the buffer take off at the back of the machine. On the nozzle the back plate of what I have called the belt transmission is radically different than my Mark II. Especially the white nylon/plastic coupler to the square shaft on the machine. Even the fitting with 3 receptors on the fan cage are unlike my Mark II. So is it a prototype or a Mark I? Note even the model number plate on the fan cage are different design.

Thank you kirbyvertibles and all of you. I believe with a few more answers the Bison Soga will be complete. While my Bison owes me nothing I am not sure about keeping it.
As an odd machine, it is a novelty to own and that might be how I should look at it

I again have added a few pictures

Thank you all for looking,
Pete

 

[nova_candy]

I would love to have one of these Mark 2 Bison's, I want my neighbors to think I vacuum with a jet engine, lol

 

[nova_candy]

In regards to looking for a Mark II, I have finally found one, willpower pictures if I am able to aquire it

 

[nova_candy]

Bison hose

Would anyone have a spare hose for a Mark ii?

 

[nova_candy]

My Mark III

 

[kirbytex85]

Here is my Bison, was a display in Deer Park, NY at a vacuum store for years. I bought from a Kirby collector in the UK. Machine has never been used to vacuum, it does run thought. I turn it on periodically. You can tell by the inside of the bag it is as never used. I’ve had it for close to 15 yrs, hard to remember but I believe the person I got it from bought from the vacuum store owners.

 

[huskyvacs]

Congrats on your Bison finds, guys! The hunt still continues for me! I've come across 3 so far and not been able to secure one yet.

 

[nova_candy]

Bison

I am on the hunt for a hose now for my Mark III, did these have floor dusting pads like Kirbys did?

 

[nova_candy]

Emtor seal

What gasket seal is used at the neck that locks into the exaust?

 

[oldcrankman]

Phaeton

Personally from my experience with my Bison Mark II, I had better experience with a Kirby belt to work rather than a Oreck belt to work. I just used a flat head screw driver to lift the belt on the shaft due to how tight it was.

 

[oldcrankman]

How many Bisons where made?

I used the patent number from my Bison from lowest to highest number and apparently they only produced 65,955 machines.

 

[huskyvacs]

They may have produced that many but they certainly did not sell that many. There was a post from someone here years ago that had an entire van load of NOS Bison vacuums he got off a pallet, where on earth he found them I do not know.

For how seldom they show up I do not think even but 2% of that amount survive, as they were prone to breaking so easily.