vacbear58
Well-known member
10 years on
One of many now but still soldering on
One of many now but still soldering on
The complete history of the Hoover Junior
- Thread starter turbo500
- Start date
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vacbear58
Well-known member
1979
Updated a bit further but essentially the same cleaner
Updated a bit further but essentially the same cleaner
vacbear58
Well-known member
Now with hard bag as well as soft
vacbear58
Well-known member
More colour changes
vacbear58
Well-known member
And in the end
Curiously it ended up (sorry no picture) in a black and grey colour scheme (no lights or hard bags) almost in a tribute to the first Junior models of 50 years before.
Of course in that time the surrounding market place had changed out of all recognition and Hoover had already launched their all new Turbo power models, wherein the Junior name lived on for another 15 or so years.
But for all that, at least as far as the UK is concerned, the Hoover Junior can lay claim to being the most popular cleaner for a great many years. It was not the cheapest by any means (Hoover had the cylinder and constellation cleaners which were considerable cheaper for the time) but throughout its life it brought market leading carpet cleaning to millions of homes in the UK, not once but again and again
Woopps - everyone has fallen asleep now
Curiously it ended up (sorry no picture) in a black and grey colour scheme (no lights or hard bags) almost in a tribute to the first Junior models of 50 years before.
Of course in that time the surrounding market place had changed out of all recognition and Hoover had already launched their all new Turbo power models, wherein the Junior name lived on for another 15 or so years.
But for all that, at least as far as the UK is concerned, the Hoover Junior can lay claim to being the most popular cleaner for a great many years. It was not the cheapest by any means (Hoover had the cylinder and constellation cleaners which were considerable cheaper for the time) but throughout its life it brought market leading carpet cleaning to millions of homes in the UK, not once but again and again
Woopps - everyone has fallen asleep now
WHAT A NICE THREAD !
Very interesting subject - the juniors ! Al has lots of information about it, as I can see... and also lots of Juniors too ! Really nice machines, Al !
I wanted to share my experience about the Junior line ! Well, back in 1986 I was 11 years old ( and already heavily in love with vacuum claners ! ) and finally managed to convince my mother to buy our very first HOOVER for our house at the sea...I had seen many SENIOR cleaners around but by 1986 the 652 line - my favourite EVER - was already out of production so the JUNIOR TURBO POWER was the only possible alternative left on the market and we got that one. I "played" with it for almost one year, but it was a very loud and disturbing machine...so over-powered that it used to walk on its own, it even warmed-up the carpet and "peeled" it so much that every time there were entire "balls" of stripped carpet in the bag...the rubber often fell on the side of the beating-bar, leaving terrible black signs on the floor. The hood would soon overheat after few minutes of use and the cable was ridiculously short ...Well if compared to the senior line, the junior was a real disaster ! I was wondering if it has always been so "cheap" or maybe only the last models were such poorly built machines ?! Many years have passed, my mother has passed away and the house at the sea was quickly sold with the Hoover Junior and all. Last year I spotted the very same cleaner in a second hand shop and of course I bought it , for 15 euros I think. Curiously enough, the vacuum worked well when I came home - with its distinctive scream that I still remembered soooooo well - but after I polished it ( just outside ) it would wouldn't switch-on again and is still waiting for a check-up. I suppose I am unlucky with juniors....
Very interesting subject - the juniors ! Al has lots of information about it, as I can see... and also lots of Juniors too ! Really nice machines, Al !
I wanted to share my experience about the Junior line ! Well, back in 1986 I was 11 years old ( and already heavily in love with vacuum claners ! ) and finally managed to convince my mother to buy our very first HOOVER for our house at the sea...I had seen many SENIOR cleaners around but by 1986 the 652 line - my favourite EVER - was already out of production so the JUNIOR TURBO POWER was the only possible alternative left on the market and we got that one. I "played" with it for almost one year, but it was a very loud and disturbing machine...so over-powered that it used to walk on its own, it even warmed-up the carpet and "peeled" it so much that every time there were entire "balls" of stripped carpet in the bag...the rubber often fell on the side of the beating-bar, leaving terrible black signs on the floor. The hood would soon overheat after few minutes of use and the cable was ridiculously short ...Well if compared to the senior line, the junior was a real disaster ! I was wondering if it has always been so "cheap" or maybe only the last models were such poorly built machines ?! Many years have passed, my mother has passed away and the house at the sea was quickly sold with the Hoover Junior and all. Last year I spotted the very same cleaner in a second hand shop and of course I bought it , for 15 euros I think. Curiously enough, the vacuum worked well when I came home - with its distinctive scream that I still remembered soooooo well - but after I polished it ( just outside ) it would wouldn't switch-on again and is still waiting for a check-up. I suppose I am unlucky with juniors....
turbo500
Well-known member
Hi Al,
Thanks again for all the info.
Are you sure the black and grey Junior was the last? I had always understood that the all beigh U1104 was the last Junior. I had one dated January 88. Was the black and grey an exclusive?
I have some brochures and videos to share when I get home tonight, so watch this space.
In the meantime, if anyone has any Junior's or Junior-related bits and bobs to post, then let's seem em!.
Thanks again for all the info.
Are you sure the black and grey Junior was the last? I had always understood that the all beigh U1104 was the last Junior. I had one dated January 88. Was the black and grey an exclusive?
I have some brochures and videos to share when I get home tonight, so watch this space.
In the meantime, if anyone has any Junior's or Junior-related bits and bobs to post, then let's seem em!
.
turbo500
Well-known member
Guido,
The Turbopower's and Turbopower Juniors were considerably more plastic than the Junior line up and certainly not as well made. Shame your experience with them was not great as they're actually brilliant cleaners.
If you click the link, you'll find an excellent Turbopower and Turbopower Junior thread which might make for interesting reading.
http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?18364
The Turbopower's and Turbopower Juniors were considerably more plastic than the Junior line up and certainly not as well made. Shame your experience with them was not great as they're actually brilliant cleaners.
If you click the link, you'll find an excellent Turbopower and Turbopower Junior thread which might make for interesting reading.
http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?18364
beko1987
Well-known member
Going to be controversial here
But I think this
From Hoover Junior U1650
is the last 'Junior' before that stupid stick vac.
Yes we all know its a TP Junior, but no-where on it does it say Turbopower! The TP Juniors always had Turbopower on them somewhere. March 2001 someone kindly dated it to for me!
But I think this
From Hoover Junior U1650is the last 'Junior' before that stupid stick vac.
Yes we all know its a TP Junior, but no-where on it does it say Turbopower! The TP Juniors always had Turbopower on them somewhere. March 2001 someone kindly dated it to for me!
turbo500
Well-known member
The TP Juniors always had Turbopower on them
Not quite, Sam. After the TP2 and 1000 came out in 1992, the TP Juniors were all branded "Junior" only. But they're still Turbopower designs, despite the branding.
Not quite, Sam. After the TP2 and 1000 came out in 1992, the TP Juniors were all branded "Junior" only. But they're still Turbopower designs, despite the branding.
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
Vacbear thank you for all the information.
Turbo500, reading Beko's message as I did, he was saying that when the Turbopower style Junior was on sale as part of the Turbopower line up, the cleaner always said "Turbopower" and "Junior" on it, unlike in later years when the Turbopower style Junior was sold simply as a "Junior", as per his photograph above.
Frankly, when the Turbopower Junior went into production in 1983, I felt the time had arrived to finish making the original Junior as we knew it. Granted that countless Juniors were sold between 1983 and 1988, however, had it not been available, consumers would have likely purchased the Turbopower Junior instead, particularly as there was nothing else really quite like the Junior by then, save for perhaps the Electrolux 410. Even the Goblin Commander and Moulinex softbag cleaners were competing against the Hoover Turbopower Junior and not the U1104 style Junior.
How Hoover could afford to keep making so many different models and also exclusive versions of the same is beyond me.
Turbo500, reading Beko's message as I did, he was saying that when the Turbopower style Junior was on sale as part of the Turbopower line up, the cleaner always said "Turbopower" and "Junior" on it, unlike in later years when the Turbopower style Junior was sold simply as a "Junior", as per his photograph above.
Frankly, when the Turbopower Junior went into production in 1983, I felt the time had arrived to finish making the original Junior as we knew it. Granted that countless Juniors were sold between 1983 and 1988, however, had it not been available, consumers would have likely purchased the Turbopower Junior instead, particularly as there was nothing else really quite like the Junior by then, save for perhaps the Electrolux 410. Even the Goblin Commander and Moulinex softbag cleaners were competing against the Hoover Turbopower Junior and not the U1104 style Junior.
How Hoover could afford to keep making so many different models and also exclusive versions of the same is beyond me.
vacbear58
Well-known member
Junior
I am sorry if it appears I went on something of a rant last night, it was not my intention to take over the thread, and I hope other members will post their own pictures and experiences. It was such a popular cleaner that I am sure there are few of us who did not come into contact with one at some point or another. And certainly from the 1970s there were lots of exclusives and other variations so get posting please, there is a lot more to be said in the subject.
Chris, I am surprised you actually got a Junior as late as 1988, I am not doubting your word, just surprised it went on so long although perhaps yours was an exclusive as of course we know that many Hoover models carried on for many years as exclusives long after they had been dropped from the main product line. I believe the black/grey model was the last mainline one but that might not be correct.
I have never really felt that the Turbopower style Junior was a "proper" Junior, but that they were cashing in on the legacy value of the name. That said I have a Junior which looks identical to Sam's (purchased for the princely sum of £1.20 and I was able to pick it up) and I consider it an excellent cleaner, certainly as good as anything else Hoover produced. It does not get much use although I should dig it out for a while - I have been using a Junior Deluxe (not unlike the Starlight Juniors in reply 58 above) as a daily driver for some time now. Of course it is not a "proper" Junior either, although again, it is an very good machine.
So, enough of me for now, lets get posting more Juniors folks
Al
I am sorry if it appears I went on something of a rant last night, it was not my intention to take over the thread, and I hope other members will post their own pictures and experiences. It was such a popular cleaner that I am sure there are few of us who did not come into contact with one at some point or another. And certainly from the 1970s there were lots of exclusives and other variations so get posting please, there is a lot more to be said in the subject.
Chris, I am surprised you actually got a Junior as late as 1988, I am not doubting your word, just surprised it went on so long although perhaps yours was an exclusive as of course we know that many Hoover models carried on for many years as exclusives long after they had been dropped from the main product line. I believe the black/grey model was the last mainline one but that might not be correct.
I have never really felt that the Turbopower style Junior was a "proper" Junior, but that they were cashing in on the legacy value of the name. That said I have a Junior which looks identical to Sam's (purchased for the princely sum of £1.20 and I was able to pick it up) and I consider it an excellent cleaner, certainly as good as anything else Hoover produced. It does not get much use although I should dig it out for a while - I have been using a Junior Deluxe (not unlike the Starlight Juniors in reply 58 above) as a daily driver for some time now. Of course it is not a "proper" Junior either, although again, it is an very good machine.
So, enough of me for now, lets get posting more Juniors folks
Al
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
"I am sorry if it appears I went on something of a rant last night, it was not my intention to take over the thread"
May I say I didn't think you had? I found your excellent input most interesting.
May I say I didn't think you had? I found your excellent input most interesting.
turbo500
Well-known member
Al, you didn't hijack it at all! Thank you for posting everything you did, it's fantastic to see so much info on the beginnings of the Junior run.
Of course, as we get into the 70's and 80's, there were absolutely loads of Juniors on sale - exclusives, budget models etc. It will certainly be interesting to see what some folks have stashed away in their collections in terms of rarer models.
Regarding the U1104, I actually have a brochure at home for the very last, all beigh style cleaner, the same as the one I had. Joe has this now. It's all beigh and fitted with the activator brushroll and comes with a black pan-converter style toolkit. I always assumed it was part of the main run, but could be wrong. I'll dig the brochure out when I get home. The serial number dated it to January 1988.
Of course, as we get into the 70's and 80's, there were absolutely loads of Juniors on sale - exclusives, budget models etc. It will certainly be interesting to see what some folks have stashed away in their collections in terms of rarer models.
Regarding the U1104, I actually have a brochure at home for the very last, all beigh style cleaner, the same as the one I had. Joe has this now. It's all beigh and fitted with the activator brushroll and comes with a black pan-converter style toolkit. I always assumed it was part of the main run, but could be wrong. I'll dig the brochure out when I get home. The serial number dated it to January 1988.
My quest , now, is to get a
'Dirtfinder'. I have 3 Juniors. One MUST have a few different models, right?
'Dirtfinder'. I have 3 Juniors. One MUST have a few different models, right?
vacbear58
Well-known member
DIRTSEARCHER!
John
Of course you must have a few models if only to prove the consistency of the excellence of the performance over 50+ years
Believe it or not I have actually been keeping an eye out for a DIRTSEARCHER for you in my regular ebay searches but they have generally been too expensive and too far away to go for. But I will still keep looking.
Not that there will be much dirt to search for in a home that is already a HOOVERCLEAN home
Al
John
Of course you must have a few models if only to prove the consistency of the excellence of the performance over 50+ years
Believe it or not I have actually been keeping an eye out for a DIRTSEARCHER for you in my regular ebay searches but they have generally been too expensive and too far away to go for. But I will still keep looking.
Not that there will be much dirt to search for in a home that is already a HOOVERCLEAN home
Al
turbo500
Well-known member
did someone say "dirt searcher"??
turbo500
Well-known member
Page 2
turbo500
Well-known member
Al, this is the U1104 that I had. I had assumed it was the last one, but possibly not?
turbo500
Well-known member
Hoover upright range from 1977, featuring the U1012 Junior and U1018 Junior Dirtsearcher
AL!!!!!! Aren't you kind!!!!!
Yes, I keep saying 'dirtfinder' when I KNOW it's DIRTSEARCHER!! Thanks, so much. I'm also searcing for that 'flip floortool', SIMILAR to an Electrolux...we NEVER had them on this side of the pond. Isn't it fun to find things on yoiur 'list'?
Shall I keep an eye on something for you as well?
John
Yes, I keep saying 'dirtfinder' when I KNOW it's DIRTSEARCHER!! Thanks, so much. I'm also searcing for that 'flip floortool', SIMILAR to an Electrolux...we NEVER had them on this side of the pond. Isn't it fun to find things on yoiur 'list'?
Shall I keep an eye on something for you as well?
John
beko1987
Well-known member
Ha my gran had curtains the same as that bag in the last picture!
Such was the Britishness of the Hoover Junior that someone must have painted one up for I imagine a queens jubilee...
Because I saw one looking all sorry on eBay a few years ago and bought it for a laugh!
Such was the Britishness of the Hoover Junior that someone must have painted one up for I imagine a queens jubilee...
Because I saw one looking all sorry on eBay a few years ago and bought it for a laugh!
beko1987
Well-known member
Will try and reveal the full serial number one day so someone can work out what it originally was!
moojuiceuk
Active member
My 119
As we're on the topic of Juniors - I was wondering about my little 119. I'm guessing it's a late one, but I wondered how late. I've has it for years now. A car boot sale find for £20. Came with instructions and boxed tools (only the dusting brush was missing).
Also, the cloth bag on this doesn't look like the usual 119 bag. Mine has the Hoover round logo, whereas all the 119's Ive seen seem to have HOOVER written vertically or VACUUM CLEANER for aftermarket bags. Were late 119's supplied with these bags or has this been replaced later on in life?
In any case, it gets used to clean my attic bedroom and that's about it. Lovely little thing.
As we're on the topic of Juniors - I was wondering about my little 119. I'm guessing it's a late one, but I wondered how late. I've has it for years now. A car boot sale find for £20. Came with instructions and boxed tools (only the dusting brush was missing).
Also, the cloth bag on this doesn't look like the usual 119 bag. Mine has the Hoover round logo, whereas all the 119's Ive seen seem to have HOOVER written vertically or VACUUM CLEANER for aftermarket bags. Were late 119's supplied with these bags or has this been replaced later on in life?
In any case, it gets used to clean my attic bedroom and that's about it. Lovely little thing.
moojuiceuk
Active member
And the serial number.......
I just love this thread ;-)
Been following it for some while, just as I have been observing Juniors for quite some while. But just recently I got myself my own Junior Dirtsearcher 1334 (is it?) in blue and white with a headlight in the front cover.
Some childhood "being home" feeling is spreading: Back then almost half of the households of my school mates had Hoovers, most of them Juniors (sure thing that I'd be crawling their cellars, kitchen cabinets or laundry rooms for "what appliance sort of a family am I in here?" ;-)
Hey, here in Germany the last Junior was called "Hoover Turbopower, Junior Edition (= no hard body but a cloth bag)." (The "real" Juniors still being sold and being called "Hoover Junior, classic version" or Hoover Junior "hardbody, classic Junior" (as opposite to the Turbopower motor base).
But to me a "real Junior" is still the little crouched turtoise shell motor with the side vent for the outer bag. But this is just my feeling.
One thing I have never managed to get over is the suction space above the brush roll: So much room there, so many long minutes for heavier bits to be kept floating in some randomly swirling suction streams of air (until they finally come close to the belt spindle or in other words: to the circular fan opening thus being sucked in). Why hasn't there ever been a try to streamline this? It is just a square hollow space, basta.
Other than that I just love my Hoovers, the Ranger&Remember Shake-n-Vac mustard monster just the same as my little smurf-coloured Junior with its trustworthy (and ever so reluctantly speeding-up) little hum and air rush.
I wish we had such versatile and energy-modest vacs today. Yet lightweight, any grandmom could and would use them for years.
Where are the old "dirty air" blower motors that did so well with their outer bags for decades for just a fraction of the mains power used today?
What is so difficult today to have an internal rubber gasket in the wands (like the Hoovers had it?) to really transport a suction force over a distance of 2 metres to do a decent job right down there at the point of action? I mean WHAT?
Been following it for some while, just as I have been observing Juniors for quite some while. But just recently I got myself my own Junior Dirtsearcher 1334 (is it?) in blue and white with a headlight in the front cover.
Some childhood "being home" feeling is spreading: Back then almost half of the households of my school mates had Hoovers, most of them Juniors (sure thing that I'd be crawling their cellars, kitchen cabinets or laundry rooms for "what appliance sort of a family am I in here?" ;-)
Hey, here in Germany the last Junior was called "Hoover Turbopower, Junior Edition (= no hard body but a cloth bag)." (The "real" Juniors still being sold and being called "Hoover Junior, classic version" or Hoover Junior "hardbody, classic Junior" (as opposite to the Turbopower motor base).
But to me a "real Junior" is still the little crouched turtoise shell motor with the side vent for the outer bag. But this is just my feeling.
One thing I have never managed to get over is the suction space above the brush roll: So much room there, so many long minutes for heavier bits to be kept floating in some randomly swirling suction streams of air (until they finally come close to the belt spindle or in other words: to the circular fan opening thus being sucked in). Why hasn't there ever been a try to streamline this? It is just a square hollow space, basta.
Other than that I just love my Hoovers, the Ranger&Remember Shake-n-Vac mustard monster just the same as my little smurf-coloured Junior with its trustworthy (and ever so reluctantly speeding-up) little hum and air rush.
I wish we had such versatile and energy-modest vacs today. Yet lightweight, any grandmom could and would use them for years.
Where are the old "dirty air" blower motors that did so well with their outer bags for decades for just a fraction of the mains power used today?
What is so difficult today to have an internal rubber gasket in the wands (like the Hoovers had it?) to really transport a suction force over a distance of 2 metres to do a decent job right down there at the point of action? I mean WHAT?
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
The bag
Is a much later genuine replacement. Those which said "Vacuum cleaner" were none-genuine replacements. I don't know if I ever stocked any genuine bags in my shop as the none-genuine bags were no worse.
Is a much later genuine replacement. Those which said "Vacuum cleaner" were none-genuine replacements. I don't know if I ever stocked any genuine bags in my shop as the none-genuine bags were no worse.
vacbear58
Well-known member
119 Date
Wes
As Benny says, the bag is a replacement, unfortunately the original bags, unless emptied after every use did tend to rot if the dirt was left lying in them. Thanks for posting the serial number, your cleaner is amongst the last them to be made, it is from the second half of 1956, with the 1224 replacing it in late 1956.
Its a nice tidy looking example though, and these do go on and on
Al
Wes
As Benny says, the bag is a replacement, unfortunately the original bags, unless emptied after every use did tend to rot if the dirt was left lying in them. Thanks for posting the serial number, your cleaner is amongst the last them to be made, it is from the second half of 1956, with the 1224 replacing it in late 1956.
Its a nice tidy looking example though, and these do go on and on
Al
moojuiceuk
Active member
The bag
I kinda suspected it wasn't the original. Looks in too good a condition to be 50's vintage, especially with the white locking collar.
As for serial numbers, a little searching on the forums here has revealled some serial numbers!
http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?3836 - post #10.
Model 119 Hoover Junior, Bronze & Dark Brown, Produced October 1950 - December 1956
Serial Numbers:
K 10,000 = October 1950
K 100,000 = january 1951
K 200,000 = June 1951
K 300,000 = November 1951
K 400,00 = May 1952
K 500,000 = December 1952
K 600,000 = July 1953
K 700,000 = December 1953
K 800,000 = May 1954
K 900,000 = December 1954
KG 100,000 = March 1955
KG 200,000 = August 1955
KG 300,000 = January 1956
KG 430,430 = July 1956 Production End
As mine is KG438852, I guess it was made in the last few months of production in '56.
I kinda suspected it wasn't the original. Looks in too good a condition to be 50's vintage, especially with the white locking collar.
As for serial numbers, a little searching on the forums here has revealled some serial numbers!
http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?3836 - post #10.
Model 119 Hoover Junior, Bronze & Dark Brown, Produced October 1950 - December 1956
Serial Numbers:
K 10,000 = October 1950
K 100,000 = january 1951
K 200,000 = June 1951
K 300,000 = November 1951
K 400,00 = May 1952
K 500,000 = December 1952
K 600,000 = July 1953
K 700,000 = December 1953
K 800,000 = May 1954
K 900,000 = December 1954
KG 100,000 = March 1955
KG 200,000 = August 1955
KG 300,000 = January 1956
KG 430,430 = July 1956 Production End
As mine is KG438852, I guess it was made in the last few months of production in '56.
