Thrift Store Find: Royal hand vac

[human]

So I was in one of my favorite thrift stores a little while ago and bought a nifty little hand vac. It's a Royal model 501 hand vac. I'm guessing this is from the '70s. It's in great shape and is incredibly well made. The design is very industrial looking, almost all metal, and if I didn't know better, I'd swear it had some Kirby DNA in it. But then, the commercial grade Royals also look a lot like Kirbys. Best of all, it's American made, from back when that actually meant something.

I was actually surprised the store let me buy it. The thing didn't have a price on it and when I took it to the checkout, the cashier seemed to make up a price off the top of her head--$2.92. Usually, they refuse to sell things that don't have prices and instead send them back to the stock room for somebody back there to make up an oddball price. They seem to abhor round numbers.

Anyway, I got it home and gave it a cursory cleaning including hitting the exterior metal parts with some Black Magic chrome wheel cleaner. I think it's a pretty cool $3 find and it'll be useful for vacuuming out cars.

Below are a few photos for your perusal:

 

[human]

Belt is slipping

So I've been messing with this vac for a little while and the belt seems to be slipping. Does anyone know if the Model 501 uses the same 'Style 1' belt as the later Royal Dirt Devil hand vacs? Thanks!

 

[suckolux]

I have one like this also, well a bit like and I think they all use the same.

 

[human]

Found a manual

I just found a nice scan of the manual for this little beastie: http://www.meba.com/manuals/Royal-Prince501-Vacuum.pdf

I also found a site dedicated to the history of Royal uprights that included information on how to decode the serial numbers. According to that, mine is quite a bit newer than I first thought. It was manufactured in December 1988. Here's the url in case you're interested: http://www.ornery.net/Royal_Metal_Upright.pdf

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Edgar,

Yes, this machine, going by its nameplate style, would have dated from at least mid-1986.

~Ben

 

[vac-o-matic]

Great buy....

I have ended up with three of these, two of the blue, and a later model in the maroon color to match my Royal tank and upright, I like sets..lol. The first blue one I bought brand new with the hose/attachments for my mom, who had five carpeted steps that lead down to her beauty shop and got it for her so she didn't have to get her Royal tank out to clean them. She loved it, and I inherited it. The other blue one was an estate sale purchase, same as mom's complete with box/manuals and looks like it was never used. I keep the later model plugged in at the end of my sofa, so when my Lab sheds on the sheet covering the cushion, I'm right behind her with it. You can purchase disposable paper bags, I believe "H" style, which I recommend. You would have to get them online, ebay, or vac shop. They are the earlier style, later ones requiring an adapter, would not work. I occasionally wash the rubberized outer bag, just because I pick up dog hair with it. I wash it in tepid water in the sink with Gain, and it emits a wonderful smell when I use it. I want to say mom's cost $69.99 brand new in the 80's if my memory serves me correctly. Well worth it. The later ones are plastic, so I value the metals ones as keepers!

 

[human]

Belt problems update

I've found a four-pack of belts for this little beastie on eBay for $5 with free shipping. Sounds like a pretty decent deal.

The more I mess with it, the more I'm convinced a new belt will fix it. The existing belt looks to be in good shape, but looks can be deceiving. I believe it's stretched out or worn a little thin over time. I can center it up on the brushroll and turn the vac on and the brushroll will spin, but as soon as I touch any surface with it, the belt slips to one side and the brushroll stops. There's just not enough tension to hold the belt in place.

I don't have any accessories with this machine, so I don't have the belt lifter tool. But I figure I can lift the new--and presumably much tighter--belt into place with a flat-blade screwdriver once it arrives.

Overall, the machine is in great condition. The brushroll seems to have plenty of bristles left (good thing since every parts site I've looked at says they're out of stock, obsolete, or discontinued), the 1.8 amp motor runs strong and quiet, and the cord is in near perfect condition. The bag was full of pet hair when I got it and there's still a fair amount enmeshed with its fibers. Whenever I turn it on, I get a puff of dust coming through the bag, so there may be some deterioration there. I may have to wash it real good and try the paper liners with it.

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Edgar,

Dirt Devil hand vacuums (models 103, 500, 503, etc.) use the exact same belt and brush roll, so both might still be plentiful somewhat.

~Ben

 

[human]

The belts are on their way and while I was at it, I snagged an attachment kit on eBay. The kit is actually for a Dirt Devil Broom Vac, but will fit the handhelds. It's got two extension wands instead of one and includes an upholstery tool in addition to the round dusting brush. The hose also appears to be longer with an angled handle.

It had one of those 'or best offer' options, so I just had to play the game. They accepted my offer and we both won. Of course, now with the belts and the tools, my initial $3 investment has expanded about ninefold, but it's still a bargain compared to the plastic junk out there today.

 

[human]

When the mail came earlier this afternoon, it was like a visit from St. Nick. The belts arrived along with the accessory kit. The accessories were in perfect condition, in their original box from 1987. There is no evidence they have ever been used.

When I popped the old belt off the machine and compared it with one of the new ones, I couldn't believe the difference. The old belt had been stretched to easily twice the diameter of the new one. For that reason, I was glad I had the belt lifter tool from the accessory kit. It took quite a bit of stretching to get it up on the shaft. Of course, I got it mounted three times before I got it turned the right direction--perils of being left handed, I guess.

Anyway, with the proper belt in place, that little vac is a total beast! It pulls cat hair off the Persian rug in my living room in a single pass, just like my Kirby. This is, hands down, the best hand vac I've ever used. I just wish the bag held the dust in better. After running it for about two minutes to test it out with the new belt in place, my allergies were running wide open.