DesertTortoise
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2014
- Messages
- 1,189
So I bought a pair of old square cream colored Kenmore canisters from the early '80s. The intention was the least attractive would be a parts vac for the others (the last time I bought a parts vac of this kind it turned out to be so squeaky clean and nice I could not bring myself to part it out, it's now a proud part of the collection) and the better looking one would get a hairy chested Lamb Advantek motor, HEPA filtration (it can be done, I've been experimenting on another of these vacs) and a couple of other upgrades to see if I can make one competitive with the best modern canister vacs. I also figured to use the cool lid with the indented tool holders on whichever one was the frankenvac.
Both vacs came from Florida and when I opened them I got a bit of a surprise. The 2.5 is on a smaller body than the other. It is about 3/5 the size of the 3.5 and my other cream colored square Kenmore canisters. I had no idea this vac even existed. Unfortunately it was poorly packaged and suffered some damage in shipment. The broken handle is repairable and I have a surface texture technique that will hide the seam nicely. The vac has a stale smell and some rust is apparent underneath, so who knows what awaits me when I open it up. Creepy crawly things maybe! I dunno.
The Powermate is also something I have never seen before. The markings on the bottom make me think it's a Matsushita product like other Powermates, but unlike all the other Powermates, this one has the height adjustment on the left of the wand, a dial at that, and the motor on the right, driving the brush through a central belt. Unfortunately you can see damage to the base in two places, at the swivel and at the front. What astounded me was putting the model number into Sears Parts Direct it seems the base may still be available. Lets say for now they show it's available for about $35. A few other unexpected parts are likewise shown available. I have been both surprised at what turns up on my door from Sears and likewise disappointed when parts they showed available turned out not to be. All I can do is order one and see what happens. If not, break out the epoxy.
As a bonus the 2.5 came with a perfect set of chrome wands and a good original hose. No cracks, just some minor damage to the canister side hose end. Amazingly those ends are still available new and I have three on their way now (my dog used one I previously ordered as a test as a chew toy two weeks ago, the little dickens).
I haven't tried running either. I'm a little leery of what might come out the back of the 2.5, heh, heh, heh. Tomorrow night hopefully. I just ran out of time tonight. Anyway, I didn't expect what showed up on my door step, but I don't mind. It's fun discovering you just bought a vacuum you didn't even know existed, even when you bought it.
Enjoy the before photos. Too bad you can't experience the stale aroma from the 2.5, lol. I hope nothing crawls out of it while I sleep tonight! It did come from Florida.

















Both vacs came from Florida and when I opened them I got a bit of a surprise. The 2.5 is on a smaller body than the other. It is about 3/5 the size of the 3.5 and my other cream colored square Kenmore canisters. I had no idea this vac even existed. Unfortunately it was poorly packaged and suffered some damage in shipment. The broken handle is repairable and I have a surface texture technique that will hide the seam nicely. The vac has a stale smell and some rust is apparent underneath, so who knows what awaits me when I open it up. Creepy crawly things maybe! I dunno.
The Powermate is also something I have never seen before. The markings on the bottom make me think it's a Matsushita product like other Powermates, but unlike all the other Powermates, this one has the height adjustment on the left of the wand, a dial at that, and the motor on the right, driving the brush through a central belt. Unfortunately you can see damage to the base in two places, at the swivel and at the front. What astounded me was putting the model number into Sears Parts Direct it seems the base may still be available. Lets say for now they show it's available for about $35. A few other unexpected parts are likewise shown available. I have been both surprised at what turns up on my door from Sears and likewise disappointed when parts they showed available turned out not to be. All I can do is order one and see what happens. If not, break out the epoxy.
As a bonus the 2.5 came with a perfect set of chrome wands and a good original hose. No cracks, just some minor damage to the canister side hose end. Amazingly those ends are still available new and I have three on their way now (my dog used one I previously ordered as a test as a chew toy two weeks ago, the little dickens).
I haven't tried running either. I'm a little leery of what might come out the back of the 2.5, heh, heh, heh. Tomorrow night hopefully. I just ran out of time tonight. Anyway, I didn't expect what showed up on my door step, but I don't mind. It's fun discovering you just bought a vacuum you didn't even know existed, even when you bought it.

















