Trash-picked vintage Kenmore canister

[texaskirbyguy]

I saw the hose end of this poking out of a big trash pile yesterday evening while on a bike ride but looked too nasty to lug home on the bike.
On the way home this afternoon, trash guys still had not come so I stopped and looked. It seemed complete and did not look abused so I tossed it in the back of the truck. I figured if it was no good I could just toss it in my own dumper.

It is a model 2291, which appears to be from the early 70s due to color scheme and utilitarian casters.
The hose is shot - broken and cracked and perforated. Wire connector seems intact.
No attachments or power nozzle could be seen in the pile.
The unit itself is actually pretty nice for its age. It is just very dirty (I cleaned up around the text on the top of it).
It came with a cloth reusable bag which was of course full, which was probably why it was retired. I dumped it out and nothing stunk or looked nasty or anything.
It actually works and sounds good! Hinge is okay, both speeds work, and suction is adequate. Gasket is intact and cord reel even works (but has replacement plug).
Anyone know anything about this unit? Anyone want it?
It's funny - I just got rid of the trash-picked Rainbow last week and now this guy pops up...
It is cool to see them though, and to help keep them out of the landfills.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Neat find. I believe it's from 1971, or at least somewhere in the late 1960s or very early 1970s. Probably one model below TOL since it has the Power Mate and Two Speed motor but does not have the Performance Indicator Light.

 

[lesinutah]

Argh

If you paint it yellow and put a flap over the exhaust is be interested in it for target practice. That's a little older but my family had I think a 1976 version that didn't suck. I'd have to pick up debris and lift the hose for it to pickup.
I now know what the issue was but for years I despised it.
I luckily got to use a g4 and that's where my addiction started.
I am getting the model c emtor from Chris tommorow. I also have a model 3c floor polisher I won in eBay. I only mention the emtor as I would ask you constantly for yours.
Les

 

[fan-of-fans]

Take it apart, give it a good bath, some wax and plastic polish and it'll probably look pretty good.

A hose and some tools shouldn't be hard to find. This would have the older headlight-less PowerMate, you can see some photos in the thread below.


https://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?3143

 

[texaskirbyguy]

Fan-of-fans, thank you for your constructive comments and the ad page link. Looks like I had the age pretty close.

So I spent an hour more than I should have on this machine, ridding it from the EWW factor from it by washing it all up with Simple green. I also washed the cloth bag which is in pretty good shape.

Hose is stiff and has some perforation at the end but not as bad as I initially thought.

Unit is free to a local collector or just pay shipping. In a couple weeks I will donate it if it is still here.

 

[bnsd60m9200]

ill put the link in my facebook group. if you donate it, itll end up right where you plucked it from, i can promise you that with the thrift stores around here.

 

[huskyvacs]

If nobody else ends up claiming it by the time you have to get rid of it - I'll offer to take it as a last chance save before it goes to the thrift store and/or dumpster (again).

I've been looking for a cheap carry-around vacuum to use around the garage to get the shelves and cabinets cleaned out of dirt and debris. Using a shop vac is too cumbersome to get into small areas with their giant hoses so this would be perfect with its small hose size and reuseable bag.

 

[fan-of-fans]

Good job cleaning it up!

Years ago I saw a model similar to this same green but with a sort of mouth shaped opening on top where the tools would go. Some lady was having a yard sale in her carport and it was sitting under a table there.

Awhile ago I saw the straight suction blue version in that ad at Habitat. It was in very nice shape but missing the wands and only had two tools and the hose with it. I probably should have gotten it because I never see any Kenmores older than the 1990s around anymore, but they wanted I think $35 for it which I thought was ridiculous seeing how it was incomplete. I guess they knew it was old and probably something special and possibly a collectors item!!

 

[texaskirbyguy]

A member here just paid a pretty penny to have this unit shipped across the country so it can join his collection. It is beginning its journey as I type.
Glad I saved it and got it to the right home...

 

[gregvacs28]

Somebodies a Hero. YAY !

 

[paul]

Glad that the 2291 is going to someone who will appreciate it as part of his collection! The initial cleaning did suggest that it still has vintage value. Your generosity, texaskirbyguy, is commendable!

For fun and to give some historical perspective, I'm attaching the vacuum cleaner page from the Sears Fall/Winter 1965 Catalog. It appears that the 1½ HP canister was a predecessor to the 2291. Note that the term 'Magicord' hadn't yet been created. Too bad the model number was omitted.

 

[paul]

I found the 2291 mentioned as the 2-speed version in green of the 1-speed 2189 (the blue one pictured on the upper left) in the 1972 Sears Fall/Winter Catalog. The model numbers were embedded in the catalog numbers (not so in the '65 cleaner listings; or they were coded). Apparently it was only sold for one year, because I was unable to find it in either the 1971 or 1973 catalogs.

 

[huskyvacs]

Good job! I hope it gets back to being ship-shape again!

 

[gregvacs28]

Your scans look crystal clear.


 


Though that power nozzle would stay around for a few more years, the 1973 "Sears Best" canister would become all plastic and with a new wider power nozzle.

 

[texaskirbyguy]

Paul, thanks for the catalog pages - Very cool to see those. 1972 would make it almost as old as I am, and as old as my Olds convertible. Love the color choices back then...
Is it possible to email me full size versions or pdfs? The pics here are hard to read and these will be my remembrance of this machine. Thanks if you can!

 

[paul]

Rob,

Just emailed you.

 

[paul]

Keith,

I found the scans at this website: https://christmas.musetechnical.com/search

Thanks for posting your scan. What I know about Kenmore would fit in a thimble, so I appreciate your follow-up about the '73 Sears Best canister.

 

[texaskirbyguy]

Many thanks Paul - I got them.
Makes me smile knowing I got that machine to someone who really wanted it.

Big trash pickup is coming up again soon - any bets I find any more vintage vacuums in the neighborhood? I really hope not this time....

 

[texaskirbyguy]

So this thread is exactly 2 years old now. Can anyone guess what happened next??

Yesterday was scavenging day before the big trash pickup again. I found a lot of stuff for my friend's thrift store but one find was remarkable.

At the SAME house where I got the Kenmore canister 2 years ago, I found its Powermate unit, wands, and floor brush. Not in the best shape but it looks complete. The neck is broke and the brush is worn, but it looks like it would restore.
Not sure how coincidental things can get but this has hit high marks already...

I promptly contacted the member who had bought the canister and he confirmed these were its companion tools.
So, another happy ending will soon be in the works, as I prepare to ship the set over to him so it can all be reunited together.

Gotta have a keen eye to spot those treasures in the trash I guess.