Trident Vacuum

[vintagerepairer]

Something else I found

Was this link to an old thread on this site. I noted several things. In order that the cleaners appear:

The first pictures show a charming little canister cleaner, the likes of which I've seen several of over the years. Note the 2-piece metal tubes; this would have been to reduce the packaging needed, just as it was with the later Electrolux slimline cleaners of the 1980's. As the cleaner was physically a different shape from the usual long cylinders, one long pole would not have packed so well. Note also that this cleaner has BEAB approval, in contrast to what I said about earlier cleaners.

Moving to the yellow U156a, there is only one digit difference in serial numbers between that one pictured and the one I found on ebay (serial numbers 910 and 914). I wish I knew how to read Electrolux numbers properly in order to find a date.

Finally the drawing of the U136, note how it uses the bayonet style fitting. Electrolux did of course take this forward as their only fitting from model 80 and 100 onwards, but until then it was very much the bottom of the range hose connector, despite being the best.

http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?6900

 

[vacbear58]

Copy & paste

Benny

I was glad you got a good response from that seller, it quite restores one's faith in human nature & good manners when things like that happen. If you want to share it with us it is quite easy.

Firstly it is helpful to have windows open for both the message you received and this thread in Vacuumland - move down to the "Add your reply to this message thread" area - the bit with the cartoon of the woman with the pink Hoover Senior at the top.

Go to the start of the part of the message (if not all of it) that you want to share. Holding down the left button on your mouse, drag the mouse to the right and possibly down which should highlight the selected text in blue. Release the left key on the mouse.

Holding down the Ctrl key (it should be on the extreme left hand side and bottom row of your keyboard) press the letter C - this is a short cut key to COPY the selected text.

Click over on the Vacuumland "Add A Reply ...." box and click into the message box that you normally type into. Once again holding down the Ctrl key, type the letter V whereupon the text you selected from the message should appear in the box - the technical term here is "Paste".

You can then add your own text, both before and after the message, as you wish. You will of course also have to give your reply a title as usual in the box under "Subject Drift". Once you have pasted the text you can close the message from the ebay seller as soon as you care to.

Hope this is clear

Al

 

[vintagerepairer]

Hello Vacbear. Thank you for that, it's the same as when I copy and paste links then. I live and I learn. I am going out for most of today, it is rare it seems, but will attempt later.

 

[vacbear58]

Trident and Volta

Benny

As far as I am aware the (Rob's) Trident canister was never seen here as an Electrolux but one or two orange ones branded Volta have shown up over the years. The Floor nozzle would tend to indicate early to mid 1980s but that is not absolutely reliable as Electrolux did tend to use a variety of nozzles across various models and territories.

Unfortunately, no one has ever been able to tell me how you can date Electrolux models from the serial number, but I note that the one you found on ebay and Mike's in the attached thread have the same "Prod Number" so I wonder of that could be the same production batch. Unfortunately I cannot get to mine at the moment to see how mine compare, but perhaps Doug could let us know the details from his.

As I noted earlier up the thread the rear assembly of the Trident appeared some two years ahead of the same assembly being fitted to the 80 - the replacement of the 65. Also, they did move to a bayonet fitting (from a push to release) on the 90 during it's production run although I don't know exactly when that was. I have never seen a 65 with anything other than the push to release coupling. No doubt some bean counter pointed out how much cheaper and easier it would be (and at no loss of functionality) to use bayonet fittings across the range

Al

 

[vintagerepairer]

Vacbear, indeed the nozzle with that little blue Trident was not seen on UK cleaners until the 1980's (I think the UK 350E was the first to have it and the very, very late 350 being the only other). Even the Swedish variation of the 350E had a different floor tool. However, I have seen numerous photographs on here from Markus where that same floor tool was well used on several none UK cleaners, and this must have been during the earliest part of the 1970's. Certainly that blue Trident is from the 1970's, of that I am quite sure.

I would not be at all surprised if there were cost implications surrounding the production of the bayonet fitting hoses for all cleaners, as standardising anything usually brings lots of savings with it. The hose fitting for the 65 and so on was of course metal, and very heavy at that. There would also have been a lot of sub-assembly which went into it too, and to what end? The bayonet fitting was a much superior design in my book, even to the point where much later in life Vax and ETA used it for their own.

The hose fitting for the original 90 was a failure as the stiff hose put too much pressure on it. Production moved to the 3-peg bayonet very late in the date, like you I do not know when, and it was around this time that the sprayer gun became an optional accessory rather than one which was included.

 

[watsonw]

blue trident tub/canister

I remmember seeing and trying one when brand new (although only 14 I was very impressed with the design and performance) at the house of a friend of my grandmother's who had bought this from a rep; a relation of hers' also bought one @ 1973-4. These cleaners were certainly much more attractive than the contemporary mainstream lux models of the same period. My grandmother, her friend and the friends relation all lived in an affluent part of Glasgow which might indicate that the tridents by then really were higher priced as I know for a fact that both my grans' friend and relation were very well off. Gran was secure enough: she just did'nt like cylinders!!!!

 

[vintagerepairer]

The reply from the ebay seller

This is what the seller of that Trident cleaner said to me regarding her Trident when I asked how she acquired it and why it was replaced:

"Dear Mr Broadbent. I will tell you what I know about my little vacuum cleaner, whether or not it is of interest or helps you, only you can decide. My mums sister Vera was the one who bought it, we think in the later part of the 1960's, certainly not before then but maybe into the 1970's. Aunt Vee never married and lived with my grandparents, caring for them as well as working full time as a bank teller. The point of me telling you this is that she never really got out much socially and often made purchases at the door - my mother joked that it was the only chance Vera got to enjoy the company of a gentleman, but in reality I think this was possibly quite true.

My mum was Aunty Vee's only sibling and was some 11 years older than mum, therefore she tended to take charge and as mothers only child, she idolised me. When a man came knocking the door one night selling vacuum cleaners, it turns out she invited him in and bought one. I am told that the cleaner was then put in her bedroom cupboard in preparation for the day I left home. I did not leave until the day I got married in 1974! I duly received the Trident as a wedding present. Grateful as I was for it (my friend only had a Ewbank sweeper!), I was always conscious that it looked rather old. As you said, there were lots of attachments for it, many of which I never unpacked because I only needed the main parts, and over the last 40 years have disappeared to goodness knows where.

I used the Trident exclusively for exactly 10 years, it performed well as I had very few carpets, but in 1984 my husband and I moved to a brand-new three storey town house which was wall to wall carpet in every room except for the kitchen. I was heavily pregnant with my third child and found it impossible to use that vacuum anymore. Because of this I bought a Goblin upright, I only remember it because it was the cheapest I could find and money was very tight. It did not last very long at all, between myself as a working mum, my husband, and a baby sitter who used to help clean for me, it got a lot of abuse. After that I cannot begin to tell you how many vacuum cleaners I had as we've had so many, other than to say all were upright and that in recent times I had the obligatory Dyson, although that too is long gone. The Trident was really my cleaner as neither my husband nor the occasional cleaning ladies I've had have ever used it much. I kept it because it seemed to be easier for many jobs and above all never broke down, so forever came in handy as a stand-by when whichever upright I had at the time conked out.

All of the attachments for my Trident were thoroughly worn out and thrown away, the only reason the carpet tool was in such good condition was because I barely used it as it never cleaned that well. I couldn't tell you how many tools from other cleaners have been used on it, in fact even the flex was off another of my more recent cleaners as the original went off with the most horrendous bang when I was cleaning my stairs about two years ago. My husband put that flex on for me.

I only sold the cleaner as I recently retired and we have now downsized to a very small flat. Literally everything we did not need had to go. I was hoping one of my sons would take the Trident off me if only to use for their cars, but I am sure you know what young people are like. I got about £65 for it after fees and postage, interestingly my sons did not object to me spending the money on them! I hope this is of some use to you. Regards. Maggie."

I have to say I was not expecting quite the detailed response I got, though yes, I did find it interesting. Rather kind of her to take the trouble to write back at all, I thought. But still doesn't say an awful lot about the initial sale and purchase of the cleaner, sadly.

 

[vintagerepairer]

Vacbear, from that other thread I was just reading about Walita, you posted this link. Have a look at the fastener on the bag cover. Does it remind you of anything...?

 

[super-sweeper]

what a great story! I love tales like those! 

 

[z30soulbrother]

trident

love the yellow Trident 3 houses in my street owned them when i was a kid you would see them out cleaning cars weekend days

 

[vintagerepairer]

3 houses in my street owned them

You say you live in West Midlands. This one on ebay was in Birmingham, as was the one in the photographs in that other thread (says collected from central Brum). I wonder if the West Midlands are was a hot-spot for the Trident sales team?

 

[vacbear58]

Provenance

Thanks for posting the story of the Trident in Birmingham, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Its always interesting to know the history of cleaners, I always ask when I am picking one up.

I am glad the instructions worked

It curious that she thought it old looking in 1974 as it was not that old, although I suppose by 1974 Hoover, Electrolux 91/94 and Goblin were all showing models with handles on the front covers which maybe looked more streamlined - they had more "squared off" bodies too. It seems like it gave her good service though

£65 was not a bad price for it at all, I paid £50 (collected it) for the blue one although the yellow one I have was a lot cheaper.

My blue one came from, or at least lived in Huddersfield, and Doug's came from Tyne & Wear. The first Trident I ever saw (blue) was in Northern Ireland, so in Si's case it may just have been a lucky or good salesman hitting a vien of gold. peer pressure might have had something to do with it too.

Nice to see you posting Si, it must be a year since I picked up that 80 for Doug from you - doesn't time fly

Al

 

[vintagerepairer]

Vacbear, I too thought that it made for an interesting read, indeed I'd like to know more and based on her last reply I am sure I'd get another. However, I don't want to put her to that bother!

Like you, I was also intrigued at the comments about the cleaning looking old in 1974. So, with little else better to do, I sat and pondered the point. By my calculations, this woman must have been in her early 20's when she got married, if she has only just retired. Now, I realise I can speak only for myself at that age (I can just about remember it) and I will readily say my perception of many things then was not what it is now. What was "old" to me then might actually have only have been a few years in age. To be given a brand-new cleaner which was already four or more years old may have felt like 10 years to a young bride!

I then also considered the 'loaf' shape of the cleaner, with its rounded top and silver glides underneath. By 1974 a lot of cylinder cleaners were of course much more square and rigid in their styling, and above all, a lot were mounted on wheels. They also didn't have the levers on the side to clamp the front cover in place; I'm thinking along the lines of the Electrolux 330 and 94 here, the Hoover Freedom, and the vast array of imported cleaners which were largely constructed of plastic and had a bag with went in through the top or middle, such as Meile and Philips. So in that respect, I can possibly see why it may have been seen as dated. Clearly though, at least I think so anyway, it is apparent that the woman was very appreciative to have a vacuum cleaner at all, and of course it was also brand-new into the bargain.

What amazes me is that from her message it sounds like the Trident certainly earned its keep, and whilst the tools had all been killed-off, the hose remained in tact. In my experience they were the first thing which people wore out.

 

[vintagerepairer]

Another point, she said she got about £65 after fees and postage. I have no idea at all how much either set her back, but I'd be certain it must have been at least £20-25 for the two? So she must have sold for a lot more than £65.