Tristar

[ericaustin]

There is a Tristar I have no pictures and no model number for 30.00 should I get it? I have e-mailed the seller for more info and so far he has said he got it 10 years ago. I asked him if it had a power nozzle. He hasn't responded yet. What do you guys think?

 

[brandon_w_t]

YES YES YES!!!

Considering most tristars are selling for $200-$3000 depending on their age, its WELL WORTH IT!!!!!! I am very jealous..... I cant find anything near Tristar quality for that cheap!!!

Even if it has no power nozzle, its still worth it. Buy a nozzle on ebay and save $100s


Post pictures when you get it!!!!!!

 

[dsmiler]

Get it and if you bring it by my shop in Allen we can go through it. If it needs anything I should have it there. Awesome price and even if it is in need of help you shouldn't have to put much into it.

 

[animasinsulin]

DUDE!!!

You GOTTA get it!!!!.....Bill....

 

[ericaustin]

Here's a pic

Here's a pic of it! He still hasn't told me if there's a power nozzle or what with it.. lol

 

[danemodsandy]

Danger, Will Robinson!

There is one potential problem in buying a used TriStar; the price of parts. While bargains are certainly out there to be had, list prices for TriStar stuff are very high. List for a genuine hose is $160, the rug nozzle is around $95, wands are about $25 each. If you're buying this to put back in really complete condition, it can get expensive if much is missing. I tell people that used TriStars are kind of like used Volvos; you can buy one cheap, but it can cost you to put one back in the shape it should be in.

Get all the info you can before making a decision, and do some research on the cost of anything that's missing, would be my advice. Here's what a later TriStar should have:

Canister: Should have a cloth bag, a motor filter and an afterfilter on the exhaust. The TriStar emblem should be present and intact; since it mounts through holes in the canister body, a missing emblem leaves holes that will affect suction. A cord-winding clip should be present on the bag door.
Hose: Should have a pigtail on the canister end and should attach directly to the power nozzle on the wand end, if it's a genuine hose. Aftermarket hoses often have a pigtail on both ends.
Power Nozzle: Should have two wands, with uncracked/unbroken plastic cord channels.
Tools: Floor tool (aluminium, will say "Cyclonic" on it), crevice tool, upholstery/drapery tool (should have a little snap-out grille in it), dusting brush. There should also be either a plastic piece that fits onto the floor tool to convert it to a rug tool, or an aluminium rug tool that says "Cyclonic" on it.
Other: Plastic tool caddy (snaps onto wands; holds crevice tool, dusting brush, and upholstery/drapery tool), owner's manual.

Hope this helps a little.

 

[danemodsandy]

So Far, So Good:

I didn't see that pic when I posted the above. That machine is either a DXL or an EX-20; these are the last two machines TriStar made. It could be anywhere between 1993-1998. That appears to be a genuine hose; if it's in good shape, that will save you a bunch of money. There also appears to be a genuine dusting brush present. That afterfilter on the exhaust is a Filter-Fresh afterfilter, not the standard afterfilter. It's meant to trap even more than the standard filters do, but I've never found it necessary, so you could replace it with a standard afterfilter when it needs changing, which would save you some money.

If this thing has a power nozzle (with the wands), it's a very decent deal even if nothing else is included.

 

[kirbyvertibles]

You say that these are the two machines Tristar made. Who makes the EXL-MG1? I didn't know there was an EX-20 I only knew of the CXL-DXL and of coarse the newer ones that aren't as good. ( just my opinion

 

[kirbyvertibles]

sorry I meant the LAST two above

 

[danemodsandy]

Sorry!

I didn't mean to say that the DXL and the EX-20 were the last two machines that TriStar made; that was a bad edit. I meant to say they were the last two Compact-style machines that TriStar made. After the EX-20, TriStar introduced the all-new MG series that they still make today. TriStar is no longer made by Interstate; the company is now owned by the same corporation that owns Aerus.

Apologies if I confused anyone.

 

[ericaustin]

The seller sent me this e-mail

NOW I AM EXCITED!

"We have the carpet power brush that I mentioned earlier, then the little brush that was in the picture, that long nozzle thing that that fits on the end of the hose for tight spaces, and an attachment to vacuum floors that you put on instead of the carpet sweeper. Also I have about 12 vacuum bags and will give you the papers I have with it."

 

[animasinsulin]

Tri-Star

Hi Eric, That's the exact same model I have.....Bill...

 

[danemodsandy]

You Need:

To CLOSE. THAT. DEAL. Since the machine is substantially complete, you will not run into heavy restoration expenses. The price is really, really good - you won't find a better deal soon, if ever.

Congrats, and let us know how this turns out. When your machine comes, I'll be happy to put you in touch with some TriStar resources that will make it easier for you to access parts diagrammes, etc.

 

[ericaustin]

** UPDATE **

He also told me that he bought it in 1996 for 900.00 and it has a 25 year warranty on it. Does anyone know if the Tristar warranties are transferrable? Do they have a rebuild program like Kirby? Sorry I do not know much about the Tristar company other than it is now owned by Electrolux right?

 

[danemodsandy]

Hi:

So far as I know, TriStar warranties are not transferable, but it's not like you're going to need it - the machines are close to bulletproof. Inside the canister, what you will find is a motor, a fan, and some wiring - as basic and simple as it gets. The motors in that generation of TriStar are Ametek (no longer true on the newer MG series of machine). Everything about the machine is heavy-weight and high quality, based on a design dating back to 1949.

To give you an idea of how solid these machines are, my mother bought a Compact C-2 (pretty much the same machine you have, minus the power nozzle, which hadn't been invented yet) brand-new back in 1954 or so. She is known in the family as the Appliance Killer, because she is unbelievably rough on things. That Compact went thirty years before it gave up the ghost - with zero maintenance, and no use of paper bags to help protect the motor; she only ever used the cloth bag, which I do not recommend. Now, if a machine can hold up to that for thirty years, think how great it will be with an owner who takes care of it!

I doubt that your machine will need any rebuild work; it should just be plug 'n play. If it needs any motor work, Nathan ("Electrolux-Dude") here is familiar with TriStars and can advise or help by doing the work for you. Your machine is only around fifteen years old, and if it has been taken care of, it is just getting broken in good.

Go do the deal, and keep us posted.

 

[ericaustin]

Cool! Also I heard that you can put a Vibra Groomer brush roll in the power nozzle. Anyone know where I can find a fairly cheap one. I really like the VBI but will settle for a VBII or III.

 

[danemodsandy]

Eric:

I do not recommend putting any kind of brush roll in a TriStar PN except the factory replacement. TriStar PNs will squeal and rattle if they're not in good shape, with all the little nylon spacers and the felt dust seals in their correct places. My machine's PN had missing pieces and an aftermarket brush roll, and it was noisy and didn't clean as well as I expected. After putting everything back the way TriStar built it, the PN became a whole new experience, very quiet and capable of grooming the carpet extremely well.

When you get your machine, what you should do is to go to the TriStar Canada website (www.tristarvacuumscanada.com) and download the parts diagrammes for the EX-20; they're in PDF format. You can then take your PN apart and compare what you find to the diagramme. A lot of people go into the PN to replace a belt or whatever, and they don't put everything back where it belongs; that's probably what happened to mine.

With a TriStar PN in good shape, you will not need any kind of a special brush roll, trust me. Your carpet will be fluffier than it has ever been, with no heavy grooming tracks like a lot of PNs leave.

You might like to know that I recently got a Bissell ProHeat 2X carpet cleaning machine, which is famous for pulling big wads of pet hair out of carpet. A lot of people who use a ProHeat for the first time cannot believe how much pet hair pulls up, and they complain about having to stop and pick up ginormous wads of pet hair. I have a cat, and he sheds, but I picked up almost no hair with the ProHeat; my TriStar was not leaving hair in the carpet. It's that good, okay?

Of course, you do have to get behind it and push! ;-)

 

[dsmiler]

Some of the Tristar pn's were made by Eureka and those parts are getting rare. I can fix you up with bags, belts just about anything and I am local. If there is anything you need just let me know. I have a lot of parts in stock. There is not alot to them and they are easy to work on. I have several in the store that I have restored.

 

[ericaustin]

Hey do you happen to have the small head attachment for a Kirby Heritage? I would be interested in that!