vacuum followed me home today!

[vacuumfreeeke]

Well, I was out at the goodwill today and look what followed me home! It's a Eureka upright for only 10 bucks. It has the ESP motor. I really debated on whether or not to buy it considering the limited space that I have, but at the last minute I decided I'd kick myself for not getting it. It came with 5 brand new belts, so I figured the belts alone more than made up for the price of the machine. I like that it has a headlight and this is the only F and G style upright I've EVER seen that has a quick release cord wrap which I love! It is also my only Eureka upright with the square switch... most of the others have the round peg that actually hurts to press if you are barefooted! It runs great and is very powerful... and is in pretty good cosmetic shape... no real scratches to speak of. I wanted to vacuum the entire Good Will, but my boyfriend stopped me!

Anyway here she is. Anyone know anything about this model or when she was made? Good heavens I am REALLY running out of room!!!!

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

aftermarket brushroll

I know this is supposed to have the Vibragroomer 2 brushroll which would probably perform better, but it has this aftermarket one instead. Kind of reminds me of the Dyson "twist tie" brushroll found on the DC 07 and 14, at least it's metal instead of plastic.

Anyone have any opinions about this one? Also, anyone have a comparison shot of a Vibragroomer 1 versus a 2? I'd appreciate it... or if you can just tell me the differences, I've never really compared the two. Thanks ;o)

 

[Eureka1458A]

Nice Find Bobby!

I actually got that very same model for my birthday a few weeks ago. That is an ESP from the early 90's if I am not mistaken. Your vacuum actually has a vibragroomer 1 brushroll in it already! The vibragroomer 1 is far from aftermarket btw. The VG1 will clean and groom your carpets beautifully. If I were you, I would keep the vibragroomer 1 brushroll instead. It adds a little bit of nostalgia to an already great vacuum! Just my two cents.

Stephen

 

[luxg]

Very nice vacuum Bobby, I have never seen this model before in Green!! So pretty.

 

[vinvac]

That is a nice machine! I have never seen a model like that or that color.

In my humble opinion, Eureka was always the best cleaning upright. The Vibra Groomer 1 does an excellent job of grooming and deep cleaning. Is that a 5 amp machine?

Morgan

 

[hoovercelebrity]

Yes!

That Vibra Groomer 1, in my opinion, is better than the VG2.

Nice machine! Good point about the upper quick release cord hook... that's something you don't really see on Eurekas of that style.

~Fred

 

[retardturtle]

why cant i find stuff like that...i tell ya.


beautiful eureka...if you run a test with the vg1 and the vg2 let us know...cause im in the market for one also.

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

Stephen... I had never seen a Vibragroomer 1. Because it is riveted together in the middle I just assumed it was an aftermarket. I think it's funny that the machine came with a VG2 and now has a 1 on it! I can't imagine that this would clean better than the VG2.... there are no "beater bars" on it, just bristles.

I agree, Morgan. Older Eurekas clean and groom beautifully. It has a 6.5 amp motor actually.

Fred... the only other F and G bag style machine I've ever seen with a quick release cord wrap are the modern Sanitaires with the loop style handle and handle mounted power switch.

I used it today in my apartment for the first time (I'd only tried it at the Good Will previously). As soon as I touched it down to the carpet, the brushroll stopped. I changed the belt (VERY HARD) and it broke the belt immediately. I figured that the belts that it came with were just too brittle, so I used one that I had in stock and it worked perfectly. Most of my Eurekataire machines have a problem with my flat carpet. If I lower the height enough to where the brush hits the carpet, it stops spinning even with a new belt. I guess they were more designed for thicker piles.

When I first saw this vacuum at the Good Will, the bumper was missing... or at least I thought it was. Then I saw a blue strip of rubber under the machine and realized what it was. The cord was also just unwound and laying on the floor. I wound the cord up and put the bumper on... I at first thought that it would be a courtesy to the person who decided to buy it. Then I decided since I'd gone that far, I better just take it in and give it a good home! The vinyl outer bag is soft and tear free, almost like new if not a little dirty so I'm quite happy with this purchase. I may put a Vibragroomer 2 on it just to see if I can tell a difference.

Thanks )

 

[lux1521]

I'm thinking you might have the same problem that I do. My 5 amp Eureka got to a point where it will have a hard time driving the brush roll even when lifted off of the carpet. I'm thinking it might be a worn belt pulley on the motor. I suppose it might also have become slicked for some reason. Try cleaning the pully, and check to see if its been worn down too much. If you have another Eureka to compare it to, it might be helpful.

 

[vinvac]

Erik,

You are correct, sometimes the belt pulley on those machines does wear. I wonder if sometimes folks would use a Hoover belt rather than a Eureka....I just recently repaired one of the Sanitaires at church, just replaced the belt pulley and it was fine.

Morgan

 

[retardturtle]

wouldnt the hoovers smaller belt cause excess drag on the bearings and motor ...causing premature wear..failure from the excess heat that it will generate.

 

[eurekaprince]

That is an odd-looking Vibra-Groomer One.....

The real VG1 has only one line of replaceable bristles, with another line of metal as a beater bar. The one on your new toy shows no beater bars, so me-thinks this is an aftermarket replacement, unless Eureka changed the design of the part in later years. It's possible that the original owner needed to replace the original VG2, but the repair shop only had this in stock, or perhaps the VG1 clone was cheaper.

All in all, a really nice Eureka! I would date it to late 1980's, at the very latest. I don't think Eureka sold fan-downward, F&G bagged machines with ESP after the 1980's. By 1990, the only uprights we were getting from Eureka were Bravos and World Vacs and Excaliburs with the fan facing sideways. The only fan-downward uprights from Eureka were Sanitaires from then on, with the exception of a black-hooded Boss and a red version of The Boss called the "Red Devil" I think.

 

[mb_1981]

There is a 4-brush VG1 available from Eureka that is used on the Sanitaire red line, I believe. It's possible to remove one row of brushes and replace them with beater bars. However, a new ball bearing VG2 is only $20 from Hesco so you may want to go that route instead.

 

[dualsanitronic]

Beats! Shakes! Sweeps! Combs! Suction Cleans!

A slightly used Hoover Convertible belt solves the brush-stop issues without undue motor-bearning stress. BTW, someone slid out the beater bars on that VG 1 and added an extra row of brushes I'd say. On today's glued down carpets,this arrangement is superior to the beater bars which only work if your carpet can be air lifted.

 

[eurekaprince]

Gee...the things you learn on this message board!

Thanks guys!

Must be not very easy to slide off the metal strip on that VG1 and replace it......

Never realized that an all-brush "agitator" is superior for cleaning wall to wall broadloom that is stuck down. I actually never really understood the whole "hooha" about beater bars. With brush rolls spinning so fast, to me the lines of brushes would be hitting the carpet in the same way as lines of metal. So the brushes would be doing the beating anyways. The Vibra-Groomer Three had only bristles, kind of like the Hoover Quadraflex (wonder if that VGIII is still available....hmmm)

Our first turquoise Eureka Automatic had a bristle-only Disturbulator and seemed to do a fine job of cleaning!

 

[dualsanitronic]

off the beaten path

Yes,the reason beater bars work with airlifted carpets is the carpet is lifted to the nozzle and the tap,release,tap,release action of the bars cause the carpet to flutter or vibrate from the several thousand RPM action of the bars. But on glued down carpets they act more like a "hammer".

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

The carpet in my apartment is the flat glued kind found in schools, so I guess this set up will be fine for me. My medium pile area rug is also very nicely cleaned and groomed by this machine. I used my Dyson after I used this Eureka and it barely got anything up... much different than what I found when I used the Dyson after the Miele Plus. This vacuum is a lot of fun, and I'm really glad I decided to get it. It cleans great and is in really nice shape for its age. I just realized that I only have 2 F and G bags left. I better get some new ones as well as this machine works, they will be filling quickly! Seems like they are getting harder to find at bricks and mortar stores... may have to order online. Even though there aren't any beater bars on this one, it does thump the carpet nicely. I wonder why it is slender instead of round though... does that help air flow or something?

Thanks for explaining about the vibragroomers, that is very interesting!

 

[normvac]

Your all getting warmer on the 4 brush VG I

Dualsanitronic, would like to talk with you about vacuums.
Do I know you ?? Norm here of Norm's vac shop in the 1980's
here in columbus. [email protected]
As a Eureka rep for the corp before opening my own shop.
(79-83). WE had to start suggesting to dealers,vac repair
people out in the teritories to tapp out the Beater Bars
on VG I's and replace with brushes, for glued down, commercial
grade carpet of the day! For the very reason that someone
explained. They acted like hammers on commercial carpet. Remember people were putting it everywhere, basements, porches
kitchen, bathrooms. The Eureka commerical and the wide track
commercial, as well as some of the Sanitaires BEFORE the 6.0
amp motor did NOT have the power to sweep glued down carpeting.
My answer to the question would be, some needed a better brush
roll then the VG II that was in there. So they had a used rebrushed VG I and put it in to do the job the customer needed
done !
I have a dark green Eureka with that same hood and plastic handle. It was a K mart model, I think. If it has a 3 digit
model number and a letter. That will tell that it is. Plus
the 5 amp motor.
Norm

 

[normvac]

Your all getting warmer on the 4 brush VG I

Dualsanitronic, would like to talk with you about vacuums.
Do I know you ?? Norm here of Norm's vac shop in the 1980's
here in columbus.
As a Eureka rep for the corp before opening my own shop.
(79-83). WE had to start suggesting to dealers,vac repair
people out in the teritories to tapp out the Beater Bars
on VG I's and replace with brushes, for glued down, commercial
grade carpet of the day! For the very reason that someone
explained. They acted like hammers on commercial carpet. Remember people were putting it everywhere, basements, porches
kitchen, bathrooms. The Eureka commerical and the wide track
commercial, as well as some of the Sanitaires BEFORE the 6.0
amp motor did NOT have have the power to sweep those glued down carpeting.
My answer to the question would be, some needed a better brush
roll then the VG II that was in there. So they had a used rebrushed VG I and put it in to do the job the customer needed
done !
I have a dark green Eureka with that same hood and plastic handle. I was a K mart model, I think. If it has a 3 digit
model number and a letter. That will tell that it is. Plus
the 5 amp motor.
Norm

 

[eurekaprince]

Thanks Norm!

 

[bagintheback]

Sometimes I like to look at old forums so I happened to read this one. One thing I'd like to say about the VG I. I have a Perfect P101 (Sanitaire clone) that came with a VG I with all 4 brushes. So I don't think someone replaced the beater bars with brushes. I was even able to put the VG 1 into my Eureka Precision, which also came with a VG 2. (I'm thinking an early 90's vacuum?) I've vacuumed with both of those brush rolls and here's what I've noticed.

VG I:

*Grooms carpet better than the VG 2
*Beats pretty hard for only brushes
*Allows MUCH more suction to come to the carpet. MUCH MORE
*Carpet feels more clean after vacuuming

VG 2:

*Beats carpet better than my Hoover Convertible
*Has stiffer brushes
*Less hair gets caught on it
*REALLY good at vacuuming up pet hair

I hope this helped.

Nathaniel

 

[eurekaprince]

Hey Nathaniel - thanks for the review of the Eureka Vibra Gr

Your Eureka Precision is a model from around 1988. Would love to hear a review of the Vibra Groomer Three which was installed in the Eureka Express Power Nozzles. These were designed to compete with Hoover's Quadraflex agitator, and had four strips of bristles reinforced to give them extra sweeping power. I really wonder if the whole idea was just a marketing ploy, or if "reinforced bristles" actually make a difference on all carpets.

I still think that stiff bristles on an agitator hitting the carpet gives it as much of a "beating" as a steel or plastic bar. If anything, a rounded bar might even be gentler on carpets than prickly bristles.

Eurekaprince Brian on the north shore of Lake Ontario......

 

[bagintheback]

You're welcome eurekaprince! Sadly, I don't have a vacuum, or ever used a vacuum, with a VG 3. Until I got my Convertible, I had never used a vacuum with beater bars. My experience with them is better with shag carpet than the one in my house, which is really short. Really stiff brushes work best with the carpet in my house. My Halo UV-ST has such stiff brushes it can pull itself!

 

[vintagehoover]

'If anything, a rounded bar might even be gentler on car

Eurekaprince, you're absolutely correct; a polished, smooth beater-bar is a LOT less damaging to carpet fibres over time than a stiff, rough brush. They don't snag or yank at the tufts of the carpet like a stiff brush does.

If you had to choose between running your finger back and forth over a brush-strip for an hour, and over a beater-bar for the same period, which would you pick? Most people would pick the smooth beater-bar, because the brush-strip is a much rougher surface which creates more friction - and thus, more wear.

Hoover door-to-door salesmen used to give a great demonstration of how gentle the Agitator's action was - the Kapoc-Yarn test. They'd take a test-rug, and loosely thread several pieces of yarn through it. The housewife would be invited to pull a couple of strands out by hand, to see for herself how easy it was to remove them. The salesman would then smear the rug with kapoc, and run the Hoover over. The Hoover would remove every trace of kapoc from the rug without ever pulling out any of the loosely-threadded strands of yarn.

 

[eurekaprince]

Cool story Jack!

Thanks for that.......I imagine Eureka's Vibra Groomer II is actually very gentle on carpets, since it has many small beater bars along the length of the brushroll, rather than two long continuous ones.

This is now very interesting - beater bars versus stiff bristles. In reality, that is where the corporate research should be going - the design of the brushroll. I like the idea that Dyson is looking into better ways of designing the fan motor. I'm sure they have their eyes set on the brush roll next!

Brian

 

[eurekaprince]

Addendum: Panasonic's innovative brushroll

Actually, the last manufacturer to take a shot at rethinking the brushroll was Panasonic. Their Direct Drive brushrolls are really cool - the motor is actually inside the brushroll, allowing it to be beltless.

The best part about this brushroll is the ability to slow down the rotation separately from the suction motor. The Panasonic and Kenmore uprights that have this beltless, direct drive brushroll offer the user a "gentle" setting which slows it down for delicate carpets. It's a really smart invention.

EP Brian

 

[lux1521]

Although its been a while since I've used a VG3, I do remember it being one of the best designs I have ever used. It does a great job lifting the pile, and like the VGII it has a satisfying brush roll noise. The thing that comes to mind about the Express PN is it sticks to the carpet and can be difficult to push under some circumstances, but it gives the impression that it is working hard.

 

[vintagehoover]

Brian - I agree. We had that brushroll in the UK in the wonderful Panasonic Icon. It was a fantastic cleaner, and I really wish it was still on sale. It was just too heavy, too complicated to repair, and the bagless versions were hopelessly flawed.

But the TOL bagged version is one of the most beautifully-styled cleaners in recent years!

None of the Icons had the 'gentle' setting though - although the TOL bagged and bagless models had an infra-red dirt sensor!

What would also be useful - and perhaps someone's already done this - would be to have the option to temporarily reverse the direction of the brush-roll's rotation, so you could vacuum up to the edge of a rug without pulling it in!

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[eurekaprince]

Those Panasonic Icons look so beautiful! Love the white and mauve version!!!!

Yes - it is the Kenmore Direct Drive upright (both bagless and bagged) that are continually getting top ratings by Consumer Reports over here in the colonies. That Panasonic beltless brush roll must have something to do with the high score for cleaning carpets and "ease of use".


Okay, I'm hopping in a boat to join you for a playdate!!!!! Can we go over and offer to vacuum Buckingham Palace?