Vacuum Suction Readings Comparison

[aeoliandave]

Having a rare night off and waiting for the thunderstorm I did a survey of all the vacuums on which I could reliably achieve an airtight seal, with one of the vacuum gauges I use on the workbench for player piano component testing. The readings were all taken via a 2.25" rubber ball pierced with a .25" brass nipple at the inlet hole, hose removed, with the same new paper or laundered cloth bag swapped from vac to vac in the case of duplicate models. While the gauge itself may be somewhat inaccurate (it may be in Mercury inches as opposed to Water inches) the readings are certainly relative to each other.

Airway 66 (1) 24.5
Airway 77 (2) 25.0, 25.0
Compact Electra (1) 25.1
Electrolux AP100(1) 23.5
Electrolux ZB30 (1) 24.1
Electrolux ZB55 (1) 24.1
Electrolux ZB89 (1) 25.1
Electrolux XXX (3) 20.9, 23.1, 23.5
Electrolux LX (4) 23.0, 23.0, 23.0, 23.2
Electrolux E (1) 23.9
Filter Queen 70 (1) 26.1
GE CP101E (1) 23.0
GE Roll-Easy R1 (1) 23.9
Hoover Portable Cleaning Center (1) 23.8
Hoover Tempo 450 (1) 23.5
Kenmore Rocket (1) 23.0
Plymouth (1) 23.0

Yes, the Filter Queen pulled the strongest, followed by the Compact, the Airways and the Canadian Electroluxs. Also noted is that the Canadian Electroluxs are the quietest operating vacuums by a long shot - they are a whispering zephyr compared to all the others, tho the LXs have the most pleasing subsonic hummmmmm, IMHO. In the cat's opinion as well as these quiet vacs are their favorites to rub up against in operation - I have even seen Dexter drape himself across the running ZB55...LOL

Its not my intention to start a thread about what beats what, which would be futile nonsense anyway. These are simply my test bench observations for the collective amusement of us all. It does tell me that one of the XXX's has a fan dust buildup to clean out, while the LX that gave a 23.2 reading is an original without the suction dial modification.

Gosh, I sure wish I could be in Omaha next week...

Could not resist its obvious charms and won a 1954 two tone blue Hoover Constellation Model 82 with hose last week. I am in need of an aluminum telescopic wand and all the matching blue nozzles if anyone can be so kind as to contact me anytime. I will be traveling across Pennsylvania/Ohio/Indiana/Illinois and the Minnesota/N Dakota midwest on my way to Winnipeg Manitoba in mid November. Looking very much forward to visiting Canton Ohio. Return trip will take me across Michigan. hint hint
Dave

 

[myhooverco]

Dave...

Shoot me an email when you are going to be in Canton, OH. I would be more than happy to show you around. We could tour the Hoover Historical Center. I will keep my eye open for a blue rug nozzle and wand for you.

--Tom

 

[aeoliandave]

Thanks for the invite Tom and I will take you up on it at your conveniance. Work term here ends November 4 - I'll be heading down around Buffalo to Butler PA for the following weekend to visit and pick up a few vacuums at my bud's place, then flexibly continuing west into Ohio and back home by the next weekend via Port Huron/Sarnia to drop off and regroup (followed closely by the major trek west to Winnipeg). I have made the notation in the daytimer to begin an email exchange with you & Petek when November is upon us. Also while in the Akron area I'll be visiting with a bud that owns an organ building business, and I'm hoping the Airship Tower is still there with the hanger.

 

[crevicetool]

How dare you compare...

The various machines you have listed at the start of your thread. Every one knows that if you are going to compare machines you have to compare apples to apples and oranges to oranges. And to use Player piano equipment...What were you thinking. I mean it's as if vacuum cleaners had striking distances you have to consider, or whether your hammers are letting off at the right place. Not to mention the dampers, did you think that you have a heavy enough pneumatic cloth to properly lift the damper tray??? Huh??? What about the valve stack, is it a double or single valve system, are all the bleed holes clear????...............WAIT A MINUTE!!! I thought I would impress you with Piano talk! This thread has given me the opportunity to tell you that Pianos are something I enjoy too. Were you impressed? Now about Aeoliandave? Does that refer to the company that used to own such fine names as Chickering, Knabe, Mason & Hamlin etc. Or (I believe) something to do with Organs? (not to hip on Organs) I have a 1915 Chickering Anniversary Grand I am rebuilding and will be adding a player, (electronic, Midi) however, not pneumatic. But I did find your study of the vacuum cleaners very interesting. Let me know about the Aeolian in your name......Rick

 

[aeoliandave]

How dare you question my choice of fruit...

...then try to distract by turning the subject to piano player mechanisms! Why, I oughta...

Seriously tho, you are correct in that after the 1931 merger of Aeolian and American Piano Company (AMPICO) those brands came under the collective umbrella of The Aeolian-American Piano Corporation. Chickering, Knabe and Mason & Hamlin & others were all manufactured in separate AMPICO shop divisions in East Rochester, NY. The buildings are still standing, tho' converted into a business office 'mall'. The AMPICO brick lettered smokestack still stands, as well.
Aeolian brands were the Aeolian, the Steck, The Weber and were the exclusive Duo-Art installers for Steinways specially lengthened 7" at the New York plant. While AMPICO was primarilly a piano & player manufacturer that swallowed up smaller companies, Aeolian began with reed organs, got into pianos, developed player systems for both, also swallowed up competitors and eventually dominated the market for well-to-do residential player pipe organs. Aeolian and AMPICO were virtually even when it came to cranking out reproducing uprights and grands (Duo-Art or AMPICO) with WELTE coming in third in popularity... the 3 reproducing systems being incompatible in both hardware and software (the roll margin perforation control tracks.

So, you're going to install a midi solenoid system, eh? Good for you. Maybe you've already chosen the system but I sure hope it will allow you to run any midi file you choose...as I am one of several roll scanner guys churning out fully expressive midi files from original 47, 65, 88, Duo-Art, Ampico and Welte rolls as well as orchestrion rolls and 116 and 176 note Aeolian organ. There are well over 5000 individual original roll scan midi performances available for free when you know where to look...

Nice to meet you, Rick. Visit the link and do let me know how involved you are, tho we should take such discussion private before we get flamed by our fellow vacuum runners who needn't be tortured by all this...


http://members.shaw.ca/smythe/rebirth.htm

 

[petek]

Carry on it's quite interesting. I had no idea people were into doing this or that it even existed. In fact I was just going to mention something I saw years ago as a kid and then I looked at that website and here it was mentioned, called a "push up". It was in Oil Springs Ontario back in the 60's. The reeve of the village (who was quite old even then) had bought an old church and he had that place including the basement chock a block full of antiques you could barely move. There he had one of those push up players, never seen one since.. He's long dead now and the church is long gone and I always wondered whatever happened to all that stuff he had, auctioned I suppose decades ago, but I'll never forget that player.

 

[petek]

Also the piano I had as a kid and learned on was a big old Weber upright

 

[petek]

Dave, I sent you an email re some piano rolls I saw for sale today in London.