Vintage handvacs

[lesinutah]

I'm posting this thread to see if members can help identify the good the bad and the ugly of vintage handvacs.
I have alot of hand vacuums. Riccar, vacuette, busy bed vacuette clone, Sears version of vacuette, Iona dirt raider, dirt devil blue power force, almost every 80-95 royal hand vacs. I have a royal 235 handvac version, 1920s Cleveland electric handvac, royal hygiene model 157, I have a p a Geier handvac from 1923-1927, premier spic n span gray and black checkered bag.
I don't have the bag for the p a Geier model. I had a bag made but forgot about it.
I know the Hoover dustette is probably most valuable hand vac. Im think apex, birtman brushvac are the most desirable.

If anyone could help with what's the hand vacuums to look for.
Thanks
Les

 

[hoover300]

How about the Presto Jr/Presto Vac Junior? Super quiet and if you can get the belt on, might clean well. No pics at moment but can take some tomorrow.

 

[hoover300]

Also, Cleveland Electric? Could you post a pic?

 

[lesinutah]

Hmm

It may be the spic n span vacuum. I have old pic of listing from eBay.
Pic1
eBay says it's Chicago but it looks like a duplex,
Pic2 apex pic off eBay
Pic 3&4 brushvac sweepervac
5&6 superveac handette
7 presto handvac
Les

 

[huskyvacs]

Black & Decker's 1990's hand vacs work great when new but the motors in them didn't seem to be built for longetivity - nearly every one I have found has serious motor fatigue and barely runs.

The Regina vacuums were also notorious for being very loud.

I think the best are still the metal Royal Prince's and similar ones. (Montgomery Ward made a carbon copy of them too).

The 80s/early 90s plastic Dirt Devil hand vacs are also great.

Those 1920's hand vacs made for vacuuming pool tables look pretty cool but I have not bought one yet to see how they are.

 

[madman]

I have that Sweeper-Vac Handette. It's not in great shape. It's waiting patiently for a thorough going-over.

 

[human]

The only hand vacs I have are a pair of Royal Prince 501's, one for each hand. They're built like tanks and put the power of an upright in your hand. I just wish somebody made replacement brush rolls.

 

[hoover300]

Here is mine

I bypassed the broken switch and repaired the broken leather bag holder with a bent paper clip. It only has .7 amps! Mine is a Presto Vac Junior cleaner, and the one above(on its way) is a slightly later Presto Jr. Mine does not have anything on the grey-blue colored bag, while the Jr has the name in red on a blue bag.
The Premier is a type of Spic span, it just says Premier on an art deco "T" shape pattern.
The last pic is what I think is the rarest handheld, a Star Rite. I am kicking myself that I did not get it, but I have the other eBay pics somewhere.

 

[suckolux]

I have 3, don't really use them much. I have a 1990? Black and Decker, probably an 80sroyal prince, very pretty blue, and a 1930s? Eureka Jr, with it's waxed box.

 

[lesinutah]

Nice

The .3 amp vacuum is tiny. I have the black and Decker hand vac with the red bag.
My plaid bag is the spin n span vacuum.
The 1930s eureka I've seen before seem to be good quality.
My P A Geier has a broken switch and it's tore apart and a 501 royal prince is going In it.
The hand vacs are almost all really well made. The Iona dirt raider has a 7 inch brush roll. Its probably my best performance wise.
Thanks for all the posts. The good thing about hand vacs is you can amass a large amount and it doesn't take up alot of space.
Les