Vorwerk Kobold Motor Help

[mathew]

I have a Vorwerk Kobold from the late 1950s. It was distributed here in Canada by VacMaster. It’s a great vacuum and has lasted more than 50 years. I have the small attachments and the floor polisher attachment as well. The motor has gotten a short and is starting to burn as it runs. It will need to be replaced. I am looking all over for an OEM motor that will fit. The original was 200W (110V). I wonder it the floor polisher motor can be made to work inside the vacuum. I wonder if anyone has any ideas that may work. I would really like to restore this great vacuum.

 

[funvacfan]

Very Cute

Vorwerk! I like the dancing gnome. I have a much newer 117. Good luck with your search!

Guy

 

[whirlpolf]

Ask Matthias

Hi Matthew,

it should be next to impossible to get a 110 V motor for your "gnome/Kobold" today (even though Germany used to have 110 in some regions in the early 50s) but you might want to give it a shot and contact Matthias (same name as yours ;-) of "Staubsaugermuseum Osnabrück". He is very friendly and helpful, maybe he knows where to get one.

I don't think the VB10 polisher motor will do well. It looks quite similar, but I reckon it has been made for torque rather than for speed. Just guessing.

Find Matthias on Facebook (link below).

Good luck!
Joe


http://https//www.facebook.com/staubsaugermuseum.osnabruck

 

[mathew]

Using a different motor?

Thanks for the advice. I’m new in this forum, but what a great site. I just love looking at the old vacuums that people post. I like to restore older appliances as the quality of many older things is far superior to newer ones. Take this Vorwerk Vacuum. It may be an antique and most people scratch their heads when they look at it, it is probably the most useful vacuum I have. It is a shop-vac, a blower, a floor polisher and a regular household vacuum all in a tiny lightweight package. I have a couple of questions to the “vacuum experts” out there…

Has anyone tried to use a different motor (preferable from a newer model) in another (vintage) vacuum? I am contemplating this “motor transplant” for the Vorwerk. Any suggestions or stories about past experiences (even with other models)?

If the “patient” does not make it,” I wonder if there is a comparable new North American model to the old Kobold?

Thanks. Matt.

 

[Follettino116]

My very sad experience

Hello Mathew !

My name's Riccardo, I'm italian and 4 years ago I bought a beautiful Kobold 116 type 1H from a german online shop. The motor was starting overheating and I wanted to find a new motor because I absolutely wanted to use that Kobold 116.
So I bought a new motor, I quickly replaced the old motor and I immediately switched on the 116 (I was very excited about the new motor).
The cooling fan scratched the internal face of the upper cap and now you can see a bubble on the "dancing gnome" !!!
Keep your Vorwerk Kobold 100% original, with his old, original motor.
If you want a Kobold for daily use you should buy a VK 117, it's the Vorwerk brand's "jewel".

For Canada and U.S.A. there is VK 117 type 4H like this:

http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?23592

probably you can find it !!!

Good bye

Riccardo.


P.S.: this is my Kobold 116 when it was NEW, with his OLD ORIGINAL motor.

http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?23592