Vorwerk Vk-120

[blackheart]

Another odd addition. I found this while surfing ebay, it said the power head did not work i figured it's something new why not? After it got here i tinkered with it a little bit hoping the non working nozzle was something simple i thought it was an electrical problem so i called up Vorwerk USA to find out if the motor would function without the circuit board (for a temporary bypass to diganose the motor) he i spoke to a tech and he said it wouldn't he also told me the circuit board should not be the problem beacuase the red light would turn on. Well after he instructed me on how to remove a few thigns i found that one of the carbon brushes were completely worn out. New brushes have been put into it though it seems to spark a bit oh well at least it's working.

If you are new to the Vorwerk name these are actually Direct air machines best compared to a regina electric broom. It has a wide but short opening in it's nozzle much like a Rainbow D4 SE PE. The brushes are driven by a metal shaft which is driven by a belt.
They have also stopped selling them in the states the Vk-121 was the last model to be sold here Vorwerk USA now just deals in parts.

 

[funvacfan]

Cool machine

for sure! I have the model before this one. They are oddities.

Guy

 

[gsheen]

Does it say 121 on the body, The reason I ask is that the upper body with the switches on it like you have there is from a 118-120, The 118 has the previous shape floor head , The 120 having that eb340 floor head. The 121 has a white lower motor casing with green trim.

I have a Vk 120 and 121 and 122. My favorite is the 122, after that I don't like any of the vorwerks. I think they lost there way with the Vk130/1 135/6 and 140

The vk120 range and pre models motors would last 20 or more years with out any work needed. The new ones however not so, I have more 131,s and 135 in my spares room with burnt out motors than Eureka's

I will post some pics tomorrow of the 121 and 118/120

 

[gsheen]

My Vk122 and 121, the bags open up to the side, On the 118 and 120 the bag opens to rear

 

[blackheart]

Model Number

I just had to double check the number it is indeed a 120. It's a shame to hear the new ones are not very good quality they looked like interesting vacuums.[this post was last edited: 4/21/2013-19:49]

 

[spiraclean]

Love these vacs, I too think this particular series was Vorwerk's best. Considering they only have a 250 watt motor, the suction was far better than I expected and they do a pretty good job. They're also really easy to convert between the power nozzle, floor head and hose attachments, because everything just clicks together and releases again with the push of a button.

For a direct air vac I always thought it was very much ahead of its time. You get a telescopic handle on later models (great for vacuuming all the way under bed frames), easy cassette-style bag change, decent filtration and an electronically protected power nozzle with swivel steering. Brilliant attachments too, especially if you get the electrified hose and powered upholstery brush.

Only thing is they can be rather puzzling to service if you're not familar with how they go together. The motor unit has a couple of hidden catches that must be released in order to disassemble it, but once you get past these everything else from there onwards is plain sailing. Search under "Vorwerk repair" on YouTube and there are a couple of videos by user Gunlee23 showing you exactly how it comes apart to access the fan and motor. Parts are cheap and easy to come by, especially from German and Italian sellers on eBay.

And yes, I'd agree with Gareth that the current generation of Vorwerks are not a patch on this one. They moved to a clean-air design which is fine in itself, but also added a lot of electronics that are prone to failure. Been there, done that, and got rid of my VK130 as soon as the warranty was up. The 120-122 series will just keep on running forever with very little attention, because there really isn't much that can go wrong with them.

 

[rugsucker]

Vorwerk PN motor

I was told by a vac dealer in an area that had many of the ealier model sold that the motor from the Fricsher(?),rug cleaner that that usually got little use,would interchange with the power head motor that would wear out with heavy use.He also related that there came a time that from one week to the next his VWerk repairs stopped as they stopped selling in US and it seems remaining VWs were traded or trashed.My few bag customers are also gone.

 

[tommymilan]

Here are a few of Vorwerk vacuums of mine

Hello, I'm happy that you like you Vorwerk vk 120, It was one of my favourite vacs when I was a kid ( a couple of weeks ago...) Here are some pictures I shoot last Sunday while I was moving some of my vorwerk vacs temporarily in a new location that is going to be a "Vorwerk-only" room, though it still needs a good paint and new carpet. However there is a good part of Vorwerk's timeline, starting from around 1938 with the Brown model s but I'm still missing mod. 52 from 1952 and mod 53 from 1953,the first "Kobold" to be made in ivory and green, color scheme that has been a distinctive touch for all Vorwerk appliances until now, as I've recently known that the new model is going to be white and grey with some little touches of fluo green...no comment, to get to model vk 122 from 1995, the last Vorwerk with direct air system. Following models, k 130, 131, 135, 136 and 140 are not in the display because they are in use in my homes and borrowed to friends.
I hope you enjoy these few pictures!
Greetings from Milan,
Tommy

 

[tommymilan]

from vk 117 to vk 122

 

[tommymilan]

sorry for the bad quality

 

[tommymilan]

more

 

[whirlpolf]

later than the direct air machines

it went downhill for me. Vorwerk was THE brand in the DTD market from the 50s/60s till today (The German Kirby brand if you will). Then they started to introduce the filter-first versions (starting with VK 130 aka the "Tamagochi" Kobold), their filter bags being no more than a cheap derivate of a "Melitta" coffee filter (for percolator/ drip filter coffee makers) - that was when it all was going downhill for me. Back then I even ventured to trash a 2-garage-collection right into the shredder. (Thank God I did).

Those old 250 watts units were tremendous, that extra 100 watts power brush making them a fully comparable competitor to the Hoover Senior series (the Euro "Convertibles" aka model 652 and onwards, Senior range and Ranger range).

Basically one could say:
Model 30 to 52 = Approaches to get a working model into the markets.
Model 53 to 117 = the best models (direkt air, large filter bags, the ones with the round motor block, a vast variety of attachments)
Model 118 to 121 = introduction of the "cassette filter direct air models" (still ok and a landmark of new attachment click-on designs)
Model 130 to 135 = Tamagochi = Oval appearance, miniature filter-first models
Nowadays: 140 and up: More than debatable 700 watts reluctance motors with miniature filters (just the sound of which can give you goosebumps, that screeching ramp-up whine is mind shattering).

What should I say? First they were contemplating to get some hold in the vacuum business, now they are even featuring the (competition's) Lux in Asia (so there in Asia it is Lux and Vorwerk all the same, the one being called "Sora" and the other one "Lux". (The ones that over here appear as great competitors on the market: Vorwerk Tiger and Lux Royal.)

Vorwerk does no longer contain any credibility to me, they are just like most firms today: Where is my share, the rest it up to oblivion.

Btw. I have turned to Kirby as a daily driver, even while disliking their sales techniques. Technically Kirby is closer to the nowaday's abandoned Vorwerk direct air design.

 

[whirlpolf]

this may sound odd to many of you, but

I do not encourage direct-air machines over filter-first ones.

The only thing I want is "listen to the customer".
Neither Vorwerk nor Kirby do. Both keep pushing models onto the markets (each one with their respective and debatable techniques), each one depending on what they have to offer and on stuffing that down the throats of their client families (this is what makes all demos so ackward for clients, this leading to those dreaded "HA! I knocked out a vacuum guy tonight" jokes.


Can't there be a company really listening to prospects?

 

[blackheart]

Impressive

Tommy is that a very impressive line up of vorwerks you have!

It's true that most people these days do not want a direct air system but i think you just can't beat a good direct air vac when it comes to removing deep down grit.

 

[tommymilan]

Dear Guys,
thank you very much for appreciating the pictures of my collection of vorwerk vacuums, even if those in the pictures are just a little part of the many I own.
I am sorry for not being able to give much contribution to this siteand for typing hust a few words and sentences as I read somenthing that involves my feelings more than other, and being italian, when I read about Vorwerk I feel mysel called to write, as Vorwerk, or Folletto, are over here a synonimous of vacuum cleaner, just like Hoover is in other countries.
First of all I should say that, thanks to the help of great persons like Jurgen and Martin Damtz from Germany I have a very detailed knowledged about Vorwerk appliances, as they are the greatest collectors of that brand at all, added to the experience of my lifetime (34...)to tell that Vorwerk appliances were very good and still great. Comparing a Vorwerk Kobold System to a Kirby System is not to be done, they're just opposite ...will continue sorry, Tommy