Weekend Vacuum Finds

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The other find

is a "Sears Best" canister. Wood grain top and all! So I'm fairly sure that the canister is a Whrilpool, but is the powerhead as well?

A couple of weeks ago I got my first Wirlpool/Sears canister, and the powerhead was quite different!

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Are you supposed to

lift the tool caddy out when you use this vacuum?

The "filter" has completly deteriorated. What could I use in case there is ever a bag break?

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Nice finds Guy, my guess would be that the Kenmore is a Panasonic. IMHO these are really great vacuums. You have to love that long hose too.
 
no that..

Kenmore was made by Whirlpool. it was produced and featured in catalogs in 1980. than shortly after that they than switched to Panasonic.

never the less its still a very nice machine. i have a MINT 1979 model with the same wood grain pattern but in a two tone blue instead of cream.

very good scores!
 
After posting my thoughts Jason I knew that it wasn't Panasonic as well. I wasn't sure how long Whirlpool made the vacuums for Sears. None the less it is a great vacuum.

Terry
 
But Terry also a foot note..

The whole machine at this point (1980) was completely Whirlpool including the power head. But when Kenmore changed production to Panasonic Whirlpool than sold Panasonic the rights to that power head (if you might recall thats a sightly different style power mate than what was used most of the 70's). That power head was than sold on the first of the white new rounded style canisters in the mid 80's.

Im including a pic of the earlier power head so yall can note the similarities and differences . One is from 1974, the blue from 1978. They were both on Sears best machines

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and....

Alex Braun if you read this would you kindley jump in in case i miss taught anything
 
That hoover is awesome. It's a part of the 1976 Hoover condiment line up. In this line up Hoover has four Convertibles ( mustard,mayo,pickles,and ketchup. Your is the ketchup model. All models were higher end,well mustard and mayo were very high end and pickles and ketchup were mid range, no headlight and small things like that were about the only difference.
I believe the 4063 was mustard the 4059 was mayo I forget the others. The ones here had the same bag pattern but with a wide top. We do have a model around the same time that was a lower end square hood with the same color that took that same narrow top bag.
 
Were both vacuums in the same store? The Kenmore is my favourite. It looks like it would have been expensive at the time.
Guy, any chance of seeing more of your house? It looks like you have some pretty cool stuff. I like the phone way in the back. I was trying to figure out what your furniture looks like.
 
Sears Best

Seeing that "Sears Best" logo brings back memories of the prestige that that mark carried. Very cool to see these vacuums in your collection. I drooled over the Sears catalog for too many of my formative years--and mostly in the vacuum section. Ahem. Any more of that and I'll need to post in the new section!
 
I don't really know if they called them condiments or if vac shops and people like us started that. Alex Braun or John Long will have to chime in here. Kind of like the model 33 special aka Agnus Moorhead special. I never knew if Hoover called it that or not. Ps I don't know how to spell her name, sorry lol
 
That Would Be

Agnes. The 33 in lavender is the machine my Mom and Dad bought new at Polk Bros in Chicago. Didn't know until recently that it was a model done in honor of Agnes Moorehead another advocate for Hoover. Love that! Here is mine, a replacement behind the 32 and between the 31 and the 1100 with our own Vana - Tania.

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I had that same kenmore and need I say it was LOUD!!! I had to get rid of it due to a cracked housing but now I regret getting rid of it because I could have had it fixed and used it for my daily cleaning. Great find though!
 
Ok, preliminary newspaper research indicates that model 4073 is from 1975-1977, with this ad claiming it as an Eaton's exclusive. That Kenmore is uber nice, that I think is from 1982 as that's the first year with the geared belt Power Mate.

I would like to clarify the debate on when Panasonic took over Kenmore. Up until 1990 the Kenmore canisters were 100% Whirlpool made, even the redesigned "Premier" models in 1984. Around the late 80's to 1990, Whirlpool was wanting to focus on its core appliance manufacturing and exit the vacuum business. In June 1990, Panasonic purchased a majority stake and formed a joint venture with Whirlpool to continue vacuum manufacturing for Kenmore as well as Panasonic labeled vacuums, and in the deal acquired Whirlpool's designs and the Danville, KY plant.

I know that 100% Panasonic Kenmore uprights like the Whispertone and the Power Center didn't appear until 1992, but I don't have an official year of when Panasonic 100% acquired Whirlpool's remaining stake.

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Oooh....

Love the Kenmores =) the blue of corse is my fav but I like the newer PN as far as cleaning goes I think it is just slightly better only because the belt doen't slip.

Guy, The convetible is nice too of corse ;)
The headlight lense may not be missing, I thought the same with my 1983 Kenmore. But when i seen it in a Sears catalogue it didn have a lense. But mine does have a mark like one was there. Also the PN on you Sears Best is I think one of the first to use the new PN. If you look at the bottom and it only has the belt guard and the other two "braces" are missing its a very early model of the new power nozzles. Probably from mid to late 1981/early 82. Good luck with these great vacs guys.
Kenny
 

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