aeoliandave
Well-known member
Oops, missed my window. So, Part 4 of the Kenmore Premalite
How did I come to own two Premalites?
I regularly walk through Sears in the big Mall with our Canadian Tire store at the opposite end. I always take a route by the appliances section.
Originally priced at $529 at Sears Canada, after a few months it dropped to $250 on clearance.
But still too pricey for a brand new vacuum when one has over 300 at home to choose from.
Then the Premalite disappeared from the shelf display.
At this same time I was talking about the vacuum at work and a galpal said "oh, I've seen that - they have a few at the new Discount Store on the edge of town in that industrial mall."
Really?!
This is a very new discount place that had the trappings of a fly-by-night just-fell-off-the -truck operation.
But sure enough there were two Premalites with their Kenmore labels stripped off. In fact there was a lineup of many various vacuum cleaners icluding Dysons, Eurekas, Dirt Devils, Hoovers, etc and all had their brand identification tags removed or blacked out with magic marker. They were in such clean scratchless condition I doubt they were demonstrators. There were other cheap small appliances and racks of questionable 'fashion' clothing, etc.
Well I took one for a spin - they had a test carpet - and felt the power, light weight maneuverability and was thoroughly impressed.
Markdown price? $50! Yes $50! and it was 50% off day. $25!!!
After playing with it at home and becoming more and more entranced with its features and Spaceship styling (this is a vacuum you could leave out on view in a room as almost a Bracussi Sculpture - I went back the next day and purchased the second one. Total cost $50 for $1000 worth of vacuums as originally priced.
The only negative is the flimsy clear vinyl hose, the kind that kicks back and retracts if you momentarily block the opening. Yes it allows for a 8 foot stretch but more often the vacuum sneaks up on you a barks your shins.
My fix?
I had a 60 foot section of hose in the same material meant for a Motor home/trailer central vac in the spare hose bin. It was a smoky transparent gray.
So I separated the hose from one Premalite and grafted it to the other one. Collapsed. the hose fits perfectly in the stowage channel on the vacuum.
I made a new long hose from the gray stuff for the second Premalite.
Dave.
Result? A phenomenal 14 foot reach for above the floor.
Oh, and the Discount place was gone a few weeks later.
[this post was last edited: 1/26/2013-21:59]
How did I come to own two Premalites?
I regularly walk through Sears in the big Mall with our Canadian Tire store at the opposite end. I always take a route by the appliances section.
Originally priced at $529 at Sears Canada, after a few months it dropped to $250 on clearance.
But still too pricey for a brand new vacuum when one has over 300 at home to choose from.
Then the Premalite disappeared from the shelf display.
At this same time I was talking about the vacuum at work and a galpal said "oh, I've seen that - they have a few at the new Discount Store on the edge of town in that industrial mall."
Really?!
This is a very new discount place that had the trappings of a fly-by-night just-fell-off-the -truck operation.
But sure enough there were two Premalites with their Kenmore labels stripped off. In fact there was a lineup of many various vacuum cleaners icluding Dysons, Eurekas, Dirt Devils, Hoovers, etc and all had their brand identification tags removed or blacked out with magic marker. They were in such clean scratchless condition I doubt they were demonstrators. There were other cheap small appliances and racks of questionable 'fashion' clothing, etc.
Well I took one for a spin - they had a test carpet - and felt the power, light weight maneuverability and was thoroughly impressed.
Markdown price? $50! Yes $50! and it was 50% off day. $25!!!
After playing with it at home and becoming more and more entranced with its features and Spaceship styling (this is a vacuum you could leave out on view in a room as almost a Bracussi Sculpture - I went back the next day and purchased the second one. Total cost $50 for $1000 worth of vacuums as originally priced.
The only negative is the flimsy clear vinyl hose, the kind that kicks back and retracts if you momentarily block the opening. Yes it allows for a 8 foot stretch but more often the vacuum sneaks up on you a barks your shins.
My fix?
I had a 60 foot section of hose in the same material meant for a Motor home/trailer central vac in the spare hose bin. It was a smoky transparent gray.
So I separated the hose from one Premalite and grafted it to the other one. Collapsed. the hose fits perfectly in the stowage channel on the vacuum.
I made a new long hose from the gray stuff for the second Premalite.
Dave.
Result? A phenomenal 14 foot reach for above the floor.
Oh, and the Discount place was gone a few weeks later.
[this post was last edited: 1/26/2013-21:59]
