Westinghouse Canister Vacuum Cleaner

[fantomfan57]

I am finally going to sell my parent's Westinghouse. It is a bit worn, motor runs strongly, the hose has been replaced, attachments show normal wear and it has lots and lots of NOS Glamorene Bags.

Contact me at: [email protected] Be sure to put Vacuumlander Buyer in the subject line to make sure I read your email. Make an reasonable offer.

Reluctantly,
Garry

 

[fantomfan57]

Update...

I never ended up selling the Westy because I found another in better cosmetic shape. In particular, the top hood had the original graphics intact. After switching stuff around, the vac looks awesome. Picture to follow this weekend.

Although, I was never able to find a color matching hose. I may change it out for a newer hose after stray painting it the correct color.

 

[fantomfan57]

Better late.....

than never.

 

[paul]

You're right, Garry, late is better than never! You've also proven that good things come to those who wait.

Congrats on keeping your folks' Westy and finding another to make it better and complete—it looks incredible! Is that a spray-painted hose, or one that came with the donor?

 

[eurekaprince]

I’ll never forget that confident Westinghouse slogan from the 1960’s: “You can be sure if it’s Westinghouse.”

Those were the days when brandnames symbolized a real company with a real North American factory location and work force that you could see with your own eyes. Globalization and international corporate take-overs now creates a “house of mirrors” that makes it almost impossible to know who is behind the product you are buying. The last Westinghouse vacuum we saw in North American stores was that bagless Wired/Wireless upright - probably made in some sweat shop in China.

 

[hygiene903]

Westinghouse

Great work Garry, looks like it turned out pretty good! I have the previous model, the SC-1. not much difference between the two, other than the exhaust cap and mine has 4 wheels where yours has 3. I also have a white replacement hose with mine. Ken Wagman gave me a nice turquoise hose for it, but I haven't gotten around to switching it yet. Mine was also a family vac that belonged to an Aunt whose husband worked at the Westinghouse plant in Mansfield, OH most of his life. She had it since it was brand new and I got it when they moved into assisted living. I worked at the same plant for 6 months in 1977, but by then they were only making washers, dryers, and ranges there. Vacs were never made there, but in a plant at Springfield, Mass.
Brian, the slogan "You Can Be Sure...if it's Westinghouse" had actually been around since 1948. Before that, their slogan was "Every House Needs Westinghouse." The slogan was on an extremely large sign on one of the buildings of the plant, and when we were returning from road trips when I was a kid, seeing that sign always meant We're almost home!
Jeff

 

[parunner58]

This Westinghouse was my mom's first vacuum. Here are the only pictures I can find. It is me playing with it November 1960

 

[eurekaprince]

Great pictures! Great story!

YouTube is flooded now with I Love Lucy episodes, and you can see that the refrigerator in the kitchen has the Westinghouse name on it. And we all know the famous vacuum episode where she buys a Westinghouse cylinder cleaner from a door-to-door salesman!

 

[huskyvacs]

Did you paint the hose or find a genuine hose? I have the Westinghouse Roll-Easy and I was debating whether to spring for a pool cleaner hose on it (only thing in roughly the same green color as the vacuum). I didn't know how well paint would stick to a generic hose, as I've seen people with painted Shop-Vac hoses (OSHA safety rules) and the paint rubs off and it looks bad.

 

[fantomfan57]

Yes,

I painted the hose with a better matching color. I just noticed that the furniture guard is missing. I must have mixed something up.

 

[huskyvacs]

Oh wow that is a good paint job! It looks like it took well to the rubber. Did you use spray paint or brush-on?

 

[fantomfan57]

Spray,

it was a "juggling act" preparing the surface, hanging it up outside under ideal temperature and humidity.

Glad you like it.

 

[huskyvacs]

Yes for a spray can you did a very good job, always difficult to get a finish that looks even and well-covered. I will have to try this method when I work on getting mine restored. I always keep an eye out for vacuum parts I might need, but these Westinghouse vacuums, man it's tough. Singers too.