I was so lucky this week. I received the Kenmore canister from Michael Frey. He packed it so well, It's just perfect. I also bought a Royal from Phillip Muller (Kirbyman123) which is close to the one my grandmother had, but obviously a lot newer. It doesn't matter because it is a pre-TTI Royal and that is good enough for me. Today, I went thrifting and found a Kenmore Progressive upright in surprisingly good condition. The price on it was $25.00 but today everything in the store was 50% off so I got it for $12.50. I think Crevicetool hit the nail on the head. I'm hooked. Either I need an intervention, or I'm gonna need to find a bigger place to live. Pics of my new new machines to follow tomorrow, as well as a story with the Progressive.
What a great week for vacuums
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vacuumfreeeke
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Congrats... they sound lovely, and it's not often you get so many vacs in such a short amount of time. They do seem to multiply like bunny rabbits, don't they? People who come into my small apartment and see all the vacuums comment that I'd have a lot more room if I didn't have so many... who cares? I enjoy them, and even though I can only use one at a time, I enjoy the variety, and I like looking at them... my "decor" and furniture is vacuums! They are all beautiful in their own way and it's so nice to be surrounded by things that bring you joy.
Looking forward to pictures
)
Looking forward to pictures
)Here are some pictures
First is the Kenmore canister I got from Michael Frey,
First is the Kenmore canister I got from Michael Frey,
Next, we have
The Royal from Phillip (Kirbyman123). I haven't received it yet, but should sometime late next week or early the week after.
The Royal from Phillip (Kirbyman123). I haven't received it yet, but should sometime late next week or early the week after.
And finally the Progressive
My latest Thrift shop find.
My latest Thrift shop find.
I didn't wanna do it ! 
I walked in to the thrift store and they had a few really beat up plastivacs that they wanted entirely too much for, but I thought that's OK cause I'm not looking for a vacuum, unless it is a blue GE swivel top, the only one that I need to fill out my childhood memories collection. Well, I walk into another room, and there she was. I looked it over and noticed that it wasn't beat to hell like most of the others. In fact it was very clean with very few scratches. I opened up the bag compartment, and instead of finding a stuffed bag and filth, it was surprisingly clean, and it had a new bag installed. Looked in the filter compartment, again expecting the filter to be clogged, but was pleasantly surprised to find the filter in good condition. All the attachments are there, and it looks like only the crevice tool saw any use. As you can see there was a sticker on the machine that said it needed a belt, as well as the $25 price tag. I turned to walk away and looked back at it, and it looked so sad sitting there, and almost seemed to be begging me to take it home with me. I was hooked. Since it was 50% off, it only cost me $12.50 plus tax, so I figured why not. Belts can't be that expensive. So I take the machine out side and while waiting for the bus, I'm looking it over and I noticed on the nozzle, it said "Continuous Cleaning Beltless Direct Drive System". I look on the other side of the nozzle, and there is a switch that says "Agitator On / Off". Well, guess what? It was in the Off position. I got it home. and flipped the switch on. Good thing I was holding on to it when I did, because it tried to pull me across the room. Only thing I can think is that the switch got accidentally got turned off and the previous owner thought the belt broke. They probably tried to find a belt for it and couldn't and then dumped the machine.
This is a Kenmore Progressive model 116.31913100 with S/N 024243212. Anyone know when this machine was made? It doesn't look very old.
Thanks to all for looking and have a great weekend.
Joe
I walked in to the thrift store and they had a few really beat up plastivacs that they wanted entirely too much for, but I thought that's OK cause I'm not looking for a vacuum, unless it is a blue GE swivel top, the only one that I need to fill out my childhood memories collection. Well, I walk into another room, and there she was. I looked it over and noticed that it wasn't beat to hell like most of the others. In fact it was very clean with very few scratches. I opened up the bag compartment, and instead of finding a stuffed bag and filth, it was surprisingly clean, and it had a new bag installed. Looked in the filter compartment, again expecting the filter to be clogged, but was pleasantly surprised to find the filter in good condition. All the attachments are there, and it looks like only the crevice tool saw any use. As you can see there was a sticker on the machine that said it needed a belt, as well as the $25 price tag. I turned to walk away and looked back at it, and it looked so sad sitting there, and almost seemed to be begging me to take it home with me. I was hooked. Since it was 50% off, it only cost me $12.50 plus tax, so I figured why not. Belts can't be that expensive. So I take the machine out side and while waiting for the bus, I'm looking it over and I noticed on the nozzle, it said "Continuous Cleaning Beltless Direct Drive System". I look on the other side of the nozzle, and there is a switch that says "Agitator On / Off". Well, guess what? It was in the Off position. I got it home. and flipped the switch on. Good thing I was holding on to it when I did, because it tried to pull me across the room. Only thing I can think is that the switch got accidentally got turned off and the previous owner thought the belt broke. They probably tried to find a belt for it and couldn't and then dumped the machine.
This is a Kenmore Progressive model 116.31913100 with S/N 024243212. Anyone know when this machine was made? It doesn't look very old.
Thanks to all for looking and have a great weekend.
Joe
The canister is awesome!
I really love it because it is so much like my Mom's. Brings back a lot of good memories.
Thanks again Michael!
I really love it because it is so much like my Mom's. Brings back a lot of good memories.
Thanks again Michael!
vacuumfreeeke
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Hey Albert.... They all look nice but my favorite is the adirect Drive and you got a great price on it! That is the model that we sold at Sears back in 2002. It was by far my favorite machine.... powerful and reliable and nice to look at. Because your model number is 31913 instead of 31912, you got an extra 5 feet of cord versus the base model, and depending on the promotion, that one may have also come with the 30 foot extension hose. Congrats on such an awesome cleaner at a great price! I wish I could find one!
Thanks, Vacuumfreeeke
That's great information. A couple more questions:
1. The cord on this machine is very long, as you stated, but it feels stiffer than other vacuum cords. Is this normal?
2. Am I correct in thinking that this machine was made by Panasonic?
It is a great machine, and am lucky to have found it.
Thanks again,
Joe
That's great information. A couple more questions:
1. The cord on this machine is very long, as you stated, but it feels stiffer than other vacuum cords. Is this normal?
2. Am I correct in thinking that this machine was made by Panasonic?
It is a great machine, and am lucky to have found it.
Thanks again,
Joe
vacuumfreeeke
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Yep it was made by Panasonic and those cords are quite stiff... even when it was new. Enjoy! Sorry I called you Albert..... I just saw your screen name and didn't take the time to click on your profile cuz I'm writing from my phone!
Do enjoy the machine though)
Do enjoy the machine though
)kirbyeureka95
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wow....
i just got the same kenmore direct drive upright today! its funny the seller daid it needed a new belt because isnt it a geared drive? and the brushroll is HUGE! i also got a hoover spectrum, self propelled dial-a-matic, and a miele s4 orion
i just got the same kenmore direct drive upright today! its funny the seller daid it needed a new belt because isnt it a geared drive? and the brushroll is HUGE! i also got a hoover spectrum, self propelled dial-a-matic, and a miele s4 orion
eurekaprince
Well-known member
That is a great upright.....
When Sears sold this, Consumer Reports rated it as the top upright on the market.
The neat thing about the Kenmore / Panasonic Direct Drive uprights is that the brush is powered by a little motor hidden in the brush roll itself! Ingenious!!! No need for belts or gears. And to turn it off or on, you control the electrical supply connected to the brush's hidden motor - no fancy gymnastics with secondary belts needed. Consumer Reports also liked the fact that you could set the brush speed to "gentle" for delicate rugs - this setting provides slower brush rotations in the nozzle.
Panasonic sold uprights in Europe with the same unique beltless brush. They are really cool-looking machines. Kenmore and Panasonic in North America still sell direct drive uprights - probably the coolest innovation in upright design since the "sideways motor" Singer upright designed by Raymond Loewy in the 1960's.
When Sears sold this, Consumer Reports rated it as the top upright on the market.
The neat thing about the Kenmore / Panasonic Direct Drive uprights is that the brush is powered by a little motor hidden in the brush roll itself! Ingenious!!! No need for belts or gears. And to turn it off or on, you control the electrical supply connected to the brush's hidden motor - no fancy gymnastics with secondary belts needed. Consumer Reports also liked the fact that you could set the brush speed to "gentle" for delicate rugs - this setting provides slower brush rotations in the nozzle.
Panasonic sold uprights in Europe with the same unique beltless brush. They are really cool-looking machines. Kenmore and Panasonic in North America still sell direct drive uprights - probably the coolest innovation in upright design since the "sideways motor" Singer upright designed by Raymond Loewy in the 1960's.
vacman117
Well-known member
I am VERY jealous of that Kenmore Progressive! I absolutely love those cleaners. They are wonderful! Nice finds!
suckolux
Well-known member
Favorite of mine as well!
eurekastar
Well-known member
That is a very cool looking Kenmore canister. Can you post a few more photos of it? I don't think I've ever seen one quite like that before.
Sure, I'd be happy to
I'll post them sometime tomorrow when I get my decent digital camera back.
On another note I have a question about the dirt sensor on the Progressive. How does it work, and is it accurate or just a gimmick?
Hope everyone is having a good weekend (boy they go by fast, don't they?)
Joe
I'll post them sometime tomorrow when I get my decent digital camera back.
On another note I have a question about the dirt sensor on the Progressive. How does it work, and is it accurate or just a gimmick?
Hope everyone is having a good weekend (boy they go by fast, don't they?)
Joe
vacuumfreeeke
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Joe, the Kenmore has an infrared sensor (opposed to a microphone found on Hoovers with the same feature) just inside the bend where the hose meets the back of the cleaner, where the bag inlet is. Many people think it's a gimmick, but I think it works well, and I enjoy using the one on my Windtunnel. You know, if you take the hose off that vacuum, there's a sensor that will stop the brushroll.... and if you suck up something too big, instead of breaking, it will just trip an overload much like a canister's power nozzle. Hit the button and you're back in business. Very nice!
The ones we sold at Sears didn't have a gentle feature for the brushroll.... maybe the Panasonic version did. I "forced" a friend to get the Panasonic version... she needed a good and relatively indestructible machine and I saw one for 25 dollars... of course she had to drive an hour to Tampa for it. It has stood up pretty well, but the last time I visited, her nieces had managed to break the handle release and it was clogged through the length of the hose with packing peanuts! Goodness gracious! I like the Panasonic because it has a squeeze trigger for activating the power, or that feature can be turned off and the regular power switch can be used... also has a cord retractor, which was rare for an upright when those were made. It lacks a height adjust, however, and that bothers me. When I worked at Sears, I sold one of those purple Direct Drives to an aunt and uncle and they still have/use it today. They only bought it because my aunts favorite color was purple... they replaced a slowly dying Hoover Runabout and Fantom Cyclone XT with it. It was a 300 dollars when new, but went on sale sometimes for 249.99.... when I sold them for Sears, they were being compared by shoppers directly with the S/P Windtunnel.... based on power, noise level, apparent quality, smoothness in pushing, and the better commission, I always pushed people toward the Direct Drive. If they were on the fence, I'd tell them the WindTunnel had TWO belts, and the Kenmore had NONE... that settled it!
Let's remember that the word Progressive refers to a whole series vacuums, both canisters and uprights (it was their high end series, Whispertone being the lower end). I like to refer to this machine specifically as the Direct Drive because it sets it apart from other machines in the series.
The last time I dug for bags, I came across the sales pamphlet that we had when I sold these at Sears.... if I can find it again, maybe I will try to figure out how to use the scanner part of my all in one printer and post it.
The ones we sold at Sears didn't have a gentle feature for the brushroll.... maybe the Panasonic version did. I "forced" a friend to get the Panasonic version... she needed a good and relatively indestructible machine and I saw one for 25 dollars... of course she had to drive an hour to Tampa for it. It has stood up pretty well, but the last time I visited, her nieces had managed to break the handle release and it was clogged through the length of the hose with packing peanuts! Goodness gracious! I like the Panasonic because it has a squeeze trigger for activating the power, or that feature can be turned off and the regular power switch can be used... also has a cord retractor, which was rare for an upright when those were made. It lacks a height adjust, however, and that bothers me. When I worked at Sears, I sold one of those purple Direct Drives to an aunt and uncle and they still have/use it today. They only bought it because my aunts favorite color was purple... they replaced a slowly dying Hoover Runabout and Fantom Cyclone XT with it. It was a 300 dollars when new, but went on sale sometimes for 249.99.... when I sold them for Sears, they were being compared by shoppers directly with the S/P Windtunnel.... based on power, noise level, apparent quality, smoothness in pushing, and the better commission, I always pushed people toward the Direct Drive. If they were on the fence, I'd tell them the WindTunnel had TWO belts, and the Kenmore had NONE... that settled it!
Let's remember that the word Progressive refers to a whole series vacuums, both canisters and uprights (it was their high end series, Whispertone being the lower end). I like to refer to this machine specifically as the Direct Drive because it sets it apart from other machines in the series.
The last time I dug for bags, I came across the sales pamphlet that we had when I sold these at Sears.... if I can find it again, maybe I will try to figure out how to use the scanner part of my all in one printer and post it.
eurekaprince
Well-known member
I just remembered....
Panasonic's European version of this Direct Drive was called the "Icon" - really cool looking machine.
Click on the link below for some person's description of the bagless version of this Kenmore. The description includes the line "Gentle Sweep" control for Berber carpets and delicate rugs. This webpage is referring to the series of Kenmore Direct Drives that came after the premiere version which Joe luckily found. The second series was much improved, and it came in a light blue colour which I loved. (In Canada, all the Kenmore "Progressive" vacs are relabled as "Elegance" vacs because the word works in both French and English!)
http://www.mrscleanusa.com/en/product-reviews/vacuum-cleaners/kenmore-vacuum-cleaner.html
Panasonic's European version of this Direct Drive was called the "Icon" - really cool looking machine.
Click on the link below for some person's description of the bagless version of this Kenmore. The description includes the line "Gentle Sweep" control for Berber carpets and delicate rugs. This webpage is referring to the series of Kenmore Direct Drives that came after the premiere version which Joe luckily found. The second series was much improved, and it came in a light blue colour which I loved. (In Canada, all the Kenmore "Progressive" vacs are relabled as "Elegance" vacs because the word works in both French and English!)
http://www.mrscleanusa.com/en/product-reviews/vacuum-cleaners/kenmore-vacuum-cleaner.html
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