What is your favorite vintage vacuum and your least favorite vacuum?

[kirbymodel2c]

Hi,

<span style="font-family: book antiqua,palatino;">Hi, Well I've said it before and I'll say it again....

Kirby!! They are my favorite whether it be vintage or contemporary. Style,performance, quality etc. My least favorite are bagless machines in general as well as the cheap plastic vacs you get on the high street/big stores. I'll try not to pick on any one brand as saying what you dislike can quickly turn in to brand bashing...

</span>


 


<span style="font-family: book antiqua,palatino;">James

</span>

 

[thestig]

Best Worst and Weird

Being in the vacuum business I have to say Kirby hands down as the best vacuum cleaner made today. Royal is a close second however, now most of their machines are just Hoover Windtunnel clones which I can't say is a bad thing but come on be original here. Panasonic is good as they have always been. Carpet Pro "Taconey" makes a good cheap vacuum.

my absolute least favorite vacuums would be anything Bissel, Dyson, newer Eureka, Newer Lux"or as I call them Eureculux", New Rainbow " Due to their hipocracy 'if your vacuum requires a filter or a bag, its loosing suction' and yet there is a $59.95 a year HEPA filter on the new E2"a.

All that having been said there are some honorable mentions and weird ones their was a Regina made in the 70s 0r 80s you bought in a set with a canister and a hand vac i really liked "couldnt find a pic" and bison i love those my dream vac is a Scott Fetzer Sanitation System but I wouldnt mind having a 505.

this is a d50 I restored

 

[thunderhexed]

Both of My Kirby DS models..

I'm still amazed at how much grit/grime and pet hair I get (with just a small Chihuahua) with each bag dump and they seem to fluff my carpet and raise the nap better than even my Heritage and Classic Omega. When I empty the bag on my DS50 or 80, I almost always get a good "football" sized mound of crud - and this is on fairly new carpet vacuumed twice a week with a bag cleaning done with each thorough vacuuming. Not only are these machines still extremely functional, they have that great vintage/antique and almost "mean" look with those large bags. They work perfectly in my smaller home, get into areas much easier that the larger Kirby's can not and they are great for using on area/throw rugs. I love that the motors don't scream at me either..

 

[suckolux]

LOVE that DS

 

[gsohoover]

Favorites and Least Favorites

I generally love all vintage vacuums from Rainbow to Hoover and everything in between. Although, some stick out as being better to me. I have two Air-Way's and they are fantastic. Perfect for my house. Kirby is my favorite machine all around. Just my opinion. The 510 was given to me by Fred S. and I bought the Heritage I from Chad at Milwaukee's convention. Thanks guys for the beautiful Kirbys. Oh yeah, my least favorite(s) would have to be modern machines. (There are a few that are good) Old is gold to me and I love everything appliance, music, and car related old. Have a great day everyone.
-Tyler

 

[gsohoover]

Caligula

I agree cb123! That is my favorite Electrolux. I love the styling, the colors. Everything about that machine is just beautiful. That is one Electrolux I have been looking at for a long time. The old Electroluxes are hard to beat. They are amazing machines.
-Tyler

 

[Metaphor]

Favorites? Hmmm. This will arch some eyebrows but my fave is a Panasonic Jet Flo 240. It's a quiet and sophisticated vacuum, lots of suction and you can see the love lavished on them at the factory. Every bit a high end machine.

My favorite modern machine is also a Panasonic, the MC-CG-937. Knock yourself out and spend another grand on a trendy brand like Aerus Lux or Miele, but you aren't getting any additional value for all that extra expense. Panasonics might not be trendy but they are sturdy, durable and do everything the more expensive trendy brands do.

My least favorite are cloth bagged uprights. Been there, done that, never again.

 

[jaker15]

Favorite and least favorite?

My favorite models are the pre-G Series Kirbys, particularly the DS50 and Classic III. I also LOVE the older Electrolux canisters. I have an XXX, E, L, and Ultralux LX from 1989 (same as the Grand Marquise). The Ultralux has more sheer suction and airflow than any other canister I've used. It's by far my favorite "power team" canister. I would still love to find a Model G.  Hoover is definitely an honorable mention in my collection, I have a 28, 300, 2 Concept Ones, and a plastic base Convertible. 


 


I don't want to bash brands by any means, but my least favorite manufacturer is probably Dyson. I haven't used them a whole lot, but the last time I did, I was utterly unimpressed. It was no surprise that the Classic III whooped the Dyson's butt. 


 


I included a picture of my current Kirby project for your viewing pleasure. It runs fine and is fully functional, and I just can't get enough of that HII bag I put on it. It also has a new G series 12 blade fan, and is the quietest Kirby I have ever heard.

 

[super-sweeper]

Just got done vacuuming with my Classic III, You could be asleep on the couch and not notice a thing! 

 

[vinvac]

Well my most favorite would be any Electrolux, including the L's, Kirby or Royal products...least favorite would be Compact.

 

[jaker15]

super-sweeper,

I highly doubt that! I would fly off the couch as soon as you turn that thing on! Classic III? Quiet? The only time those 2 words should EVER be used in a sentence together would be if you said, "The Kirby Classic III is the farthest thing from quiet! What are you, deaf?" 

 Despite the hell-raising roar that the Classic III is well-known for, I think it's one of the most intimidating and powerful vacuums ever built.

 

[super-sweeper]

poor you, the machine you're referring to must have had bad bearings! either in the motor or the brush! My Classic III runs smooth as Pepsodent! 

 

[cb123]

Ooooooooooo!

 

[kenkart]

Kirbys do run smooth...

But so do 747s!!!!..Kirbys have always been one of the loudest cleaners made....that said, they are also one of the best built...especially the pre self propelled models, I just gave my nice D-80 to Ron Jones, im thinning out some uprights..I have a Omega that really is a good cleaner...just too big and heavy...I love my 1958 Royal 801, light and for an upright ,fairly quiet.

 

[jaker15]

no bad bearings

just Kirby at it's finest. When I say loud, I mean a powerful loud.

 

[cb123]

Sounds like a man's kind of vacuum....WHOOORAH!!!

 

[super-sweeper]

Well I could sleep with a Kirby running next to the bed, maybe it's just because I LOVE Kirbys! 

 

[jaker15]

sounds like

a 70's Pontiac V-8 powered by a tornado! LOL! I love how the old Kirbys sound, but the Sentria II isn't too bad. Before I got my first Heritage II, I thought that all Kirbys were pretty loud, but man, was I wrong! My HII-Legend isn't that loud, but it moves a ridiculous amount of airflow, so it, too, has that distinctive, thunderous note when I start it up.

 

[Metaphor]

or to power bedside toys perhaps? ^_^

 

[super-sweeper]

LOL NEVER Metaphor guy! I'd never let the good Kirby near anything like that!