What is your favourite kirby

[centralsweeper63]

I am looking at setting a saving goal of a refurbished kirby and thought to get your input. In New Zealand we got kirby from 1988 onward, that is heritage 2 legend to avalir platinum. I have my eye on the heritage 2 legend, g3, g4, g5, g6, g8 and sentria for various different reasons. I like to idea of a g8 (diamond edition) with a sentria handle for engonomics. Each generation newer adds about $100 more to the price of the machine. This is not too bad considering the price for the avalir platinum with all the extras is $4995!

 

[panasonicvac]

My all time favorite is the Heritage II/Legend. The best one in my opinion would be their G4 which is also my second favorite Kirby but definitely the favorite from the tech drive series.

 

[cheesewonton]

My all time favorite is the Heritage II/Legend. The best one in my opinion would be their G4 which is also my second favorite Kirby but definitely the favorite from the tech drive series.

Curious what the difference is in the Tech Drive? I know you have to pay attention to the color of the belt pulley but what is different inside that affects durability?

 

[cheesewonton]

My all time favorite is the Heritage II/Legend. The best one in my opinion would be their G4 which is also my second favorite Kirby but definitely the favorite from the tech drive series.

To me they are all simultaneously useful, useless, aggravating and rewarding when you put it away. I have an Avalir 2 and a G4. The former is noticeably better in terms of how it cleans but no noticeable difference in ease or difficulty of use.

 

[thevacomaticiec]

i had a heritage 2 for a short time that i restored and fix for a client 70 bucks works amazing he loves it

 

[cheesewonton]

I find Kirbys to be the most difficult and physically demanding vacuums to use. They wear me out. Can't get them under furniture. I can't even get the Avalir under our dining table with all the chairs removed. Turning it to maneuver around furniture is hard. If I was an Arab prince with miles long carpeted corridors in my palace and huge carpeted rooms maybe a Kirby would make sense. But my home has mixed floors, area rugs, runners on hard flooring, cat tunnels and scratching posts scattered around furniture so using a Kirby makes me sweat bullets.

 

[panasonicvac]

I've found that the foot pedal switch on the G4 tech drive to be more reliable than the G5 and newer models. I also like the brushrolls they used that makes sweeping up better. They can easily be fitted a metal fan for more power. And they used phillip screws unlike torx. Personally this is just me but I prefer the twist style bags on the G4 than the F style bags on the G10D, I also prefer using paper bags on the G4, and I prefer the fill tubes that were used on the G4. The only thing that I didn't cared about the G4 is the mini emptor. Here's a video of a thorough difference between the G4 and the Avalir over the years.

 

[huskyvacs]

Curious what the difference is in the Tech Drive? I know you have to pay attention to the color of the belt pulley but what is different inside that affects durability?

An arrangement of thin plastic gears soaked in grease. Over time they will wear out and break, or the grease will eat them up (chemical reaction). I've never had an issue with my own personal Kirby's transmission, and I pushed furniture around with the thing (thats a big no-no but I was a teenager then, and it did it). I have two Kirbys with blown transmissions and another 4 more that have their foot pedals missing for the transmission - common problem. The transmission also adds another few pounds of weight to the vacuum as well, some people prefer the non powerdrive versions.

 

[huskyvacs]

I like the Ultimate G Diamond Edition as I have a lot of area rugs and throw rugs. The low speed setting is very nice.

 

[huskyvacs]

I find Kirbys to be the most difficult and physically demanding vacuums to use. They wear me out. Can't get them under furniture. I can't even get the Avalir under our dining table with all the chairs removed. Turning it to maneuver around furniture is hard. If I was an Arab prince with miles long carpeted corridors in my palace and huge carpeted rooms maybe a Kirby would make sense. But my home has mixed floors, area rugs, runners on hard flooring, cat tunnels and scratching posts scattered around furniture so using a Kirby makes me sweat bullets.

With this level of clutter and flooring I'd recommend a good canister vacuum with a power nozzle, floor brushes, and easy tool changeouts. I think that would better suit your needs. If you can't afford a Sebo or Miele, Kenmore has some nice options, and if that is still too expensive, Eureka has a couple of high end canisters that are shockingly good for their price.