What To Do About a Hoover Convertible 719 Deal

[jscarlato]

I'm sure I'm not the only who's been snookered by an ebay seller. Recently, I bought a Hoover Convertible Model 719, which has been on my list of desired vacs. The seller's listed description painted a rosy picture of a vac from a good home in overall good condition with everything looking pretty good. I had been watching it for a while, and when the price dropped to $39, I went for it.

Well, when it arrived, the rosy picture quickly turned to thorns. The motor hood is cracked on the side from the lens back a few inches and secured with scotch tape (not at all shown or mentioned). The height adjuster is jammed and has to be moved with force. The agitator is clean and does rotate freely, but when running, the motor bearing is loud and sounds like a machine gun. I was dumbstruck when inside the outer bag was the type C bag filled with dirt! Yes, it was shipped with a bag full of dirt!

I sent an email to the seller expressing my displeasure. I'm waiting to see if I get a response. I also know I can follow the ebay process of filing a case report about this transaction. I might be able to return the vac for a refund, but I really would like to keep this vacuum, knowing that these shortcomings can be fixed. Perhaps some type of plastic fix on the hood could tackle the crack, and perhaps some cleaning and lube on the height mechanism might fix that. However, I don't think I'm adept enough to fix the bearing problem. I'm willing to try, but I don't want to make matters worse.

I'm seeking advice from fellow vac followers out there. If I decide to keep this vacuum, I'm willing to take it a reputable person who can remedy any problem. Can anyone offer a recommendation as to someone or somewhere in the Pennsylvania/Ohio area? Beyond that, where else? I took some photos. I'll send them in a follow-up post.

 

[jscarlato]

Here are a few photos of the Convertible 719.

 

[kirbyloverdan]

John Gregory

Sweeper Central he has a web site he's located in Dunmore Pa .

He has many vintage parts and is a master at preserving Hoovers and is the Convertible King .

He will sort your machine out and have it like brand new in no time .

Enjoy it

Dan

 

[kloveland]

Joe,

I'm sure one of the VCCC members or another Hoover guru has the parts to help you out with no strings attached. Greasing the lower bearing on a convertible is easy. You could bring it the convention next year and I will help you with the bearing. Here is a thread on how to grease the lower bearing on a convertible.



http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?1099

 

[marks_here]

The height adjuster only needs to be cleaned then a touch of oil then it should move better. The hood could probably be repaired by someone who can do plastic then painted at an auto body service where they can match the paint or maybe even fix it. By all means keep the vacuum. I love my 719 & when the bearing is fine it will purr like a Hoover motor should. Cheers!!!

 

[portable]

<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey, Mark,</span>


 


<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">How do you clean a height adjuster? A toothbrush, or something like that?</span>


 


<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks in advance.  John</span> 

 

[marks_here]

Yes that's how I cleaned mine. Sorry I didn't put that it before. It's amazing how dust build up will cause them to get stuck but once they're clean & oiled they slide just fine. I didn't use dw40 but sewing machine oil & moved it from shag to low several times. If you take the hood off it's even more easier.

 

[portable]

<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mark, Thanks for the cleaning info about the height adjuster. I'll try that.</span>


 


<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Joseph, I hope the tips have helped, and that you can get that 719 in fine fiddle soon.</span>

 

[marks_here]

Very good....that's how most of them get stuck with dust & debree oh. & if you have the top off take it outside & use a leaf blower & clean the motor too... Or take the tooth brush & clean the vent on the side of the motor to make sure it gets proper air. You'd be surprised at how much dust will come out.

 

[jscarlato]

The good tips I've received so far are helpful. I did check out John Gregory's Sweeper Central website about his store in Dunmore, PA. It looks impressive. Dunmore is near Scranton, which is not a hop-skip-and-a-jump from the Pittsburgh area. I have yet to make contact about servicing my Model 719. I can think about taking a road there and take in the fall scenery on the way. I would call before going. I can also inquire about shipping it there.

Otherwise, things I can do myself aren't so frightful. It's easy to remove the hood and clean and oil the height adjuster. I have 3-in-one oil, sewing machine oil, and zoom spout turbine oil. I have a friend who owns a local auto body shop. I might talk to him about repairing the crack in the hood and repainting it. Kenny, I did look at the link you sent about getting to the bottom bearing. It's helpful. I just have to get some grease. I really like this vac and think it will make a nice addition to the collection. For this reason, I'm not ruling out professional service at Sweeper Central.

 

[jscarlato]

Yesterday (Sept. 24th), when I checked my email, I found an email from John Gregory at Sweeper Central. I was excited that he reached out to me about fixing up my Model 719. It was a pleasant surprise to hear from him, even before I contacted him first. He invited me to bring in my vac and he would be happy to get to work on it. His offer of top-notch service is certainly encouraging. For my part, I would have to schedule a time when I can head over there. Some years ago, I attended a workshop for teachers in Scranton. A trip in that direction would give me an opportunity to revisit that great model train store in Scranton.

 

[kirbyloverdan]

John Gregory

Is a great business man and friend he has all the parts and knowledge to make your 719 as close to new as possible you will be very pleased and you can also check out his collection and new Hoovers in his beautiful store good luck and enjoy your Hoover .

Dan