What vacuums do/did your parents or grandparents use?

[justjunque]

Hey, I forgot at least one too!
My mom had two Hoover Lark stick vacuums. I don't know how she came to have two of them at the same time. I'm pretty sure she eventually gave one of them to someone.
I didn't get to own either of them, although I would have liked to. I enjoyed playing with that one when I was small. She owned them at the same time as the Hoover Portable. The Lark must have been for small clean-ups where you didn't need to pull the big vacuum out.

Barry

 

[kirbyman65]

My great grandmother had 2 vacuums a patriot and an Oreck she got rid of because it was hard to push, the other vacuum her patriot worked great till the power nozzle broke she then gave it to me (if you didn’t know a patriot is similar to a Tristar), My other Grandma had 3 a commercial oreck (She got rid of it because it was too heavy) another Oreck, and a handheld Oreck. Finally my great grandpa had a Dustbuster, A carpet sweeper, devil stick vacuum, and a Hoover elite. When he passed my uncle took the Hoover but I got the stick vacuum. All the photos of the vacuums are below (except one of my grandmas Orecks)

 

[kirbyman65]

My great grandmother had 2 vacuums a patriot and an Oreck she got rid of because it was hard to push, the other vacuum her patriot worked great till the power nozzle broke she then gave it to me (if you didn’t know a patriot is similar to a Tristar), My other Grandma had 3 a commercial oreck (She got rid of it because it was too heavy) another Oreck, and a handheld Oreck. Finally my great grandpa had a Dustbuster, A carpet sweeper, devil stick vacuum, and a Hoover elite. When he passed my uncle took the Hoover but I got the stick vacuum. All the photos of the vacuums are below (except one of my grandmas Orecks)

 

[vacuser]

moms vacuum

my mom used a 516 or 517 kirby for years.i was in my thirties when she sold it.broke my heart to see it go.so that's how i got kirby fever.plus i added a bunch of 500 series kirbys to my collection like the picture.

 

[collector2]

I still have most of the family vacuums.

On my moms side my grandmother only ever had one vacuum. A President which mom bought for her about 1954.

On dads side my grandmother had a Goblin Ace and a Regina Electric broom (I didnt get the electric broom but have found the same one under the Viking name)

My mom had a Lewyt while I was growing up and also used a Kenmore Whispertone I had been given. When I started work at Electrolux I bought her an Electrolux central vacuum.

The only family member I dont have vacuums from was my aunt as my cousin got her old machines and literally used them to death. She had a Shetland Lewyt, Electrolux 89, Electrolux AP100, Kirby Classic Omega, Filter Queen, Singer and, finally an Electrolux E2000

 

[hygiene903]

Parents And Grandparents' Vacuum Cleaners

When I was a kid, my parents had a model XXX Electrolux for their main vacuum, and a Kenmore model 116.730 for the basement and cleaning out cars. When I was selling Electro-Hygiene during my senior year in high school, I traded them both in for a model 966 Electro-Hygiene tank. Mom had bought a Wards shop vac a couple years before, so we really didn't need the Kenmore anymore. Several years later, she bought a 350 Filter Queen and an 858 Hoover Constellation at a sale at the apartment complex where she worked as the manager.
My paternal Grandparents had an Electrolux AE, which I'm pretty sure they bought new, and about 10 years later bought a Filtex. They lived in a two-story house and the Lux became their "upstairs vac" after they got the Filtex. However, when I used to go with my Aunt to help clean, I used the Lux on both floors, as I didn't care much for the Filtex.
My Maternal Grandmother had a model 82 Hoover Constellation that Grandpa bought for her for their 40th Anniversary in 1955. Unfortunately, it was their last anniversary before he passed away. She brought it with her when she moved in with us about 10 years later, and from then until she passed away it was only used to clean her room. It is now a cherished part of my collection.
The Lux XXX pictured here isn't Mom's, but is equipped the same as hers, with the optional sprayer, vaporizer, and polisher. I got it from ebay, as well as the Kenmore, which is missing the upholstery brush and polisher which slid on the upholstery nozzle. Also, my parents' Kenmore had a burgundy-colored box for the attachments instead of the cloth caddy. Although I have Mom's 966 Electro-Hygiene, the one pictured is one I got at an estate sale and is actually older than Mom's. The 350 Filter Queen and the 858 Constellation were Mom's, and I got them when she moved from her house to her apartment.
The Electrolux AE pictured here is not my Paternal Grandparents but was given to me from Tom Anderson years ago. Theirs didn't have the cordwinder. As I mentioned before, the 82 Constellation is my Maternal Grandmother's, and is in almost new condition, except that the brush strip on the rug nozzle is worn down, the tool caddy is kind of beat up, and the hose is permanently stretched from decades of being hung in the closet. And by the way, the table that the 82 is sitting on in the pics was also new in 1955, bought by my parents after they bought their first house!
Jeff

 

[tylerhawkins84]

My family

I was born in ‘84 so I will only go back that far as I have no idea prior to that. My dad’s mom had an Electrolux Silverado bought from the door to door salesman around 1982. She used it for many years. Sometime in the mid to late 2000’s the power nozzle burnt up and she got a Shark Navigator and the Electrolux was sent upstairs to use on her Berber carpet with the bare floor tool. She has had about 3 Sharks now, her last purchased in the last 6 months in a hunter green color she really likes that was popular in the late 90’s that I was surprised to see on a modern vacuum. When she started having trouble with the ON/OFF switch on the Electrolux a few years ago she gave it to me. I cleaned the switch and it works fine. I only have the original woven hose and a crevice tool with it so I really have never used it but figure I could use it to clean out a car.
My mom’s mom had an Electrolux Marquis (I think I know it was a light gold color and she got it in the mid 80s) also bought from the door to door salesman. She had that up until 2000 when she bought a Royal 4700 tank which she gave to me in 2009 when I bought my house. At that time she bought a Sebo upright that she is still using.
Lastly, my mom for some reason I am less clear on what she had when I was younger (I just didn’t care and I think they were probably cheaper models that didn’t last all that long. I only remember my grandma’s because they had them for so many years. Some time in the mid 90’s my great grandma gave my mom her Electrolux Super J or Olympia One (it was gold or brown) and she used that until 2000 when she got her Meile canister in light yellow. She still uses that on her bare floors downstairs and she uses a Riccar upright she’s had for around 10 years upstairs on the carpeting.

 

[opelgtkarl]

My Family’s Machines…

So my family’s vacuum history has a few holes in it (mostly because most of my family members can’t remember or have passed). It starts with my dad’s parents got a brand new Airway 66 as a wedding gift in 1952. They used that for years, but I don’t know what happened to it. I do however have one in my collection now thankfully. My mom’s family traveled a bit throughout the Midwest and had a couple notable machines. The first being my grandmother had a Kirby model R. I’ve only seen one picture of it and it was in the background and peaking out of a closet during a birthday party. My mom told me that it was my great grandmother’s and then it got passed down to my grandmother. I thought it was a Royal for the longest time because my mom had told me that it had a switch in the handle, but then I saw the picture and confirmed it was indeed a Kirby. My mom’s family eventually replaced the R with a Hoover Constellation 454 and an upright, but no one remembered what the upright was. Much later, my mom’s family got a used Kirby 561 and then used that for years while they lived in Idaho. When my grandparents moved to Washington when I was born, they had another bagged upright, but unfortunately no one remembered that one either. It wasn’t till later in the 90s that my parents bought my grandmother a new Eureka Powerline Bravo, which didn’t end up being used much because it was so loud. Unfortunately that one got donated after my grandmother was moved into a nursing home. As for vacuums that my mom had, she always told me that she’d had a stick vac, but couldn’t remember what it was. My dad, however, bought a brown hooded Hoover Convertible with the big headlight when he moved up to the Seattle area and had it until my family had a garage sale in the early 2000s and sold it. My uncle and his wife also bought a brand new Kirby Classic 1-CR from a Kirby salesman back in the early 70s after they got married. My parents were also in Amway and sold the CMS-1000 and Clear Trak, so we had a couple of each of those until my dad retired them when my mom passed and continued using a much later Bissell bagless and a Dyson DC-25, which he is using to this day.

 

[kloveland]

In 1985, the year I was born. My relatives were not using new vacuums. The exception being my mother and great-grandmother who were using Hoover Convertibles that were fairly recent for the time. (see post above).

Even though I'm not yet 40. I'm so thankful I wasn't born in the cheap Walmart Bissell plastic crap era that continues today.

 

[evolutionclean1]

My grandparents had

A variety to pick from! Haha
Dad's parents had a rust and white Hoover Concept One, a Celebrity QS in the same color scheme, a Dirt Devil Vision Swivel Glide with the red white and blue brush roll, a few Swivel Sweepers, and a DD Swift Stick. Ooh, and my favorite 70s ish Bissell carpet sweeper that made the most entertaining popping noise going over the rug due to the dust trays trying to open

My mom's parents had a Compact C6 that is now in my collection, a Eureka ESP 2091D, and a Filtex central vac branded under the M&S Distributors label. The central vacuum didn't get used often due to the fact that it was ridiculously loud and had no suction, so the Compact and Eureka were frequent flyers. Funny enough I just picked up a Eureka 2090A that's a carbon copy of the one she had, aside from the Chrome handle and dial a nap instead of a rugulator. The C6 still runs as sweet as can be, and both of which will be treasured for years to come!
A couple pics of the ESP for your enjoyment are attached!

 

[panasonicvac]

From my mom's side, my grandparents had several machines. A 1994 Kirby G4 80th Anniversary Edition, a red 2004 Dirt Devil Jaguar bagless upright, a blue Kirby Tradition, a black Kenmore Progressive Direct Drive, a red Dirt Devil 103 hand vac, a red 10 gallon Shop Vac, a brown Hoover Steamvac Deluxe, a couple vintage 80's B&D Dust Busters one brown and one almond I think, and I believe a Bissell Power Steamer since I remember that carpet cleaner was a canister. Now I have their G4, Kenmore, hand vac, Shop Vac, and Hoover. Before my grandparents got the G4, they had two older brown Kirbys. I don't know what models they were but from what I was told, it could've been either two 1-CR, two 1-CB Omegas, or one of each. Many years ago when I toured at my grandmother's parents' home, I've seen a floor tool and wands that looked like it belonged on an Electrolux. My grandmother confirmed to me that she grew up with one, my best guess would've been a XXX model but I could be wrong. And there was also a vintage grey Bissell push sweeper that I ended up taking home with me but unfortunately later got rid of. I wish I still had it today.

From my dad's side, they also had several machines as well. A green 1982 Vacumaid P-125 central vac, a brown 2001 Hoover Steamvac Gold, a black Hoover Supreme 12.5 gallon wet dry vac, a grey Shark cordless sweeper, and a red/white Black & Decker Dust Buster. They used to have a white/blue Black & Decker Dust Buster I believe was a VersaPak version. At my grandfather's cabin, he has a green Kenmore 2621 canister which I'm gonna try to exchange it for something else since the vacuum got flooded this past winter, a red/white Hoover Floormate, a Craftsman CMXEVBE17594 12 Gallon, and a grey Black & Decker Lithium Dustbuster that's likely going to be thrown out cause it got flooded this past winter and I don't know if it works anymore. He also had a blue Hoover Widepath bagless upright, a red Shop Vac QPV 16 gallon Pump Vac, a yellow Shop Vac 16RTP550A, another grey Shark cordless sweeper that's the same thing as the one at the house, and a white/green Black & Decker Dust Buster similar to the white/blue one at his house but it's not a VersaPak version. Now I only have the white/green B&D. And he used to have a Dirt Devil upright that took type D bags and 4/5 belts and a vintage Shop Vac that had a metal orange can and detachable blower like my parent's. I don't know what models they were cause I've never seen them before but I've seen the box of the Shop Vac and bags/belts of the Dirt Devil.

And my parents had several machines. My mom said that back in college she had a red Sanitaire upright for her apartment. When she married my dad in 1984 and moved into their first house, she got one of my grandparents' brown Kirbys. Sometime they got a vintage orange/black Shop Vac 6 gallon similar to my grandfather's. And they were given a black Kirby Split Second from a Heritage II for their car. When they moved into the house they live in now, they had a grey Beam 287S central vac put in so they gave the brown Kirby back to my grandparents. Later they got a black Black & Decker PowerPro Dust Buster and a green Bissell Little Green 1653-4. When they bought their first cabin in 1995, they got a green Sharp from my old local vacuum store. I believe it was a Twin Energy Big Wheel. They also got a white Black & Decker Dust Buster with green and blue decals from what I recall. And a Bissell Little Green 1720-1. A year later the Sharp got replaced by a black Panasonic Performance Plus MC-V7387. Then I think a year before we sold the cabin in 2003, we replaced the Dust Buster with another one that was white/blue and it was definitely a VersaPak version. Back at home since I'm going through this at a timeline, in 1998 we built a storage shed with one of our neighbors we share with and got a Eureka The Boss CV1801G central vac for each side. In 2003, we got a blue Bissell GoVac. Before our second cabin was finished being built, we were temporary staying in our 1997 TrailManor 3124 and it had a grey Black & Decker DirtVac. When our cabin was finished, we brought the Dust Buster and Little green with us from our first cabin but we left the Panasonic behind as we installed in a white Silent Master central vacuum. Unfortunately the central vac wasn't finished yet so we had the contractors lend us one of their machines which was a Eureka The Boss Power I believe cause it was a black 12 amp Bravo that was hard bag and had a headlight, it got finished I believe at our second visit. Then a year before we sold the place in 2007 we later got a I believe was a black Oase PondoVac Classic for cleaning out our pond we had. Back at home, we sold our TrailManor in 2004 and got a 2004 KZ Frontier 2405 so we bought a green Eureka Optima to replace the DirtVac that we later brought up to our cabin also just shortly before we sold that place. In 2005, we replaced the PowerPro with a red Dirt Devil Quick Power I believe. That same year, we also bought a grey Shark cordless sweeper just like my grandfather's after using his to replace the GoVac. And that same year as well, we bought a green SpotBot to replace our Little Green. Took it back a day later and exchanged it with a blue Bissell Proheat 2X. In 2008 I believe, we replaced the Quick Power for a blue/clear Dirt Devil Accucharge that's the same thing. In 2011, we got a yellow Shop Vac QSP 18 gallon. In 2013 I believe, we bought a green Swiffer Sweeper Vac to replace the Shark. That same year, we bought a blue Hoover Floormate. In 2014 I believe, we bought a blue Shark hand vac for our boats that never got used so it's still in it's box today. That same year, we replaced the Accucharge for a red Dirt Devil Easy Lite. In 2018, we replaced our Little Green for a Hoover Spotless FH11300. That same year, we sold our Frontier and bought a KZ Connect C281BH trailer. The Optima got replaced with originally a yellow Eureka Mighty Mite 3670G but I sold it and bought a green Bissell Big Green BGC3000 instead. In 2020 I believe, we replaced the Easy Lite for a red Black & Decker Lithium Dustbuster. In 2021, we replaced the Spotless for a Hoover PowerDash GO Pet. In 2023 so last year, we replaced the Swiffer for a Hompany we're using now. And finally this year, we got another Black & Decker Lithium Dust Buster but in white. We also bought a EyeVac Touchless this year as well but returned it.

 

[k15]

One grandma had an Electrolux Ambassador 2, which I no longer have. I bought an Ambassador 3 from Ebay for the nostalgia. My other grandma had a Eureka Ironsides, which I still have. My parents had a central vacuum, which of course stayed in the house when they sold it. It was a Soluvac unit and had Electrolux hose, PN and tools.
My parents also had a Hoover Spirit, which I still have, though it's very beat up. It was the garage/car cleaning vac for a number of years, so got banged around quite a bit.

 

[midcenturyfan]

When I was young, my parents had a Hoover Junior 1224 and an Electrolux ZA62. I still have both of these in my collection, although the Electrolux is now in poor condition.

Robin.