What's your favorite Hoover Constellation color?

[Automatic-Shift]

Model 444

Hi, I have a mint, unused Model 444, and it's so Bittersweet Orange, that is! They are so amazing mint, as most used ones, bar some exceptions the bases have wear. I hope I can find more in the future. Sure would love to have the Canadian Canton Red one, very sweet! Ron

 

[luxflairguy]

Dave! Thanks for the info! I have an 843-the tilted model. I do not feel that it follows as well as the others. It kind of skoots behind me-like the stainless connie does.
One thing that was left out and I'm sure you have then answer. What was the first model with the fancy white rug nozzle with the wheels and when then, did they change to the rug/floor nozzle we all know, love and to me hate. As a tall person, the telescopic wand and the low angle of the nozzle make me have to bend some to use it! There's a learning curve involved. Greg

 

[aeoliandave]

No precise answer, just a good guess. I shot this picture at the Hoover Historical Center in North Canton which I have to assume is an all original 1956 Constellation Model 84.

I've been looking for one of these wheeled floor nozzles for years...they always seem to be attached to complete machines... :-(

The Telescopic wand is the same length as two joined single wands so all you can do is add a third section...but then you'd be grasping the wand at shoulder height to keep the fixed floor nozzle in flat contact with the floor or vacuuming with the head angled sideways. Then again, maybe the third wand will be just right for the low angle nozzle with your height...yeah, I don't like that low angle Hoover Nozzle either, for the same reasons and I'm 5'6".

Dave

 

[hoovercelebrity]

I have a mint, unused Model 444, and it's so Bittersweet Orange, that is! 


 


So are you the one who forked over $$$ for the one on eBay a few weeks ago? 

 

[Automatic-Shift]

Maybe I did, Maybe I didn't I can't say for sure...

I can't say yes or no, but I can say that is one fine example though

 

[electrolux~137]

 


 


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">My uncle had a Constellation that I don't see here in this thread. It had a creamy, pastel yellow top and a tan base. It was the version where the red Hoover logo under the hose connection sat over a metallic panel.</span>


 


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">When I was still living in Annapolis his daughter gave to me when he passed away. It was not in great shape but I was happy to have it since I was named for him. He's the same uncle I've talked about before who had quite a few vacuum cleaners, including a Hoover 913, the Constellation, an old Royal upright and some other stuff.</span>


 


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">I had kept it stored in my parents' basement when I moved to Los Angeles in 1980. In 1992 when we had the VCCC club meeting in Illinois [where the heck is Alex Taber btw?], I came first to my parents' home for a couple of days. Billy Lipman and Roger Proehl came to visit and pick up a few old vacuums I had there including the Constellation.</span>


 


<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva; font-size: medium;">Anyway, was just noticing that I did not see it here.</span>

 

[briankirbyclass]

I absolutely agree that the Connie is a cool and unusual vacuum cleaner. But from someone who actually had to use one to clean a large home, back in the 70s both with thick carpet and bare floors, I have to say the Connie failed miserably. (It was my job as a kid to do all the vacuuming of course.)
Not only did it blow dust around the bare floors, it also left "hot spots" in the carpet wherever or if ever it sat running in one place for very long. So hot infact the carpet would often have a burned smell. I never felt like the Connie was actually doing much cleaning,,more like just blowing dust around. ALOT of dust. Didnt seem to matter if a new bag or clean filter was used,,there was always dust blowing out from underneath. Isnt the idea of a vacuum cleaner to TRAP and HOLD the dust inside the bag as much as possible? ( i often thought while using the Connie)
I also found the "Rug and Floor" tool to be very hard to use. Could never seem to get it at the right angle to brush the carpet,, or the brush inside to work right. Id usually just end up keeping it the setting so that the brush was always up and out of the way.
Our home had a long carpeted staircase and the Connie was very hard to use on stairs. Yes the stretch hose did help, but would not reach the last few steps, no matter which direction up or down you went. So, you would have to try to hold the Connie with one had balancing it on a stair tred, and vacuum with the other,,all the while dust was blowing all over.
Of course Hepa bags and filters were unheard of back in the 70s,,,too bad,,i know our house was very dusty,,the Connie didnt help much,,but sure was a cool looking vacuum. Sure was an excellent garage vac or for taking out on the driveway and cleaning out the car!
I finally traded the old Connie for a used Rainbow D2 with the Eureka style PN. You should have seen how dirty and thick that water was in the Rainbow pan after all the yrs of dust blowing from the Connie. Id have to stop every 5 min or so of vacuuming with the Rainbow and dump the water,,which wasnt even water anymore,,it was thick MUD!

 

[vac-o-matic]

Thanks Dave for all the Constellation info, have never seen it detailed out like that before. Now, I have a confession to make...I have a model 84, not 85(ducks and runs). I guess I got my model numbers mixed up. I have the 84, 86, 858, and 843 models. I did buy one of the new Constellations, but wasn't that fond of it to use as a daily driver, so it now resides in another St. Louis collectors collection. I do love that wheeled rug nozzle on the 84, I have paired it with later model Celebrities with more suction than the Connie, and it's a winning combination. I remember vacuuming with a neighbors 86 when I was a kid, and hating that rug tool, thinking how much better job our GE swiveltop did on low pile rugs, but was totally fascinated with the floating technology.

 

[kevin]

1956 Constellation ad:

 

[ultimatevacman]

This thread has inspired me to repaint my Constellation 822, it's very rusty. Any ideas what colour I should go for?

 

[vintagevaclover]

I've never even seen one in person but...

I have always wanted to play with one. I love any of them that are blue, the orange ones are cool too. I also like the new stainless steel version but I've heard mixed reviews about those.

 

[cocobird5]

Orange

When I first got married in 1966, the first vacuum cleaner I ever bought was an all orange Hoover constellation. I used it for years, but then we bought a house with shag carpet. So I gave the Connie to my mother, and we bought a Kirby.

She used it for years, and still had it when she passed away.

I thought her former vacuum -- the Electrolux with the sleigh like bottom was very cool.

 

[vacuumdevil]

Thanks

Thank you vacuum land for the detailed information!

 

[jhiggs]

Gorgeous Machines!

These are amazing! My mom had one when I was a kid and I remember loving it. Any idea how to find a decent one other than ebay which seems hit or miss. I have tried vacuum shops and one recommended this site.

 

[real1shep]

I dunno......I have about three of the old Connies and tried to clean house with them once I restored the motors. They are pretty indifferent to real house cleaning. The British got the same models but with another filter so that the carbon brush dust didn't contaminate their white rugs.

Then some yrs back a member here was moving and offered some vacs for sale. I was in his neck of the woods picking up a used car and we met up on the hwy. One of the vacs he sold me was the new retro Connie still in its box.

Say what you want, but whomever was responsible for that design, went piece by piece through an older one and made the newer better in every respect. Still doesn't have a PN unfortunately.....but a carpet head that runs from the vac's suction. That got about ten minutes use and returned to the box.

My ex wife who is a dyed-in-the-wool Electrolux tank fan since a little girl....started using it whenever she was over. I coached her on NOT pulling it.....just letting it follow you. She doesn't like to admit it, but she really likes the suction on hard floors. Problem is, just like the original, it can blow dust/dirt under things and so you really have to be strategic about HOW you vacuum with it. They were always a novelty more than a serious vacuum....and they all should have had a PN at some point in time

Honestly, I haven't run any of my original ones for yrs now. Everything about the retro Connie is quality....which sort of defies how chintzy Hoover was getting at the time.

Kevin

 

[jo]

Oh my goodness

This thread made me remember my Father picked one of these up off someone’s trash in the pink combination. I forgot all about that we had it. It was like a hovercraft and if you pulled or push too hard it would slam into furniture or walls if not careful. It didn’t do so well hovering on the uneven rough concrete basement floors, garage or driveway where it was allowed to be used by Mom, so at some point we deleted it, not sure how though...it may have just gone back on our trash. Mom was certainly never a fan of Dad and I collecting people’s old worn out vacuums especially since at the time her Electrolux model L was relatively new still and we had new bright yellow carpet.

Jon