Who here has used a Scott & Fetzer Wireless Vac-u-ette? I'm quite curious on how well they actually work? I have only seen one video and it didnt show it cleaning. I want one really bad but if it doesnt work very well I really dont want to spend that kind of money. Pics and VIDEO would be awesome!
Wireless Vac-u-ette
- Thread starter nubz3760
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caligula
Well-known member
Hi nubz3760.
The Vacuette was the last of a long line of vacuum cleaners which were designed and invented by James B. Kirby (1885-1971) starting with his non electric 'Domestic Cyclone' which he invented and marketed in 1906 when he was only 22 years old.
After he saw the Vacuette go into production he turned things over to George H. Scott and Carl S. Fetzer. This does not mean that Jim was finished, far from it, he simply felt comfortable enough with these men to have them manufacture his vacuum cleaners.
As for the Vacuette, there were many prototypes, the most popular was the Vital Rand. There were two styles of Vacuette. One with the bag in the back (like a Hoover) and the other with the bag on the side.
The reason Jim designed the Vacuette was to give women with no access to electricity a way to clean their carpets, and do so effortlessly. For this the Vacuette was perfect, because it had a powerful fan to create strong suction. But good as it was, cleaning was limited to carpets, bare floors, and perhaps mattresses. There were no attatchments, as there was no way to create suction other than turning the wheels in a forward motion. Also, the faster you pushed the stronger the suction. That ended of course when the fan wound down. With this in mind, Jim decided to convert it to an electric model. The result was the Vacuette Electric. As the improvements continued the names were changed. The Vacuette Electric became the Scott & Fetzer Sanitation System, and the forerunner of the Kirby which started in 1935 with the model 1-C.
Pictured here are two Vacuettes and a Vital Rand. These are part of my collection, and this is my display at the 05 convention which was held in Los Angeles, California.
I will post other pictures of my Vacuette so you can see it better.
The Vacuette was the last of a long line of vacuum cleaners which were designed and invented by James B. Kirby (1885-1971) starting with his non electric 'Domestic Cyclone' which he invented and marketed in 1906 when he was only 22 years old.
After he saw the Vacuette go into production he turned things over to George H. Scott and Carl S. Fetzer. This does not mean that Jim was finished, far from it, he simply felt comfortable enough with these men to have them manufacture his vacuum cleaners.
As for the Vacuette, there were many prototypes, the most popular was the Vital Rand. There were two styles of Vacuette. One with the bag in the back (like a Hoover) and the other with the bag on the side.
The reason Jim designed the Vacuette was to give women with no access to electricity a way to clean their carpets, and do so effortlessly. For this the Vacuette was perfect, because it had a powerful fan to create strong suction. But good as it was, cleaning was limited to carpets, bare floors, and perhaps mattresses. There were no attatchments, as there was no way to create suction other than turning the wheels in a forward motion. Also, the faster you pushed the stronger the suction. That ended of course when the fan wound down. With this in mind, Jim decided to convert it to an electric model. The result was the Vacuette Electric. As the improvements continued the names were changed. The Vacuette Electric became the Scott & Fetzer Sanitation System, and the forerunner of the Kirby which started in 1935 with the model 1-C.
Pictured here are two Vacuettes and a Vital Rand. These are part of my collection, and this is my display at the 05 convention which was held in Los Angeles, California.
I will post other pictures of my Vacuette so you can see it better.
brandon_w_t
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2009
- Messages
- 2,519
The vacuette is in my opinion, one of the collest non-electric cleaners! When wound up, they kept running for a decent amount of time, so you aren't running around with it like a bellows cleaner. Think of it like a windup car.
The one pictured below is my friends machine.
The one pictured below is my friends machine.
brandon_w_t
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2009
- Messages
- 2,519
And here is mine before it had been restored.
caligula
Well-known member
Hi nubz3760.
Yes! very well!!
I've have a number of non electric vacuum cleaners, including the oldest of them all, the Whirlwind, which was invented in 1869, almost 40 years before the first Kirby machine (1906) and the Hoover model O (1908).
All of Jim Kirby's non electric machines worked extremely well, but the Vacuette was the best of the best.
Here's a picture of the Whirlwind. It was invented in Chicago, by Ives W. Mc'Gaffy, and patented on June 8, 1869. It was manufactured in Boston by The American Carpet Cleaning company.
Yes! very well!!
I've have a number of non electric vacuum cleaners, including the oldest of them all, the Whirlwind, which was invented in 1869, almost 40 years before the first Kirby machine (1906) and the Hoover model O (1908).
All of Jim Kirby's non electric machines worked extremely well, but the Vacuette was the best of the best.
Here's a picture of the Whirlwind. It was invented in Chicago, by Ives W. Mc'Gaffy, and patented on June 8, 1869. It was manufactured in Boston by The American Carpet Cleaning company.
caligula
Well-known member
Another look at the
Whirlwind.
Whirlwind.
caligula
Well-known member
And
the Vacuette.
the Vacuette.
caligula
Well-known member
The Whirlwind
You got it!
The little round thing at the bottom of the drive belt is the wheel that spins the fan. The faster you turn the upper crank the stronger the suction right? No! The belt tended to fall off the upper trolly. Actually it was not a very good vacuum cleaner, what made it special was that it was the first.
There's nothing mentioned about this inventor in any of the papers I've gone through. It seems he was just a simple man who had an idea. I've heard that he designed this for his wife to make her job easier, but that was never confirmed. The Whirlwind was sold in Chicago, but Mc'Gaffy took his invention to Boston in 1869 where it was mass produced. This was a very wise move, because in October 1871, there was a massive fire that swept through Chicago and distroyed the city. And contrary to popular belief, it was not a cow that kicked over a lantern that started the fire. But whatever Whirlwind's were there burned like match sticks, as it's made of a very light wood. But Mc'Gaffy was not completely out of the woods, because Boston had a nasty fire in 1872.
The one I have was in some attic in New Hampshire, and a friend who was an antique dealer got it at auction. Seems nobody knew anything about it. He said that he had a wooden vacuum cleaner, and sold it to me. When I opened the box, WOW! I immediately knew what a find I had.
Most people think that the only drawback was not having an electric motor. Not true! In 1905, Mc'Gaffy outfitted it with a motor to turn the upper crank, that didn't work very good either!
One of the first practical non electric's was the Domestic Cyclone invented by Jim Kirby. Another popular one was the Grasshopper, sometimes called the Ezee, also designed by Jim Kirby.
From what I can tell the Vacuette was as I said, the best of the best.
You got it!
The little round thing at the bottom of the drive belt is the wheel that spins the fan. The faster you turn the upper crank the stronger the suction right? No! The belt tended to fall off the upper trolly. Actually it was not a very good vacuum cleaner, what made it special was that it was the first.
There's nothing mentioned about this inventor in any of the papers I've gone through. It seems he was just a simple man who had an idea. I've heard that he designed this for his wife to make her job easier, but that was never confirmed. The Whirlwind was sold in Chicago, but Mc'Gaffy took his invention to Boston in 1869 where it was mass produced. This was a very wise move, because in October 1871, there was a massive fire that swept through Chicago and distroyed the city. And contrary to popular belief, it was not a cow that kicked over a lantern that started the fire. But whatever Whirlwind's were there burned like match sticks, as it's made of a very light wood. But Mc'Gaffy was not completely out of the woods, because Boston had a nasty fire in 1872.
The one I have was in some attic in New Hampshire, and a friend who was an antique dealer got it at auction. Seems nobody knew anything about it. He said that he had a wooden vacuum cleaner, and sold it to me. When I opened the box, WOW! I immediately knew what a find I had.
Most people think that the only drawback was not having an electric motor. Not true! In 1905, Mc'Gaffy outfitted it with a motor to turn the upper crank, that didn't work very good either!
One of the first practical non electric's was the Domestic Cyclone invented by Jim Kirby. Another popular one was the Grasshopper, sometimes called the Ezee, also designed by Jim Kirby.
From what I can tell the Vacuette was as I said, the best of the best.
cb123
Well-known member
vacuette
I agree that the vacuette is perhaps the best non-elec. vacuum ever made, and indeed, it is my favorite too. Here is some of my collection.
I agree that the vacuette is perhaps the best non-elec. vacuum ever made, and indeed, it is my favorite too. Here is some of my collection.
cb123
Well-known member
Old Eurekas are pretty good too
The eureka to the left is a 1923 model 9, and the eureka to the right is a 1927 model 10. Both are complete and original.
The eureka to the left is a 1923 model 9, and the eureka to the right is a 1927 model 10. Both are complete and original.
caligula
Well-known member
Hi cb123.
Nice collection! I really like the bag on the Vacuette, I've never seen one with that much detail. Thanks for sharing. By the way, What's that little toy vacuum cleaner? it looks like a baby Vacuette. And while I'm not all that fond of Eurkea's, I do like the early upright models, like the one's you show here.
I've never thought of a hose tree, but that makes a lot of sense. Again, thanks for sharing.
Nice collection! I really like the bag on the Vacuette, I've never seen one with that much detail. Thanks for sharing. By the way, What's that little toy vacuum cleaner? it looks like a baby Vacuette. And while I'm not all that fond of Eurkea's, I do like the early upright models, like the one's you show here.
I've never thought of a hose tree, but that makes a lot of sense. Again, thanks for sharing.
rugsucker
Well-known member
CB123
Great vacs and display!Are you a woodworker also?That bag shows how some products would associate themselves with latest technology such as the radio tower.And a later vac called itself Electronic when at least one consumer magazine found "nothing" electronic about it.One ad for the Vacuette describes it cleaning hallways in about a 10 story office building.They would have had electricity but must have liked the cord free convenience as with later rechargables.
Great vacs and display!Are you a woodworker also?That bag shows how some products would associate themselves with latest technology such as the radio tower.And a later vac called itself Electronic when at least one consumer magazine found "nothing" electronic about it.One ad for the Vacuette describes it cleaning hallways in about a 10 story office building.They would have had electricity but must have liked the cord free convenience as with later rechargables.
cb123
Well-known member
Frantz Premier salesman sample
The little vac. is a 1917 Frantz Premier salesman sample. I believe Jim Kirby worked on it- as many other things. He was most prolific- since he was almost everywhere. The vacuettes that I have sound like whirlwinds and are unbelievable powerful.
The little vac. is a 1917 Frantz Premier salesman sample. I believe Jim Kirby worked on it- as many other things. He was most prolific- since he was almost everywhere. The vacuettes that I have sound like whirlwinds and are unbelievable powerful.
cb123
Well-known member
Frantz Premier
1st. close up.
1st. close up.
cb123
Well-known member
Vacuette pamphlet
Here's a new vacuette pamphlet.
Here's a new vacuette pamphlet.
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