Thread Number: 11711
Recent Electrolux Finds 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 126026   2/26/2011 at 16:10 (4,801 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        

I'm not hugely interested in newer (i.e. '80's and beyond) Electrolux vacuums, but in the last month or so I've been lucky enough to acquire 4 of them, all through local classified ad postings, and I must say I'm pleased with them all.

Here's the 1st, an AP280 with a brand X vinyl hose and PN6. The vacuum has issues; the bag chamber has dirt in it, and the motor, though sounding strong and exactly like its supposed to most of the time, will all of a sudden drop its pitch down, like its going to shut off, and then surge back up again. Not sure what this might be, or if/how it can be fixed, but the whole thing was worth it because of the hose and PN.

Post# 126029 , Reply# 1   2/26/2011 at 16:14 (4,801 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        

Here's #2, a 2100 Special Edition. I recall seeing these in shopping mall kiosks, hence the "Special Edition", I suppose. The only flaw is that the hose doesn't have much suction, but that doesn't matter as I have 2 new vinyl ones.

Post# 126030 , Reply# 2   2/26/2011 at 16:20 (4,801 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        

#3 is a Discovery III upright. I've never been a fan of uprights, and, upon finding out from the seller that the machine was an upright, was going to decline, but then figured, what the hell, its an Electrolux, and I don't have any Electrolux uprights.

No attachments with this; just the machine. The seller had a jam-packed style C bag in there when I tried it out. Seems to me Electrolux didn't go all out in designing their uprights; this is basically a canister mounted vertically on a power nozzle. That being said, I like it, and it works well.

Post# 126031 , Reply# 3   2/26/2011 at 16:25 (4,801 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        

Finally, an Ambassador. As far as I can remember, there were 3 or 4 different Ambassadors, and I'm going to guess this is one of the first ones. This hose is in surprisingly airtight condition, but ridiculously short, stiff, and unusable. What was Electrolux thinking throughout the 80's and 90's with their hoses?

Post# 126042 , Reply# 4   2/26/2011 at 17:26 (4,801 days old) by eurekastar (Amarillo, Texas)        

eurekastar's profile picture
Very nice finds!

Post# 126043 , Reply# 5   2/26/2011 at 17:36 (4,801 days old) by professorkiwi ()        

Indeed! Very nice finds!

Post# 126054 , Reply# 6   2/26/2011 at 19:26 (4,801 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        

Thanks, gentlemen. Forgot to mention that these machines have been put into regular rotational service, along with the rest of the collection.

Post# 126060 , Reply# 7   2/26/2011 at 20:39 (4,801 days old) by scvacuumguy (SC)        

scvacuumguy's profile picture
Those are in great shape. My second favorite color scheme is the "Special Edition" color. They had the canister and upright in the Special Edition. I wish they used that color scheme on one of the 1500 series metal tanks. My favorite is the mauve colored Marquise tank (same color as your Disc.III).

Post# 126068 , Reply# 8   2/26/2011 at 22:00 (4,801 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        

I agree on the colors; the blue machines never caught my eye in the same way.

All the machines got the full treatment with detergent, magic eraser, disinfectant, and armor-all, but they were pretty clean to begin with, except for the AP280.

Post# 126101 , Reply# 9   2/27/2011 at 11:26 (4,800 days old) by andken23 ()        

hey i like all the vacuums and i like special edition color scheme and nice vacuums.

Post# 126103 , Reply# 10   2/27/2011 at 12:04 (4,800 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        

Thanks Andrew. As far as I know, that 2100 Special Edition was the only one in dark red; all the others were brown or blue.

Post# 126107 , Reply# 11   2/27/2011 at 13:39 (4,800 days old) by goadie12 ()        

wow those vinal hoses look brand new!

Post# 126128 , Reply# 12   2/27/2011 at 16:59 (4,800 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        

All of the hoses are cosmetically excellent, with no bends at the ends, and except for the 2100, airtight. The combo tools and floor brushes show almost no sign of use. Except for the AP280, all of these machines seem to have been used either rarely or carefully.

Post# 126136 , Reply# 13   2/27/2011 at 17:58 (4,800 days old) by electrolux~137 ()        



What was Electrolux thinking throughout the 80's and 90's with their hoses?


EXACTLY!!

Post# 126138 , Reply# 14   2/27/2011 at 18:55 (4,800 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        
Hoses

 I'm not sure when Electrolux switched to the vinyl hose; I'm guessing it was sometime in the mid '90's on the blue Epic 6500 with the new style wands (another complaint, for another time), but it was too long in coming. That short hose with the collar is a serious, almost disastrous flaw in an otherwise excellent product.

Most would agree that the woven hoses looked great. The thing, though, about all the woven hoses prior to the short one, is that they were significantly longer, and therefore more flexible and usable, even the electric ones. The company just really crapped out on that hose, as far as I'm concerned.

BTW, I'm not sure when that short hose was introduced on the U.S. models (Olympia? Silverado?), but I think it first appeared in Canada on the AP280 in the late '70's.

Post# 126153 , Reply# 15   2/27/2011 at 23:43 (4,800 days old) by bimmer740 (Long Island, New York)        

bimmer740's profile picture
Every one of those Electrolux machines a beautiful! The Discovery III is a great machine, its still the same outgoing model after more than 20 years. If only Aerus would put a more powerful motor in the machine, then it would really be a great vac. They are very straight forward, idiot proof, well built vacs, but they arent the best at deep cleaning. As much as I'd love to see Electrolux produce a new upright from the ground up, I guess their thinking is, if its not broken, dont fix it. That Special Edition canister was initially the Hi-Tech 2100, then Diplomat, then Ambassador, and has continued to evolve into new models, with very few changes. Even though they are plastic, they can take a beating and keep on going. Now if only they could have a little more power.

PS -I thought that Electrolux introduced the first plastic hose at the end of the Epic 6000 production, just prior to changing the machine to the Epic 6500 and using the all plastic direct connect wands.

Post# 126158 , Reply# 16   2/28/2011 at 00:25 (4,800 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        

I have precious little experience with uprights; I was never a particular fan of them and only recall using one a few times over the years. An aunt had a Genesis which I used a few times, but I never paid any attention to its cleaning ability.

So far, I've done the living room carpet twice with the Discovery III, and I'd say any of the canisters I have, coupled with an airtight hose and good power nozzle, do a noticeably better job. I'll qualify that by saying that I've never done any sort of maintenance on any of my machines, other than changing bags and filters, and making sure the brush rolls are clean. If I restored all of my machines to peak efficiency, the results might change a bit.

All that said, I like the Discovery III. It's slim, trim, and simple, not difficult to use, has the easy-change bag system like the canisters...I'm glad to have it and it'll see regular use.

Re: plastic. I think its proved its durability for sure, considering there are AP machines from the early 70's still intact and in use, although I still do prefer the metal canisters.

Thanks for that info on the vinyl hoses; I thought it was around that time, but wasn't sure.

Post# 126177 , Reply# 17   2/28/2011 at 07:19 (4,799 days old) by countryguy (Astorville, ON, Canada)        

countryguy's profile picture
The AP280 was the first brand new vac that I ever owned. I have to agree that the hose on it was awful to use. The only good thing about it was the trigger switch for the power nozzle.

Gary

Post# 126186 , Reply# 18   2/28/2011 at 11:09 (4,799 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        

I can think of a couple of uses for that short hose:

1. block off the ends and use it as a plumber's snake

2. cut off the ends and slip it on a cane/walking stick as a decorative cover

P.S. the other thing I like about the Canadian handles is the sliding suction reducer; I find that knob difficult to use.

Post# 126205 , Reply# 19   2/28/2011 at 14:31 (4,799 days old) by countryguy (Astorville, ON, Canada)        

countryguy's profile picture
I agree! The suction reducer knob was a pain in the a**

Gary

Post# 126633 , Reply# 20   3/4/2011 at 13:07 (4,795 days old) by klectrolux ()        

Nice finds! I have a soft spot for 80s, plastic tank, Electroluxes. Very nice looking machines! Especially that 2100 SE.

Post# 126657 , Reply# 21   3/4/2011 at 19:10 (4,795 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        
Soft Spot

 Agreed, as the 1st Electrolux in my family was a Diplomat (still in use today with my sister). They only have a few drawbacks, namely:

1. hoses (for the birds)
2. noise; seems like a lot of heat and energy are being expended to do a relatively simple job
3. cord winders seem a bit cheap-ish and tend to get sluggish after a while on some of them

The 2100 SE does stand out in an otherwise sort of dull color series.

Post# 126771 , Reply# 22   3/6/2011 at 12:48 (4,793 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        
Electrolux Post-1982 Lineup?

 Since adding these machines to the collection, I got curious about the head-spinning number of variations of this type, which began, more or less, with the E2000 (well, technically, they began with the AP series, but they're different looking enough to be classed on their own). So, having a dull moment, I made up this list. Those with more knowledge than me, feel free to chime in/add/correct, etc.

I'm not totally sure of the order of this list, and you can see other uncertainties from all the question marks, but at least its an attempt. It also only includes Electrolux machines, not Aerus.

1. E2000

2. E Special (?)

3. 2100 (dark blue top)

4. LE (dark blue top)

5. System 90 (brown top)

6. LE (brown top)

7. 2100 Special Edition (dark red top)

8. Model 90 (blue top)

9. Diplomat (blue top)

10. Ambassador (blue top)

11. Diplomat LX (?) (dark blue top, white switch)

12. Ambassador (dark blue top, white switch)

13. Epic 6000 (blue with white trim)

14. Ambassador III (blue with white trim)

15. Epic 6500 (blue with white trim)

16. Epic 6500 (gray)

17. Ambassador III (?) (gray)

18. Epic 6500 (white with gray and red trim)

19. Ambassador III (?) (white with gray and red trim)

20. 2100 (very dark blue or black top?)

21. Ultralux (?) (very dark blue or black top?)

22. Lux 5500 (?) (white with light blue trim?) (this might be an Aerus model)

23. Ambassador III (white with light blue trim?)

24. LE (?) Special Edition (dark red top)

25. Advantage (dark brown top?)

That's all I can think of right now without my head exploding, and I didn't even bother with the upright, Renaissance/Guardian, and Aerus variation lists...Holy crap!




This post was last edited 03/06/2011 at 15:32
Post# 126884 , Reply# 23   3/7/2011 at 13:23 (4,792 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        
For Someone Who Doesn't Like Newer "Electroli"..

 Had another very nice find today via classified seller. Its an Ambassador II, with all the attachments minus the crevice tool, and, best of all, a leather storage chest (have wanted one of these for ages). Everything is dirty, but of course will shortly be getting the full treatment to make it new again.

Here's everything inside the storage chest:

Post# 126885 , Reply# 24   3/7/2011 at 13:30 (4,792 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        
#2

 Here's the entire ensemble. The machine has an ugly replacement plug, the accessory clip on the filter grill is cracked off, and its dirty, but otherwise in good working order. The hose has a little tape around the handle end, but appears to have full suction. For some reason, there are two old (Canadian) style tool caddies, badly cracked around the handles, and two sheath wands. It's also great to have the Sidekick (didn't have one before) in the original box, and the instruction manual. After a little TLC, everything will be back to (hopefully) almost showroom condition. Now to find some space...

Post# 126946 , Reply# 25   3/7/2011 at 22:44 (4,792 days old) by klectrolux ()        

Holy! That's my childhood vacuum! We used to have one like this, but with no Sidekick. This is exactly like the one I used to have! I must find one like this. Excellent find!

PS I do like newer Luxes just as much as I like the old ones.

Post# 126950 , Reply# 26   3/7/2011 at 23:17 (4,792 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        
New Lux, Old Lux

 Oh, I agree completely. Inasmuch as its an Electrolux, its automatically good :) I can't think of a single model that I dislike, but am more partial to the 80s and APs because I grew up with them.

The manual lists the Sidekick as optional, so I guess it was only offered as standard with the top-of-the-line, fully automatic models. The Diplomat my folks got in 1990 or 91 came with the Sidekick. Not sure how much it would have been to buy separately with the machine, but it must have added a fair bit to the purchase price.

I'll have to put up more piccies when I'm through with the scrubbing, magic eraser-ing, disinfecting, and armor-all-ing.

Post# 126991 , Reply# 27   3/8/2011 at 11:19 (4,791 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        
The Ambassador (II) is Now on Important (Diplomat)ic Busines

 For Klectrolux, thought you might like to see a few shots of the Ambassador II on its first day of service (for me, anyway). The old boy has been cleaned up a bit, and all seems to be in working order, except for the power nozzle, which keeps cutting out. I'll have to take it apart to see what's going on.

Post# 126992 , Reply# 28   3/8/2011 at 11:24 (4,791 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        
Dusting

 The hall really is that narrow, believe it or not. The tape is covering a small slit in the hose (and that could be the possible cause of the PN problem). More investigation (and cleaning) is necessary.

Post# 126993 , Reply# 29   3/8/2011 at 11:42 (4,791 days old) by andken23 ()        
re

 My Ambassador(III) got the white top with blue body and the cloth hose.
Andrew

Post# 127000 , Reply# 30   3/8/2011 at 12:21 (4,791 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        

A great aunt had one of those blue Ambassador IIIs. Here's a question: does the hose feel slipperier and more "plastified" than other woven Lux hoses? The one my great aunt had had a hose that felt completely different to me; it was like it was coated with vinyl or plastic, or something like that. Otherwise, it was the same white hose with blue arrows.

The Ambassador II would have come with the same white/blue arrow hose. The seller told me he had the machine serviced last year, and I guess he replaced the hose at the same time. Lucky for me, as I absolutely don't want any more old, unusable Lux hoses.

P.S. I think I've isolated the Ambassador II power nozzle problem to either the hose, or wand, or perhaps both. Not a problem, as I have more than one hose and wand.

Post# 127042 , Reply# 31   3/8/2011 at 20:05 (4,791 days old) by andken23 ()        

Well Bob i think the hoses feel the same way the new hose is more "plastified" i know but it feels the same way as the cloth hose.
Andrew

Post# 127067 , Reply# 32   3/8/2011 at 23:52 (4,791 days old) by sireluxomatic ()        

Hmm...this one must have been a rogue hose, or something.

Post# 127301 , Reply# 33   3/11/2011 at 17:00 (4,788 days old) by andken23 ()        

Yeah maybe Bob and I am going to be down st johns sometime this month after the weather get better and when some of snow clears up.

Andrew

Post# 255570 , Reply# 34   11/7/2013 at 21:20 (3,816 days old) by floor-a-matic (somewhere)        

Nice Electrolux vacuums; I too like Electrolux canisters

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