Thread Number: 14637
Your one favorite Kirby OF ALL TIME |
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Post# 154913   10/10/2011 at 20:46 (4,575 days old) by broomvac (N/A)   |   | |
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I know threads like this have been created before, but I figured I would make another since they are just too fun!
Now, as for where this thread should go, you all can correct me, but I figured the Vintage section would be the best seeing as how most of the Kirbys out there are considered "Vintage". So, what is your single favorite Kirby model ever? Why? Mine is the G6. I knew my favorite would have to be a G series vacuum, because of the cleaning performance/power (most powerful Kirbys are the G series cleaners), tech drive, bag system and filtration, serviceability, and looks (there is just something about the sharp edges, convex head light, large wheels/wide rear end, vertical exhaust, boot-like emtor, and slouching bag that I LOVE about the looks of the G series vacuums!). Now, as far as the variations in both the looks and performance of the G series vacuums, there are minor differences, and the G6 seems to combine all of my favorite features and color scheme in one vacuum. Things such as: -Rounded Emptor that is compatible with the crush proof fill tube -"Micron" outer bag material that seems softer and looser than all other previous bag materials(same material as G4 and G5, just different color). I also like the fact the bag seems to filter better than all others and has a straight zipper with fine teeth and an inner cloth strip that acts as a zipper guard. -Twist on disposable bags -Rounded headlight -Transmission with return spring -Nozzle compatible with Sentria brush rolls -Straight handle and bag hook -Kevlar fan and the thing that ties it all together is the color! I LOVE the black and gold! Best Kirby color scheme ever! CLASS! P.S. I actually do not own a G6 (so I just used a picture of one from eBay), but have used, worked on, and encountered many before. I am currently looking for one as a project, though. It should not take me long to find one. P.P.S. My (very close) second favorite Kirby is the G3, and I do own a great example of one that I restored a while back -Kevlar fan |
Post# 154916 , Reply# 1   10/10/2011 at 20:55 (4,575 days old) by luxflairguy (Wilmington, NC)   |   | |
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First two speed Kirby, expanded tool set, lighted logo and the color scheme is "to die for." Follow-up is the Dual 80. And then there's the sound! Still can here it today! Hey, I'm almost 60 and these are the machines of my childhood! Greg |
Post# 154917 , Reply# 2   10/10/2011 at 21:00 (4,575 days old) by thevacuumman (Borger, TX)   |   | |
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The 510 because it was the first kirby i had restored |
Post# 154918 , Reply# 3   10/10/2011 at 21:05 (4,575 days old) by pr-21 (Middletown, OH)   |   | |
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Post# 154920 , Reply# 4   10/10/2011 at 21:50 (4,575 days old) by thissucks ()   |   | |
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i would say the omega, i love the hid away rear wheels large wrap around nossle funky headlight trim and rosewood color sceme. that and since its 6amps it can do what a modern vac can do. |
Post# 154927 , Reply# 6   10/10/2011 at 22:17 (4,575 days old) by broomvac (N/A)   |   | |
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One thing I forgot to mention about ALL G series machines that I greatly appreciate is the fact that I feel they are the most practical of all of the Kirbys.
Another thing is that I doubt I am too biased, for I own a decent section of the spectrum of Kirbys throughout the ages, from the Sanitronic to the G series machines, all either fully or most of the way restored, but all fully functional. So, I own pretty much one Kirby from each "series", and the ones in between I definitely have been exposed to, used, and serviced. (I used the word "series" because saying "generation" would cause to much confusion. lol) Kirbys in my collection: Sanitronic VII Classic Classic Omega Heritage II Generation 3 |
Post# 154931 , Reply# 7   10/10/2011 at 22:41 (4,575 days old) by BrianKirbyClass (Eudora Kansas)   |   | |
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I have to say the Kirby Classic Omega,,but only if its in brand new, A 1 condition,with the original metal fan.(If its been beat up,corroded,ready for the junk pile, forget it, that makes any Kirby look ugly)
I love the mirror finish next to the rosewood dark brown color scheme,,,the hide away back wheels, the bell shaped wrap around rug nozzle, and the fact that it will take a shag rug rake,,the Shag King! I think the Omega with the Shag King attached looks really cool,like its going to attack!,,it means BUSINESS! Also the tone of the metal fan,,unmistake - able KIRBY at its finest! When i was a kid,back in the early to mid 70s, A neighbor that lived down the street had a brand new Kirby Classic Omega,,ohhh i was SOOO JELOUS!!! I wanted one SOOOOO BADLY! They would bring the Kirby out once in awhile to vacuum their car. I could hear the roar of that Kirby motor a mile away. Id have to make a trip down the street, just to get a glimps of the Kirby,,it was so beautiful. I swore that SOMEDAY,,I would have one!! (Yes, ive had one for years,,it was sent back to the factory not long ago for a rebuild,,and its in perfect A 1 Condition!) No metal fan,,but thats OK,,it still sounds like a Kirby Classic Omega should! |
Post# 154937 , Reply# 10   10/10/2011 at 23:30 (4,575 days old) by broomvac (N/A)   |   | |
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Yep. That is the ONE thing wrong with my Classic and Classic Omega, though I am currently fixing that issue with my handy Dremel tool. Everything else is perfect.
As for The Generation 3, 'tis a beastly vacuum! The thing I like better on the G3 than the G6 is that the flat-topped emptor actually WORKS at catching heavy objects and keeping them from potentially hurting the bag and fill tube or rolling back into the fan chamber. Not that I ever really need anything to catch things I vacuum up, because I am a very careful vacuumer. Still, its good to know it is there just in case! The G3 bag is made of a slightly stiffer material than the rest of the G series bags, and has a spring at the top where the bag strap would normally be, along with a slanted non-removable rubber topper. This combination is arguably a better design than the cloth strap, because it secures the bag to the handle in a manner that keeps it from really moving around or twisting, but I kind of like the cloth strap because it lets the bag do its own thing, bobbing and twisting and whatever, just like on the older Kirbys. Also, an original Generation 3 vacuum is going to be fitted with a sliding transmission block without a return spring. This is good and bad. Good things being that it can drive faster, but the bad is that if slightly more aggressive shifting bothers you or if you enjoy vacuuming in NEUTRAL, you should replace it with a sliding block with a return spring. Replacing the piece is a cinch if you know what you are doing, and no other parts need exchanging. My Generation 3 came with the block that does not have the return spring, but I replaced the inexpensive part with its counterpart that has the attached spring. I find it to be a nice switch, but if I get tired of it, I still have the old block which is in perfect condition that I could put back in minutes. Everything on this machine is in top notch operating and cosmetic condition, except the aluminum is slightly tarnished(but that obviously has no effect on performance or strength), but shortly my Dremel tool will make it shine like a mirror. |
Post# 155024 , Reply# 13   10/11/2011 at 16:06 (4,574 days old) by gsheen (Cape Town South Africa)   |   | |
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Post# 155026 , Reply# 14   10/11/2011 at 16:24 (4,574 days old) by jfalberti (Visalia, CA)   |   | |
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I have two Kirbys in my collection. One is a Sanitronic VII. It is special to me because when I was a Kirby dealer, that is the first model Kirby I traded in. It is all original except for the bag, but at least it is a genuine replacement. The other Kirby is an Ultimate G Diamond Edition. I wanted a G Series, and liked the speed switch for delicate carpets. I don't care for the Sentria because I think it's a step backwards compared to the DE, but that is just my opinion.
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Post# 155032 , Reply# 15   10/11/2011 at 16:56 (4,574 days old) by Brandon_W_T ()   |   | |
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My favorite would probably be my Kirby Vacuette special model C Its STILL in the vacuum shop being restored. Called today. He has it apart and is servicing the outside then its buffing wheel time. |
Post# 155048 , Reply# 18   10/11/2011 at 19:48 (4,574 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)   |   | |
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Post# 155106 , Reply# 20   10/12/2011 at 05:59 (4,573 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)   |   | |
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I like the Dual Sanitronic Kirbys as well. |
Post# 155327 , Reply# 22   10/13/2011 at 17:24 (4,572 days old) by floor-a-matic (somewhere)   |   | |
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Vintage: Classic 1CR Classic III Dual Sanitronic 50 516 Modern: G3 G4 Legend Generally, I like all of them! :) |
Post# 155408 , Reply# 23   10/14/2011 at 12:53 (4,571 days old) by 2011hoover700 (owosso michigan)   |   | |
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Post# 155419 , Reply# 24   10/14/2011 at 14:10 (4,571 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill (Birthplace of the Railway),England, UK.)   |   | |
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Post# 155543 , Reply# 25   10/15/2011 at 15:17 (4,570 days old) by djtaylor (Salt Lake City, Utah)   |   | |
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My grandparents D50. I got it back in 1988 when my stepfather gave them a Hoover Commercial upright. Ok, today it is more of a FrankenKirby. It has a Classic handle, Heritage II mini-emtor with a brown open-top cloth bag. Lately, I have been using it with a Classic nozzle that someone had trimmed off it's 'wings' to make it look like a Heritage II. I love that vacuum. It's been used more than any of the others.
Great machine. |
Post# 155862 , Reply# 29   10/18/2011 at 05:00 (4,567 days old) by MikeKLondon ()   |   | |
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I love the look of the tradition. |
Post# 155869 , Reply# 30   10/18/2011 at 07:02 (4,567 days old) by watsonw (Newport, Shropshire, UK)   |   | |
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Hoover 450/475 Lightweight but not light, just the correct agitator size which combined with the dust bag capacity and height adjuster its the machine of all hoovers that makes best use of its motor power/speed. |
Post# 155878 , Reply# 31   10/18/2011 at 09:47 (4,567 days old) by Sablekid ()   |   | |
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yes, that was an excellent Kirby model |
Post# 155890 , Reply# 32   10/18/2011 at 14:15 (4,567 days old) by sanitaire (anchorage, alaska)   |   | |
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both of my sanitronics. one is all orgional except I had too weld a hole on the fan case and the other came with a after market kirby dimond cloth bag with paper liner, new brush |
Post# 155898 , Reply# 33   10/18/2011 at 15:03 (4,567 days old) by BrianKirbyClass (Eudora Kansas)   |   | |
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Kirby slogans written in the instruction manual and on the boxes during the Classic 1CR, Omega, and Classic 3
"The Amazingly New Kirby Classic Omega. Built to put more leasure time into your modern life!" "Kirby Classic Omega, Plus Benefits. No other appliance is as versatile, or provides so many benefits." Kirby Classic 3 Quality Reliability Performance Kirby Classic "More Leasure Time For You"! |
Post# 155899 , Reply# 34   10/18/2011 at 15:08 (4,567 days old) by fanonthefloor (Augusta,Georgia)   |   | |
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G4 which is my aunts vav. |
Post# 156071 , Reply# 35   10/19/2011 at 21:23 (4,566 days old) by broomvac (N/A)   |   | |
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Post# 156117 , Reply# 38   10/20/2011 at 06:25 (4,565 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)   |   | |
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When I use any of my dump bag Krbys-don't do the newspaper bit-just too messy.I take the Sani-emptor off the fan discharge and just dump it in the trash.Easier and less messy-gets the stuff out of the house. |
Post# 156136 , Reply# 39   10/20/2011 at 12:05 (4,565 days old) by Sablekid ()   |   | |
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I would say anything before the Classic.
Smaller, more efficient. |
Post# 156152 , Reply# 40   10/20/2011 at 17:00 (4,565 days old) by thevacuumguy96 (Pocatello, ID)   |   | |
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Upright man, I have two bottles of Sweet-Aire, one is Empty and one is half full and I have the boxes for them too. |
Post# 156167 , Reply# 42   10/20/2011 at 19:50 (4,565 days old) by Brandon_W_T ()   |   | |
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YOU MUST POST PICTURES!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!! |
Post# 156172 , Reply# 43   10/20/2011 at 20:10 (4,565 days old) by KirbyDS80 (California)   |   | |
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Classic, Dual Sanitronic 80 Classic III Heritage II Tradition Modern, G4 G5 Ultimate G |
Post# 156196 , Reply# 44   10/20/2011 at 22:08 (4,565 days old) by broomvac (N/A)   |   | |
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Post# 156247 , Reply# 45   10/21/2011 at 11:10 (4,564 days old) by vac_whisperer ()   |   | |
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POST PICTURES NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh yeah, I used to watch that show, too. |
Post# 157487 , Reply# 46   10/30/2011 at 05:15 (4,555 days old) by thermokid (Casper, Wyoming)   |   | |
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My Favorite Kirby and Daily Driver is a model 561 with all the attachments, Floor polisher and Handi-Butler Still runs and picks up perfectly after all these years.. Dan |
Post# 157827 , Reply# 48   11/2/2011 at 20:31 (4,552 days old) by tazcatsdad (Buffalo, NY)   |   | |
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Post# 157942 , Reply# 49   11/3/2011 at 21:16 (4,551 days old) by broomvac (N/A)   |   | |
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