Arrives at Tarantula Arms!  This machine has an interesting provenance.  Charlie Watrous, Pat Froze and I entered a contest at the North Canton convention and won this machine.  Pat got it first and did a restoration.  He sent it to Charlie who polished it up further.  Finally it has come to me.  Here is the box in my front hall - just arrived from Charlotte.

Much unpacking (Charlie loves styrofoam peanuts - which I hate!) I got the machine out.  Charlie packed it carefully, since the first 67 I received came damaged (more about that later.)  Here is the model plate underneath.  You can see how clean this machine is after having gone through 2 renovations.

Of underneath the base.  While this machine was used, it was restored beautifully.  I felt like I transported back to 1959 and was opening up the machine for the first time.  Except for those darned peanuts.

Now for the first glam shot.  There are some scratches, but they are really accentuated in this photo.  You really can't see them.

Number 2.  This machine is from about 1959.  It did not have a long run.  It really is beautiful.  The flash accentuates the minor scratches.  In normal light you can't see them and the machine is like brand new.  All original.  I'll try to take some pictures that really show what a beautiful machine this is.

About how I came to get this machine is interesting.   I really am not in the market to expand the collection but after Terry Lattz passed away, his 67 is one that I wanted to fill in some gaps in my Hoover upright collection, plus the sentimental value of Terry's machines.  We had his machines shipped up here and distributed most of them to friends.   Unfortunately, the two machines I really wanted to keep from his collection were his 66 and 67.  Both were damaged in shipping.

Charlie sent me this machine - which will help to fill in the holes.  Thanks Charlie!

Of Convertibles - from the 65 through the 70 are some of my favorites.  The colors, design and manufacturing.  The Hoovers of my youth.  In my opinion Hoover at its best.  Some of the earlier ones were fabulous, but I think it was downhill from these.  Fred, that Hoover 69 box is to die for.  OY!  The 69 has to be one of my favorites.  The color was fabulous.  And, of course, Charlie says we all must have a 69!  Here is mine.

Of Hoover - there was a reason they always came out on top for consumer ratings.  Nothing could beat them for rug cleaning.  Above the floor - not so much.  You just needed a Constellation to go with it and you were set.

I never much paid attention to the handle grips.  The earlier ones don't seem to have them, but they reappeared on the 69.  They also had them on the Dial-A-Matics.   Hmmmm.

The truth be told - if you had an Electrolux straight suction cleaner and a Hoover upright, you were set.  I would say the same thing today.  (Assuming we are talking this vintage.)

If you could only have one cleaner - what would it be. It would be two.  A Hoover upright from the 65-69 vintage and an Electrolux F, G or L.  I would be happy.

It would be interesting to put a Hoover 60 series against any machine for carpet cleaning.  I truly believe that it would be hard to beat.  I would agree that a later Hoover might suffer in the competition.  Those early Hoover convertibles are really hard to beat for deep carpet cleaning.  The first Hoover Concepts would give them a run  for their money, but the later Hoover Convertibles I can't speak for.

Stay tuned for another arrival at Tarantula Arms.  Just got a box from Charlie with a Hoover 66.  I understand this was from the Stachnik collection.  This fills in the series.  Yeah!

Folks may chime in here, but I believe that the quality as well as the beater bars made the difference.  "It Beats, As It Sweeps, As It Cleans" was a winning combination.  The later Hoovers did away with the beater bars.  Not sure why.  All I know is that those Hoovers with the beater bars won over all other machines in the VCCC competitions.  Would be interesting to have a competition between it and all comers at the next convention.  I'll talk to the powers that be to see if it can be arranged.

Describing the action.  Hoover later did away with the beater bars and did very well with the Concept brushes, but I still think this mechanism was the best.  It lasted for decades and made Hoover the success it was.  As John Long said, that "Hoover Hum" indicates it is moving the dirt up.   As I said, I think it was downhill from the 60 series.  The move to cost cutting and finally the move to China.  As with many companies, the quality deteriorated.  Still would like to match these machines up for cleaning against anything today.