Thread Number: 2587
My new Kirby!
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Post# 28556   1/7/2008 at 05:22 (5,925 days old) by vintagehoover ()        

I've been so impressed with my bargain £8 Legend II, I took the plunge and spent slightly more on something a little more powerful and modern - a G5!

Post# 28557 , Reply# 1   1/7/2008 at 05:26 (5,925 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
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Post# 28558 , Reply# 2   1/7/2008 at 05:27 (5,925 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
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Post# 28559 , Reply# 3   1/7/2008 at 05:28 (5,925 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
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Post# 28560 , Reply# 4   1/7/2008 at 05:29 (5,925 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
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Post# 28561 , Reply# 5   1/7/2008 at 05:32 (5,925 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
A video...

...of the G5 in all it's TechDriven glory!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO vintagehoover's LINK


Post# 28567 , Reply# 6   1/7/2008 at 07:15 (5,925 days old) by g3 ()        

Hi,

That is a beautiful machine, but you may want to have the transmission (tech drive) serviced ASAP. It should not be that noisy. That loud noise is sign of dried out internal roller bearings.

I just rebuilt my sister's G4 completely and the transmission is quiet, all that is heard is the handle pivot sliding back and forth in the bearing blocks. Prior to the rebuild it was just as noisy as your machine.

Ray


Post# 28568 , Reply# 7   1/7/2008 at 07:21 (5,925 days old) by g3 ()        

Also, the rear inner wheel on the transmission is from a G3. Should be the same color as the outer.

Ray


Post# 28571 , Reply# 8   1/7/2008 at 08:17 (5,924 days old) by hoover1060 ()        
Thats very nice Jack

I have always thought the G5 was one of the sharpest looking Kirbys!
Now you should upgrade to the new Ultimate G brush roller, it really digs into the carpet and does a wonderful job!


Post# 28573 , Reply# 9   1/7/2008 at 08:22 (5,924 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Ah, right -

I wondered if it was meant to be that loud! I'm not entirely happy with the machine, it's not quite as represented on the eBay listing. The shampoo system was meant to be new, but it's clearly been used at least once, the 'new' rear wheels, as you say, are used parts, and the seller charged £30 for postage - clearly excessive, and the post mark shows it only cost them £15 to ship. Given these things, I'd be willing to bet it hasn't been 'entirely stripped and serviced' as advertised; after all, most buyers wouldn't check this. However, the fan and belt pulley do look new, as does the brush roll (later G-series/Sentria type). I may have to complain to the seller...

Shame - other than the noisy Tech Drive, it seems to work fine. Is there any way I could lubricate the roller bearings myself?


Post# 28574 , Reply# 10   1/7/2008 at 08:25 (5,924 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Thanks, Jeff!

I agree, I love the styling of the G5, and I like the black cherry/polished aluminium colour scheme! The eBay trader I bought it from has already upgraded the brush roll to the later style you mentioned, and it does do a wonderful job! Pity he hasn't done quite what was promised with the rest of the machine, really :(

Post# 28586 , Reply# 11   1/7/2008 at 10:53 (5,924 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill (Birthplace of the Railway),England, UK.)        
Kirby G....s

chestermikeuk's profile picture
Nice one Jack, I picked up one of these last year and had it serviced,its the nicest of the G machines IMHO, i use it as a daily driver and it really does pull the pile up with the latest brushroll....I would have a word with said seller, wheels & cord not of the model type, worth a try...

Also consider having it serviced, our local firm is doing a special for £19.99, serviced, new bag n belt complete strip down....I do it to get the returns as well, worth keeping in touch with them...Cheers, Mike


Post# 28588 , Reply# 12   1/7/2008 at 11:15 (5,924 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Difficult choices...

...hi, Mike - interested to hear more about your local firm - would they have an outlet near where I live? I'm faced with a difficult dilemma at the moment;

I don't want to keep a £230 machine which is at risk of breaking down at any moment, but it's a hassle to return it, and the seller's refusing to refund either the return postage cost, or the missing £14.42 difference from the original £30 postage I paid. I'd end up with no Kirby, and £26.41 worse off than when I started :(

The seller also claims the Tech Drive bearings were greased before the machine was reassembled...

Any advice, guys?? I don't want to end up getting ripped off, and with a machine which is about to break down!


Post# 28590 , Reply# 13   1/7/2008 at 12:17 (5,924 days old) by chestermikeuk (Rainhill (Birthplace of the Railway),England, UK.)        
Kirby

chestermikeuk's profile picture
Jack, its Kirby service that I use, the main agent, try a local one from your area, should be in the phone book, from what the service guy told me they dont repair the tech drives, they just swap them out and are sent back to the factory for refurb...it sounds like the forward/reverse metal & plastic guides on the techdrive need adjusting, serviceman did this on mine and it purrs,

did you pay £230 for it??is this ebayer a vac shop or just a one off seller??

The other thing to do is sign up for a service contract, one off £70 a year or £6.99 per month, and get it all repaired later on under contract... Cheers, Mike


Post# 28596 , Reply# 14   1/7/2008 at 12:51 (5,924 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Thanks for the info, Mike :)

I'll certainly try and speak to someone from Kirby about the problem, there is a Kirby Customer Service Centre in Chertsey, which isn't too far away from me.

I paid £199 for it, plus a ridiculous £30 p&p (postage actually cost £15.58, and he won't refund the difference). I thought even with the crazy postage, £230 didn't seem too bad for a cleaner which would work better and last much longer than an even more expensive Dyson, for example, but it seems it wasn't such a good buy after all!

The closer I look, the more unhappy with it I am - he claims that all parts used in the reconditioning were geniune, but they're not - the bag, belt, and possibly the flex, are all cheap, inferior pattern parts - the belt is too big, doesn't have that texured pattern on the inside, and has been slipping and making a burning rubber smell. I've fitted a geniune bag and belt now, which have improved things.

So he lied about the tech drive, the replacement parts, and swindled me over the postage costs - I'm not really a happy bunny!

The seller, perhaps ironically, calls himself 'thekirbydoctor', and seems to be a shop of sorts. The link to the auction is below:


CLICK HERE TO GO TO vintagehoover's LINK on eBay


Post# 28608 , Reply# 15   1/7/2008 at 13:31 (5,924 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Latest development...

... am I correct in thinking that in the UK, metal-bodied cleaners, such as a Kirby, need to be earthed to meet safety standards? The grey flex that my G5 is fitted with is only 2-core :S

Post# 28613 , Reply# 16   1/7/2008 at 14:31 (5,924 days old) by kirbymodel2c (Nottingham, England)        
Kirby G5

kirbymodel2c's profile picture
Hi Jack its the first time I'v really spoke to you.
Ummm to be honest I think you might have over paid for it slightly for the condition it is in. (Just my thoughts)
I'm sure You could get a better Kirby G5 than that,
To say the cord is not to the G5 nor the rear wheel hubs.
The back plate looks a diffrent colour to that of the G5 as well??
Did you get the rest of the tools & if so do they match the same colour as the G5?
Is the G5 shampooer in the Gsix box?

Sorry for all the question but I'm mainly a kirby collector, So kirby is my baby like Hoover is yours:-))

Take care

james


Post# 28617 , Reply# 17   1/7/2008 at 15:13 (5,924 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Hi James,

yes, I probably have overpaid for the condition the machine's in, because the seller totally misrepresented it in the auction - if you look at the link I posted above, he makes it sound like it's been totally rebuilt, when in fact he's just swapped around a few used parts, and combined it with cheap pattern spares. A pretty face hiding many sins!

I was even more annoyed to find the seller has just sold another G5, complete with all of its tools and accessories, for just £30 more than I paid for mine. I wonder if he took the best bits for that one, and the one I ended up with was the collection of left-over bits :S

The only tool it came with was the hose. This seems to be the correct colour.

The shampooer is a G6 shampooer, in a G6 box. He's still claiming it's brand new, but the tank is scuffed and has traces of dirty water marks inside. The rest of it all looks like new, though.

I'm pretty sure the back plate is the correct one, as is one of the wheels - it's just one wheel hub which is from a G3.

You have a beautiful collection, btw - must have cost you a fortune to ship all that stuff over here, though?


Post# 28619 , Reply# 18   1/7/2008 at 15:30 (5,924 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Just emailed the seller:

He had offered to refund the purchase cost, but not the postage, which would total £41.99 in total:

Hi there, thanks for your prompt response.

I'm afraid the solution you've proposed is not fair or acceptable.

Whilst the TechDrive system does function, it should be silent in operation, and on this machine it’s loud and whiney. The roller bearings are worn, and I'm not willing to accept this because if it breaks, I'll have an expensive service/parts charge to pay.

In addition to the other problems I’ve mentioned, you claimed ‘all parts are genuine Kirby parts’, and neither the inner dustbag, nor the flex or drive belt, are genuine Kirby parts. Kirby parts are always clearly marked as genuine, and neither of these have any markings on them at all. They are non-genuine, inferior quality pattern spares. The flex isn't even 3-core. The belt has been slipping in use, causing a burning smell, even when the height is correctly adjusted.

You haven't addressed the issue of the missing postage money – this needs to be refunded. You claimed postage cost £30 due to the weight, but this is obviously untrue, since you shipped it for £15.58. £14.43 is unaccounted for. This is a considerable difference – it’s not just a matter of a few pence. It's against eBay policy to profit by over-inflating postages charges.

I wouldn’t expect a seller to refund return postage costs on a return item if the problem with it was my fault. However, the cleaner was – whether intentionally or unintentionally - misrepresented in the listing, since it didn’t mention the noise made by the worn roller bearings. I wouldn’t have bought the machine if I thought it had this fault, since I know this is indicative of a problem with the bearings, and would lead to an expensive repair charge. Whether or not they were greased, you claimed that any worn parts would be replaced, which they weren’t. Therefore, you are liable for any costs incurred in return postage fees.

You claim ‘WE GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED’. I am disappointed, and I’m not willing to spend £230 on a machine which is at risk of breaking down at any point. Nor am I willing to end up without a Kirby, and £41.99 worse off than before I bought it.

The machine was not accurately represented in the auction, and if you don’t refund the entire cost, including refunding both the original and return postage – a total of £241.99 - I will have to make an official complaint to eBay, and negative feedback will be left.

Regards,

Jack Copp



Post# 28624 , Reply# 19   1/7/2008 at 16:23 (5,924 days old) by g3 ()        

Hi,

This is why I would never buy a Kirby that someone else claimed to refurbish, nor would I have anyone service or refurbish my G3 or my sister's G3, G4 & G6 other than possibily sending them back to Kirby.

I noticed the shampooer was G6 as well, seller did state that in the listing. Anytime someone sells a Kirby with mix & match parts is a sign of trouble.

The transmissions can be serviced if one has mechanical ability. The bearings are inside the casing and cannot be oiled without disassembly. It's not a difficult job for me to completely disasemble & clean, but most may find it to be as there are springs, cork clutches, belts, etc. that need to be aligned before reassembling.

I see this happening all the time on Ebay, people selling Kirbys for big money that they claim were refurbished, but using mix matched parts.

I would definately, keep pressure on them to give you full money back including cost to return it.

Ray


Post# 28625 , Reply# 20   1/7/2008 at 16:25 (5,924 days old) by kirbymodel2c (Nottingham, England)        
Lets see what the rip off merchent says now!!

kirbymodel2c's profile picture
Hi again,
If you complain to paypal won't they refund all your money?
Including shipping??
I can't remember?

Ummm when it comes to what Iv spent on my collection over the years I'm not sure how much Iv spent yet alone on shipping from $90 to $185 a go. A lot of that was not when the currancey was nearly 2 $ to a £.

Most Iv spent on a kirby is about $1700 off the top of my head.
Not including shipping.

Are all your Hoovers UK 240v models?
Have you ever imported a US model over?
What's the most have you spent on a machine if you don't mind me asking?

take care

James


Post# 28632 , Reply# 21   1/7/2008 at 16:45 (5,924 days old) by vintagehoover ()        
Hi again, James!

Yes, all but one of my Hoovers are 240v British machines.

The exception is a US Model 300, which I bought late last year - it cost me $10, plus $60 (or £30) to ship over. I've never run it, since I don't have a transformer, and it's in the process of being restored at the moment. The bag's not original, sadly, so I'm on the lookout for one of those! I'll post a pic of it once the polishing has been finished!

The most I've ever spent on a Hoover was £220 inc p&p, which I paid for my Model 425 with tools. I only paid that much because the toolkit is very rare, since it only fit that model. As it turned out, the machine itself was in quite bad condition, but luckily I was generously given another one by a fellow collector, and I managed to build a decent one out of the two.

Not counting cleaners I was given free of charge, the rest of the collection has varied in price - from £10 for my Model 700, £12 for my Model 800, to £100 which I paid for my Junior 370. Price and value often goes up and down, seemingly without logic - a lot of my nicest cleaners are the ones I've paid least for!


Post# 28634 , Reply# 22   1/7/2008 at 17:05 (5,924 days old) by kirbymodel2c (Nottingham, England)        
True

kirbymodel2c's profile picture
Oh I know what you mean.
It's just a shame all my kirby's older than 1976 are 115 volt but I do have a transformer to run them.
I keep meaning to get a a older Hoover.
And there's still a few other UK vacuums I'm after most are which are 80,early 90s.
Space is always a factor.

Oh well off to bed now.
Work in the morning.

Oh I like your website and videos!
very nice!!

Might do that to my kirby's one day.

Talk soon.


Post# 28635 , Reply# 23   1/7/2008 at 17:07 (5,924 days old) by kirbymodel2c (Nottingham, England)        
Legend II

kirbymodel2c's profile picture
P.S.

Your legend II is coming on Great!!!


Post# 28652 , Reply# 24   1/7/2008 at 20:31 (5,924 days old) by petek (Ontario)        

My G3 makes a little bit of that noise but not near as loud. I checked a couple of other you tube videos and heard someone elses making it also. Is it fairly common? My G4 doesn't make the noise at all.
Legend II is still may favorite though.


Post# 28923 , Reply# 25   1/12/2008 at 07:18 (5,920 days old) by junior1975 ()        
G5.

Jack,

I have a number of G5 spares. Namely a dead motor unit, Transmission may be fine. spare bag, and handle missing it's backplate. If you wanted i could send this lot to you for the cost of the postage. You are welcome to them if they are of use!

Happy new year BTW, we will have to catch up properly some time soon.

TTFN,

Clark.



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