Thread Number: 4905
Finally got my own Broom Vac... yay!!!!! :o) 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 54637   11/9/2008 at 16:51 (5,647 days old) by vacuumfreeeke ()        

Wow. I have been wanting a broom vac for a LONG time. Since I was a child in the 90s and saw the first commercials for them. They resembled Kirbys/Royals with the wing shaped nozzle, and I loved the back mounted soft bag (they came out at a time when most machines were transitioning to front mounted bags and hard case bags.)

So, I was in the Good Will today. I NEVER find vacuums there... I go once a month and it's always junk. Today, they had a self propelled WindTunnel (with height adjust and bare floor sliders both broken off), a Eureka Optima, a Hoover Elite (maroon, soft bag), a Kirby Heritage 2 (first real vac I've ever see there save the Lux upright that I foolishly passed on a year or so ago), a Dirt Devil Roomate, and a Dirt Devil electric sweeper. I almost missed the Broom Vac because it was against a pillar hiding.

I looked at it, and it appeared to be in pretty good condition. So, I vacuumed too much of the store with it (and they didn't even say thank you!) and it ran great. I think I paid maybe a bit more than I should have... it was 13 bucks!

I told a few friends and they said, "What? Bobby bought a Dirt Devil? Is the world coming to an end?!" Tell ya a secret... as much as I dislike the brand, I'd also buy the Cruiser in a heartbeat if I came across one.

It even came with 3 new bags! I do have a question though... what kind of belt do I buy for it? It has a good one on it, but I always like to have spares. Do I have to get it online?

The only thing I don't like about it is the fact that it has the rocker power switch. I prefer the step on kind, and I know some of these models had that kind instead. But, the bag blows up big, I love the adjustable handle, and metal sole plate. I also love the way the handle is curved... very nice. It's a little loud, but not terrible. I haven't gotten a "new" vacuum since the Dyson back around April or so, so this is kinda fun for me. I know some people here get a new machine every day/week, but I don't.

Anyone know how easy it would be to take the cloth bag off and run it through the washer? Do you think it would fade? The bag on my Kirby DS80 faded when I washed it, so I'm always scared to wash them, but this machine is much newer...

It picks up great... I of course had to play when I got it home. I emptied the hole puncher and sprinkled some cat litter on the floor (I vacuumed with my Concept right before leaving for the Good Will, so there wasn't any dirt to be found... I had to make some) and it really whisked the debris right up. It seems to have been made with some degree of quality... there are even felt pads on the wheel axle where between where the rear wheels and machine body meet.

Thanks for sharing in my excitement :o)

Sorry about awful the picture... my cell phone is my only camera! You all know what a broom vac looks like anyway!

Post# 54655 , Reply# 1   11/9/2008 at 22:44 (5,646 days old) by luxg ()        

Great find Bobby, they are really a fun little vacuum and do a darn good job.

Post# 54661 , Reply# 2   11/10/2008 at 00:16 (5,646 days old) by rugmaster37 ()        
what kind of belt do I buy for it?

 Hey Bobby...

You will need to find Dirt Devil style 2 belts for this machine. They are still available thru DD, and you should have no problems finding them at your nearest vacuum store.

Also, you can wash the bag on it. Becasue the bag is red there will be some bleeding that will occur and will turn the rinse water a pinkish color.

I choose to handwash my bags, in the kitchen sink with Woolite and plenty of cold water. I usually rinse the bag no less than 2 times, then a final rinse with a smidgen of Downey ro Gain softener. These are the brands that suit me best. You may use whatever you wish.

To dry the bag, I usually warp it in an old bath towel, and wring it out as best as I can folding it up and using lost of pressure top remove a good potrtion of the moisture.. Then I usually hang it up to dry someplace.. To speed along drying time, I reattach the bag to the machine, and with the nozzle propped up off any surface that It can contact, and run the machine for around 5-10 minutes or so, and let the forced air speed drying. (think a dryer with no heat).

That works for me.

Great find BTW. I just found one for myself about 6 months ago ir really fine condition. I changed the paper bag, belt and cleaned the roller. Later I washed the bag to rid it of old lady stench. ( "think" she sucked up some sort of perfumed powder with it, so it smelled like the ladys department at Macy's.) YUCKY....peroid end of paragraph...

Chad

Ann Arbor Michigan

Post# 54667 , Reply# 3   11/10/2008 at 06:53 (5,646 days old) by vacuumfreeeke ()        

Thanks Terry and Chad. It's amazing how much joy such a silly little thing has given me... I should get new machines more often!

I found the belts on the dirt devil web site... tried to download a manual (thought it might be fun to have), but it wouldn't take my model number. Do you think that manuals for such old machines are no longer available? Chad, does yours have the rocker switch, or the pedal kind?

I found this one on e-bay that has the pedal kind, it is the "PRO" series Royal version. How strange that they actually labeled the handle height for different carpet thicknesses!!

With such a small motor, I wonder why the machine is so long. It reminds me of Cruella Deville's car! Part of its charm though!

The cord clips are cheap, and not quick release... but I bet I could use the handle height adjustment as a sort of primitive quick release for the cord. Not that I need to... with the long handle and short cord, it only goes around a few times anyway!

I do wish I could change the way the bag loads. It loads from the front, and when it gets full, I think it will crush the fill tube. Plus, with the tube going under the bag like it does, the bag can't sag as it fills up and I like to see that in a vacuum!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO vacuumfreeeke's LINK on eBay


Post# 54674 , Reply# 4   11/10/2008 at 16:42 (5,646 days old) by rugmaster37 ()        
Chad, does yours have the rocker switch, or the pedal kind?

 Bobby,

Mine has the pedal. I know that later in the run Dirt Devil switched to the cheaper rocker setup. TTI, or therin any of their lines tend to change stuff in thruought the production run if it works too well, to something else that's chaper and just barely makes the grade. That's the "Power of Dirt Devil" at work for ya!!!

I used to have the blue Royal PRO Series, and another earlier Red one. I have let both of them go over time for various reasons, none of them of course having to do with brainpower.

When I found this one, I decided that I'll never let it go. There are getting to be tooo few of them in my area.

Yeah the handle setup is rahter strange, and it is a very basic and crude mechanism for adjusting to carpet height, and cord release, which I use it for only. I seriously doubt thatIt actually does much to adjust the rug nozzle anyway...

Good to see anotherone saved...

Post# 54681 , Reply# 5   11/10/2008 at 18:19 (5,646 days old) by vintagehoover ()        

I always liked the look of these cleaners, since they're old-technology-made-new! I've never used one though. People I've spoken to about them have only ever had negative things to say about them, sadly - but they were comparing them to other modern cleaners, not as a fun retro collectible.

One's been on ebay.co.uk recently, but with a BIN of £30, plus p&p, it's a bit too pricey for a novelty item, I think. If I saw one for £10, I might be tempted ;)

How on earth does the handle height-selector work?!

Post# 54683 , Reply# 6   11/10/2008 at 20:15 (5,646 days old) by swingette ()        

I had one of those for a while. i remember them when they came out new, but i got mine thrifting for just a few dollars.

i was impressed by the cleaning performance. my machine wasn't too loud, and i had attachments too. i bet it cleaned better than a Dyson DC07 (then again, most machines do).

the rug adjuster is really a telescopic handle. of course a longer handle exerts less downward pressure on the wheels, which is a benefit on plush carpet.

Post# 54687 , Reply# 7   11/10/2008 at 20:27 (5,645 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)        
I have one too

 gottahaveahoove's profile picture
Anyone want it???

Post# 54697 , Reply# 8   11/10/2008 at 22:37 (5,645 days old) by kirbyvertibles (Independence, KS)        

kirbyvertibles's profile picture
Vacuumfreeeke,
Is that Concept in the background a model U3103?

Post# 54703 , Reply# 9   11/11/2008 at 08:41 (5,645 days old) by vacuumfreeeke ()        

Indeed it is a Concept U3103. That was the first vacuum in my collection. I got it when I was 18/19 at a Goodwill for 15 bucks... I went to check out the Goodwill while I was on lunch break from my job selling vacuums at Sears. So not only is it an amazing machine, but it has sentimental value as well. Still my fave to this day!

I'm still enjoying the broom vac. I ran out of things to vacuum, so I moved the bed and vacuumed under it. Wow, was I surprised at the "stuff" under the bed! Btw, the Broom Vac doesn't really like nails, paper clips, and staples! I don't usually pick that stuff up in my machines, but they blended in with the carpet... I have no clue how they got under my bed in the first place!


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