Royal vs. Kirby


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Thread Number: 6103
Royal vs. Kirby

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Post# 68268 5/2/2009 at 18:20 (5,472 days old) by vacuumalex ()
Checkrate/Likes Hey there, I was wondering what the consensus around the world is when comparing Royals to Kirbys. Most people I have talked to like Royals because they are all metal. Personally, I think Kirbys and Royals are about evenly matched as far as cleaning performance is concerned. My only complaint about Kirby is some have plastic fans. What do you guys think?

Post# 68270 , Reply# 1 5/2/2009 at 18:41 (5,472 days old) by kenmore81 (Warwick, RI)
Checkrate/Likes *Hey Alex* I think its a toss-up,They are almost like brothers(ducks&runs), I have only used a royal once a long time ago for like 10 seconds but it sucked to the cheap commercial carpet like my Dual 80 does. My question is do new/newer Royals have a metal fan? Kenny

Post# 68271 , Reply# 2 5/2/2009 at 18:58 (5,472 days old) by animasinsulin ()
Checkrate/Likes *My Royal* My new Royal Everlast has a steel fan. WAY too much suction, but I love it.....Bill in Az....

Post# 68273 , Reply# 3 5/2/2009 at 20:35 (5,472 days old) by andy (Boston, MA)
Checkrate/Likes If you are comparing the current machines on the market, I say Kirby all the way. When I bought my store, it was a Royal dealership. The owner had sold several of the newer Royals made in either China or Taiwan. They were junk. The handle releases (which have improved) would wear out so the handle wouldn't stand up, and the screw that held it to the machine would loosen so the handle would wobble all over the place. The touch toe height adjustments would either break, or just wear out from the metal parts rubbing against one another. (I never had problems with the screw type height adjuster). Some of the metal bag connecting rings would be too loose so the machine would spew dust everywhere. I don't know what they did to the bag zippers when they moved production to Asia, but the only two (new) metal Royals I personally sold both came back in the same year with a broken zipper. Not to mention the fact that they were just plain loud. I failed to see what the advantage of owning a Royal was, since the fact that it was metal was obviously a moot point with all of the problems, so I stopped selling them and only sold rebuilt American Royals. The American made machines were an entirely different story. The 6 or 7 amp machines just ran like a dream, with very little problems. They cleaned beautifully, and lasted forever. Now as far as the metal vs plastic fans in the Kirby's goes, I need to clear one thing up. The newer Lexan fan that Kirby is currently using is VERY durable. The older plastic fans were not. You can tell which is which by looking at the color. The Lexan is sort of beige and the plastic is grey. Don't be discouraged by the newer Kirby's not having metal fans; I've certainly seen plenty of broken metal Kirby fans so the idea that they are indestructible is a myth. I've NEVER seen a broken Lexan fan. Not to say it hasn't happened, but they've been out for several years now and I have yet to see a broken one.

Post# 68276 , Reply# 4 5/2/2009 at 20:56 (5,472 days old) by kenmore81 (Warwick, RI)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *I was thinking that* Andy, I was thinking that the new 10 amp Royals would probly be to much and to loud.I thought having a 6 amp motor was quite powerful and had kind of a nice sound to them like kiriby does, but like I said in the last post I only got to use one for like 10 seconds lol. I was 8 and we just got off our delayed flight from FLA and while my mom and grandmother were getting the bags I aske the janitor if I could try it lol. He thought it was so funny as did tired mom and gram. Ken.

Post# 68278 , Reply# 5 5/2/2009 at 21:02 (5,472 days old) by hoover_elite_20 ()
Checkrate/Likes *Differences* Royal has a much larger motor(10 amp I think)which is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much louder! It moves more air and is indeed all metal. It is also much easier to service and repair. Kirbys are more common and are self propelled. The one thing that the makes the Royal dominate[in my book] is the all metal brushroll with stiffeners and replaceable brush strips. Though the Kirby has a better hose system and more attachment and features, and we all know some have large item collectors(emtors)which helps protect the fan. Most of this is very obvious to most of you but I'm just trying to point out the differences.

Post# 68281 , Reply# 6 5/2/2009 at 21:10 (5,472 days old) by williamr1248 (USA)
Checkrate/Likes *Royal vs Kirby* I am with Andy. I always wanted a Royal upright. I bought one and was very sorry because it was so loud and way too aggressive on my carpets. I also experienced the very problems Andy speaks of in his post.

Post# 68311 , Reply# 7 5/2/2009 at 23:20 (5,472 days old) by vacuumalex ()
Checkrate/Likes Thats good to hear about the new Kirby Lexan Fans. I too have been disappointed by the newer Royals made in China. Even the older models were quite loud too, my aunts and mine sure are. Hoover and I think Electrolux are owned by the same Chinese parent company that owns Royal now too - or something like that. It's sad to see how the mighty have fallen.

Post# 68320 , Reply# 8 5/3/2009 at 00:11 (5,472 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)
Checkrate/Likes I like the metal fans best-Oh if you want to see broken plastic(Lexan) fans--come out here-Kirbys come into the vac Hospital or Greenvile Sew&Vac all the time with broken fans-the metal ones are more durable-and as found on another thread-actually improve the performance of the Kirby.Please go back to them.I have seen more busted lexan fans than b roken metal ones. As far as performance-the machines are pretty even.Tool use with Kirby is easier. Oh yes-years ago a Kirby dist rep came to the Vac Hospital to delivor some machines and give Bill and I an interesting demonstration of the metal fans-this would have been when the machines were still US built.He put the hose adpator on one of the new Royals and let it suck several pennies out of his hand.The machine had the grey dump bag on it.He emptied the pennies out of the bag-they were bent-and then he took the front of the fan housing off the machine-the fan was OK-just a nick in one blade and another blade just slightly bent.I am afraid that test would have DESTROYED a Kirby lexan fan.The metal fans rule.I have some Chinese royals-only one has the bad handle latch.the others are fine.And on the older Kirby plastic fans-beware-the plastic suffers age cracking as it gets older-I got an older Heritage with one of those fans and it weent CRAAACK when I put the machine into the hose mode.A metal fan no matter how old wouldn't do that.Kirby PLEASE go back to metal-MUCH better!

Post# 68321 , Reply# 9 5/3/2009 at 00:17 (5,472 days old) by tristar ()
Checkrate/Likes IDK about the metal being more durable.....I'd probably s&*t myself if the fan ever broke while I was using it. They definitely have better performance though due to the fact that the material is tough enough to have taller vanes with better angles to push the air harder. I personally like both my Royals. The newest one I have is a 6 amp from '92. Still has the oil port in the rear. It's not quiet, but it's not loud either. About on par with a Kirby in all honesty. The brushroll is fantastic though! Those brush stiffeners really make a difference. Even with the transmission in the Generation series, I find the Royal easier to maneuver and lighter on it's feet. In all honesty I think the Kirby is the better cleaner of the two. I have a ancient 3 amp commercial Royal too. I fitted it with the 4 row brushroll with the stiffeners and it made a beast out of that thing! It's so light and quiet. I use it for quick pickups and for zapping the living room before company comes over. Royals can be fun too! You couldn't give me one of the new "screamers" though.... Not even with a gun held to my head...

Post# 69829 , Reply# 10 5/19/2009 at 08:49 (5,456 days old) by andy02 ()
Checkrate/Likes *Wow* I have always liked royal, When i stay after school we use them, SOon to be replaced with household, Cause of funding and etc. but you know they won't hold up

Post# 69834 , Reply# 11 5/19/2009 at 11:05 (5,456 days old) by jdinstl ()
Checkrate/Likes If I used a 10 amp Royal, the cops would be kicking down my door for peace disturbance. I love Royals and Kirby's both. But dang those Royals are loud! But the brush stiffeners on the Royals are awesome! I would put them on even par for cleaning ability. Now...about these broken fans 'n such...just what the hell are people vacuuming up? I can understand the aging and cracking issue regarding plastic, fair point there. But if you're going to be vacuuming up coins, bolts, shards of brick, bullets, buckshot, get an industrial vac. Or pick up the big chunks beforehand. What are they expecting these things to do? They're vacuum cleaners, not bulldozers. The only fan I've ever broke on a Kirby was metal. But I think the vac had been a bit abused before I acquired it, as I hadn't picked up anything heavy. It shattered to bits of metal. I figure it had been pretty well compromised beforehand.

Post# 69996 , Reply# 12 5/22/2009 at 01:34 (5,453 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)
Checkrate/Likes I think a another factor on fans here is the sandy soil that gets tracked in-esp near the beaches out in NC.The soil is very sandy and erodes fans-esp the plastic ones-not just Kirbys-but Sanitaire fans too.At Vac Hospital-Bill puts metal fans on the Sanitaires-much better.Also the sandy soil erodes lawnmower blades too! I have a couple of 10A Royals and they aren't as loud as that horrible screaming Oreck the janiters use out here at work in the morning-I have been asking them to replace it with a Sanitaire or a Royal-even a 10A Royal would be quieter than that Oreck that sounds like somebody torturing a banshee.

Post# 70075 , Reply# 13 5/22/2009 at 20:39 (5,452 days old) by caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *Kirby vs Royal* I've got to chime in here and vote for Kirby. I started out working for the Kirby office in Dubuque, Iowa in 1974 selling the Classic Omega. What a machine! That led to extensive research on this one and I learned that both started out as non-electric machines. James B. Kirby introduced his "Domestic Cyclone" in 1905. Royal started out as a bacic upright pumper in 1906 and was outfitted with an electric motor a few years later. Did you know that it was James B. Kirby who is responsible for the Lamb motor and the Black & Decker power tools? All four, Black, Decker, Lamb and Jim Kirby designed his (Kirby's) first upright called "The Broomstick" in 1910. Personally I like the Kirby's of the 50's.

Post# 70079 , Reply# 14 5/22/2009 at 21:10 (5,452 days old) by animasinsulin ()
Checkrate/Likes *Royal* I LOVE my 9 amp Royal Everlast, but it is WAY to powerful and loud!!!!

Post# 236307 , Reply# 15 6/13/2013 at 09:11 (3,970 days old) by kirbyfan99 ()
Checkrate/Likes just to clear things up, the newer kirby fans are Kevlar not lexan. the lexan fans are grey while the Kevlar fans are white (cream-white that is).

Post# 236375 , Reply# 16 6/13/2013 at 15:15 (3,970 days old) by Kirbysthebest (Midwest)
Checkrate/Likes I loved the older Royal uprights, but I loved the Kirbys too. Modern, Kirby would be my fav over Modern Royal. I too thought, and was told at one time, though I don't know how accurate the information was; that in the beginning Royal and Kirby shared a assembly line. Thus the two were cousins, until some bad blood came between Kirby and Royal. I believe in the history this was right along the SF time in Jim's life. Again I don't know how reliable this was as it was told to me many moons ago by a vacuum shop owner. I have no proof to back it, and have not found anything written other than the bad blood part of the relationship where Royal and Kirby sued each other for their similarities in design.

Post# 236435 , Reply# 17 6/13/2013 at 19:55 (3,969 days old) by skippy (New York, NY)
Checkrate/Likes *newer Royal* I have to say I agree about newer Royals--they scream. I had one and it was like having an airplane taking off in the living room--had to get rid of it. Ultimate G quieter!

Post# 236447 , Reply# 18 6/13/2013 at 21:06 (3,969 days old) by Blackheart (North Dakota)
Checkrate/Likes *Kirby vs Royal* In terms of performance i give it to kirby for one reason, the bags. Because poly bags are made for Kirby they will have better airflow as the bag fills. After a few uses of my Royal (993 6 amp)i've noticed that i have to re-adjust the head in order to get the same agitation.

Post# 236485 , Reply# 19 6/14/2013 at 10:25 (3,969 days old) by farmvet01 ()
Checkrate/Likes 2 *Kevlar/Lexan impellers on Kirbys* Why does everyone get so excited about the name of the "plastic" that the impellers are made of? Kirby is a well-made vacuum cleaner (among the best, some would argue), and the bottom line is that the company would not CONTINUE to install an impeller that is sub-par if it demonstrated the propensity to prematurely fail. If you want to be technical, the impellers are made of neither Kevlar nor Lexan. They are made of Amodel, which is the most state of the art plastic when considering the needs that any impeller has- impact resistance combined with heat resistance and chemical resistance. Let's put household vacuum cleaners in their place. They are made to clean/remove the stuff that you cannot easily pick up otherwise. They are NOT make to pick up spilled or dropped items without first physically sweeping up the 95% by hand that you can see. They are not made to clean up after someone tracks in dirt. They are made to clean the particles that are small enough to fall or settle deep in the carpet's nap. First you pick up what you see, THEN YOU VACUUM! The evidence lies in the vintage vacuum cleaners that still have original fan blades. Their owners used them ONLY for their intended purpose. Even the metal impellers have a propensity to fail if misused! No blade will catastrophically fail as long as the machine is used properly. Yes, sand and abrasive things like that over time will wear impellers, and the plastic ones will wear faster, but SO WHAT. That should not be a factor for the majority of users when considering the "performance" or "value" of a vacuum cleaner.

Post# 260027 , Reply# 20 12/18/2013 at 14:07 (3,782 days old) by sptyks (Skowhegan, Maine)
Checkrate/Likes *Just Curious...* Does anyone know why Kirby decided to switch from metal fans to Kevlar ones? I think they must have had a very good reason to do this and it was most likely not done to reduce the cost of manufacture considering the high retail cost of the vacuum cleaner. Since Kirby is known for their research I assume the change was done to enhance performance in some way. If anyone out there who is or was affiliated with Kirby knows the answer to this question, I think there would be many on here who would like to know.

Post# 260111 , Reply# 21 12/19/2013 at 03:47 (3,781 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)
Checkrate/Likes Kirby plastic fan-think it may be do to NASA's design-the tapered blades.However-turbocharger fans have tapered blades,too-and they are metal.Would be intersting to see what the answer is.

Post# 260537 , Reply# 22 12/23/2013 at 18:05 (3,776 days old) by sptyks (Skowhegan, Maine)
Checkrate/Likes *Amodel polymer fans are much stronger than metal ones!* I did some research on this and what I found is very interesting. The fans that are installed in the newest Kirby's from the G5 through Sentria II are made from Amodel, NOT Kevlar as almost everyone on here has thought. For a while Kirby used Lexan, which was discontinued when the switch to superior Amodel was made in the G5. Amodel is widely used in the Aerospace industry so Kirby designed the new fan with the aid of NASA so that it would be the most durable and produce maximum airflow(CFM).Many folks on here, confused Lexan and Kevlar with Amodel. There were some problems with the Lexan fans after a few years of use. They would suffer stress fractures and would break apart if hit by any foreign object (not regular dirt). Amodel is a new type of polymer that is several times stronger than either Aluminum, which is used in the Royal metal upright vacuums, or Kevlar which was NEVER used in any Kirby vacuum. The Amodel fan is tougher than metal and believe it or not, will almost always outlast Lexan and metal fans. A few years ago, Kirby did a demonstration for some VCCC members during a tour of the factory where they used a Kirby vacuum with Amodel fan to suck up a bowlful of large nuts, bolts, marbles and pebbles. After disassembly, the fan had only a couple of very small nicks on it and deemed fully serviceable. The Kirby Sentria with it's higher speed motor, and NASA designed Amodel fan, produces more airflow (115 CFM) than any previous Kirby model. Here is a statement which you can lookup on the internet from Solvay Advanced Polymers who is the manufacturer of AMODEL: " About AMODEL Polyphthalamide-- With a heat deflection temperature of 536 degrees Fahrenheit (280 degrees Celsius) and continuous use temperature of 338 degrees Fahrenheit (170 degrees Celsius), AMODEL PPA retains its exceptional mechanical properties -- strength, stiffness, fatigue and creep resistance -- over a broad range and in high humidity environments. This versatile family of high-temperature nylons can give you the strength of aluminum, the stiffness of steel, and the impact and ductility of hard rubber --" I hope you all enjoyed the fruits of my research of AMODEL. -Stan

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