Thread Number: 19153
Thrifting finds- lux 612 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 211445   12/28/2012 at 10:41 (4,134 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

Well, went out thrift shopping today and one shop had a half price sale and I found an old Electrolux 612 in the electricals corner, it was covered in dust and cobwebs but for £8.25 I'd give it a try. Got it home and had to dust it all off, change the belt/ bag and the brush roll was stuck. After doing this I realised the brush was worn down real bad, but it cleaned up ok.

Post# 211446 , Reply# 1   12/28/2012 at 10:42 (4,134 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

O

Post# 211447 , Reply# 2   12/28/2012 at 10:43 (4,134 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        



Post# 211448 , Reply# 3   12/28/2012 at 10:43 (4,134 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

Sorry about blurry photos

Post# 211449 , Reply# 4   12/28/2012 at 10:44 (4,134 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

Has variable power, and made in Britain

Post# 211452 , Reply# 5   12/28/2012 at 11:13 (4,134 days old) by vintagerepairer (England)        

What you have there is one of the very last examples of the 612. I know this because the bag door lacks the small recess in the door in which the user could put their hand when pressing down on the button to open the door. This was removed on later models and was never present on models 614, 615, and 616. It also bears the warnings to read the instruction book before use. You will find this cleaner has all the neccesary modifications which became apparent as time progreses. Alas the chassis was never modified and as shown in your pictures whereby the rear wheel pins have moved out of line and the sides are exposed. Your real wheel pins are about to fall out actually. But otherwise it is a fine example.

Post# 211744 , Reply# 6   12/30/2012 at 07:02 (4,133 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

Thanks, I've sorted those wheel things out

Post# 214528 , Reply# 7   1/17/2013 at 15:33 (4,114 days old) by jakesvacs ()        

Thats a great find!
Did you ever sort out the hose?

Post# 214631 , Reply# 8   1/18/2013 at 11:55 (4,113 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

Nah jakesvacs ive Just left it as it is, can it be re attached?

Post# 214638 , Reply# 9   1/18/2013 at 13:10 (4,113 days old) by jakesvacs ()        

I think it can, careful looking and you should see where to cut and re attach. If you ever sell this let me know!

Post# 214642 , Reply# 10   1/18/2013 at 13:28 (4,113 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

Yeah I will. How much do you want to pay for it?
I'll go and see if I can reattach the hose!

Post# 214646 , Reply# 11   1/18/2013 at 13:56 (4,113 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

Wel, I've just fixed it as if you cut off the broken end and screw it into the machine!

Post# 215051 , Reply# 12   1/21/2013 at 04:36 (4,111 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

Jakesvacs?

Post# 215054 , Reply# 13   1/21/2013 at 05:13 (4,111 days old) by jakesvacs ()        

Hi
Have you got an email mate?

Post# 215084 , Reply# 14   1/21/2013 at 11:42 (4,110 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

Yeah but I'm still sorting it out, give me a little while:)


Post# 215472 , Reply# 15   1/23/2013 at 13:56 (4,108 days old) by shinymac (USA)        

Nice Find you have there !

Personally I love uprights with cloth bags that inflate up, but its still nice to see a traditional upright like yours. Our local refuse/recycling dump wont let members of the public take away anything, which is a shame, as whenever I go there to throw something out, there are usually some tasty uprights in their "container" awaiting presumably some shady deal they have with a local electrical shop !

I would love to share stories, experiences etc with UK vac collectors so if anyone wants to drop me an email its derekkkx@btopenworld.com

Thanks

Derek


Post# 215473 , Reply# 16   1/23/2013 at 14:27 (4,108 days old) by turbomaster1984 (Ripley, Derbyshire)        

turbomaster1984's profile picture
Derek what kind of experiences and stories do you want to hear from us?

do tell.....

Post# 216141 , Reply# 17   1/27/2013 at 08:56 (4,104 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

I took it all apart last night, and it is much more damaged than it first seemed! The release pedal was broken on one side so cannot be re installed as it just fails, and one end of the brush roll housing has some plastic snapped off it. Therefore it's no where near good enough to sell!

Post# 216144 , Reply# 18   1/27/2013 at 09:07 (4,104 days old) by Vintagerepairer (England)        

Pedal can be drilled and a screw inserted, depending on level of damage. I did wonder if pedal or chassis was at fault as it was evident in the pictures that pedal was not sitting flush. But also you will recall me saying that the chassis is worn anyway as we could see the wheel axles had dropped.

This is the trouble with the 600 series. They had so many weak points that few were ever worth the cost of repairing. One would never see these cleaners being sold as reconditioned as they were never worth the trouble. Great looking cleaner though.

Post# 216154 , Reply# 19   1/27/2013 at 10:26 (4,104 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

Thanks benny, I'll just keep it as a collection vac and not use it then!

Post# 216155 , Reply# 20   1/27/2013 at 10:29 (4,104 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

Well I've just looked at it again and it didn't feel too stable and then this happened... One hell of a lean... FORWARDS!

Post# 216196 , Reply# 21   1/27/2013 at 14:07 (4,104 days old) by beko1987 (Stokenchurch, United Kingdom)        

That's got the same stance as my lux 412! Looks like that's a `run it until you get bored then break it for spares machine! I haven't seen one for years though. Good find.

Post# 216199 , Reply# 22   1/27/2013 at 14:25 (4,104 days old) by Vintagerepairer (England)        

The 610 and 612 did this leaning-forward thing, which is why the chassis used to split at the rear. The pathetic pieces of plastic which were there to keep the cleaner at 90 degrees were not up to the job and this is the result. Some of the 614, 615, and 616 had a redesigned sole plate with inward facing lugs on the furthest parts towards the back of the cleaner. This was enough to press against the main body and stop it leaning forwards.

Post# 216202 , Reply# 23   1/27/2013 at 15:03 (4,104 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland)        

jmurray01's profile picture
Benny, how would you say the 600 models compare to the Contours? Are the Contours better made?

The reason I ask is because my 1994 Electrolux Contour is rock solid and has no structural damage or weaknesses.

Post# 216204 , Reply# 24   1/27/2013 at 15:08 (4,104 days old) by Vintagerepairer (England)        

The Contour was a far more robust machine, despite all the comments about it being of poor build quality. The 600 series had nothing on the Contour. The Contour had its failings of course, namely the problems with the handle staying locked upright on models where there was no foot pedal. Also on all models the mains lead could easily be pulled out from where it entered the cleaner, and many times did I get a cleaner brought in where the lead had snapped and / or shorted out at this point.

The whole design of the cleaner was such that it was very hard to push it round, but that was a poor design, not a fault. When compared to a 600 series machine, a Contour will require very few parts to get it back on the road.

Post# 216205 , Reply# 25   1/27/2013 at 15:14 (4,104 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland)        

jmurray01's profile picture
Thank you Benny, that was what I thought.

I have to say it does not come as a surprise to me that the flex could be pulled out as compared to my other uprights it is very thin and doesn't feel very strong.

I also agree it can be hard to push around with the only alleviation being to set the height adjustment a bit too high, but as long as you've got some strength in your arm it can be used.

In terms of "ease to push around" it is on par with the Philips U700/U800 I'd say.

Overall I'd say the Contour is a fantastic every-day machine and I use mine as such since it is the most marred of my upright cleaners.

Post# 216209 , Reply# 26   1/27/2013 at 15:21 (4,104 days old) by Vintagerepairer (England)        

It is the unusual curve of the handle which makes it difficult to move. The user is putting pressure on it in all the wrong places.

It was not that the mains lead was thin which caused the issue, it was the fact that the lead left the cleaner without any form of cord protector, such as that used on the 600 series. The lead was easy to tread on when pushing the cleaner around, and all the pulling up of it when cleaning was more than the machine could bear. Early Hoover Turbopower2 and the Turbopower 1000's were just the same (the TP2 had the lead exit point moved to the top when the TP3 was introduced as the longer hose of the TP3 got in the way of the original exit point). Most of the Dyson DC01 models were just the same.

Post# 216210 , Reply# 27   1/27/2013 at 15:23 (4,104 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland)        

jmurray01's profile picture
So it is purely down to the rear entry of the flex?

Post# 216211 , Reply# 28   1/27/2013 at 15:25 (4,104 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland)        

jmurray01's profile picture
Ah, I've just remembered, the one weakness my Contour (and all of them I imagine) has is that the cord hook falls out frequently due to one of the prongs having snapped off.

Why it is fitted in such a way I do not know, surely it must have been obvious to Electrolux what would happen over the years of having strain put on it with such a weak provision to hold it in place.

Post# 216213 , Reply# 29   1/27/2013 at 15:33 (4,104 days old) by Vintagerepairer (England)        

It was the position of the lead, Jamie. After years of using flex sleeves on upright cleaners to enusure the lead point up (or in the case of the 500 series down) and that there was no sharp right-angle to the lead, suddenly Electrolux did away with it. As I said Hoover switched to a top-mounted exit point, the design changed forced by the need for the TP3 hose to pass the original flex point, but also was a much needed apdaption to the cleaner anyway. Panasonic always has the lead point upwards and never did they have such a problem.

The top flex hook was such that it could be fitted cheaply and easily. Although a good deal of them did break, most didn't. It was strong enough to last the lifetime of most cleaners, but also served as what I always call 'built in failure' to ensure that eventually people bought a new machine.

Post# 216217 , Reply# 30   1/27/2013 at 15:40 (4,104 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland)        

jmurray01's profile picture
Yes I could accept it being designed to be cheaply fitted but the Contour Varipower was not a budget machine. I believe it marketed at around £120, on par with the Hoover Turbopower 1000/2 Autosense which had a much better hook.

Now I'm thinking of the negatives of the Contour, I also must point out the carry handle feels very weak and bends a good deal when you lift the cleaner giving the impression it could snap at any minute.

As such I always lift the Contour (and all my uprights just to be on the safe side) with one hand on the carry handle and the other where the brush roll is to reduce the strain on former.

Post# 216219 , Reply# 31   1/27/2013 at 15:41 (4,104 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland)        

jmurray01's profile picture
"To reduce the strain on THE former" that should read.

Post# 216220 , Reply# 32   1/27/2013 at 15:42 (4,104 days old) by Vintagerepairer (England)        

No by cheaply I meant to reduce labour costs on the assembly line. Not cheap as in the cleaner was a cheap model.

Post# 216221 , Reply# 33   1/27/2013 at 15:43 (4,104 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland)        

jmurray01's profile picture
I know what you meant Benny but I thought being a top of the line machine it would have had less "cut backs" in terms of assembly.

Post# 216224 , Reply# 34   1/27/2013 at 15:51 (4,104 days old) by Vintagerepairer (England)        

Goodness no. It doesn't matter what one buys, how much one pays for it, or where the product lies within a range, as time has progressed all mass produced products have declined in build quality. A top-range product only has to be as good as the next best thing already on sale. In that respect, the Contour cleaner was of above average build quality when compared to all the competition.

If you take cleaners with on-board tools, the 'competition' at this time would have been the Philips U800, Hoover Turbopower & Turbomaster Total System, and Goblin Laser. The Contour was far superior to all of those in terms of build quality and suction power. The introduction of the Turbopower2 and 1000 was the first decent build in a long time. They Dyson DC01 had to be the worst of them all, and look at the price of that.

Post# 216228 , Reply# 35   1/27/2013 at 15:57 (4,104 days old) by hooversrus2012 ()        

its not about cut backs j murrey its our people treat vacuum cleaners. in its lifetime i bet its be used n abused

Post# 216229 , Reply# 36   1/27/2013 at 15:57 (4,104 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland)        

jmurray01's profile picture
Very true, when you put it like that it makes sense.

Post# 216230 , Reply# 37   1/27/2013 at 16:01 (4,104 days old) by Vintagerepairer (England)        

Yes and it is about cut backs. You only have to look at the same product through the years to see how things change. To speak of cord hooks, look at the cord hooks on the Junior and Senior. In the early 1970's they began using plastic. It was rare to see two complete hooks back in the day, never mind 40 years on.

The Hoover Turbopower2 was something of a huge departure for Hoover as the build quality excelled over any upright they had made for over 30 years.

Post# 216237 , Reply# 38   1/27/2013 at 16:06 (4,104 days old) by jmurray01 (Scotland)        

jmurray01's profile picture
You make a good point there Benny, I have only seen one Senior with two intact cord hooks in my life.

My Ranger has a damaged lower hook (though still useable) and it isn't very pleasant when you wind the cord up in a hurry and scrape your hand on a jagged piece of plastic.

Post# 216402 , Reply# 39   1/28/2013 at 07:35 (4,104 days old) by uksausage (eastbourne east sussex UK)        
616e

 i picked up a 616 a few weeks ago off ebay for a grand price of 99p it was lucky as well because the guy lived about 20 mins away.
the body of mine is ok no broken bits anywhere the motor and brushroll are the problems on mine
good find though my local vac shop does have some spares for these vacuums what is it you need for yours


CLICK HERE TO GO TO uksausage's LINK
Post# 216418 , Reply# 40   1/28/2013 at 10:36 (4,103 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

I could do with a new hood if they have one, and a new brush roll, and a new handle release pedal, but is it really worth it?

Post# 216460 , Reply# 41   1/28/2013 at 15:17 (4,103 days old) by Vintagerepairer (England)        

It needs a new chassis too, you can see that from the picture, but what would I know.

As to whether it is worth it, were you wanting to fix it because you are Mr Public and it's a vacuum cleaner for your home, then absolutely not, it's not worth spending a penny on it and back in the day they never were either, as it was always cheaper and better really to buy a new cleaner. But for a collection, well, to get a model 600 in perfect working order you are going to have to spend the money on the parts (if you can get them). To look at the cleaner in a collection, yes it would be worth it for that as this isn't about 'any' cleaner, its about owning a specific model.

Post# 216618 , Reply# 42   1/29/2013 at 12:18 (4,102 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

yeah its for the collection, not to actually use as a daily vacuum or anything.


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