Thread Number: 26237
VINTAGE CLARKE VACUUM 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 294128   8/17/2014 at 16:05 (3,533 days old) by vacuser (milford,ohio)        

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does anyone remember the drum vacuum with the round style bag on them. were these not made by clarke ? i'm looking for one for my collection. the last one i saw was in 1974 at a gas station i worked at.

Post# 294140 , Reply# 1   8/17/2014 at 17:13 (3,533 days old) by super-sweeper (KSSRC Refurbishment Center)        

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Oh I think you mean one of these! They ran on compressed air. It be good to have at a gas station, since there is no electric motor to set gas on fire! 
Post# 294167 , Reply# 2   8/17/2014 at 20:08 (3,533 days old) by ultralux88 (Denver, Colorado)        

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Tornado! I believe this is the type of machine you're thinking of.

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Post# 294206 , Reply# 3   8/18/2014 at 03:58 (3,533 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

I have the same type of vacuum cleaner shown in that Westytoploader video.Ordered mine from Gaingers using a bonus pay I got from work.Always wanted one of those-mine is about 10 yrs old.Mine came with sort of a clear hose that has come apart.My freind Mike at Greenville Vacuum and Sewing is helping me get or make up a new hose for mine using the connector from the old hose.The one in the video seems to have a better quality hose then the clear one I had.The external bag on mine is dusty looking-use mine to clean up after the paper shredder and garage,porch cleanup.I so wish that Tornado made an external bag that could use paper liners that you get from Shop Vac.I like the power of mine too,,and as an added bonus you can detach the motor blower from the tank and use it as a POWERFUL leaf blower!!!This thing can put many gas motored blowers to shame.The impellor in the motor looks so much like the fan in one of the Caterpillar engine turbochargers!When vacuuming with mine it did ingest a peice of cardboard-made a nice satisfying "DING"as it went thru the fan and THOOP!!!into the bag.Thing to note!!!The motor brushes are under the top cap on the motor occasionally they will collect dust from the internal motor fan.Removed the cap--MOTOR UNPLUGGED OF COURSE!!and clean the dust out.I use my NSS M1 to vacuum the fine dust from the filter bag.My M1 has the disposable paper bags.The Tornado is a GREAT vac-happy with mine.If you want one Grainger sells them-both electric and air powered.They also sell fiters and other parts.Mine came with just the hose floor wand and bare floor squeegee tool and crevice tool,and blower tool.Mine didn't come with the dust brush and carpet tool.I have a similar dust brush that came with an industrial Shop Vac I bought from ReTool-orig came from Graingers,too.The Tornado should also have the water shut off valve so you can use it for wet pickup-haven't used mine in that manner.And had to change the bearings in mine.15 min job-esp using the stations arbor press.Bought the replacement bearings from Grainger.I have run mine not from a Variac but from a GE 50VDC power supply I got from a Hamfest.Will try running it from one of my Greenworks electric mower 40V batteries.The motor will work from AC or DC-I don't switch the motor though with its switch-not double pole.When using DC switch it from the supply.Otherwise the switch in the motor can arc on DC.

Post# 294219 , Reply# 4   8/18/2014 at 06:49 (3,533 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

And,I wonder what ype of paper bag Westytoploader used in his Tornado vacuums tank.This would be good to know.Don't remember a type mentioned.

Post# 294222 , Reply# 5   8/18/2014 at 08:30 (3,532 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)        

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Another vintage Clarke upright vac was based on the Royal 153.

~Ben

Post# 294232 , Reply# 6   8/18/2014 at 09:34 (3,532 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

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The late Austin Wilder (westytoploader) bought that vacuum with his bonus from work. Tacony Corporation makes the Tornado in St. James, Missouri at the same factory where Simplicity, Riccar, and Maytag vacuums are made. Austin used a HEPA cloth Hoover type A bag inside his machine, as the dirt did not pass through the impeller fan. This prevented the cloth bag in the back from getting dirty, the cloth bag acted as an additional filter. It's a beast of a vacuum, very powerful and extremely well made.

Post# 294347 , Reply# 7   8/19/2014 at 03:42 (3,532 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

Sorry forgot that Austin had died.As I said have this same machine-just noted the diffrences between mine and his.Waiting for a replacement hose for mine.The bag on mine has been well used--heavy stuff stays in the drum-lighter stuff goes thru the hefty fan and into the bag-like that scrap of cardboard I picked up.And when I did the front porch with my Tornado-pine needles ground to powder by the fan-and the inside of the bag yellow from the pollen.Dumpted both the drum and bag outside.I don't want to use mine for wet pickup-mine has the ball valve under the lid.I would be sure Austins has the same thing.What happened to Austins machine and his collection?Yes,I am impressed with the quality of these machines-they are a BEAR and BEAST of a vacuum-the ultimate shop vacuum!!!I just wish the external bag could be equipped with a paper one.That way when the fine dust accumilates-you can just throw the liner bag out.And for material recovery operations-that would also be helpful.What other sources sell these machines besides WW Gainger?Like how both me and Austin bought our machines from work bonuses.Haven't gotten another bonus for awhile--budget restriants.My Tornado is about 10 yrs old-was mine built in the
St James Mo site?If Mike can't get a hose-can I order one thru Tacony?I so want to get mine going again!Its a favorite along with my M1.The Tornado would be a similar machine to the old NSS Bronco.It used an external filter bag like the Tornado.And the Bronco had the same sort of blower-suction motor on the lid.Do you have a Bronco in the collection at St James?So remember seeing one at the Daycon store in Washington, DC-was a beautiful machine.SS tank-polished motor-fan housing and the Blue "Horse" logo bag.


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