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Thread Number: 27344
/ Tag: 50s/60s/70s Vacuum Cleaners
Kirby classic III in the UK??? |
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| Post# 306573 , Reply# 1 11/18/2014 at 07:29 (3,439 days old) by kirbymodel2c (Nottingham, England) | ||
Hi, Hi Thomas. Kirby arrived in the UK around 1973. So the first Kirby in the UK was the Classic Omega. I suppose it's possible there might of been a Kirby Classic in the UK depending on when in 1973 Kirby arrived in the UK. But I've only ever seen a 230/240 volt Omega in the UK. I had a 240 volt Omega once but got rid of it and replaced it with a American 110 volt Omega that was in better condition. I also managed to get hold of a NIB Omega a year or so later. I've still got a 240 volt Classic III. Great machine. If ever you pop in you can see it for yourself.
James | ||
Post# 306601 , Reply# 2 11/18/2014 at 14:36 (3,439 days old) by KirbyClassicIII  (Milwaukie, Oregon) |
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These didn't really take off in the U.K. and the rest of the world outside North America (I'm American - so I'm thus speaking from that point of view) partly due to the fact that until the Tradition came out, there were no disposable bags to be had on these machines.
Even when the Tradition did come out there were still a few hurdles: besides the undersized fill tube for the disposable bag system on this model, the pre-1980 units also had a top-mounted speed switch that many people didn't understand how to use (I can live with the foolproof headlight cap, though), which led to a program of replacing these with the old-style speed switch mounted on the fan case. And even when the speed switch was changed back to its old location, a rubber cover was mounted over it so that it could guard against moisture while using the Rug Renovator - which itself seemed to be the original intent of relocating the speed switch to inside the headlight cap. That didn't go down too well, either, since some owners' bad habits of handling it could cause the speed switch arm to jam, allowing the cleaner to run on high speed all the time. Kirby duly issued another advisory to remove these covers from the speed switches. Shake-out bags were still available for those customers who wanted to save money over the disposable bag system; the last Kirby model to do so was the Legend II. ~Ben | ||
| Post# 306622 , Reply# 3 11/18/2014 at 17:41 (3,439 days old) by sptyks (Skowhegan, Maine) | ||
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Post# 306625 , Reply# 4 11/18/2014 at 18:07 (3,439 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon) |
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| Post# 307143 , Reply# 6 11/23/2014 at 11:15 (3,434 days old) by James (Ware, Hertfordshire, UK) | ||
Hi, I am lucky enough to have a really nice 240V Classic Omega.
I bought it from a local distributor who had it on display, so it hasn't seen much use. I've only seen a few others for sale in the UK.
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Post# 307151 , Reply# 7 11/23/2014 at 12:25 (3,434 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon) |
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| Post# 307159 , Reply# 8 11/23/2014 at 13:43 (3,434 days old) by gsheen (Cape Town South Africa) | ||
The Classic Omega was the first Kirby officially sold in South Africa, Although I have only seen one ( My one ) The kirby dealer told me that they sold very well, Those and the Classic III he said their were loads of them sold.
When the G3 was launched in SA in 1993 They had a huge drive to trade inn and sell customers new ones. Many Classic omegas and III 's were traded in and scrapped. What I have always found interesting was the amount of 508's that I have found , I own 4 and know of another 10, All that I have seen have had 220v stamped over the 110v on the rating plate and were converted to 220v | ||
| Post# 307161 , Reply# 9 11/23/2014 at 13:49 (3,434 days old) by gsheen (Cape Town South Africa) | ||
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I have One omega and two classic III's and two Traddition's Up until I got them I had never seen either in SA.
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| Post# 307455 , Reply# 10 11/27/2014 at 22:32 (3,430 days old) by machineage (Staffordshire - UK) | ||
The Classic III is my favoured Kirby design - I have restored a few and am in the midst of restoring another at this time. I would very much like to restore a Classic Omega at some point in the future.
Pictures of one of the CIIIs I rebuilt some time back enclosed. | ||
| Post# 307466 , Reply# 11 11/28/2014 at 02:44 (3,430 days old) by super-sweeper (KSSRC Refurbishment Center) | ||
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| Post# 307590 , Reply# 12 11/29/2014 at 17:10 (3,428 days old) by machineage (Staffordshire - UK) | ||
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Thanks :-) | ||
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Post# 307600 , Reply# 13 11/29/2014 at 18:40 (3,428 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon) |
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Re: Kirby Classic Omega 240V | ||
| Post# 307612 , Reply# 14 11/29/2014 at 23:39 (3,428 days old) by Jaker15 (Meridian, ID) | ||
machineage, | ||
| Post# 307692 , Reply# 15 12/1/2014 at 08:44 (3,426 days old) by machineage (Staffordshire - UK) | ||
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Thanks Jaker15
I find that each set of castings is different - requiring a slightly different angle of attack. This particular set had a couple of deep gouges on the nozzle in addition to the usual scratches. There were also a number of dings & some oxidation pitting.
I use an industrial floor standing polishing machine and a variety of wax compounds in addition to some elbow grease intervention. The deeper dings & scores require an eye for steadily removing and feathering the metal with the aim of retaining the original form as closely as possible.
Parts of the castings can go through 10 or more steps before I am satisfied. It's a very dirty and time consuming process that takes many hours - or days in my case. | ||
| Post# 307809 , Reply# 16 12/2/2014 at 15:17 (3,425 days old) by gsheen (Cape Town South Africa) | ||
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Wow that is some awesome work. You right about it been messy when I come inside after doing some buffing my wife often laughs and says go lool in the mirror. Black is the only colour I see.
Today while working on my latest Find, a Hoovee 750 I mistakenly grabbed the red hot part i had just finished buffing to turn it around. I have been buffing alloy machines for 20 years atleast and man nothing hurat like that. | ||
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