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Thread Number: 28942
/ Tag: 80s/90s Vacuum Cleaners
Vintage Kenmore Canister |
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| Post# 323652 4/29/2015 at 19:51 (3,282 days old) by niclonnic (Bonney Lake, WA) | ||
This ancient Kenmore canister vacuum is at a community center. It has been sitting in a closet since I started volunteering there, and I've always been curious about it. Today, I decided to take it out and see if it still works. It does, but the Power-Mate is completely plugged up, so it won't pick up anything! Plus, debris was falling out. So I'll have to work on that sometime.
This vacuum is in fairly good condition. However, the headlight lens is missing, and the hose is slightly crushed at one spot. On the positive side, the noise level is fairly quiet. In addition, the brushroll has beater bars on it! This means it'll do an excellent job at cleaning carpets. The retractable cord does work. On the top of the unit, it says "Sears Best Kenmore Magicord-Reel 4.1 with Power-Mate." I'm not sure what 4.1 means. The model number is 116.239918. Has anybody ever used one of these?
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| Post# 323653 , Reply# 1 4/29/2015 at 19:52 (3,282 days old) by niclonnic (Bonney Lake, WA) | ||
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Here...
...Is a pic of the plugged up Power-Mate.
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| Post# 323682 , Reply# 3 4/30/2015 at 09:37 (3,282 days old) by dysonman1 (the county) | ||
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| Post# 323693 , Reply# 5 4/30/2015 at 12:57 (3,282 days old) by FantomFan (Rochester, New York) | ||
Very nice machine!
My grandmother bought one like that in the 80's to replace her Electrolux Model L.
Those old Kenmores have a HUGE amount of suction power, and were truly built to last. I have a blue Magicord from the 70's. They truly were "Sears' Best." It seems like (At least with Kenmore's bagged canisters) they become lower and lower in quality with each new model. | ||
| Post# 323695 , Reply# 6 4/30/2015 at 13:03 (3,282 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA) | ||
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| Post# 323717 , Reply# 7 4/30/2015 at 18:25 (3,281 days old) by niclonnic (Bonney Lake, WA) | ||
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Thanks! | ||
| Post# 323719 , Reply# 8 4/30/2015 at 18:31 (3,281 days old) by funvacfan (Canada) | ||
The Powerhead | ||
| Post# 323720 , Reply# 9 4/30/2015 at 18:35 (3,281 days old) by niclonnic (Bonney Lake, WA) | ||
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One more thing... | ||
| Post# 323749 , Reply# 10 5/1/2015 at 04:22 (3,281 days old) by bnsd60m9200 (Akron OH) | ||
he got in contact with me a few times. the nature of the anonymous email leaves me a tad un nerved. he also seems to offer advice when ive found much better and effective solutions to problems.
far as your sears best.. its "one of the last of the best" made by whirlpool between 1983 and 1984. in 1985 they went to panasonic and the quality was much worse with those machines. jimmy martin is right. those old hoses need to be hung or lais flat so they dont split. also use vinyl protectant on them from time to time to inhibit splitting. you can use merv 10 a/c filter for the pre and post motor filters. 5033 bags are very common. unclogging the powermate should be easy too. those last 5th generation powerheads were the best kenmore ever had. i personally like them with the woodgrain, but these are more rare as they arent as "pretty" and most collectors pass them by (guilty as charged). a new belt and keep an eye on the carbons and lubricate the cord winder and clean all the electrical contacts on the hose connections. it should last you many more years. the only trouble you might run into is brush strips. im not sure if sears carries them for that powerhead anymore. i know they do for my 1979 and 1980 models that use flat belts. get the 116 number off the bottom of the power head and plug it into sears parts direct, they should still at least offer belts, if youre lucky. brush strips. the beater bar inserts have been nla for many years | ||
| Post# 323795 , Reply# 11 5/1/2015 at 18:45 (3,280 days old) by niclonnic (Bonney Lake, WA) | ||
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Good info
However, this is NOT my vacuum. It belongs to a community center in the city of Pacific, WA. It's been sitting in a closet, and I am just now getting around to posting about it.
I've never done electrical work to a vacuum cleaner. Changing a belt, changing a bag, washing or replacing filters and clearing out a clog are the extent of my skills. So I won't do that kind of work to this vacuum. | ||
| Post# 323800 , Reply# 12 5/1/2015 at 19:35 (3,280 days old) by bnsd60m9200 (Akron OH) | ||
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| Post# 323802 , Reply# 13 5/1/2015 at 19:56 (3,280 days old) by niclonnic (Bonney Lake, WA) | ||
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Most likely not | ||
| Post# 323805 , Reply# 14 5/1/2015 at 20:23 (3,280 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada) | ||
Niclonnic
Hold on a minute....forget for a minute this vacuum is in a commercial setting. Has it ever occured to you that this vacuum was most likely donated to the community center? Plus, if they already have a Oreck XL, chances are the caretaker prefers upright vacuums. I would bet that it got donated, they used it for a while, it got clogged, & then decided to switch back to the Oreck & not fix it. I doubt this vacuum has seen very little commercial use & probably has less than average wear for it's age. Plus, this vacuum is a TOL model & would be harder to find than most other Kenmore models from the same era.
If I was you, if you really like Kenmore canisters & you like this particular machine, I would reconsider your stance & inquire whether they would sell you the vacuum. Rob | ||
| Post# 323897 , Reply# 16 5/2/2015 at 14:00 (3,280 days old) by niclonnic (Bonney Lake, WA) | ||
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I doubt it | ||
| Post# 323979 , Reply# 17 5/3/2015 at 11:38 (3,279 days old) by Ctvacman (CT) | ||
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I would love to buy that machine. If you could ask someone at the center if they would be willng to sell it that would be great. | ||
| Post# 324010 , Reply# 18 5/3/2015 at 20:49 (3,278 days old) by vacuumkid47 (Sibley, IA) | ||
I... | ||
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