Thread Number: 29004  /  Tag: Recent Vacuum Cleaners from past 20 years
Joined the Rainbow family
[Down to Last]

Vacuumland's exclusive eBay Watch:
scroll >>> for more items --- [As an eBay Partner, eBay may compensate vacuumland.org if you make a purchase using any link to eBay on this page]
Post# 324220   5/6/2015 at 07:01 (3,249 days old) by Dandagreer (Nashville, TN)        

dandagreer's profile picture
Well after having read through several posts in the archives here about Rainbows and will all the breathing issues I've had lately, I decided it was time to try a Rainbow.

I knew I wanted a 2-speed but they're just so darn expensive! After having scrubbed eBay and Craigslist for a few weeks, I came upon an E2 Gold with all the original attachments for $300. Except that it was 2 hrs away! Lol. Well I called and offered him $250. He came down to $275 and I went to pick it up last night.

When I pulled in, the thoughts in my head were of deliverance.... I was sure I was about to be shot for sounding like a Yankee. Surrounded by a junkyard of used washers and appliances (in the front yard mind you), I kept thinking, "What have I gotten myself into?" Well a kind lady shriveled from years of tobacco use, met me in the driveway and ushered me in to what, I don't really think anyway, could be called a house... Falling down shack more like. But sure enough, there was my Rainbow!

I quickly checked the separator, clean, and the whole unit was immaculately clean. Plugged it in and purred, well, whined like a 2-speed Rainbow should. I packed her up with haste and got back home.

When I walked in, I swear my Kirbys looked at me like, "what is this?" Lol. I set everything up and, despite having just majorly cleaned and vacuumed Saturday, the amount of crud I pulled out of my tiny living room and bedroom was truly astonishing! After I cleaned everything up, I removed the heap neutralizer and it was perfectly clean, and the inside of the motor was perfectly clean as well! Under the separator was also perfectly clean so either this was never used hardly or someone meticulously cared for it!

Thanks to everyone here for your Rainbow posts. Having read through them really helped me make an informed decision. I reassured my Kirbys that I would still use them (lol) but I'm happy to add the Rainbow to my cleaning arsenal!


  View Full Size
Post# 324224 , Reply# 1   5/6/2015 at 09:17 (3,249 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        

human's profile picture
I seem to remember a tribe of hippies back in the day that called themselves the Rainbow Family ;)

Yeah, backwoods folk are an interesting breed. They'll do just about anything for you, but Lord help you if they decide you've done 'em wrong.

Seriously, congrats on your acquisition. Sounds like you got a good one. Hope it meets all your expectations.


Post# 324228 , Reply# 2   5/6/2015 at 09:43 (3,249 days old) by ralph123 (Little Rock, AR)        

Dandagreer said: "When I walked in, I swear my Kirbys looked at me like, "what is this?" Lol. I set everything up and, despite having just majorly cleaned and vacuumed Saturday, the amount of crud I pulled out of my tiny living room and bedroom was truly astonishing!"

So how could the Rainbow possibly pick up dirt missed by your Kirbys? Surely you are just teasing.


Post# 324232 , Reply# 3   5/6/2015 at 09:57 (3,249 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

dysonman1's profile picture
Rainbows have no trouble pulling dirt left by the Kirbeast. Try using your new Rainbow in your bedroom (mine's been running on low speed there, since October). Overfill the pan by about 2 cups, then place the machine on top and set it on low speed. The soft sound of bubbling water lulls me to sleep, but the humidification and filtration of the air are wonderful. No dry mouth in the morning and no sneezing from pollen or bacteria - it's all trapped in the water. When you don't hear the sound of the bubbling water (evaporation), add more. I add about 2 cups per day, to always keep it gurgling and bubbling along happily. Congrats on a great machine. The 15 foot hose (an option) will make using the machine a simple and easy task - you don't have to move the machine about.

Post# 324243 , Reply# 4   5/6/2015 at 11:10 (3,249 days old) by Kirbysthebest (Midwest)        
I'm glad you got a good deal.

You will like your Rainbow, I have had my Rainbow for over 40 years, though it is getting a little long in the tooth, it still does a good job when I get it out.



Post# 324244 , Reply# 5   5/6/2015 at 11:11 (3,249 days old) by kirbymodel2c (Nottingham, England)        
Hi David

kirbymodel2c's profile picture

Hope your happy with your new purchase. It's good you got it for a fair price. I'm sure you will still be using your lovely Kirby's.

Too deep clean your carpets properly after using the Rainbow...laughing I've never been impressed with their performance. I own 2 Rainbows and have them because their unusual here in the UK.

Remember to use your Kirby's when sucking up lots of fine powdery dust. "Wet dust don't fly"....except if you suck up allot of fine dust quickly...laughing

 

I'm sure it won't be long before you get other high end vacuums like Tristar,Filter Queen etc.

Not to mention more Kirby's...wink

 

Jamessmile

 

 

 

 

 


Post# 324247 , Reply# 6   5/6/2015 at 12:01 (3,249 days old) by kloveland (Tulsa)        

kloveland's profile picture
My feelings exactly! I totally agree with everything you just said James! I'm not a Rainbow fan. However, I try to be respectful of those who are and not criticize other brands.

Post# 324250 , Reply# 7   5/6/2015 at 12:25 (3,249 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)        
I'm with you

gottahaveahoove's profile picture
there.

Post# 324251 , Reply# 8   5/6/2015 at 12:31 (3,249 days old) by Marks_here (_._)        
I am surrounded by

marks_here's profile picture
Backwoods people where I live & there is nothing wrong with them (us).

Post# 324252 , Reply# 9   5/6/2015 at 13:00 (3,249 days old) by ralph123 (Little Rock, AR)        

Keeping in mind that it wasn't a scientific test, I would still posit that in typical use a person using a canister vacuum like the Rainbow could get dirt "missed" by a bulky upright like the Kirby because the power nozzle can more easily fit under beds and other furniture. I know that I'm more likely to vacuum under the bed with a canister than an upright because it's so much easier. I tend to clean differently with my canister power team vacuum versus my upright.

Post# 324260 , Reply# 10   5/6/2015 at 15:49 (3,249 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        
No disrespect intended...

human's profile picture
I'm not putting backwoods people down in any way. My only point, based on personal experience, is one must respect them for who they are and deal with them honorably. They tend to take the Golden Rule very, very seriously.

Post# 324265 , Reply# 11   5/6/2015 at 17:19 (3,249 days old) by Dandagreer (Nashville, TN)        
Always a Kirby man

dandagreer's profile picture
While I will enjoy using my new rainbow, I will always love a Kirby. I just think they're beautiful machines. Shiny aluminum and the big inflated bag have so much charm to me. The rainbow is just an addition to my cleaning family!

And thanks Tom for the suggestion about using it as an air cleaner. I left it on low speed today before I left for work in my bedroom!


Post# 324301 , Reply# 12   5/7/2015 at 00:45 (3,249 days old) by hockeydude22 (ontario)        
@Dandagreer

Congradulations and welcome to the Rainbow family.


Post# 324309 , Reply# 13   5/7/2015 at 06:31 (3,248 days old) by Dandagreer (Nashville, TN)        
Breathing better

dandagreer's profile picture
Well, I can honestly say after having cleaned my entire house with my Rainbow and having ran it on low speed for 36 hours, this morning when I woke up I could actually breathe better! My nose is clear and no sneezing! I will still never give up on my favorite vacs -- KIRBY -- but Rexair has def made me a believer in the Rainbow!

Post# 324318 , Reply# 14   5/7/2015 at 12:59 (3,248 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

dysonman1's profile picture
I'm happy that you noticed the benefit of running your Rainbow as an air purifier. I put a few drops of the green Deodorizer/Air Freshener in the water, when running in my bedroom. It has alcohol and glycol in it, so bacteria are killed while the machine is running.

The brushless Hurricane motor is awesome. With no brushes (and no commutator) to ever wear out, the Rainbow should still be running long after I'm dead. Like a good ceiling fan - the motors just don't quit.

There are a couple other vacs I use in my house to clean with, but I always come back to the Rainbow. With the 15 foot hose, you don't even have to move the machine very often. That's one option I recommend for all Rainbow owners.


Post# 324321 , Reply# 15   5/7/2015 at 13:29 (3,248 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        
Kirbys are beautiful

human's profile picture
I agree on Kirbys, they are beautiful--and beautifully engineered--machines. See my original post under why Kirbys are guy vacuums for a fuller explanation of my opinion on them. Kirbys are definitely my favorite uprights but I'm also partial to vintage Electrolux canisters.

Post# 324322 , Reply# 16   5/7/2015 at 13:48 (3,248 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)        

suckolux's profile picture
Glad to know it's brushless! All those hours running had me worried. Are the bearings special or just sacrafice and easy to change?

Post# 324457 , Reply# 17   5/9/2015 at 13:03 (3,246 days old) by mark40511 (Lexington, KY)        
How strange!

mark40511's profile picture
Based on your going to get your Rainbow from the backwoods people story - who lived in a shack and she smoked, you would think the Rainbow you got from them would be in bad shape, yet it's not. Maybe they just never used it? LOL.

You have the same model as me. I LOVE IT! I agree with Tom on the longer hose. I thought it was 14 feet. I bought mine from Goodvac a long time ago and it's GREAT! You basically just park the rainbow and you have this long hose to go around sucking everything up high and low. I can get on a ladder and get the tops of ceiling fans, the top of my cupboards, etc.

My cat got sick over a week ago and I had to take her to the ER vet late 2 wed's ago....It took a week for her to heal. She was on antibiotics and pain meds and she had to wear a cone of shame around her neck.....When she used the litter box, she couldn't clean herself so I had to as best I could and I caught her scooting across my berber carpet...Ewwww!!......Now she's all better and doing great. I used my aqamate 3 to clean my carpets REALLY good....


Post# 324459 , Reply# 18   5/9/2015 at 13:14 (3,246 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)        

suckolux's profile picture
Glad she is all better!

Post# 324586 , Reply# 19   5/10/2015 at 16:48 (3,245 days old) by Dandagreer (Nashville, TN)        

dandagreer's profile picture
I was actually quite shocked that my Rainbow was clean and like new! A very pleasant surprise! I have thoroughly enjoyed cleaning with it already and seeing the filth floating in the bowl! I think the 15 Ft hose is a really good idea... Next paycheck perhaps! Thanks everyone! I'm happy to be added to the Rainbow ranks!

Post# 324605 , Reply# 20   5/10/2015 at 23:25 (3,245 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        
Could have been part of a barter deal

human's profile picture
One kind of fascinating--and admirable--thing about backwoods people is they often make creative business transactions that don't always involve the exchange of cash for goods or services. The barter system is alive and well in backwoods America and It's entirely possible the vacuum was taken in lieu of cash for the purpose of flipping it to realize more profit than a straight cash transaction would have yielded.

The negotiation might have gone something like this: "Well, the job'll cost you $150 but if you throw in that old vacuum cleaner, I'll do it for $100." The other party isn't using the vacuum, so he sees it as an easy way to save $50 and then our backwoods negotiator sells the vacuum cleaner to our buddy Dandagreer for $275 and effectively ends up realizing $375 for a $150 job.


Post# 324626 , Reply# 21   5/11/2015 at 10:38 (3,244 days old) by dandagreer (Nashville, TN)        
Barter deal

dandagreer's profile picture
The barter deal makes perfect sense, since the house it was in looked like it hadn't been cleaned in a decade or so. That's OK; I got the nice Rainbow I wanted and they got the cash they wanted. Everybody wins!

And I don't mean to sound like a jerk. They were very kind people.

I think tonight it's time to try out the squeegee. I found an old thread where Tom explained how to fill up a 1/2 gallon container with diluted soap solution, scrub, suck up, then empty the Rainbow when you've used all the clean solution.


Post# 325657 , Reply# 22   5/25/2015 at 07:41 (3,230 days old) by Dandagreer (Nashville, TN)        
LOOOONNNG Hose

dandagreer's profile picture
Based on Tom's suggestion (thank you, Tom), I ordered the 15 foot hose and got it this weekend. Wow, what a difference. In my small apartment, I can park the Rainbow and clean all around...I only had to move the motor 3 times to clean the whole place!

I also ordered a Rainbow mate power head and my experience with that is mediocre. It does well on furniture, but with the car, not so much. I much prefer my Kirby Zipbrush for the car. If I could just rig up an adapter for it to fit a Rainbow hose..... Lol



Forum Index:       Other Forums:                      



Comes to the Rescue!

Woops, Time to Check the Bag!!!
Either you need to change your vacuum bag or you forgot to LOG-IN?

Discuss-O-MAT Log-In



New Members
Click Here To Sign Up.



                     


automaticwasher.org home
Discuss-o-Mat Forums
Vintage Brochures, Service and Owners Manuals
Fun Vintage Washer Ephemera
See It Wash!
Video Downloads
Audio Downloads
Picture of the Day
Patent of the Day
Photos of our Collections
The Old Aberdeen Farm
Vintage Service Manuals
Vintage washer/dryer/dishwasher to sell?
Technical/service questions?
Looking for Parts?
Website related questions?
Digital Millennium Copyright Act Policy
Our Privacy Policy