Just started my collection!

Congratulations on being a new collector. It's a fun hobby where you can use machines or put them on display. Much more to do with vacuum collectors compared to stamps, baseball cards and see shells!

I'm sure you realize already that each one has its own "Personality" if you will. The characteristics of sound in tone and volume level, grooming prints, especially if brush roll equipped, maneuverability, how the headlight shines, if equipped, upright vs. canister, and of course performance. Performance further breaks down with variables of agitator speed, suction power, air flow and how well that power is more dirt is collected, and how the brush roll maintains power if motor driven vs. air turbine and the belt style.

Of course who can forget color, construction, and generation!! Everyone has a niche.

Personally I'm a "NUT" for power nozzle canister vacuums particularly Hoover from mid 1970-s mid 2000's. But I have some other brands and do a few uprights. A few particular musts of my collection: no all white machines, must have a motor driven brush roll, must be pleasant tone and excellent performance. I'm highly preferable to navy blues!

Your Kenmore is a gorgeous blue. It has the canister carry handle of a Progressive but that body style was nicknamed "Jitterbug" by Kenmore. The design is more common in the deeper blue/ purple hinted model. Early 2000's to my best knowledge.
The squared power nozzle which is the CenTec made model CT14DXQD. Your power nozzle probably has air flow slots in the front of the nozzle with the chevron 2 bristle row brush roll. The 90's style of that head was a flat even base plate, 2 row replaceable brush strip and a beater bar on the brush roll. It's interesting over time to watch subtle changes that companies make to their units. While your machine was considered by Kenmore as a near entry level at the time, most collectors prefer your power nozzle over the power nozzle that would have been on TOL (Top of the Line)_ model at the time. Decent wheel design and some other features on yours. A trusted design that has been in production since the 80's, I believe is when it came out, has seen subtle changes but still being manufactured today!!

The TOL model at the time of your unit would have been called a Progressive. It would have had the lighted bag check indicator, and original Progressive power nozzle CenTec CT16DX which is sleek on top but edges are flush- non T-shaped front--- same nozzle found on most current market Panasonic canisters like the red Panasonic MC-CG902. In all actuality the TOL Progressive at that time would have had the exact body style, attachments and all of the current Panasonic MC-CG902 which I've attached below!

Anyways, welcome aboard. Keep sharing what you find, and any advice you are seeking! You'll stumble across machines on eBay, Craigslist, Yard Sales, Flea Markets, Thrift Stores, Gifts and of course the Pawn Shop where you bought your first two gems!

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Post# 342690 2/2/2016 at 14:32 (2,995 days old) by Icee (Indiana)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Hi everyone! I was just able to start my sweeper collection that I've wanted to do for some years now! I'll try and upload some pictures of what I have now in the near future, but for now I can at least tell you what I have! So both of these sweepers I got from a local pawn shop for very low prices, but both of them work fantasticly, but also neither of them have their attatchments, but hey that's fixable. So the first one I purchased is a Kirby (my favorite brand!) Tradition, I believe it to be the 81 model. It's metal is fairly tarnished from time and use, but again it works wonders and it has it's origional zip up bag, no holes! The second one I got is a Kenmore cannister (I believe it's called a whispertone?). It has the square, edgy power mate head. No attatchments, but at the price I got it for I'm not complaining. The kirby was $35 and the kenmore was $37, both with a 6 month warranty!

Post# 342769 , Reply# 1 2/3/2016 at 12:57 (2,994 days old) by blknblu (CT)
Checkrate/Likes 1 great start. Pics would be nice. Be forewarned, they multiply. :)

Post# 342787 , Reply# 2 2/3/2016 at 16:38 (2,994 days old) by Icee (Indiana)
Checkrate/Likes I actually did end up posting some, they are on a diffirent post though! "Pictures of the start of my collection". I appreciate your interest!

Post# 342793 , Reply# 3 2/3/2016 at 18:38 (2,994 days old) by vacuumlad1650 (Wauponsee, IL)
Checkrate/Likes They certainly do multiply. in the past year i gained somewhere between 13 and 22 vacuums. im afraid to count!

Post# 342802 , Reply# 4 2/3/2016 at 21:07 (2,994 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)
Checkrate/Likes *Between 13 and 22?!?* That's quite a spread. Is 13 the net and 22 the gross? Either way, it makes me feel not quite as insane having added just five to my collection, plus an assortment of related parts and accessories. Of course, I also lost one when my girlfriend broke up with me and kept one of my Kirbys. But it's all good; I've still got three.

Post# 342803 , Reply# 5 2/3/2016 at 21:26 (2,994 days old) by Icee (Indiana)
Checkrate/Likes *Vacuumlad1650* Goodness that's amazing! I hope I can end up saying the same! So, your opinion, Idk that this qualifys as a 90's sweeper because I don't know the age of it but from the square looking head I feel it has a chance to be. So, here's a picture of my Kenmore I recently got, and I really like it. I know it's not a fancy sweeper, but my kirby has gotten all the attention and I just wondered someone elses's opinion of it :) View Full Size

Post# 342807 , Reply# 6 2/3/2016 at 22:23 (2,994 days old) by vacuumlad1650 (Wauponsee, IL)
Checkrate/Likes That is a Good kenmore. Grandmother has it in green. I have 3 Kenmores and too many other vacuums! Photos... < > Photo 1 of 4 View Full Size

Post# 342815 , Reply# 7 2/4/2016 at 09:06 (2,993 days old) by Icee (Indiana)
Checkrate/Likes Thanks :). Glad to see someone else likes them. What's the name of the upright? After seeing that I think I might want one!

Post# 342844 , Reply# 8 2/4/2016 at 15:22 (2,993 days old) by vacuumlad1650 (Wauponsee, IL)
Checkrate/Likes That is from the progressive upright series. that Kenmore Progressive 300 upright belonged to my Grandmother, the progressive canister my mother, and the white 3.9 my other grandmother who has the green progressive

Post# 344171 , Reply# 13 2/15/2016 at 15:54 (2,982 days old) by icee (Indiana)
Checkrate/Likes *Durango 159* Wow, thanks for the information, glad you like the kenmore! While I do adore kirbys, it's nice to see someone appreciateing kenmores :). I regularly go around checking the pawnshops and thrift stores around town, we have a number of them. I definitly don't like paying the online prices for them!

Post# 342873 , Reply# 9 2/5/2016 at 00:48 (2,993 days old) by Icee (Indiana)
Checkrate/Likes That's really cool :). I'd really like to have more kenmores. Well, more sweepers in general if I'm honost lol.

Post# 343233 , Reply# 10 2/9/2016 at 09:08 (2,988 days old) by vacerator (Macomb Michigan)
Checkrate/Likes *Icee's collection, etc.* Hello Icee! I like your blue Kenmore progressive. Gary, see, I found the reply field. I had a 1983 Kenmore 3.5 Powermate. No headlight. The sales lady told me Panasonic made it, but I think they had recently bought the factory from Ryobi. Anyway, the progressives are good machines for their price points. Still made by Panasonic, in Ohio I believe. The Whispertone name has been used by Sears since the 1960's. Whirlpool made the Lady Kenmore whispertone canister, and Panasonic made the whispertone uprights in the 90's with the steel handles and base plate. Kirby's are great machines, if not a bit on the heavy side.

Post# 343289 , Reply# 11 2/9/2016 at 16:30 (2,988 days old) by icee (Indiana)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *Vacerator* Thanks for the compliments, and the information!

Post# 343343 , Reply# 12 2/10/2016 at 00:27 (2,988 days old) by Durango159 (State College, PA)
Checkrate/Likes *Welcome Aboard Icee!!* Congratulations on being a new collector. It's a fun hobby where you can use machines or put them on display. Much more to do with vacuum collectors compared to stamps, baseball cards and see shells! I'm sure you realize already that each one has its own "Personality" if you will. The characteristics of sound in tone and volume level, grooming prints, especially if brush roll equipped, maneuverability, how the headlight shines, if equipped, upright vs. canister, and of course performance. Performance further breaks down with variables of agitator speed, suction power, air flow and how well that power is more dirt is collected, and how the brush roll maintains power if motor driven vs. air turbine and the belt style. Of course who can forget color, construction, and generation!! Everyone has a niche. Personally I'm a "NUT" for power nozzle canister vacuums particularly Hoover from mid 1970-s mid 2000's. But I have some other brands and do a few uprights. A few particular musts of my collection: no all white machines, must have a motor driven brush roll, must be pleasant tone and excellent performance. I'm highly preferable to navy blues! Your Kenmore is a gorgeous blue. It has the canister carry handle of a Progressive but that body style was nicknamed "Jitterbug" by Kenmore. The design is more common in the deeper blue/ purple hinted model. Early 2000's to my best knowledge. The squared power nozzle which is the CenTec made model CT14DXQD. Your power nozzle probably has air flow slots in the front of the nozzle with the chevron 2 bristle row brush roll. The 90's style of that head was a flat even base plate, 2 row replaceable brush strip and a beater bar on the brush roll. It's interesting over time to watch subtle changes that companies make to their units. While your machine was considered by Kenmore as a near entry level at the time, most collectors prefer your power nozzle over the power nozzle that would have been on TOL (Top of the Line)_ model at the time. Decent wheel design and some other features on yours. A trusted design that has been in production since the 80's, I believe is when it came out, has seen subtle changes but still being manufactured today!! The TOL model at the time of your unit would have been called a Progressive. It would have had the lighted bag check indicator, and original Progressive power nozzle CenTec CT16DX which is sleek on top but edges are flush- non T-shaped front--- same nozzle found on most current market Panasonic canisters like the red Panasonic MC-CG902. In all actuality the TOL Progressive at that time would have had the exact body style, attachments and all of the current Panasonic MC-CG902 which I've attached below! Anyways, welcome aboard. Keep sharing what you find, and any advice you are seeking! You'll stumble across machines on eBay, Craigslist, Yard Sales, Flea Markets, Thrift Stores, Gifts and of course the Pawn Shop where you bought your first two gems! View Full Size

Post# 344177 , Reply# 14 2/15/2016 at 16:03 (2,982 days old) by vacerator (Macomb Michigan)
Checkrate/Likes *Kenmore* Is made by Panasonic.