Thread Number: 32522  /  Tag: 50s/60s/70s Vacuum Cleaners
My Kirby Omega!
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Post# 356918   7/31/2016 at 14:00 (2,797 days old) by luxy1205 (Wilmington, IL)        

luxy1205's profile picture
Hi everyone! I just bought this Kirby Classic Omega off of EBay and got it in the mail yesterday afternoon! I knew as soon as I got this Kirby, I was going to disassemble him and get him clean! I've wanted an Omega for awhile now and thought the price was good! I have a DS50 and a Heritage II as well, but they both need some TLC and haven't got around to them yet! First off, never realized how much bigger his face is compared to the H2!!!! He's a big Kirby!!!! You will see that he's next to my H2 face that I'm wet sanding and the size difference! When they shipped him to me, he was taken apart, so it made cleaning him way easier! I've never cleaned a bag before, but read many different posts on her from various people that have cleaned them. My husband helped get the bag off for me, then I blew it out with the air compressor, then used the shop vac on it, then blew him out again, and finally put it in the sink and washed him with Woolite! I even filled the bag with water part way and kept shaking and dumping it until the water was clear!!!! I cleaned the entire Kirby with soap and water! I blew out his motor and thru every orifice I could get into with the air compressor! I then made sure he worked outside, taking someone's word doesn't always pan out! He runs as described, GREAT!!!! Before I put his whole handle assembly back on, I used rubbing compound and mothers to clean up the plastic and metal! His change holder or his Reese peanut butter cup as I call it, wouldn't come off, so my husband managed to get it loose for me so I cleaned the threads on all pieces and put it back together! His cord is in phenomenal shape! His light was burnt out so I bought him a new one earlier today, now it works great! He's got some deep gouges missing here and there, but over all is a good running vacuum! He actually works too good for our carpets!!!! Kirby wants to eat them!!! HAHA!!! I love the Omega on him! I call him the sorority Kirby like Chi Kappa Kirby!!!! HAHA!!! I wish they would've put little Omegas all over his bag like they did with the older Kirby logo all over, that would've been cool!!!

Some Kirby help would be appreciated!!! His serial tag says "M", from what I found does that mean he was made in 1973? Is this an original first generation Omega bag? What kind of belt does he take? Any other info would be awesome too!!!! I'm not familiar with Kirby and would love to learn about them!!! He's turning real fast into my favorite!!!

When my husband was a little boy, late 60's, he said his grandma had a Kirby in the closet and it would scare him! He didn't like the elbow that went to the emptor! I told him if he misbehaves I will leave Kirby out somewhere in a dark corner where he will be scared again! HAHA!!!

My favorite part on a Kirby is the fact that you can feed him money!!! I think all vacuums should have that option somewhere on them!!! I already fed him a quarter for fun! I love my new to me Kirby Omega!!!! :) -Michelle


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Post# 356919 , Reply# 1   7/31/2016 at 14:09 (2,797 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)        

kirbyclassiciii's profile picture
Michelle,

Your Omega was indeed made sometime in the fall of 1973 going by its serial number which is partially obscured. But, the cloth bag I see is not quite original: it is a 1980s/'90s replacement going by the white Kirby tag I see on the back of it where the zipper is.

The original cloth bag on some early units was the carry-over KGF40 gold bag from the prior Classic 1CR (1970-73), but with the Kirby Classic Omega patch on the front; this was then changed to the pinstriped cloth bag, again with the Kirby Classic Omega patch on the front. It then changed to a diamondback vinyl fabric in 1974-75.

~Ben


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This post was last edited 07/31/2016 at 17:06
Post# 356920 , Reply# 2   7/31/2016 at 14:28 (2,797 days old) by luxy1205 (Wilmington, IL)        
Ben

luxy1205's profile picture
Thank you very much for the info! I had a feeling it wasn't an original bag, but it looks good on him and is in good shape so I'll just leave it on him for now. Thanks again! :) -Michelle

Post# 356926 , Reply# 3   7/31/2016 at 16:44 (2,797 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)        
luxy1205

kirbyclassiciii's profile picture
Michelle,

No problem! BTW, here is my 1974 Omega...

~Ben


  View Full Size


This post was last edited 07/31/2016 at 17:05
Post# 356992 , Reply# 4   8/1/2016 at 19:07 (2,796 days old) by luxy1205 (Wilmington, IL)        
Ben

luxy1205's profile picture
I love your 74 Kirby! He looks just like mine! Do you own a lot of Kirbys?
:) -Michelle


Post# 356994 , Reply# 5   8/1/2016 at 19:23 (2,796 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)        
Luxy1205

kirbyclassiciii's profile picture
Michelle,

I do have four other Kirbys, they are:
* Dual Sanitronic 80 (1969)
* Classic III 2CB (1977)
* Heritage 84 1HD (1984)
* Generation 3 (1991)

The Heritage 84 was my most recent acquisition.

~Ben


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Post# 356996 , Reply# 6   8/1/2016 at 19:40 (2,796 days old) by luxy1205 (Wilmington, IL)        
Ben

luxy1205's profile picture
That's really cool!!! I love the Heritage 1 and the DS80!!! I would own those models in a heart beat!!! Also, would love to own a Tradition!!! I just showed my husband pictures of what color a Tradition is and he loves it! He's not a vacuum guy, but he loves anything old and mechanical that he can fix!!! The Classic III's are cool too!

I have a Heritage II, DS50, Omega, and a Sentria. I'm planning on selling the Sentria, it's not old enough for me!

Do you use all of your Kirbys??? I have to do minor things to my Heritage II and DS50, so hopefully soon I can use all 3!!! :) -Michelle


Post# 357000 , Reply# 7   8/1/2016 at 20:05 (2,796 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)        
luxy1205

kirbyclassiciii's profile picture
Michelle,

Yes, they are all great!

However, the "holy grail" examples of all the pre-1990 vintage Kirbys out there would be all their heavy duty commercial fare like the Janitronic (1967), the American Lincoln Super-Sweep (Super-Vac 180 in 1982) and the COMVAC series (also from 1982).

~Ben


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Post# 357001 , Reply# 8   8/1/2016 at 20:07 (2,796 days old) by chicagomike (Plover, WI)        
Michelle - Make him shine!!

chicagomike's profile picture
Make him shine!!

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Post# 357002 , Reply# 9   8/1/2016 at 20:19 (2,796 days old) by luxy1205 (Wilmington, IL)        
Ben

luxy1205's profile picture
Love the first and second pictures!!! Especially the gold one!!!!!!!! I never knew that Kirby made commercial vacs!!!! Learn something new everyday!!! Those are really cool!!! :) -Michelle

Post# 357003 , Reply# 10   8/1/2016 at 20:21 (2,796 days old) by luxy1205 (Wilmington, IL)        
chicagomike

luxy1205's profile picture
Awww, thank you!!!! I am planning on making him shine here pretty quick!!! Have too many projects and not enough time!!! Love your Kirby Omega!!!! He's beautiful!!! :) -Michelle

Post# 357005 , Reply# 11   8/1/2016 at 20:26 (2,796 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)        
luxy1205

kirbyclassiciii's profile picture
Michelle,

They did... but they are all rare so finding one now will take a stroke of luck.

~Ben


Post# 357006 , Reply# 12   8/1/2016 at 20:31 (2,796 days old) by luxy1205 (Wilmington, IL)        
Ben

luxy1205's profile picture
My first job in high school was working as a housekeeper for a chain of hotels. Most of the vacuums I used there were nothing special. I do remember on one occasion that I used a big old metal Kirby!!! I can't remember which one, if I were to guess I would say maybe a Heritage II. That's the extent to my Kirby memories! Looking back at it now, I wish I would've bought that Kirby off of my work! Those commercial Kirbys are just too neat!!! :) -Michelle

Post# 368550 , Reply# 13   3/17/2017 at 00:28 (2,568 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)        
luxy1205

kirbyclassiciii's profile picture
Michelle,

There's at least one other holy grail Kirby out there... the Tradition Golden Trophy (1981 Council Winner).

All the external parts were made of anodized gold instead of aluminum. About 200 of these were built, awarded to the 50 managers, one per state, of whichever Kirby dealer was most successful.

~Ben


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Post# 368553 , Reply# 14   3/17/2017 at 08:22 (2,568 days old) by Kirbysthebest (Midwest)        
I sold Kirby when the Tradition was the current model

The "Golden Kirby" was in all of our sights as most desired trophy. 

 

I think Tommy Baird in Springfield got one that year, I don't remember now.  All I know is Tommy had a set of twins, Built like Dolly Pardon,  that would canvas in a Corvette.  They could only take two machines at a time and they managed to head back to the office for a re-load about six times a day.    If I remember those two sold something like 140 Kirbys a month, so I think I am remembering correctly that they got the Golden Kirby for his distributorship.



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