|
Thread Number: 38048
/ Tag: 50s/60s/70s Vacuum Cleaners
BISON vacuums... |
[Down to Last] |  |
| Post# 405494 2/15/2019 at 23:50 (1,895 days old) by superocd (PNW US) | ||
|
How rare are they and how long were they produced? Does anybody have one? How do they compare to Kirby from the same era? The front of them sure looks creepy, lol. | ||
Post# 405497 , Reply# 1 2/16/2019 at 01:35 (1,895 days old) by tolivac  (Greenville,NC) |
||
|
The front looks like a Cylon!!!Needs to have the light that scans back and forth.Would like to try a Bison-just can't find one for a REASONABLE price.The vac place encountered one in the Greenville area-the owner needed a belt. | ||
| Post# 405501 , Reply# 2 2/16/2019 at 02:06 (1,895 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana) | ||
The gist of it is that a guy that worked for Kirby, a designer or an engineeer, got fired or quit and decided he could do better than Kirby. He nicked their construction but changed the styling a lot and made it somewhat space-age and then tried to market them door to door like Kirby. I remember reading some stories that there was racism involved or some other stuff like that with the owner.
They are pretty rare and usually go for well over $200 on eBay, boxed ones about double that. Their main issue is just product quality, they tend to be very fragile mechanically and a lot of them break. They were made from the 1960s to the 1970s I think and not many sold, or if they did, then not many survived. You used to be able to find them at thrift but I think too many collectors and other random people know what they are now and patrol thrift stores for them, or the people that have them know what they have and it never leaves the auction house. They pop up maybe a few times a year on eBay either as virtually new in box, or as total wrecks, but bidding wars are frequent no matter what. Welcome to the site and to vacuum collecting by the way! | ||
| Post# 405502 , Reply# 3 2/16/2019 at 02:18 (1,895 days old) by S31463221 (Frenchburg, KY) | ||
Bison Vacs
Superocd, as has been stated above, the designer and builder of the Bison was a former Kirby employee who parted ways with the company, and decided he could build a “better mousetrap”.....thus the Bison was born. I have personally seen very few of them in real life (except the one I own), but I believe there were three models made, the green/chrome one, the brown Centurian II, and a commercial model. They were notorious to break down during the middle of an in-home demonstration from what I’ve heard. I can’t speak for all of them, but I have a brown Centurian II, and the plastic components on it feel very cheap and weak. I have a feeling it wouldn’t take a lot to break it all to pieces and destroy the machine. I will say though, it has a VERY powerful General Electric variable speed motor that is controlled by a rheostat switch. It goes from a relatively quiet hum to a helicopter taking flight! It terrifies pets and children alike!
| ||
| Post# 405507 , Reply# 4 2/16/2019 at 08:49 (1,894 days old) by dysonman1 (the county) | ||
They made Bison from the very late 1960's, in Ocala, Florida, and they stopped selling them around 1986.
Most were sold by Door to Door salesmen, although the brown painted models were sold in Vac Shops. The green and polished aluminum models (there were three variations) were sold for more than a decade. The problem with the design was always the cleaner head drive mechanism. Here's my green model Mark III with it's original hose and attachment box.
View Full Size
| ||
| Post# 405558 , Reply# 5 2/17/2019 at 05:47 (1,894 days old) by Kirbytex85 (Houston, TX) | ||
I have two Mark ll units. One of which was a display at a vacuum shop in NY and was never used. It’s still in the box. The other I found in pieces and had to source some of the parts which wasn’t easy. It works and I actually use it sometimes. I will try to post some pics soon. I also have some literature on them. They are very unique but compared to a Kirby the quality isn’t there. Some of the parts break easy. The look of the machine is what I’ve always liked along with the rarety.
| ||
| Post# 405662 , Reply# 8 2/18/2019 at 22:24 (1,892 days old) by compactc9guy (Bathurst NB) | ||
 | ||
| Post# 405673 , Reply# 9 2/19/2019 at 08:34 (1,891 days old) by dysonman1 (the county) | ||
|
| ||
|
Post# 405686 , Reply# 10 2/19/2019 at 14:34 (1,891 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640) |
||
Phillip Muller has an excellent specimen of one | ||
| Post# 405689 , Reply# 11 2/19/2019 at 17:00 (1,891 days old) by dysonman1 (the county) | ||
|
John Long | ||
|
Post# 405701 , Reply# 13 2/19/2019 at 20:38 (1,891 days old) by luxlife (Under a Pecan Tree) |
||
|
This post has been removed by the member who posted it. | ||
|
Post# 405759 , Reply# 14 2/21/2019 at 14:11 (1,889 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640) |
||
|
Although I've never met Hans, I'd like to.
My late father was from the South. He was the consummate Southern gentleman. Thankfully, there was NEVER any room for racism or prejudice in our home.EVER.
I, too, have been called almost "everything under the sun", some things by people who have never met me...feeling I was responsible for sending letters, etc.... I was refereed to as something beginning with 'mother', for example. As Tom A. and I always say: "We cannot be responsible for other people's ignorance". but...... I've seen these Bisons in person and in action.... monsters of machines. I've also heard how oddly fragile they can be, breaking in home demos. I have no need for a "Kirby", but, I WILL say they are strong, heavy beasts of machines. I've HAD to use them in certain situations,(churches, offices, friends' homes, etc) See what happens when people try to copy others? It CAN be a compliment. It can also be disastrous....like these Bisons. | ||
| Post# 405762 , Reply# 15 2/21/2019 at 15:03 (1,889 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah) | ||
Racism | ||
| Post# 405780 , Reply# 16 2/22/2019 at 00:47 (1,889 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada) | ||
John Long
You say you want to meet Hans Craig?
For starters, let me just say for the record I have never met Hans Craig in person. I have only seen photos of him online here, on Facebook, & that I am friends with Hans on Facebook & I have talked to him one time for a couple of hours recently on the phone. He is one collector, beside yourself, I have wanted to get to know better & be friends with. I have sent you a couple friend requests, you never responded, who knows why, & that's your business obviously. As far as Hans Craig is concerned, let me just say if you make a friend of that man, you will be one VERY LUCKY man indeed! When I talked to him those couple of hours, I felt like I had known the man my whole life. He is one of the most friendliest, down to earth, most polite people I think I have EVER met in my life....period. And his knowledge & experience with vacuums is vast & extensive. I consider myself lucky & grateful to have gotten to know him. I would STRONGLY suggest if you have the opportunity to go down there to meet him, or invite him to Pennsylvania to meet you or perhaps a mini meet, don't even hesitate for a minute to do it! You won't regret it. I don't think I could give any stronger of a testimonial to someone's good character if I tried, & I wish more of us collectors here were like him & the example he sets. Rob | ||
|
Post# 405861 , Reply# 17 2/23/2019 at 10:13 (1,887 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640) |
||
|
Rob,
How great to hear such great things about Hans!
As far as friend requests, I'm not very good at the Facebook stuff. I don't check in.... only on Tom A.'s Hoover site. I didn't know who you were in there. I'd like to be friends... nice to know you feel the same. Some people like me, tolerate me, loathe me me. Some of these have never met me. It's ok. I sleep w/ a very clear mind at night. You know I'm all HOOVER, right? However, I respect those who like other species. I DO 'allow' them in the house. I LOVE the people who come to my home. Thank, so much, for reaching out to me. | ||
|
Post# 405862 , Reply# 18 2/23/2019 at 10:14 (1,887 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640) |
||
|
Rob,
How great to hear such great things about Hans!
As far as friend requests, I'm not very good at the Facebook stuff. I don't check in.... only on Tom A.'s Hoover site. I didn't know who you were in there. I'd like to be friends... nice to know you feel the same. Some people like me, tolerate me, loathe me me. Some of these have never met me. It's ok. I sleep w/ a very clear mind at night. You know I'm all HOOVER, right? However, I respect those who like other species. I DO 'allow' them in the house. I LOVE the people who come to my home. Thank, so much, for reaching out to me. | ||
|
Post# 405863 , Reply# 19 2/23/2019 at 10:24 (1,887 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640) |
||
|
Rob,
How great to hear such great things about Hans!
As far as friend requests, I'm not very good at the Facebook stuff. I don't check in.... only on Tom A.'s Hoover site. I didn't know who you were in there. I'd like to be friends... nice to know you feel the same. Some people like me, tolerate me, loathe me me. Some of these have never met me. It's ok. I sleep w/ a very clear mind at night. You know I'm all HOOVER, right? However, I respect those who like other species. I DO 'allow' them in the house. I LOVE the people who come to my home. Thank, so much, for reaching out to me. | ||
|
Post# 405866 , Reply# 20 2/23/2019 at 12:05 (1,887 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640) |
||
|
so sorry for the triple post! | ||
|
Post# 405881 , Reply# 22 2/23/2019 at 18:12 (1,887 days old) by electrolux137 (Los Angeles) |
||
 | ||
|
Post# 405886 , Reply# 23 2/23/2019 at 18:34 (1,887 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640) |
||
|
would I be on that | ||
| Post# 464858 , Reply# 24 7/27/2023 at 08:02 (273 days old) by Nova_Candy (New Jersey) | ||
Bison | ||
| Forum Index: | 
| Other Forums: |
|
|
|
|
|
Comes to the Rescue!
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}