Thread Number: 40060
/ Tag: 50s/60s/70s Vacuum Cleaners
Worst condition or dirtiest vacuum you found? |
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Post# 425228   5/10/2020 at 13:31 (1,418 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)   |   | |
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What vacuum in your collection was in the worst condition or dirtiest when you got it?
I have not found anything particularly bad. But it would probably be between my Hoover Slimline or Penncrest-badged Hoover Constellation. The Slimline was just dirty overall, the inside had dust inside that seemed it had at one time no bag. There was also some mildew inside the exhaust bellows. Cleaned it all out, scrubbed it down, polished with wax, washed the hose, made a new exhaust filter and it was fine. The Constellation was in a similar condition - dirty and had probably spent years in the garage. Faded paint, smelly. First took it apart and scrubbed the vacuum down and washed the hose. Took off the bumper/seals and polished out the paint with rubbing compound. Looks much better. I really enjoy taking a dirty, neglected vacuum and polishing out the scratches or scuffs in the plastic or paint, and getting it to nearly shiny new condition again. Something satisfying about it, especially if it's a vintage well made vacuum or a newer model that was once quite expensive. I also enjoy fitting a new bag and filters, especially if I can substitute something that makes it perform or filter the air better than it did originally. It intrigues me how something someone once spent a lot of money on can get into a condition where it is undesirable, yet a deep clean and minor repairs can bring it right back were it was, and save a lot of money over new. :) |
Post# 425232 , Reply# 2   5/10/2020 at 14:41 (1,418 days old) by electrolux137 (Los Angeles)   |   | |
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Post# 425235 , Reply# 3   5/10/2020 at 15:16 (1,418 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)   |   | |
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I have a Dyson DC07 that's packed to the top with dirt. I fear what the cyclone looks like inside. I also have a Dirt Devil that was just made a year ago and chucked out from a broken belt. The bin is still full and it looks like it was left outdoors for months, a lot of the screws rusted and it has an odor of stale chips from 5 feet away - but it's brand new. The attachments are all there and have absolutely never been used. I also have a Kirby Sentria with the cloth hepa bag and it both looks and feels like there's a bowling ball in it! It's loaded as well.
They will all get cleaned up once I get working on them but for now they sit as they were received. I believe people just use them until they clog and then get rid of them because they don;t understand you have to change the bags, belts, dump the bin, and maintain it. |
Post# 425239 , Reply# 4   5/10/2020 at 17:07 (1,418 days old) by Hoover300 (Kentucky)   |   | |
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I once had one of those older folding black and decker stick vacs that sat outside for a few years, that was shot.
BUT... I got a Torrington late last year, and it looked and felt like it sat with the Titanic. It looked white in the pics as there was so much corrosion. The (replacement) bag was even ripped in two. Here are some pics with just a replaced bag, nothing else was done to it at that point. The third is when I got it running and cleaned up. |
Post# 425241 , Reply# 5   5/10/2020 at 17:25 (1,418 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)   |   | |
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Post# 425244 , Reply# 6   5/10/2020 at 19:48 (1,418 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)   |   | |
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My worst out of the box was my Kirby G5. The aluminum looked more like lead, the bearing in the brush roll had burned up and melted, It looked like it had been used without a bag to pick up sheetrock dust and it had holes in it. Also, the plug had been replaced with what looked like one from a lamp, including about six inches of lamp cord, a couple of wire nuts and about a yard of black electrical tape. But somehow, I saw potential in it. I got a cheap deal on a G7 bag assembly that was in great shape, so that set me on the road to turning it into a frankenkirby.
Another bad one was my Filter Queen Majestic. It had all its tools and ran okay and it was only $5. The cord was chewed up and encased in electrical tape in several spots, the power nozzle had a smashed elbow, and the tank was full of smelly dog hair. I ended up scrubbing it out with toilet bowl cleaner and a toilet brush! I I fixed it all up but I never did completely get rid of the odor. That's why it's been living in my barn for four years. |
Post# 425289 , Reply# 7   5/11/2020 at 18:46 (1,417 days old) by JustJunque (Western MA)   |   | |
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For me, it would have to be my 75th anniversary Electrolux Epic 6500.
I was driving by a house where there had been a yard sale. The unsold remnants were being set out on the tree belt. I almost slammed the brakes on right in the middle of the road when I saw an Electrolux! The outside of it was filthy, and looked like it had been left outside in the elements. The hose looked like part of it had been run over by a car. When I got it home and checked the bag, it was stuffed to the point where debris was sticking out of the neck where the hose attaches. It was stuffed with dirt, leaves, small twigs, long pine needles, etc. After giving it a thorough cosmetic cleaning, and replacing the bag and after filter, I attempted to plug it in to test the motor. It made a frightening electrical hum, and sparks shot out of the wall outlet. I tracked down a used motor, but still haven't found the time or nerve to attempt the task. Realistically, it doesn't work now. If I'm unsuccessful in my attempt at fixing it, it still won't work. I'd be no worse off. Honestly, if the 75th anniversary Epic wasn't such a dream machine of mine, I probably would have just tossed it when I first realized how trashed it was. If I ever do get it working again, it will be quite rewarding. Barry |
Post# 425467 , Reply# 11   5/14/2020 at 16:25 (1,414 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)   |   | |
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... belongs to this particular category... so full of dirt and lint! It also had a broken handle fork spring yoke.
The 2nd picture shows what it looked like after repairs were done. ~Ben |
Post# 425507 , Reply# 12   5/15/2020 at 09:12 (1,413 days old) by bvac6 (Fort Wayne, Indiana)   |   | |
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Oh boy, a few in my time! A Kirby Legend 2 that had been used in a restaurant. The nozzle, fan chamber, and most of the fill tube had a thick (I mean like one inch thick) crust of greasy black dirt the consistency of black crayon wax that I had to chisel out! The next was a thrift store convertible that had a full bag that had gotten wet and then dried at some point so it solidified like Quikcrete. Oh, and it smelled like those Japanese imitation ladybugs. A Kirby Diamond Edition that had been abandoned in a rental property that was so full of dog hair it had completely backed up from the fan chamber to the top of the fill tube! YUCK!
Lastly, the worst restoration was a salvage from the great vac store cleanout in Fort Wayne. An 1930's Universal upright had been hanging from the ceiling for years right under a roof leak. It was a disaster! I managed to salvage the bag but the cord was of course shot, the metal looked like it had been painted chalky white, and the motor field coil wrapping was completely rotted. It took several days to bring it back to life. |
Post# 425547 , Reply# 14   5/15/2020 at 22:29 (1,413 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)   |   | |
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Post# 425572 , Reply# 17   5/16/2020 at 22:38 (1,412 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)   |   | |
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Never plug in a wet electrical appliance, that's how you risk electrocution. Same happened to me after I washed a Toastmaster box fan and left it dry in the sun all afternoon, still had a tiny puddle in the bottom of the frame and when I touched the fan - zap!
If that happened in winter, let it dry out for several days under a heater or open it up and go over it with a hair dryer and make sure it's all dry before plugging it in. It was probably in a flood or left sitting out in the snow or rain at the time for trash day and it had water in it. |
Post# 425593 , Reply# 19   5/17/2020 at 01:34 (1,412 days old) by MadMan (Chicago, IL, USA)   |   | |
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My friend's office vacuum. Complaint: it not work.
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Post# 425693 , Reply# 21   5/18/2020 at 23:52 (1,410 days old) by MadMan (Chicago, IL, USA)   |   | |
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Post# 425696 , Reply# 22   5/19/2020 at 02:10 (1,410 days old) by kmarcus (Calgary, Alberta, Canada)   |   | |
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When I got my Hoover U4169 the bellows didn't have the belt to hold the inner bag so in its place was a cut pepsi bottle taped to the bellows. Also around where the brush roll was all dried mud. |
Post# 425789 , Reply# 23   5/21/2020 at 00:21 (1,408 days old) by ridgidwd0670 (se wood co ohio)   |   | |
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yrs ago i found a Eureka ESP upright with a full bag that 'blew up', jamming the outer bag zipper. Its Vibra Groomer 1 brush roller was warped & fan chamber was full of dirt. Now its being used to vacuum the 'mud room' & garage entry (from main part of house) carpet
Next would be my Aerus/Electrolux Ultralux C152 plastic canister vac that had dirt all over the entire inside (bag chamber & motor) & the vac smelled like stinky feet because the bag & exhaust filter were rock hard both vacs have been cleaned & refurbished by me before use |