Thread Number: 40257  /  Tag: 80s/90s Vacuum Cleaners
Which vacuums could you live without?
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Post# 427461   6/21/2020 at 12:27 (1,376 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        

human's profile picture
So after responding to a recent thread about how one stores/displays one's vacuums, I realized I'm absolutely overrun with vacuums for the size house I have and it got me to thinking about which ones I wouldn't mind parting with. I love my Kirbys and my Electroluxes so those are where I'd have the most difficulty thinning the herd. That said, there are some machines that just wouldn't make the cut:

Filter Queen Majestic—It was a $5 impulse purchase at a thrift shop and I spent more than ten times that much putting it to rights but it's still a lackluster performer and I never could completely get the dog odor out of it.

Douglas ATV wet/dry vac—I've owned this machine longer than any other presently in my possession. It was an emergency purchase in about 1994 or '95 when my neighbors had a water leak that flooded my apartment. It was inexpensive and just doesn't do the job it was designed for all that well. I have a much better Dayton wet/dry vac and I honestly don't remember the last time I plugged this one in.

Eureka canister—This was a $10 emotional purchase that reminded me of my lovely Eureka Princess canister that my ex-wife made me get rid of. I had fun figuring out how to hook it up to an Electrolux wand and power nozzle but it's just taking up space now.

Sanitaire SC 686—This was a $10 impulse purchase because, well, why not? Cosmetically, it's in great shape but I've never been all that impressed with its performance.

The Duplicates
There are some machines that I have more than one copy of, so logically I should be able to let at least one duplicate go, but who said I'm logical?

Electrolux 1205—I have two of these and they're both in nice shape for their age but the I've had and used as my go-to machine from 2004-2013 would be the candidate to keep. The other one, which my dad rescued from a neighbor's trash pile in the early '80s is showing its age a little more than the other. But if I were to take all of my Electrolux canisters as a group, the Silverado would also be a good candidate for dismissal as it's in the roughest shape of the lot.

Electrolux Uprights—I have three of these: a Discovery II, Discovery Plus, and Genesis LXe. The prime candidate for dismissal is the Discovery Plus, even though it's arguably the rarest of the three with its onboard tool storage but that feature is what makes it less desirable to me. The machine is very unwieldy with all of its tools stowed aboard. I have to offload them to use it. Also, it's the only one of the three that doesn't have an electrical connection for a SideKick.

Kirby G series—I'm lumping my two Gsixes (a Performance and a 2001 Limited Edition) and my G5 all together into one category since aesthetics aside, they're all essentially the same machine. I would probably keep the Performance because it's in the nicest shape of the three but I'd swap the Sentria style brush roll from the G5 into it. I also have a Sentria that's in pristine shape and thus is a keeper. That said, I do have a soft spot for the G5, since I've resurrected it from its dilapidated state into a proper 'FrankenKirby'. Call it bojack if you must, but all the parts are genuine Kirby.

Kirby Heritage/Legacy series—This is another three-way race consisting of three different models: a Heritage HD1, a Heritage 2 Legend and a Legend II. From condition alone, the Heritage II would be the logical keeper but from a standpoint of aesthetics, it's a really tough call.

Hoover QuickBroom—These are handy little machines for quick cleanups but who really needs two? The pair I have are identical to each other except one has a blue floor nozzle and the other one is white. It's a coin toss, really.

Royal Prince 501 handheld—I have two of these also. One is in 1960s gray and red livery and the other is in 1980s baby blue livery. Performance is about equal. Again, it's a bit of a tossup.

I don't know that I'm quite ready to begin thinning the herd just yet but it's a useful mental exercise nonetheless.



Post# 427462 , Reply# 1   6/21/2020 at 12:52 (1,376 days old) by luxflairguy (Wilmington, NC)        

Anything modern and all plastic! Dyson, Dirt Devil, you name it!

Post# 427463 , Reply# 2   6/21/2020 at 13:05 (1,376 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        

human's profile picture
I hear you. I have no time or patience for modern, bagless plasticrap. I realized after I'd posted this thread that I'd neglected to mention three of my Electrolux canisters. The Super J and the Diamond J are both keepers for sure but I'm quite neutral about the Diplomat LX, precisely because of its all-plastic construction but at least it takes bags.

Post# 427467 , Reply# 3   6/21/2020 at 14:50 (1,376 days old) by vacuumkid47 (Sibley, IA)        

vacuumkid47's profile picture
I think I can live without most of my plastic ones, yes. But I have a personal connection to a few that I grew up with and so a lot of them are childhood machines anyway. For example, my very first vacuum was my Dirt Devil Dynamite. I will never get rid of that thing. However, I'd get rid of all my Bissells and Dirt Devils (except for models built before TTI bought them)

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Post# 427470 , Reply# 4   6/21/2020 at 16:45 (1,376 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)        

huskyvacs's profile picture
I have a few too many modern Windtunnels. I have only one vintage one (the first one). I'd love to have the fully kitted out anniversary edition.

Post# 427476 , Reply# 5   6/21/2020 at 18:23 (1,376 days old) by Gman (Ripon, CA)        

I had over 50 machines, and a vacuum room, etc. but I never used them. Wihen we moved from Colorado to California I got rid of most of them. Even here I am like why do I have these? The newer carpets today won’t even tolerate them. Not sure if it is getting older or what. I still love vacuums, just don’t need them around. I don’t miss anything I got rid of.

Post# 427488 , Reply# 6   6/21/2020 at 20:54 (1,376 days old) by Hoover300 (Kentucky)        

hoover300's profile picture
Most modern(post 90s) plastic things, minus my Powerforce Bagless. In my experience, the 10 amp ones will last forever. 90s and earlier? My Windtunnel Sp, my BOL Kenmore buffer, My Electrolux L (or what is left of it), Olympia one, same shape as the L, And a few of my more modern hand vacs. And my vintage wood grain Shop Vac.

Post# 427496 , Reply# 7   6/22/2020 at 00:17 (1,376 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah)        
Hmm

lesinutah's profile picture
I could live without all my vacuums. If I had to choose I could narrow it down. I have alot of royals and Kirby's and a good number of sharks.
I'd keep Hoover 913, royal 245, Kirby d80, compact c9, sanitaire s667b and shark rotator cordless. I got the shark for my birthday so that's why it's on the list. The rest is one vacuum from each manufacturer that I like or use the most.
Les


Post# 427498 , Reply# 8   6/22/2020 at 00:32 (1,376 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)        
I COULD do withour the multiples here......................

gottahaveahoove's profile picture
would rather not. But........................Could, if I had to.
There are numerous cleaners that could leave here. With 500 ish................
I was in the future "Victorian" bedroom, (renovations before Christmas) today, going through things.
Again, I found things long forgotten. I love that.


Post# 427508 , Reply# 9   6/22/2020 at 04:29 (1,376 days old) by kirbyklekter (Concord,Ca.)        
I agree with the others

The duplicates must go! If I parsed out all the extras, I'd be down from 50 to around 35. Even 35 is too much for the space I have. I'm not enjoying having a collection that's scattered all over the place, in storage sheds, attics, basements and the like. So I'm going to thin the herd and just concentrate on what I keep. I'm thinking about 10. There's really only two that I want and don't have yet, so a dozen is a good target count. The majority of dupes are Kirby's, 4 -d80's 3classis omegas, 3 Classic III's etc etc. I did the same with my mixers, down from 25 to 14 and don't miss the ones I gave away. Going to have to do this with everything someday so a little practice now doesn't hurt.


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