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Thread Number: 42501
/ Tag: 80s/90s Vacuum Cleaners
Kirby Tradition 3-CB (thrift store find) |
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| Post# 446733 10/2/2021 at 03:24 (936 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin) | ||
It's a landmark moment for me! It's both the first vacuum I bought - and it's my first vintage vacuum!
Dateline: August 24, 2021. I had talked to my friend about hitting up the local thrift store but when I decided to go it closed in 5 minutes, lol. So I went the next day (the 24th). Photo of the Tradition in the basement of the St. Vincent De Paul (second from left). I paid $50 for it. It seems a bit expensive for a thrift store, but it's cheaper than paying exorbitant prices for shipping. The other vacuums were just as surprisingly expensive - the cheapest being the Hoover Windtunnel TurboPower 7100, for $20. I had a hard time choosing which vacuum to grab. The Kirby Heritage II was also $50. The Hoover SteamVac looked very beat-up, and they wanted a whopping $60 for it. There was also a Kirby G2001 for $50 as well from what I recall. The other vacs were about $40 - two Orecks and an old Bissell. I couldn't get a closer pic of those. Not sure what the canister vac is - I don't have much interest in that type. The address is 169 N Central Ave in Marshfield, Wisconsin, if you wanna swing by and check what they got in. I doubt they would still be there a month later.
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| Post# 446734 , Reply# 1 10/2/2021 at 03:25 (936 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin) | ||
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The Tradition after getting home. I was feeling quite chuffed at this moment.
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| Post# 446735 , Reply# 2 10/2/2021 at 03:26 (936 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin) | ||
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Photo of the Tradition's price tag. Now I get why they say, "I'm gonna pop some tags."
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| Post# 446736 , Reply# 3 10/2/2021 at 03:27 (936 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin) | ||
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Here's a recent photo of the Tradition after being cleaned off. Notice how the sun had come out - all the other photos I took during this session were when it was overcast. Coincidence? I think not!
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| Post# 446737 , Reply# 4 10/2/2021 at 03:27 (936 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin) | ||
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View of the rear of the Tradition. Wow, bag vacuums are slim!
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| Post# 446738 , Reply# 5 10/2/2021 at 03:29 (936 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin) | ||
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View of the headlight assembly of the Tradition. I'm not sure what the date dial means. Does anyone know what we could learn from it?
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| Post# 446739 , Reply# 6 10/2/2021 at 03:32 (936 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin) | ||
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View of the brush roll. I can never remember which Traditions had the silver rolls - the early run or the late run?
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| Post# 446740 , Reply# 7 10/2/2021 at 03:35 (936 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin) | ||
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Serial number. I'm not sure exactly how to decode it? I think it means it's a 1980 model?
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| Post# 446741 , Reply# 8 10/2/2021 at 03:36 (936 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin) | ||
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Model plaque. It says 1979 so I don't know if I unproperly decoded the serial number??
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| Post# 446742 , Reply# 9 10/2/2021 at 03:38 (936 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin) | ||
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Here's something that I was very excited about - a badge of a local vacuum shop! Although the address is now a Domino's pizzeria, the shop is still around! They moved to 226 Air Park Road on the south side of town and rebranded as Dalco. I might have to stop by with the Tradition and see how they react, haha.
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| Post# 446743 , Reply# 10 10/2/2021 at 03:39 (936 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin) | ||
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The accessories of the Tradition. It might have been expensive, but at least it's mostly complete??
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| Post# 446744 , Reply# 11 10/2/2021 at 03:41 (936 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin) | ||
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Here's a close-up of the Tradition's plug. It's bent, but that's nothing a hammer can't fix!! That's a joke. It was cool seeing it up close because I don't have a lot of vintage electronics.
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| Post# 446745 , Reply# 12 10/2/2021 at 03:43 (936 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin) | ||
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IT INFLATES! AHH! That is so, so, so cool!! This version has the shake-out bag - a disposable bag version was also offered, and as far as I can tell was a lot more popular! I don't know why as this is so much easier to empty!
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| Post# 446746 , Reply# 13 10/2/2021 at 03:50 (936 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin) | ||
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The light still turns on, too! I am super happy about this purchase. I think I'm going to use it around the house evermore.
I hope to start taking jobs with this vacuum - I would have offered cleaning jobs earlier but it didn't feel right with a Bissell. I needed something I could take pride in, and the Tradition was it! It matches my vintage/retro persona - I'll roll up in my Y2K-model SUV and bust some freakin' dust! I hope I can score a job at an old school or something - my house is way too small for this beast! It's like going from a little hybrid to a V8 muscle car! I've had it for a month now and I'm still excited as you can tell?
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Post# 446747 , Reply# 14 10/2/2021 at 05:57 (936 days old) by KirbyClassicIII  (Milwaukie, Oregon) |
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LadyDobermann
Sammy,
Yes, according to the serial number on the fan case your cleaner was built in 1980. Those date stamps you saw on the headlight casting and the motor shell housing, among others, refers to individual casting build dates and are not related to the serial number on the fan case which would be the final build date before leaving the Cleveland or Andrews assembly lines. The brush roll I see with the metal ends was taken from a Classic 1CR if I know right; the original Tradition brush rolls had clear plastic sleeves over the brush ends. It's also installed wrong; the top of the screw heads should be exposed, in order to adjust the bristles (it's recommended that 1/8" of these bristles stick out past the rug guard openings for effective revolving brush cleaning). ~Ben | ||
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Post# 446748 , Reply# 15 10/2/2021 at 09:05 (936 days old) by KirbyCollector (Columbus Ohio USA) |
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| Post# 446750 , Reply# 16 10/2/2021 at 10:28 (936 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
Nice find!
Yeah, $50 may seem high for a second hand vacuum but it's really a pittance in terms of value for the money. That thing will outlast any of the disposable landfill fodder on the shelves at Wally World today in that they're built to be serviced and rebuilt. With modest screwdriver skills, you can keep that machine going for as long as replacement parts are available.
It's pretty incredible to see that many Kirbys in one place. I'm lucky if I see one or two a year around here. That tradition was definitely the best value of ones assembled there since it had some tools with it. That thing will polish up nicely with some Mother's and then it will really impress your clients! I just love a shiny, gleaming Kirby! | ||
| Post# 446775 , Reply# 17 10/3/2021 at 03:49 (935 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana) | ||
Great find! The thing with the prongs being bent is from people whose outlets are worn past their life expectancy and the plug keeps falling out of the socket, so they bend the prongs out to make it stick in more. Just a pare of needlenose pliers and gentle bending with straighten it out.
It was well worth the price, if you were to find one on eBay the shipping alone would be more than $50 in and of itself. Not a stellar selection of vacuums at that thrift store but not all bad either. | ||
| Post# 446781 , Reply# 18 10/3/2021 at 13:18 (935 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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Tradition Tool Kit...
There's a full toolkit for a Tradition on shopgoodwill.com for an opening bid of $9.99 with a $4.00 handling charge, plus shipping. As of this writing, it has a little more than eight hours left on the clock and no bids. Could be a good addition to your Tradition, just sayin'.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO human's LINK | ||
| Post# 446784 , Reply# 19 10/3/2021 at 17:06 (935 days old) by Caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut) | ||
Kirby Tradition.
Hi LadyDoberman:
There are features galore with a Kirby, and parts that you don't have that could be very helpful. I'm thinking the Rug Renovator, and the Miracle head. These are easy to find in eBay for a fraction of the cost if you bought from Kirby. May I suggest that you get the instruction book for the Tradition. It will answer many questions. How to replace the belt, or using the above the floor tools. The leaver under the headlight will let you take off the rug nozzle, and attach the hose. I see that you have the version with the shake-out bag, the type I actually prefer. At the base of the bag is the 'Sani-Emtor,' there's a tray for emptying the bag. Place the Kirby on a piece of newspaper, shake the bag then turn the leaver and the dirt will fall out of the bag. It's all in the instruction book, but till you get one you need to know what to do. The more you know about how to put this vacuum cleaner to work for you the better it will work to help ease the cleaning chores. The one thing I want to stress is 'Toe touch control.' The leaver behind the left front wheel, This will set the right height of the nozzle for the carpet. That leaver raises the nozzle, and the part with the numbers lowers it. The key is to listen to the sound of the motor. When you hear a slight hum that is 'Triple cushion vibration,' and it means you are at the right height for your carpet. For bare floors go to the lowest setting. When removing the nozzle, raise it to the highest setting. There are Kirby experts by the dozen here, don't hesitate to ask for advice. You have an awesome vacuum cleaner, enjoy. Alex Taber. By the way, the name Caligula refers to the cream colored cat in my avatar. | ||
| Post# 446790 , Reply# 20 10/3/2021 at 20:32 (934 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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Link to Tradition Manual... | ||
| Post# 446793 , Reply# 21 10/3/2021 at 21:18 (934 days old) by Caligula (Wallingford, Connecticut) | ||
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Kirby Tradition users manual. | ||
| Post# 446816 , Reply# 22 10/5/2021 at 00:05 (933 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah) | ||
The
Vacuum you got actually was a good deal. Most of the accessories you need came with it. You have a hose. The hose and attachments would cost you $50.
The brush roll is oem replacement. It got serviced and likely put a new brush roll in. There not going to put a 1972 brush on a 1980 machine. I do love the tradition color scheme. The heritage are beasts but my favorite color is blue. I wouldn't worry about attachments. The vast majority are never used. Most vacuums attachments are the same size. I'd recommend spending $15-$20 on a turbo brush. I've attached a link. The turbo brush came out in 82 or 83 on the heritage model. I really like it because it does great on stairs with cat hair and couches. CLICK HERE TO GO TO Lesinutah's LINK on eBay | ||
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