Thread Number: 42597  /  Tag: 80s/90s Vacuum Cleaners
Got Another Heritage...
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Post# 447297   10/24/2021 at 11:02 (886 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        

human's profile picture
I'm beginning to think I may need an intervention. I'm more than broken out with vacuum cleaners but nonetheless, I just bought a Kirby Heritage 84 from Shopgoodwill.com. It was cheap at $22 ($38 all in with shipping, handling and sales tax) and an absolute steal by eBay standards, but I really didn't need it. I guess I'm just a sucker for a bright orange bag. From an aesthetic standpoint, the Heritage 1 is my favorite of that series although I prefer the functional refinements of the Heritage 2 Legend and Legend 2 models.

Looking at the photos, it has a disposable filter bag system, presumably using Style 2 bags, instead of a dump bag system. Somewhere, I have a small supply of these bags left over from a Heritage 1HD that I loaned to a (now former) girlfriend and never got back. I had thought to use those up first before retrofitting that machine with a Heritage 2 style fill tube topper to tap into my even larger supply Type 3 bags. Yesterday, I looked for them in my barn, where I last remember seeing them but could not find them. While I've had no immediate use for them before now, I'm sure I would not have tossed them out.

After pricing Style 2 bags online, I've determined it would cost about the same to buy a half dozen bags as to go ahead and do the conversion, making the latter option more cost effective in the long run. Still, I may hold off for a little while in hope that the bags turn up. I can always temporarily fit the machine with a spare H2 bag assembly to test it out. Murphy's law being what it is, the bags would certainly show up the moment I had the H2 fill tube topper in place.

Oh well, I'm just borrowing trouble at this point since the machine hasn't even shipped out yet. Once it arrives, I'll do a more thorough assessment of what it needs and come up with a more solid plan.


Post# 447311 , Reply# 1   10/24/2021 at 13:17 (886 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)        

suckolux's profile picture
Good luck! Have fun.

Post# 447312 , Reply# 2   10/24/2021 at 13:20 (886 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        
Update: I Found 'Em!

human's profile picture
I went back out to the barn to do a little more digging and actually found what I was looking for! I was just digging through the wrong pile of stuff. The good news is that things are a little more organized in there now.

I feel better knowing I'm ready for this vacuum when it arrives, having five Style 2 bags on hand to use up. I can just ditch the existing inner bag when it arrives, if it hasn't already been thrown out, wash the outer bag if necessary, and be ready to roll. Of course, fairly unlikely chance that the H2 conversion has already been done, I'm good with that as well as it will save me the cost of buying that part and I can put those bags back in the barn for another eventual 'someday'.


Post# 447316 , Reply# 3   10/24/2021 at 15:23 (886 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)        

huskyvacs's profile picture
Yeah shopgoodwill has some kind of freight brokerage with FedEx in how they get heavy or enormous stuff shipped for cheap. It's my go-to site for buying giant bulky stuff. I bought an entire mini fridge off them before and only cost $12 for shipping. The only downside is they have little to no punishment for fake bidders so people bid stuff up into the thousands of $$$ for a $100 item then not pay for it. It gets annoying to have to keep re-bidding on items.

Post# 447325 , Reply# 4   10/24/2021 at 18:33 (886 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        

human's profile picture
Yeah, I've often wondered if FedEx is able to take a charitable write-off for the amount by which they discount their shipping for Shopgoodwill.com.

Post# 447340 , Reply# 5   10/25/2021 at 15:14 (885 days old) by jscarlato (Clairton, PA)        
My Heritage 1 . . .

I wanted a Heritage 1 for my collection, and I got one from Kent Oyler after he serviced the motor and put in a kevlar fan. I had him replace the used dump bag with a new zippered bag, an H2 mini emtor, and a new fill tube with an F-style bag connector. I also included a new ball-bearing brush roll. The metal needed cleaned up, and I took care of that. This oldie but goodie runs like new.

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Post# 447343 , Reply# 6   10/25/2021 at 19:45 (885 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        
Nice machine...

human's profile picture
I have a Heritage that I updated that way almost two years ago. It's not quite a pretty as yours but then, it wasn't professionally restored, either. I polished it up as best I could, replaced the dump bag with an H2 bag setup and a few other needed parts. The icing on the cake was when a fellow member was kind enough to send me a brand new orange bag for it. Looks so much nicer than it did with the gray H2 bag I had on it.

The one I just bought will be the third one I've owned. From the photos, it looks to be in semi-rough shape with the rubber bumper coming off the floor nozzle and a generally dull finish. I will do a mechanical assessment when it arrives. It hasn't even shipped out, yet. It will make a nice fall/winter project. Like I said, I'm just a sucker for an orange bag.


Post# 447351 , Reply# 7   10/25/2021 at 21:40 (885 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah)        
The

lesinutah's profile picture
Heritage from Kent is nice. I have one exactly like it. Is been in my wife's family since it was new.
They have black Kevlar fans I wonder if they are differ from the white fans.


Post# 447358 , Reply# 8   10/26/2021 at 07:36 (885 days old) by jscarlato (Clairton, PA)        
Well . . .

I really don't know if the color of the fan makes a difference. The new orange bag is bright and attractive. I like the whole Heritage line--Heritage I through Legend II. They are all stylish and clean well. Another good-looking vacuum is my Kirby Tradition. I consider it as an introduction to the Heritage line. That blue color was stunning when that vac came out. Kirby went from blue to orange with the Heritage. Blue and orange are complementary colors. The blue on the Avalir 2 doesn't quite make it for me.

Post# 447366 , Reply# 9   10/26/2021 at 10:23 (884 days old) by jscarlato (Clairton, PA)        
Drifting just a bit . . .

Apologies for drifting away just a bit from the Heritage discussion, but since I mentioned my Kirby Tradition in my post above, I thought I would show some pics. My thought about this vacuum is its style can be an introduction to the Heritage line--from blue to orange to gray to maroon. The Kirby G series vacuums are well made and are stylish in their own way. I know, as I have several of them. But, I have an affinity for the Kirby models that preceded the G series.

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Post# 447367 , Reply# 10   10/26/2021 at 10:42 (884 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        

human's profile picture
Despite its name, the Tradition was actually an extension of the Classic family as indicated by its model number, 3CB. Its immediate predecessor, the Classic III, was model 2CB. In many ways though, the Tradition was a bridge model between the Classic and Heritage series.

I do find myself drawn to the orange and gray color schemes of both the Heritage and the Sentria models.

I just got an email a little while ago that my Heritage 84 shipped out this morning for a projected Thursday delivery. I'll be glad when it gets here.


Post# 447373 , Reply# 11   10/26/2021 at 15:22 (884 days old) by jscarlato (Clairton, PA)        

When your Heritage arrives, put up a couple of pics to show what it looks like out of the box. Give a prognosis of what you have to do to bring it up to your standards.

Post# 447375 , Reply# 12   10/26/2021 at 16:07 (884 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        

human's profile picture
I'll do it, as I always do. Meanwhile, here are screen captures of the photos from the ShopGoodwill listing. My only small concern at this juncture is the rubber bumper. I'm hoping it hasn't been torn loose from its rivet and can just be pressed back on but I'll worry about that once it reaches my hands.

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Post# 447377 , Reply# 13   10/26/2021 at 18:07 (884 days old) by Blackheart (North Dakota)        
oh funny!

blackheart's profile picture
I think I bid on that same unit. Shipping prices seem to vary quite a bit on the site sometimes they're inexpensive while other times they're absurd. Enjoy your new machine,nice to fill that "hole" left in your collection by the carelessness of another.

Post# 447396 , Reply# 14   10/27/2021 at 13:42 (883 days old) by kirbyklekter (Concord,Ca.)        
Heritage lineup confusion

Are there four or five or six model Heritages? If six do they list as Heritage 84, Heritage, Heritage I, Heritage II, Heritage II Legend and Legend II or are a couple of these actually the same? My confusion is with the first three I listed, because I've heard all of these referred to over the years from different people. Then again, I used to get mixed up on ICR, 2CB etc etc so nothing new here!

Post# 447401 , Reply# 15   10/27/2021 at 17:30 (883 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        
A matter of perspective...

human's profile picture
Depending on how you look at it, there could be only two models, 1HD and 2HD. I think the Heritage and Heritge 84 are really the same model, just with different decals on the handle, kind of like the different Gsix variants (Gsix Performance, 2000 Limited Edition, 2001 Limited Edition). I'll check it when my H84 comes tomorrow but I'm pretty sure it will be a 1HD, just like the other Heritage I have. My Heritage II Legend and Legend II are both model 2HD; in fact, my Legend II even has a label on the bottom that says "Heritage II". The only difference is the color scheme, although I think the Legend II tools may have been updated to the G series style from the older style that were holdovers from the Classic era or maybe earlier. I've never seen a Heritage II in the flesh but I wouldn't be surprised if they're model 2HD as well. As far as I'm aware, the only substantive difference between the Heritage II and Heritage II Legend is the nozzle. The Heritage II has the same nozzle as the Heritage 1HD while the H2 Legend has a redesigned nozzle that it shares with the Legend II.

Post# 447438 , Reply# 16   10/28/2021 at 22:12 (882 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        
Here We Go Again...

human's profile picture
So the Heritage 84 didn't arrive today. I didn't really expect it to since FedEx let it sit two days at its origin point in Cincinnati and it only departed this morning. It got as far as a city about 75 miles from here and no new delivery date has been posted. I suppose a weekend delivery is possible; after all, they delivered my Classic III on a Sunday after sending it on a grand tour of local FedEx facilities to replace a torn barcode sticker but I'm not banking on that. My guess is Monday will be more likely. I'm choosing not to worry about that right now. It'll get here when it gets here.

Post# 447450 , Reply# 17   10/29/2021 at 12:42 (881 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        
The Heritage Has Landed!

human's profile picture
So I went home for lunch today because I had to meet someone who was gong to do some work on the bumper of my car and I found a humongous package sitting on my front porch, blocking the door. The vacuum arrived a day late but intact, despite the demolished condition of the box in which they had shipped the machine fully assembled!

I didn't have time to do more than unbox it and make some cursory observations:

-The rubber bumper is in good shape; it had apparently just gotten pulled up on one corner.
-The original cord has been replaced with a black one for a Heritage II. No biggie.
-It has its original Style 2 bag system. I took the existing bag out and the thing must have weighed two or three pounds. Glad I found my stash of Style 2 bags!
-On firing it up, the motor sounds great but the headlight is out.

I'll tear into it more and launder the bag this afternoon. I think it'll clean up and shine up nicely.


Post# 447453 , Reply# 18   10/29/2021 at 14:05 (881 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)        
human

kirbyclassiciii's profile picture
Edgar,

Glad to hear it finally made it!

A replacement light bulb is part no. 109273.

~Ben


Post# 447456 , Reply# 19   10/29/2021 at 15:55 (881 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        
Further assessment...

human's profile picture
Thanks. I ordered a two-pack from Kent Oyler earlier this afternoon.

I had to go back to campus and teach class this afternoon but when I got back home, I tore the machine down and ran the orange bag through the washing machine. It's now hanging in my tool shed next to the water heater. I'll check it later tonight and see if it's dry although it'll probably take until morning. Once it's dry, I'll reassemble everything and give it a test run. I cleaned the rest of the machine with Lysol wipes and made a further assessment of its condition:

•The orange bag was a little dusty and had some dirt in the bottom, indicating it may have been run briefly without a filter bag.
•The fill tube has a little pinhole at the very bottom but it's too small to have let some of the course debris through that had collected in the bottom of the bag, plus it's completely covered by the hard plastic of the Sani-Emptor. I'll probably replace the fill tube after I run out of Style 2 bags and update the topper to the H2 style.
•It has a white amodel fan so it's definitely been replaced. This is also evidenced by some white silicone residue along the seam between the fan cover and the motor case. Definitely not a factory job.
•The brush roll and belt are in great shape. I just had to remove some hair from next to the belt and at each end. No need to replace either at this time.
•The lower cord retainer on the back of the handle was missing one of its two hooks but I have a complete Heritage handle assembly in the barn, so I just swapped the handle back from it onto the H84 handle. Speaking of the handle, it and the hubcaps have special logos with Kirby k's facing each other with the number 84 in between. Despite the logos, the machine is a model 1HD, just like the other Heritage I have.

All in all, the machine is in great shape and really just needs some polishing at this point. Once I wiped it down, I could see very few battle scars. It's obviously seen some use but not abuse and has had some good TLC along the way. It's a nice addition to the collection, even if I do have too darned many vacuums.

I'll post some photos tomorrow once I have everything back together.


Post# 447494 , Reply# 20   10/30/2021 at 17:45 (880 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        
Cleaned but not polished...

human's profile picture
Well, the bag is dry and the machine is all back together, awaiting a new headlight bulb and a good polishing but otherwise fully functional and ready for action.

I did run into a bit of an issue with the bag reassembly in that I couldn't figure out how to mount the original sani-emtor onto the bag. I eventually had to admit defeat and use a Heritage II mini-emtor and fill tube assembly I had on hand. Those are so much easier to install because they're more compact and smooth, thus they can slide into place from inside the bag. You just can't do that with the bulkier Sani-Emtor, which is a holdover from the dump bag design and not really necessary with the paper filter bags. I had planned to eventually change out at least the topper on the fill tube so I could use the same newer style bags my other Kirbys use but I had wanted to keep the original Sani-emtor. I had also wanted to use up my supply of Style 2 bags before making the conversion. Oh well, the conversion is not irreversible and I can choose to revisit it at any time.

One other thing I noticed while putting things back together is the foot switch and plug assembly appear to have been replaced as the switch is black instead of charcoal gray. That wouldn't have registered with me except I had to replace the one on my Legend II and had to go with a black one as the brick red ones appear to be unavailable.


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Post# 447620 , Reply# 21   11/4/2021 at 15:11 (875 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        
Bulb is good but headlight is still dark...

human's profile picture
So the headlight bulbs I ordered from Kent Oyler arrived a little while ago and I opened up the headlight carrier on the Heritage 84 to find that the bulb is good. The filament appeared intact so I tested it with an ohmmeter and confirmed it should work so I put it back in, screwed things back together, turned it on and nothing. So I took it back apart and tested it from the contacts on the headlight carrier. It tested good and just for fun I swapped one of the new bulbs in and tested it again. Still good. I again put the carrier back into place on the vacuum, turned it on and it was still dark. I'm a little nonplussed at this point. I guess I'll have to take the thing apart and look for loose wires. I may hit the female contacts into which the carrier plugs with some radio contact cleaner, just to see if that helps. It worked on the switch for the top on my convertible when the guy I bought it from said it probably needed replacing and good luck finding one. A good spritz and I haven't had a single problem with it in more than three years. As Dylan would say, "If you ain't got nothin', you got nothin' to lose".

Post# 447623 , Reply# 22   11/4/2021 at 16:55 (875 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        
Found another issue...

human's profile picture
So as I was putting the headlight carrier back into place yet again after spraying contact cleaner on it and testing continuity all the way to the plug (it's good), I managed to drop one of the screws for the headlight carrier down inside the machine. Not wanting to leave it there, I took the rear cover off and discovered yet another problem.

The foot switch felt a little loose to me and I discovered why. The spot where the screw goes to hold it in place is broken to bits. This is so ironic because for some bizarre reason, I saved the bad switch from my Legend II, the casing of which is completely intact. Would that there were a way to disassemble the two and take parts from both to make one good switch. Unfortunately, they're held together with rivets so there's no good way to put them back together, even if I could get them apart.

Looking on eBay for a replacement, I see a variety of models that all look like what's in my machine but they all have different model numbers and none of them are the same as what's presently in my machine. I did, however confirm the switch that's in there is for a Heritage II because it's the same model number as the one I kept from my Legend II. The best deal I see is for a model 110573, which has a blue foot pedal for a Tradition and another with a dark brown foot pedal, presumably from a Classic Omega Both of these are the same model number. The question is whether either of these will fit the Heritage 84. Just looking at the pictures, it seems as if the foot switches were essentially the same from the Classic/Tradition era, right on through the Heritage/Legend era.

Ugh! It's always something...


Post# 447624 , Reply# 23   11/4/2021 at 17:09 (875 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        
Not compatible...

human's profile picture
Well, I think I just answered my own question by trying to plug the Heritage 84's cord into my Classic III. The Heritage plug is thicker and asymmetrical so that it can connect in only one orientation. The Classic plug is thinner and symmetrical so the switch would not work unless I also replaced the cord. Darn!

Post# 447627 , Reply# 24   11/4/2021 at 17:59 (875 days old) by Hoover300 (Kentucky)        

hoover300's profile picture
I've got a parts HII with a good switch. I can take it out and sell it if you want.

Post# 447634 , Reply# 25   11/4/2021 at 19:30 (875 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)        
human

kirbyclassiciii's profile picture
Edgar,

You guessed right: any cord set designed for models Heritage I to Legend II will not work with models 516 to Tradition.

In the Heritage I service manual, it says thus:

WARNING
Do not use the Kirby cord set as an extension cord. This may damage the cord set and make it unsafe to use as a power cord with the Kirby.

CAUTION
A plastic key has been included in the female end of the cord set. This is to prevent the cord from being used as an extension. Because of this, it is also no longer possible to test the continuity by connecting the cord between a power source and a desk lamp to observe operation of the lamp.

~Ben


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Post# 447635 , Reply# 26   11/4/2021 at 20:41 (875 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        

human's profile picture
@Hoover300: I would be interested in that switch. Look for an email from me with the subject line "Heritage Foot Switch".

@Ben: I tested continuity with an ohmmeter, one leg at a time. I stuck one probe through the little hole in one prong of the plug, then stuck the other one in one of the two terminals where the headlight assembly connects and then the other, then repeated the process on the other leg. As expected, one leg has continuity regardless of whether the switch is in the 'on' or the 'off' position and the other leg had continuity only when the switch was on so I'm kind of mystified as to why the light doesn't work.


Post# 447641 , Reply# 27   11/4/2021 at 21:48 (875 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)        
human

kirbyclassiciii's profile picture
Edgar,

Order a replacement light assembly, no. 108979, if all else fails.

~Ben


Post# 447660 , Reply# 28   11/5/2021 at 15:36 (874 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        

human's profile picture
@Ben: I have another Heritage so once I get the switch situation (switchuation?) straightened out, I'll try swapping the light assembly from it onto this one, just to eliminate it as a possibility and then see about getting one, if necessary.

Post# 449068 , Reply# 29   1/4/2022 at 18:10 (814 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        
All in one piece again...

human's profile picture
Two months later and I've finally got the machine back together with a replacement switch and a new light assembly (but the original bulb that came with the machine) and it all works. One interesting thing is the seller just cut the wires to remove it from the donor machine and there were four wires (two black and two white) attached to the switch but my Heritage 84 only has three wires, two black and one white.

I still haven't reinstalled the original Sani-Emtor. I need to get a piece of ducting to slide the bag onto it. But that and a good polishing is all it really needs now. Of course, it's fully functional in its present state, with a Heritage II mini-emtor and fill tube assembly. For now, I'm just glad it's back to actually being a vacuum cleaner and not just a pile of parts.



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