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Thread Number: 44264
/ Tag: 80s/90s Vacuum Cleaners
I'm such a vac addict... |
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| Post# 460753 2/27/2023 at 19:56 (420 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
So I met some friends for dinner this evening, and on my way home, I decided to walk around at a nearby Goodwill. When I got to the back of the store, I spotted a cluster of about a half-dozen vacuum cleaners, mostly plasticrap that they couldn't pay me to take, but among them was a dusty Kirby Legend II. Lately, Goodwill has been jacking up their prices beyond reason, so I was extremely surprised to see that it was tagged at a mere $10. Despite the layer of dirt, it's actually in pretty decent shape, although it needs a light bulb, and probably a belt. The only sort of weird thing is the cord on it is a brown one for a Classic, but even though the female end is not quite the right shape, it fits in the socket and works. When I plugged it in at the store and fired it up, and the motor ran smoothly. I think I have a black coed for a Heritage in my barn. I may swap that onto it whenever I get around to cleaning it up.
There was a time, not that long ago, that I would have grabbed that sucker and headed for the checkout, giddy with excitement and looking over my shoulder for security because 1t was a such a steal. Tonight, it was different. I really struggled with whether to buy it or not, but in the end, I gave in. A Kirby for the price of a burger and fries, I rationalized. Sure, I didn't need it, but And what the heck, I could always sell it or part it out to make a profit. Sadly, the machine is probably worth more as a collection of parts than it is as a whole unit, not that I would want to do that. But still, I have been pretty adamant about not buying any more vacuums, and was successful in that for more than a year. Walking slowly up to the checkout, I felt like an alcoholic, falling off the wagon, knowing I shouldn't, but at the same not feeling like I was fully in control of my actions. A very, very odd feeling, to be sure. | ||
Post# 460754 , Reply# 1 2/27/2023 at 20:17 (420 days old) by electrolux137  (Los Angeles) |
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| Post# 460757 , Reply# 2 2/27/2023 at 20:37 (420 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah) | ||
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Post# 460760 , Reply# 3 2/27/2023 at 21:15 (420 days old) by Thevacomaticiec (Bathurst New Brunswick Canada ) |
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| Post# 460763 , Reply# 4 2/27/2023 at 23:54 (420 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana) | ||
I think of it as rescuing vacuums that would otherwise continue to be abused and smashed up then thrown in the trash wastelessly by people that dont know what a belt is or how to empty the bins.
I still look for vacuums IRL and use eBay to supplement the vacuums I can't find IRL, and it's satisfying washing and repairing them. Ones I don't particularly care for I will sell on. I like to have my collection be a mix of industrial, residential, and the unique, weird, and unusual, plus anything I can save from their doom whatever it may be. It has sprouted up an electric mix of stuff that is for sure. I feel the most strongly for Kirby and I will always have them as "home base". I just brought an Avalir parts unit for $50 again when I already have one still not repaired because they are just such good vacuums and they cost so much money it sucks to see them treated like crap. I never seen it as being a problem even though 40% of my basement is vacuums all over the floor waiting to be repaired. Maybe you have some inner guilt about it? Or a fear of becoming someone on some hoarder TV show staged for entertainment value? Just have to look at it differently on a different perspective and I think you will be OK. | ||
| Post# 460782 , Reply# 6 2/28/2023 at 09:27 (419 days old) by dysonman1 (the county) | ||
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| Post# 460789 , Reply# 7 2/28/2023 at 13:01 (419 days old) by rugsucker (Elizabethton TN) | ||
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"2023 is the year I throw stuff away." It WILL happen here also!I have started sorting Singer,Sears & Compact to see which may be complete as well as best and worst.They will be offered to collectors,a few will be kept and the rest GO. | ||
| Post# 460799 , Reply# 8 2/28/2023 at 15:16 (419 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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Yeah, I'm just feeling generally overwhelmed by life right now. Stuff at work and in other areas. The nice part about that machine, aside from the pittance I paid for it, is that unless there is some hidden problem that I haven't yet found, I don't think I'll need to spend anything on it, over and above the initial $10. I've got headlight bulbs on hand and it doesn't need a belt. It was just off the motor shaft, but otherwise intact. I guess someone took the floor nozzle off and didn't know how to put it back together properly. Whatever, it's fixed now. After looking at the Heritage cord I have on hand, I've decided I'll be better off sticking with the brown Classic cord, as long as it stays jammed securely into the socket. No need spending another $25 or $30 on a new cord to go on a $10 vacuum, if I don't have to.
Overall, the machine looks to have been well cared for over its life, with no visible signs of wanton abuse, including no sign of it having ever been exposed to vacuum cleaner killing carpet fresh powder. The white Amodel fan is in good shape and it even has a new Generation 3 bag in it. There is an undated sticker on it from where it was taken in for service at some point, and I have to wonder if that's when it got the Classic cord. The shop may have offered that one from of a donor machine for little or no money, as an alternative to buying a new replacement cord. I could see myself choosing the same option. So anyway, here are a few photos of it in its thrift store-fresh glory. I think it'll clean up nicely, whenever I get around to doing that. I've just got too much going on to mess with it right now. I still sort of feel like I need to go to a vacuholics anonymous meeting and pick up a white chip, though. | ||
| Post# 460814 , Reply# 9 3/1/2023 at 02:20 (419 days old) by repairman (Woodridge, IL) | ||
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I just rebuilt and sold one of those on eBay a few months ago. Very nice machine. You also appear to have the current style fan (instead of the grey one that always shatters) and the black brushroll that uses ball bearings instead of sleeve ones. | ||
| Post# 460816 , Reply# 10 3/1/2023 at 04:41 (419 days old) by felix1stv (Boston Mass) | ||
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Kenmore im still looking for that "kencart kenmore | ||
| Post# 460831 , Reply# 11 3/1/2023 at 15:08 (418 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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Yeah, by all indications, this machine has been well looked after. I haven't dug in that deeply yet, but I wouldn't be surprised to find that it had received a new set of carbon brushes on its service visit. It may not have had a full factory rebuild, but it's definitely had most of its highlights hit. If I had to break my vacuum moratorium, this was a good one on which to break it. All it really needs is a good cleaning, polishing, and for the bag to be laundered.
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Post# 460834 , Reply# 12 3/1/2023 at 15:30 (418 days old) by JustJunque (Western MA) |
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Edgar,
You almost got me to "go there" myself. My vacuum collection has already outgrown my available space. So, I'm cut off. And, I've never picked up a Kirby of any kind. I don't have anything against them, I've just never felt like I had to have one. Then, right after reading of your latest acquisition, I spotted one on the local Craigslist. About a half an hour from me, in the town where I grew up: Free Kirby G4. I don't know how desirable that model is, but it's free. The description says it works good, and has "all the attachments", although no attachments are pictured. It also comes with some spare bags. For a moment, I was tempted. But, I did resist. Barry | ||
| Post# 460835 , Reply# 13 3/1/2023 at 15:48 (418 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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Glad you resisted temptation...
Then again, everyone perhaps ought to have at least one Kirby in their stable. I think I have about a dozen. Oops! make that a baker's dozen with the latest one. Do they have a tendency to multiply, or is it just me? I've got a G3, but not a G4. I think the two are pretty much the same, except for the color scheme (graphite with purple accents, as opposed to the G3's off-white with red), and maybe a few minor refinements. I would have been tempted by a freebie as well. Glad you were able to hold strong.
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Post# 460837 , Reply# 14 3/1/2023 at 16:21 (418 days old) by JustJunque (Western MA) |
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| Post# 460838 , Reply# 15 3/1/2023 at 17:19 (418 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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So I gave the Legend II a wipe-down with a couple of Tub-O-Towels wipes and was surprised to be able to raise a tiny bit of a shine with some brisk rubbing. Just imagine what a little Mother's will do. And while I was at it, I checked the headlight bulb and discovered, to my surprise, that the filament was intact; in fact, it looked brand new. The brass base was still shiny. The socket, on the other hand, looked like it had some oxidation on the contacts, so I scraped them with a screwdriver before I put the bulb back in, then fired it up and found that the headlight works just fine. School's closed next week for spring break, so I may decide to take a nice afternoon and try to polish it up and launder the outer bag. That's all it really needs, just a good cleaning and it's ready to go. Amazing since it looked somewhat forlorn in the store.
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Post# 460884 , Reply# 16 3/2/2023 at 21:33 (417 days old) by JustJunque (Western MA) |
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| Post# 460886 , Reply# 17 3/2/2023 at 21:52 (417 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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Post# 460896 , Reply# 18 3/3/2023 at 09:40 (416 days old) by JustJunque (Western MA) |
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Post# 460897 , Reply# 19 3/3/2023 at 11:16 (416 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640) |
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Well, with 400+ Hoover appliances, | ||
| Post# 460900 , Reply# 21 3/3/2023 at 11:40 (416 days old) by texaskirbyguy (Plano, TX) | ||
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BTW, "Vaccuholics Anonymous" my behind - I just about know everyone there! | ||
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Post# 460905 , Reply# 22 3/3/2023 at 14:32 (416 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640) |
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perhaps, then | ||
| Post# 460910 , Reply# 23 3/3/2023 at 16:22 (416 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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Yes, I like the Legend II also, and now I have two of them, along with a Heritage II/Legend, which, as far as I can tell, is pretty much identical to the Legend II, other than the color scheme, and perhaps the tools they came with, not that any of mine came to me with their tools.
I, too have always been impressed by the degree to which Kirbys are over-engineered and designed to be serviced and rebuilt. They are definitely not intended to be disposable and it does irk me to see one that's been treated that way. There just aren't that many things left in this world that are literally built to last a lifetime. | ||
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Post# 460913 , Reply# 24 3/3/2023 at 16:59 (416 days old) by JustJunque (Western MA) |
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Well... I did it.
I just got done lugging it all in from the car. I don't even know what all came with it, but it looks like a lot. I know it has the shampooer, a hose and wands with bare floor tool and miscellaneous small tools, a sprayer, a turbo tool of some sort, and the caddy for the tools. If there's more, I haven't unboxed it yet. There's also a nearly full box of bags, and about a half dozen belts. The vacuum itself is pretty dirty, but I've seen worse. There's a few gouges on the top of the nozzle, but they're not horrible. They're going to be staying there, because sanding and polishing metal is way above my pay grade. Also, both rear wheel covers are missing, and there might be a little white paint on the side of the outer bag. They fired it up for me before I took it, and it sounds good to me. Everything is pretty dirty from sitting around. I think it's been in the basement or garage or something for a while. They're "getting older", and the wife found it too heavy. Plus, they don't have much carpet. (I have none. Just a couple of area rugs.) The thing I'm the most pleased that it came with is the instruction manual; since I know nothing about Kirbys. I'll post pictures eventually. I'm just a bit overwhelmed right now. Barry | ||
| Post# 460923 , Reply# 26 3/3/2023 at 21:47 (416 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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Welcome to the Kirby club...
Sounds like you have pretty much the full Kirby package. Don't let a little dirt put you off. I like to give my machines a thorough wipe-down with Tub-O-Towels cleaning wipes when I first get them home. The cloth outer bag is machine washable, but removing the emptor and fill tube assembly can be tricky. I ended up just washing my G3's bag by hand without disassembling it. Manually polishing the aluminum parts with Mother's metal polish is pretty easy and can be done in an afternoon with good, albeit not perfect, results. I agree about the leaving the deep scratches. I refer to them as 'battle scars' and all of my Kirbys have them to one degree or another. The rear wheels on G-series and newer Kirbys do wear down over time because the rubberized 'tires' to give the Tech Drive traction. Replacement wheels are readily available and easy to install. They're just held in place with a horseshoe clip. The beauty of Kirbys is they're designed to be serviced and repaired, mostly with common hand tools. There are tons of YouTube videos out there to show you how, and the procedures are pretty much the same for any G3 or newer unit.
Enjoy! | ||
| Post# 460981 , Reply# 27 3/5/2023 at 16:50 (414 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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So I took the bag off of the Legend II to throw it in the washing machine, and when I did, I found a small problem with the rear wheels assembly. The axle was loose because the screws were wrong. They were brass with slotted heads and were too long. The length was easy enough to solve with a hack saw and a pair of vice grips, and now they're snugged up like they should be. The only problem is the plastic spacer sleeves are chewed up on the ends, so they'll need to be replaced. Oh, and the third part of problem is that the axle is slightly bent. I think I can put it in a vice and give it a few taps with a hammer, to straighten it back out. The rear hubcaps are also missing, presumably due to the excessive side-to-side wheel play from the damaged spacer sleeves.
As usual, Kent Oyler had everything I needed at a pretty reasonable price, made even more reasonable by combined shipping. The irony is these little, tiny parts, with shipping, ran me a dollar more than I paid for the whole machine. No, it won't break the bank, it's just that my $10 Kirby has now become a $21 Kirby. It's still cheap enough, and it proves my initial rationalization when I bought it, that the machine was worth the price, for the value of its parts alone. | ||
| Post# 461105 , Reply# 28 3/9/2023 at 13:03 (410 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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I'm waiting on the mail...
I saw this morning that my hubcaps and shaft spacers from Kent Oyler are out for delivery today, so I took advantage of pleasant afternoon weather to get things ready for their installation.
I took everything apart and lined the axle up in my vise so I could give it a few whacks with a hammer to straighten it up. I was able to get it pretty close, but not completely true, so I decided to make the final adjustment with the axle on the vacuum. One of the brass screws I had cut down was just a hair too short and fell out, so I looked in my screw collection and came up with a couple of stainless steel ones that were the correct diameter and thread pitch, but at an inch and a quarter long, they needed to be cut pretty much in half. This was accomplished easily enough with a pair of Vise Grips and a hacksaw. When I tightened the screws with the axle in place, I could see that one side was maybe a couple of milimeters off from being snug against the body of the vacuum, so I gave it a couple more light whacks and got it trued up. It's probably not NASA precise, but it'll work for a 33-year-old Kirby, in that it's visually true and there's no play in the axle. So now, I'm just waiting on the mail. which should get here in about three hours, give or take, so I can do the final reassembly. In case you're interested, the screws that I used were stainless steel Pan Phillips machine screws 6-32 x 1-1/4, cut down to roughly 1/2-3/4 inch. Yeah, I could probably have found that exact screw off the shelf at Lowe's or somewhere, but why do that when I could just make my own with screws that are already paid for? Besides, there's more of a sense of accomplishment that way. | ||
| Post# 461109 , Reply# 29 3/9/2023 at 15:59 (410 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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It's all back together better than before.
The mail came a few minutes ago and my package from Kent was there, as expected. Everything went together without a hiccup. If anything, it was easier than anticipated. I had the axle assembly back together, on the machine, and the new hubcaps in place in less than ten minutes. The next step is to bring the machine in the house and give it a test run.
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| Post# 462586 , Reply# 30 4/24/2023 at 15:34 (364 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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I think I'm back on the wagon...
So, Saturday afternoon, I was walking around a Goodwill store and spied a Kirby G7 (standard, not Diamond Edition) tucked in a corner and felt compelled to take a look at it. The $35 price tag was enough make me continue walking around the store, but addict that I am, I had to go back for a second look. On closer inspection, I found that the bag wouldn't clip into the handle and the cord and cord retainer at the bottom were both torn up. At that point, I decided it wasn't worth my while and walked away without further inspection. I didn't plug it in or turn it on, didn't check the belt or the brush roll, I just walked away.
And you know what? I feel better for having walked away than I would have if I had bought the darned thing. I have no regrets and feel no urge to go back to the store, just to check on it. The truth is, just doing the mental math, I realized that by the time I fixed the things that I saw were wrong with it, I'd have at least twice as much as the purchase price tied up in it. Compared with the last G-series Kirby I bought in late 2021, which was a Gsix 2001 Limited Edition that cost $5 less than this machine, and needed basically nothing, the value proposition just wasn't there for me. I've been down that road before and I don't need to go there again. At the same time, I'm also not beating myself up about buying that Legend II a couple of months ago, although I've just left it in the barn for the time being. Once school gets out and I have a little more time on my hands, I may haul it up to the house and vacuum a couple of rooms with it, just to see how it performs. I do love my Kirbys, but I know I don't have to buy every one of them that I see. | ||
| Post# 463201 , Reply# 31 5/17/2023 at 14:32 (341 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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FrankenSwitch...
So, I've had this Legend II for almost three months, and I've never fully gotten past the idea of replacing the brown Classic cord with a proper red Legend II, or even a black Heritage II cord. I finally found one on the cheap, but when I went to install it, that vacuum had yet anther surprise in store. The 'proper' cord wouldn't fit!
It turns out somebody had swapped a Classic cord onto the vacuum, but had swapped a Classic foot switch onto it as well. But here's the kicker. Whoever did it took the extra step of swapping the red foot pedal from the original Legend II switch onto it, so it would match—even if the cord didn't. I thought for a second that it might be a foot switch from a Classic III, but the plastic isn't the right color. The Classic III's plastics are more a bright crimson than the Legend II's brick red. The pedal perfectly matches the Legend II's plastics. Looking at eBay, that substitution makes a certain amount of sense, given that Heritage/Legend style foot switches have become increasingly difficult to find, while the older Classic/Tradition style ones are still somewhat more plentiful. The good news is I have a complete Legend II foot switch that I took off of my other Legend II and then subsequently repaired. One day, I may go ahead and swap that one onto this Legend II, but that may be a while, since I fell broke a rib a few days ago. Gotta let that heal up first. | ||
| Post# 463260 , Reply# 32 5/21/2023 at 04:02 (338 days old) by kirbyklekter (Concord,Ca.) | ||
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The difference Human,can you tell me what the difference is between a diamond addition and a standard Kirby? Do they still do this with the later model G's? | ||
| Post# 463261 , Reply# 33 5/21/2023 at 04:07 (338 days old) by kirbyklekter (Concord,Ca.) | ||
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P.S. I'm sorry to hear of your fall and broken ribs,yikes! Hope you heal up fast,any pain? | ||
| Post# 463266 , Reply# 34 5/21/2023 at 13:53 (337 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
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The Kirby G7 (aka Ultimate G) came in two versions, standard and Diamond. The Diamond edition is immediately recognizable by the diamond pattern on the bag, whereas the standard edition's bag is gray with random flecks of yellow and burgundy. Functionally, it is more or less identical to the G6 and G5 models that came before it. But that's just cosmetics. The functional difference is the Diamond Edition has a toggle switch on the back of the motor housing that manually adjusts the motor speed from the normal (high) setting to a low (delicate) setting. Apparently, it isn't good for the motor for it to be left perpetually on the low setting, and a lot of Diamond G motors got burned up as a result. The speed switch feature was only ever available on the G7 Diamond, although there was a thread a few months back where a member here fitted a speed switch and accompanying circuit board from a G7 Diamond to an Avalir.
The cracked rib has not been fun. It's slowed me down a bit for the past week, but it's getting better. It's a closed fracture; that is, it's cracked but not completely broken. Most of the time, I have minimal pain and only need naproxen to manage it. They also gave me oxycodone, but I'm avoiding taking that unless I really need it. I'm not doing any heavy lifting right now, and paying attention when the rib tells me I'm overdoing. It should be completely healed in about six to eight weeks. Amazingly, in my almost 60 years, it's the first time I've ever broken a bone. | ||
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