Thread Number: 44441  /  Tag: 80s/90s Vacuum Cleaners
What Kirby was this?
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Post# 462438   4/20/2023 at 16:47 (342 days old) by panasonicvac (Northern Utah)        

panasonicvac's profile picture
I just saw this from Kirby's social media page. I reconize one Kirby in this picture as a Heritage but the other one looks really different. I'm now very curious to know more about the Kirby with the bag mounted in the rear instead of on the side. Also the wheels and nozzle looks different. I've never seen one like it. Was it a prototype from a long time ago?

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Post# 462440 , Reply# 1   4/20/2023 at 16:52 (342 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina)        

human's profile picture
There two different machines pictured. The one with the bag off to the side looks like an early Heritage II before they introduced the slightly smaller floor nozzle. I have no idea about the other one with the bag in the back. Maybe it's some sort of prototype that never got past the proof-of-concept stage.

Post# 462442 , Reply# 2   4/20/2023 at 16:58 (342 days old) by kloveland (Tulsa)        

kloveland's profile picture
Heritage I. The second don't know. There is a better picture on Kirby's FB page.

Post# 462445 , Reply# 3   4/20/2023 at 19:32 (342 days old) by convertible18 (Utica, New York, USA)        
i think this is a

convertible18's profile picture
heritage and a classic omega...correct me if i am wrong

Post# 462455 , Reply# 4   4/20/2023 at 22:56 (342 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah)        
Your

lesinutah's profile picture
Wrong. It's a heritage 2. The comvac, and janitronic had F&G setups. This could be a heritage 2 concept for commercial vacuum since comvac the last commercial vacuum wasn't a sucess.

Post# 462456 , Reply# 5   4/20/2023 at 23:00 (342 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah)        
The

lesinutah's profile picture
Concept with a setup like a eureka and hoover commercial vacs. The engine would have to be rearranged unless the debri went under the motor housing.
They should release this prototype. It's not like any design change has happened in the last 30 years.


Post# 462459 , Reply# 6   4/21/2023 at 03:18 (342 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)        

huskyvacs's profile picture

Yes the other vacuum is a prototype. It has the height adjustment pedal on the nozzle and not the wheels, whgeels built into the nozzle, a upturned scooped rear bag chamber, big rear wheels, and a more boxy shape.

Very interesting, nobody has seen these photos before.


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Post# 462462 , Reply# 7   4/21/2023 at 06:46 (342 days old) by Kloveland (Tulsa)        
Les

kloveland's profile picture
Did the Heritage II have stripes like this on the handle?

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Post# 462479 , Reply# 8   4/21/2023 at 19:26 (341 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah)        
The

lesinutah's profile picture
Heritage turbo, heritage 84 and heritage 2 all had similar handles.

Post# 462481 , Reply# 9   4/21/2023 at 20:44 (341 days old) by kloveland (Tulsa)        

kloveland's profile picture
I don't think the Heritage II had the same handle pattern label as the Heritage I or 84 Les. Correct me if I'm wrong. Look closer at the picture that Kirby posted (the handle). I'm fairly certain it's a Heritage one.

Post# 462484 , Reply# 10   4/21/2023 at 22:35 (341 days old) by repairman (Woodridge, IL)        

It's a first generation Kirby Heritage from 1981. If you zoom in closely, you can see the embossed Kirby logo on the headlight lens. There also doesn't appear to be a Kirby logo in the bottom right corner of the handle either.

Post# 462485 , Reply# 11   4/21/2023 at 22:57 (341 days old) by KirbyClassicIII (Milwaukie, Oregon)        
LesinUtah

kirbyclassiciii's profile picture
Les,

So too did the COMVAC 1300 and 1600 and the Legend II.

~Ben


Post# 462486 , Reply# 12   4/21/2023 at 23:45 (341 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah)        
The

lesinutah's profile picture
Bag on the prototype matches the heritage 2 bag. The heritage 2 in pic is the same bag and the same handle. Heritage 1 logo on the fork was different. The heritage 84 heritage 1 orange bag and the heritage 2 in my pic are the same fork. If you notice the handle says turbo. My heritage 84 with orange bag says turbo and the heritage 2 says turbo on the handle. The heritage 2 legend1 and heritage 2 legend 2 have different decals.

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Post# 462513 , Reply# 13   4/22/2023 at 22:46 (340 days old) by repairman (Woodridge, IL)        
No Les

It's not the same as a Heritage II bag and the belt lifter clearly says Heritage in the Kirby photo. The orange and grey bags have a similar square pattern except that 3 squares are taken up to display the Kirby logo on the grey bag which the one in the Kirby photo does NOT have. Either way, neither bag shows the word Kirby on the bag itself.

The Heritage II only said "Turbo" on the belt lifter decal. NOT the handle. Later models called the "Heritage II Legend" had the word, Legend, on the belt lifter.

Your Heritage II has the wrong handle fork. It would be one of the two shown below.


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Post# 462524 , Reply# 14   4/23/2023 at 14:51 (339 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah)        
Lol

lesinutah's profile picture
Your right. I got 3 heritage 2's from the thrift store for $10. I'm pretty sure they were trade ins at a local vacuum shop near by. They probably threw on whatever fit the vacuums. They frankenkirbied them.


Post# 462549 , Reply# 15   4/24/2023 at 10:19 (338 days old) by Hoover300 (Kentucky)        

hoover300's profile picture
I questioned Kirby on this and they claim its the angle of the photo. Someone at Kirby's social media f*cked up by showing this... Pic of what it appears to be below, patented 1986.
patents.google.com/patent/US4610...


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Post# 462553 , Reply# 16   4/24/2023 at 12:44 (338 days old) by Kirbyg6 (York)        

kirbyg6's profile picture
That’s not good it kinda reminds me of the avalir patents

Post# 462554 , Reply# 17   4/24/2023 at 12:58 (338 days old) by Blackheart (North Dakota)        
Why?

blackheart's profile picture
Why does Kirby seem to shy away from discussing their old prototypes.
I think it would be rather interesting to see what they've tried over the years, and perhaps know why they decided not to further pursue them.



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