Do you remember your household vacs?

My parents:

1:1998: Eureka The Boss Special Edition Bravo II Widetrack (7821):
Parents bought brand new at Kmart after they moved into my childhood mobile home. Was the best vacuum they had and lasted the longest, also being the machine that fostered my love for vacuums. Unfortunately the motor burned up in it in early 2012 presumably due to these Bravo II's tendency to suffer from fan bearing failure after about a decade of use. However, I recently got and restored one after desperately looking for another for YEARS!

2:2012: Bissell Cleanview Helix (82H1):
As the Bravo died a few months before and we no longer had a full sized vacuum, my dad used his recently acquired disability backpay to buy this as well as two window AC units and a few other things we needed for the house around April or so that year. Unfortunately our household's long hair mixed with the fact that due to personal reasons my parents would only vacuum every month and a half on average at that point and not always clean the brushroll out meant the brushroll bearings failed in late 2014 and with my dads' medical issues as well as me not working on vacuums just yet meant that the machine was promptly thrown out after the 2nd or 3rd belt it ate.

3:2015: Eureka The Boss Power Plus (4703): As we were halfway through a deep clean when the Bissell failed, we desperately needed a new vacuum but couldn't afford to buy one. So my aunt who lived two doors up from us came to the rescue and gave us this which was her spare vacuum. It was past due for a filter replacement so it reeked of wet dog and because my aunt also has long hair and my parents never checked the brushroll, the belt began burning up the second time we used it and my dad threw it out as well. We would then go a little over two years with no vacuum at all (I know, I know, but don't judge as both of my parents had personal stuff going on)

4:2017: Bissell Powerforce Bagged (3522):
A former friend of my dad gave him this 2003 Powerforce that he got from an estate sale and was cleaning out some of his hoard when my dad went to visit so he gave him this when he was told we badly needed a vacuum. At this point I was collecting so I took over the maintenance and usage of it. Was in great shape for its' age and only needed the foot hose to be unclogged as well as a new set of attachments as the originals were all missing. Used it regularly for a few months until March 2018 when I convinced my dad to buy a new vacuum for the house so I could add it to my collection and keep it from being destroyed by my sister's ex who started living with us at the time. To this day I still have it and it works perfectly!

5:2018: Bissell Powerforce Helix (2191):
This is the machine I got my dad to buy as the new communal vacuum. I then added the 3522 to my collection and began using this at our house, and allowed anyone else to use it as I didn't care what happened to it. It was used until we moved out of our trusty little single wide I grew up in and into my maternal GP's house to live with them. As they had the soon to be mentioned Eureka Powerline, I took the 2191 into my personal collection and use it to this day as a shop vac/beater vacuum.

My maternal grandparents:
Note: Unsure what they had before 2011 but I think it was another Eureka such as a Maxima as I found the crevice tool to one in the garage when we moved in.
1:2011: Eureka Powerline (4773): Persumably bought to replace another Eureka with the same crevice tool, they faitfully used it up until about two months after we moved in, when the screw mounts on the hose partially broke off from someone pulling on the hose too hard. I was going to repair it for them, but as I was busy getting settled in, my grandmother went ahead and went out to Walmart to purchase a 2191 later that week as she wanted another communal vacuum for the house and didn't want to wait any longer for me to repair the Eureka. Which not going to lie, offended me at first, but it worked out though as the Eureka then became mine, and I have it to this day with larger screws being used to hold the hose on as I still haven't gotten around to replacing it.

2:2019: Bissell Powerforce Helix (2191)
To this day, this is still the main house vacuum although it became a backup a few months ago when I put a 2015 Cleanview I have in it's place as it is so boring to use.

My paternal grandparents:
Note: Unsure what they had before the FQ but believe it was possibly an Electrolux canister.
1:1992(?): Filter Queen Majestic Triple Crown:
They told me they got it from a Door To Door salesman in 1992 however when I looked up the model history of FQs, it shown that the Triple Crown came out later so it was probably later than '92. Either way, it ran until 2007 when the motor burned up while my grandad was vacuuming their living room, so bad that it apparently filled the room full of smoke. However based on their reports of poor performance towards the end as well as their track record for a few years past that point, I believe it died due to a lack of maintenance.

2:2007: Bissell Powerforce Bagless (6579-3): Bought at Walmart to replace the FQ which 2 year old me then played with as a toy for a few months, it only lasted a few months until the belt burned up while my grandad was vacuuming the hallway due to hair buildup in the brushroll and a lack of maintenance as you may guess. Of course he threw it out having known nothing about vacuums at that point. Unfortunately my first vivid vacuum memory is sitting on the couch and watching smoke pour from the hood as he came up the hall with it, though I have faint memories of it being used before then.

3:2008: Dirt Devil Featherlite Bagless (UD40135): Bought to replace the 6579-3, it was used until mid 2010 when stink bugs were sucked up in it and my grandad didn't know that the F1 filter can (and should!) be replaced periodically so he retired it as a car/shop vac and bought another Powerforce to replace it.

4:2010: Bissell Powerforce Bagless (6583): Besides the FQ, this was the second longest lifespan of a vacuum that they owned, mostly due to the fact I took over servicing it around mid 2015 but also because my grandad finally realized that vacuums require maintenance, LOL. I also remember looking over in my carseat and reading the side of the box next to me the night they picked it up, as well as a faint memory of the assembly and first use. It was used as the main vacuum until 2018 when it had entered my collection, which had since grew to where I was using other machines in their house regularly (I keep my collection at their house). Only major thing it needed was a brushroll in 2019, and then it still ran beautifully until I regretfully sold it with some other machines of mine at a yard sale in mid 2020 as I went on a 3 year vacuum collecting hiatus.

5:2013: Hoover Tempo Widepath (U5140900):
Another aunt of mine bought this new from a local vac shop in 2008 after her house was built, but prefers canisters so she gave it to my grandparents after she purchased a shiny new orange Kenmore Progressive that AFAIK, she still owns to this day. It then became the backup vacuum which came in handy as it was used for almost the entirety of 2014 after the 6583's belt got broken. Of course the Bissell went back to the main vacuum after the belt was finally replaced due to being lighter and bagless, and it stayed as an occasional backup until 2017 when it became one of the first machines to make up my collection. Still have it to this day, as well as all of the purchase literature that my aunt gave us with it including the receipt from 2008!

Nowadays I use a beat up '06 Bissell Lift Off Revolution of mine as their main vacuum as their poor old miniature pinscher has since became diabetic, blind and frequently has accidents in the carpet to the point I won't use my good machines outside of mt bedroom and vacuum room where the dog isn't allowed to go. (Poor baby, it's not his fault!)

Misc:
I also had two Eureka Superbrooms growing up. One was a maroon color with the brushroll which I played with at my grandparents until it mysteriously disappeared after I took it home in '09, and no one knows what happened to it. The other was a yellow one that was straight suction, and that one I had until around 2012 when little me thought it would be smart to stick a coin into the exhaust vents on the side of it which promptly killed it as it was dead as a doornail when I went to use it next. The yellow one I got from a neighbor when I was real little, and IIRC that's the same case with the red one.

And sorry, I know this was SUPER long but figured others would enjoy hearing what machines I grew up around!


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Post# 469933 3/2/2024 at 19:07 (225 days old) by Eureka1998 (New York )
Checkrate/Likes 2 Curious to know if anyone off the top of their head can list all the vacs from their childhood to now that their parents or yourselves used as your main house unit? here are mine! (NOT including vacuums I collected) 1. Hoover Windtunnel Turbopower 5100 (1998) 2. Red Hoover Caddy Vac Soft Guard (1999-2001) 3. Purple Hoover Caddy Vac (2001-2003) 4. Hoover Fold Away (2003-2005) 5. Dirt Devil Swivel Glide bagged (2005-2006) 6. Bissell Velocity (2006-2008) 7. Eureka Altima (2008-2009) 8. Hoover Fold Away Widepath (2008-2009) 9. Dirt Devil Featherlite Bagless (2009-2012) 10. Hoover Windtunnel T-Series Rewind (2012-2015 11. Shark Rotator Slim Light Lift Away (2014-2017) 18. Hoover React Lite (2017-2019) 19. Shark Rotator Powered Lift Away Speed (2018-2021) 20. Shark Navigator Lift Away Speed Zero-M (2019-2023) 21. Shark Navigator 3XL Pet Zero-M (2022-present) We had ALOT because we used them an insane amount LOL

Post# 469937 , Reply# 1 3/3/2024 at 01:17 (224 days old) by panasonicvac (Northern Utah)
Checkrate/Likes 2 My parents still have their Beam central vacuum since 1990 and continue to use it today.

Post# 469941 , Reply# 2 3/3/2024 at 08:42 (224 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes 3 Here are the vacs of my life: 1959: parents� brown GE AirFlo canister vac (bought before I was born in 1959) 1960: parents� blue Eureka Super Automatic 260 upright with attachments 1971: parents� blue Sanyo Dust Cassette canister vacuum 1974: parents� gold Eureka Rugulator Cordaway Vanguard model 2083 1976: parents� burnt orange Eureka Dial a Nap upright with attachments (KMart model for Florida vacation apartment) 1982: my blue and white Eureka Dial a Nap Upright model 1425 with tools (gave to Vacuumland friend) 1994: my red Eureka World Vac Power Team (sold to friend) 1997: my 220-volt royal blue World Vac Mighty Mite II (for apartment in Israel) 2000: my green Kenmore Progressive (Elegance in Canada) Powermate Canister (gave to friend) 2005: my light blue Hoover WidePath Tempo upright (gave to friend) 2005: my chrome Hoover Retro Constellation suction only canister (sold on Kijiji) 2007: my black Electrolux UltraSilencer Green suction only canister 2013: my Black Hoover Platinum Lightweight Upright with mini PortaPower canister 2014: my red Miele Contour S2 budget canister (sold to friend) 2015: my white Miele S8 PureAir deluxe canister with SpotLight handle (Canadian version of Alize) It�s been a long parade of vacs since I was born!!!!

Post# 469943 , Reply# 3 3/3/2024 at 09:19 (224 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Forgot one of my vacs: in around 2008 or 2009, I bought a Metropolitan hand vac with hose and tools to clean my car�it plugs into the lighter socket so I can clean the car anywhere there is no electric plug. Not very powerful though.

Post# 469944 , Reply# 4 3/3/2024 at 09:46 (224 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)
Checkrate/Likes 2 We only had 3! First was a budget Singer branded Eureka,tan/brown which went to grandma Second was our 59 Compact and a green Kirby when mom married stepdad. Still have the Compact!

Post# 469951 , Reply# 5 3/3/2024 at 14:50 (224 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)
Checkrate/Likes 1 1) early 80s Kenmore mid range Powermate canister that my Parents bought when they got married. 2) mid 80s Kenmore canister that a cousin gave us, that we used along with the other 3) early 80s Hoover Concept One my grandmother gave my mother after she moved, and replaced it with a Hoover Elite Supreme. My grandmother replaced the Concept, as the Power Drive had burned up when she was getting the old house ready to pack up and move, but the vacuum itself still worked great. 4) early 2000s Kenmore Whispertone canister in Hunter green, replaced the Hoover and other two canisters. This one excited me most, as it was the first vacuum my parents bought after I was born. I remember being excited the night we got it at Sears and the new smell it had. I remember I got home from school on the Friday that week and used all of the attachments on it to clean. lol 5) mid 2000s white bagless Kenmore Quick Clean cord reel upright My mom got that in 2005 as the Powermate motor went kaput on the Whispertone, so she used it for carpets and kept the Whispertone for hard floors and above floor cleaning. 6) 2017-ish Hoover Elite Whole House Rewind in blue and red. That one replaced the Kenmore Quick Clean as it got broken somehow, but I never found out what happened. It still ran though, but my mom said it got a crack in it. Also, before my parents married, my mother had a �green and yellow� Kenmore Powermate canister, as my mom described it. That one was long gone by the time I came along, but all four white �Sears� attachments (horsehair swivel dusting brush, flared crevice tool, upholstery tool and floor brush) were still around. The early 80s Kenmore canister replaced it, as my mom said the canister motor had died in that 70s one.

Post# 469953 , Reply# 6 3/3/2024 at 17:20 (224 days old) by powerstarenergy (Portland, Tennessee)
Checkrate/Likes 2 *Alright, Let's See...* So, I can remember my parents having -A Dirt Devil Quick Vac (2012 model) -A Bissell Powerforce Bagless (also a 2012 model) -A Dirt Devil Breeze (from 2015) I think they had one after that but I do not remember it And finally, their current one, a Bissell Powerforce Helix (one from 2021) I know the Dirt Devil has the word Express on it, but it was a Quick Vac. That is the closest image I could find. I tried so hard to put the images in order but the website didn't let me for some reason. Photos... < > Photo 1 of 4 View Full Size

Post# 469961 , Reply# 7 3/4/2024 at 11:25 (223 days old) by Human (Pines of Carolina)
Checkrate/Likes The first vacuum I remember was a mid-/late-'50s vintage Lewyt canister, charcoal gray on the bottom with a bubble gum pink motor unit and matching pink tools. That one stayed around, mainly to vacuum cars, until my parents moved in about 1997. The next one, which overlapped the Lewyt, was a Bissell Sweepmaster stick vac. The last time I saw it was at my sister's vacation home in the mountains. The Bissell also overlapped a tan and lime green Hoover Convertible that we got in the early '70s. It got passed down to me in the late '80s and I dropped it off at Goodwill when I moved in the late '90s. Mom and Dad replaced the Hoover with a similar looking Singer upright that was impossibly loud. I didn't like it and I have no idea what became of it. Two other family machines we got along the way were a mid-'80s vintage Hoover QuikBroom and an Electrolux 1205. Dad must have found a bargain on the QuikBrooms, because he got one for me, one for my sister, and one for them. I got rid of mine at the same time I got rid of the Hoover Convertible, but then grabbed theirs from a donation pile when they moved in 2016. Dad rescued the 1205 from a neighbor's trash pile in the early '80s. It had a non-electric hose and a flippy floor tool. Its suction was pretty poor because of the leaky hose, but I was surprised to see they held onto it. I grabbed it at the same time I got the QuikBroom with the idea of letting it be a parts donor for my other 1205, but once I tried it with a vinyl hose and a power nozzle, I changed my mind, cleaned it up, replaced the broken handle, and put it into active service.

Post# 469964 , Reply# 8 3/4/2024 at 15:29 (223 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)
Checkrate/Likes For my great grandma: Electrolux Golden J Jubilee (motor exploded when my mom was using it) replaced with an Electrolux Olympia One on trade-in, and she also had a Hoover Elite soft bag. For my grandma: Oreck XL For my mom & me: Eureka Boss World Vac, then a Kirby Ultimate G for upstairs. Downstairs went through an Eureka ESP, a Bissell Whisk-It, a Bissell Daisy, a JC Penney orange upright, a Kirby Classic 1-CR (motor was shot when bought so that lasted all of 10 seconds), and now has none until I get a dedicated cleaner figured out. Garage has two Shop-Vacs.

Post# 471093 , Reply# 21 5/5/2024 at 13:26 by Rdwdcp (UK)
Checkrate/Likes 1 I still have my Mum's Old DC07 which is a big part of my childhood

Post# 469969 , Reply# 9 3/4/2024 at 21:47 (222 days old) by Hoover300 (Kentucky)
Checkrate/Likes -1954 Kirby 514 passed from my great grandmother -Yellow Hoover PD DAM also from her, thrown away in 2009 and the 514 stayed -Bissell 3 in 1 in grey -Bissell Rewind Cleanview Helix -Creamsicle color Kenmore Progressive canister -Redesigned Powerforce Compact in robin's egg blue

Post# 469970 , Reply# 10 3/4/2024 at 22:32 (222 days old) by vgwpg (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
Checkrate/Likes Here is a descriptive list of vacuums, as I cannot remember their exact models. My parents: 1) My parents had a blue straight suction canister of some sort when I was born in 2001. Sadly, that is all I know. She stopped using it when I was very young (when she got her new vacuum) and sold it at a garage sale when I was around 5. I have a faint memory of what it looked like, but not enough to know what it was. Sadly, there are no pictures of it anywhere and my mom doesn't remember what it was. It could have been a Hoover Spirit or a Kenmore, but I don't know. I do vividly remember wanting to keep it when my mom was selling it. She said that it was silly to keep something that we hadn't used for years and that it wouldn't make much sense since it didn't have a powerhead and our house was pretty much all wall to wall carpeting, but she said that if it didn't sell, I could have it. But somebody bought it. I remember crying the rest of the day. 2) My parents' next vacuum was a green Kenmore canister which they got in 2002 or 2003. It was very similar to the later Whispertone, but it only had the 12 inch powerhead, it had the shorter hose with no controls, and it had no cover on the tool compartment. It was sold after being replaced, but it had been heavily used and was in pretty rough shape. 3) In 2013, my parents replaced the Kenmore with a Dyson DC37 Turbinehead Animal (purple cyclone) since the Kenmore had been falling apart. It was honestly a pretty terrible machine. It never cleaned well, we had several problems, and it ended up dying in 2019. We still have it and it is working again, but we never use it. 4) In 2019, my dad decided to retrofit the house with a central vacuum since he grew up with one and I wanted one. It's a Husky Storm, and that is what we use currently. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with its quality and performance. 5) My mom is currently using a blue-green Kenmore Elegance (Canadian version of the Progressive) that she acquired from her mom/my grandma after she passed away. My grandparents: 1) My mom's mom had a Hoover Futura that she used until she got her Kenmore Elegance. 2) She also had a teal GE swivel top canister that I never saw used, but it was sitting in her basement. My aunt took it unfortunately. 3) My grandparents on my dad's side currently use a Thoro-Vac central vacuum that was installed when the house was built in 1991. It's a red/white rebranded inverted bag unit from Broan or NuTone I believe. They have however gotten a new attachment kit. The original was a Sweep n Groom powerhead and their new one has a Panasonic nozzle that is the same as what a Kenmore Whispertone would have. 4) They also have a grey Eureka Roto-Matic power team (rebranded as a Beaumark from the Bay) from the 70s that was from my grandpa's mother. It has always only been used as a car vacuum though since my grandparents exclusively use the central vac for inside. 5) My grandparents also used to have a vacuum that they had at their cabin. It was a brown Eureka (rebranded as a Viking from Eaton's) straight suction canister vacuum that they bought new. They unfortunately left that vacuum in the cabin when they sold it in 2009, which I am still upset about. I saved this one for last because this vacuum was very special to me because it was the first vacuum that I ever used. We went to the cabin every weekend and starting at 3 years old, I would do the vacuuming. I miss it to this day. I don't remember what model it was, but I do know that it used the "L" style bags. I actually also have a gold Electrolux Ergorapido that my grandma on my mom's side bought for me in 2009, so that one is special to me too. I vacuumed every day with it. I replaced the batteries a couple of times in it, but it no longer holds a charge at all, so it doesn't work, but I still have it. I bought a Shark rocket that I was going to use as a replacement for daily cleaning, but my allergies go crazy whenever I use it, so I rarely do. But it's technically a vacuum that I use and not a part of my collection.

Post# 469971 , Reply# 11 3/4/2024 at 23:00 (222 days old) by Eureka1998 (New York )
Checkrate/Likes *My aunt had the most outside of my house* She replaced hers often for the same reason. LOTS of usage, so our vacuums went out quicker cause we cleaned excessively. She had: Hoover Elite Supreme (199?-2001), don't exactly know which one as I only ever remember seeing it from the back, but my gut tells me it was a navy blue one. Always liked how they had that drawn diagram of the hose setup on the side. Hoover TurboPower 5100 (199?-2004): Bought the same time we had ours. But when I went over their house as a kid I only remembered seeing the Elite. This mustve been an upstairs vac until it became the main vac. I was given it until the wheels fell apart. Hoover Twin Chamber Bagless (2004-2005): Went with her to pick this out, it wasn't bad but they decided to give it to me after they got the Aptitude, at the time she preferred bagged. Electrolux Aptitude (2005-2007): Never saw it in use but saw it at the house. Was gotten rid of after the cord got torn, but I think they went and bought another after. Hoover Windtunnel 2 Surface Command (2007-2008): The big new Hoover at the time, and was only used for a short time due to its flawed self cleaning filter. Eureka Altima (2008-2009): She got it because it was a good machine for us but IDK why I don't think it was used for long. Hoover Tempo (2009-2018): Her longest running vac. The Tempo bagged units were the best thing in there price range, but being an old Windtunnel platform its no surprise. She loved that one as it was everything that was needed. Hoover LiNX (2016-2019): Good small vacuum that she used for quick pick ups, definitely a premium stick vac. JOY Super Chic (2017): Small Lightweight stick she briefly used as the main vacuum. Troubles with constantly overheating made it one of the worst vacuums and its easy to see why it discontinued so early. Hoover Widepath (2018): A vacuum from my collection that I gave to her after the Tempo died. Being direct air, it was too powerful for her carpets. Ended up staying at the house after it was sold. Hopefully the new owners used it. Shark Duo Clean (2018-2022): The shark craze definitely took over my family because, even though Shark is a bad company when it comes to replacement parts, I'd be lying if I said they weren't a good vacuum. Theyre one of the few I don't sneeze when using and I would imagine she enjoyed it. Don't know which duo clean she had though.

Post# 469972 , Reply# 12 3/4/2024 at 23:12 (222 days old) by Eureka1998 (New York )
Checkrate/Likes *My grandparents* Mothers side: She remembers that they had mostly Hoover Convertibles as a kid, specifically the one she rememebrs was the white one with blue accent lines and a blue base (U4349 I think). But thats about what they can remember. Theres an old photo with what looks like some type of 80s Kenmore in the BG but they don't remember that one. When my maternal grandmother got her small place, she bought a Shark Bagless Stick Cyclonic, the very first big entry from the company. She also had floorwashers in the meantime she used like the Bissell Flip It and the Hoover Floormate Second Gen. The shark was ok but overtime, she needed a full size. In 2009 when we got the Featherlite, she took the Fold Away Widepath and used it for 10 years! She loved it and it shows maintenance goes a long way. After that went, she took our Shark Rotator when we got the Hoover React, and later on she got our Rotator Speed Powered Lift after the Non Powered Rotator started losing its suction. Father's side: My paternal grandparents had an Electrolux 1205 for over 20 years, and at the time probably one of the most powerful units on the market. That was given to my uncle in the early 90s and they got a Black Hoover Futura canister. For the longest time I thought it was a TurboPower until I saw it again years later. That was replaced in the early 2000s with a Dirt Devil Featherlite Vision which was one of Dirt Devil's vetter units. Then my aunt gave her their Windtunnel Supreme.

Post# 469982 , Reply# 13 3/5/2024 at 12:06 (222 days old) by mieles5380leo (Virginia)
Checkrate/Likes My parents had a Eureka Victory bagged upright vacuum that my mother got when she was in college (I believe from a friend). Around 2005/2006 we adopted a long hair pet collie and he shedded a lot. About a year or so later we adopted his half sister. The Eureka began burning up belts and the bearings in the brush roll began melting because the amount of long hair it had to pick up was just too much for it. My father routinely visited our local vacuum store for belts and such until the salesman noticed he came in for belts a lot and decided to show him �the vacuum that will never break a belt�. It was a Simplicity Synergy X9.5. He bought it for right around $1k in November of 2006. My mother just about killed him for that but in hindsight she�s glad he did because that is the same vacuum they use to this day. They�ve never had to buy another vacuum and the only thing the Synergy has needed is a new handle because the strain relief began getting faulty about 8 years after they bought it and it also needed a new hose and wand at one point but that�s it besides regular maintenance (bags/filters).

Post# 469983 , Reply# 14 3/5/2024 at 12:50 (222 days old) by Vinvac (Dubuque IA)
Checkrate/Likes 1 My list is pretty short: My Mom had a Kirby 508, which I still use today. It was factory rebuilt in the late 90's and still runs like a top. My grandmother had a Model 66 Airway canister. Her sister, had a Hoover Model 28 and a Hoover Junior. Our neighbors had a Eureka Princess with the cord away and tool carrier on top. The neighbors to the south had two vacuums, a cylinder shaped Speed Vac which I believe was made by Bee Vac and a Regina Electric broom. Their cleaning lady brought her own vacuum which was an Electrolux Model L in blue. But one of my favorites was the neighbor that had a lower end Kenmore upright, again guessing made by Bee Vac, it was a light blue with a gray bag. She lived in a mobile home and my guess is the vacuum was from the 60's.

Post# 469986 , Reply# 15 3/5/2024 at 15:11 (222 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *simple here too!* We had a Convertible, model 67. Grandmother and both sisters had Hoover 28 2 uncles had Convertible 69 another had Convertible 70 Aunt had a Singer... replaced it with Convertible 1076 and a Connie Father's side had Electroluxes (Electroli)?

Post# 469988 , Reply# 16 3/5/2024 at 18:17 (222 days old) by Eureka1998 (New York )
Checkrate/Likes *Just saw an old family video* and I did not know this but in the background was a Hoover TurboPower 2200, never knew we had that!!! That was before the Red Caddy Vac!

Post# 470019 , Reply# 17 3/7/2024 at 12:56 (220 days old) by panasonicvac (Northern Utah)
Checkrate/Likes *Since we're expanding our family tree* I'll also talk about my relative's vacs. I'll start from my mom's side. My grandparents had a 1994 Kirby G4 80th Anniversary Edition, a red 2004 Dirt Devil Jaguar bagless upright, a Kirby Tradition, a black Kenmore Progressive Direct Drive, a Dirt Devil 103 hand vac, a red 10 gallon Shop Vac, a Hoover Steamvac Deluxe, a couple vintage 80's B&D Dust Busters one brown and one white, and I believe a Bissell Power Steamer since I remember that carpet cleaner was a canister. Now I have their G4, Kenmore, hand vac, Shop Vac, and Hoover. My aunt had a Hoover Concept Two, a Beam Serenity 2100 central vac, a Dirt Devil Ultra hand vac, a black 12 Gallon Shop Vac QSP, and a Bissell Little Green 1653-4. Now I have both her Hoover and Bissell. My uncle had a Panasonic Jet-Flo MC-6250, a Panasonic Performance Plus MC-V7367, a Dirt Devil 120 and a Plus hand vac, a vintage orange Shop Vac I believe was 16 gallons, and a orange Ridgid wet dry vac that was also 16 gallons I believe. He also had a very old vintage stick vac as well, I don't remember that one too well but I think it was a Hoover. Now I have his Panasonic MC-V7367. My uncle had a Panasonic I believe was a Jet-Flo MC-5130, a Panasonic MC-V6255, a Dirt Devil 120 hand vac, a Ridgid WD12450 wet dry vac, and a Bissell Little Green 1720-1. Now I have his Panasonic MC-V6255. After my uncle's first wife split, she had a white Oreck XL Classic upright with the matching Oreck XL compact canister and a blue Dirt Devil Ultra Vision. Now I have her Dirt Devil. Before my uncle married his second wife, she had a Kenmore Stylite none Retraxx model, a blue Hoover Windtunnel Supreme, and a Panasonic Jet-Flo MC-6210. Now I have her Panasonic. Now onto my dad's side. My grandparents at their house has a Vacumaid P-125 central vac, a Hoover Steamvac Gold, a Hoover Supreme 12.5 gallon wet dry vac, a Shark cordless sweeper, and they used to have a white/blue Black & Decker Dust Buster I believe was a VersaPak version. At their cabin, my grandpa has a green Kenmore 2621 canister which as of today I don't know where it's at because the cabin recently got flooded and the entire place has been gutted for renovation. Yesterday I went up there to look for it so I could take it back home and service for when the place gets finished but right now it's currently missing. Anyways, he also had a blue Hoover Widepath bagless upright, a red Shop Vac QPV 16 gallon Pump Vac, another Shark cordless sweeper that's the same thing as the one at the house, and a white/green Black & Decker Dust Buster similar to the white/blue one at his house but it's not a VersaPak version. Now I only have the white/green B&D. My aunt had a green Hoover Windtunnel Self Propelled upright that I believe was an Ultra, and a Dirt Devil hand vac I believe was a 103. My uncle had I believe a Hoover Turbopower 1700. A Eureka upright that I don't remember too well but it was a blue hardcase Bravo with a headlight, my very best guess would be a Bravo II WideTrack based on the photos online but I'm pretty sure I'm wrong. He also had few other machines. A grey Eureka Quick Up cordless, a red Dirt Devil Jaguar Power stick vac, and a grey iRobot Roomba. Only vacuum he still has today from my childhood is a Vacumaid P-125 central vac. My uncle had a green Dirt Devil Vision Swivel Glide, a Hoover FloorMate I don't remember too well but I believe it was a H3060 cause I think it had attachments, and a green Dirt Devil bagless hand vac I don't remember too well either but it was similar to the Power Reach. My great aunt had a Kenmore Professional 12, a Eureka ESP 2061D upright, and a black 8 gallon Shop Vac QSP. Now I have her Kenmore.

Post# 470024 , Reply# 18 3/7/2024 at 14:03 (220 days old) by thatwasherguy (Kentucky )
Checkrate/Likes *Childhood vacuums...* We had a Eureka The Boss Victory (model 4335) that my parents got as a wedding gift in 1997. When it died around 2013, they got a Dyson DC-65 to replace it, that they still have today. Both grandmas had 8 pound Orecks, although one still had an Electrolux Super J in the garage, and the other had a small shop-vac that I now have. My aunt had a Kirby G4, which died around 2013 due to motor failure (she gave me the attachments and literature from it a couple years ago as a holiday gift). She got a Riccar Starbright to replace it, which she still has today. My uncle had my parent�s Eureka�s big brother, the Mega Boss Victory model 4460. Because of it�s similarity to my childhood machine, I kept it when he passed away. Thatwasherguy.

Post# 470025 , Reply# 19 3/7/2024 at 14:18 (220 days old) by JustJunque (Western MA)
Checkrate/Likes The earliest vacuum memory I have is a gold and brown Hoover Portable. Around the same time, there were two blue Hoover Lark stick vacuums. Probably when my parents had their first deep pile carpet installed in their room, vacuums with brushrolls appeared. I remember an orange Eureka canister with power nozzle, and a light blue Eureka upright with no headlight, and a Dial-A-Nap. That one was nearly identical to the model 2010 I picked up a while back. Some time in the early/mid 1980s, they bought their first Electrolux from a door to door salesman. That's pretty much all they bought from that point on. They would agree to letting the salesman sell them a new one every few years or so. They've had entry level models, and I remember a top-of-the-line Renaissance for a while. Mom wasn't crazy about that one, but wanted more features than the bottom-of-the-line. So, she's had an Epic 6500, and now the Aerus equivalent, the Lux Legacy ever since. I don't know how long she's had the current Legacy, but it's got some mileage on it. Unless the motor quits or something, I doubt that she'll ever replace it at this point. Several years ago, she did buy something cordless and bagless. It might even be a small Dyson of some sort. I never even see it when I visit, and kind of forget that she even has it. I don't think the battery stays charged very long any more. My paternal grandmother had an older Electrolux, but all I remember about it was that it had runners, not wheels. The only vacuum I ever remember seeing at my maternal grandmother's was a stick vacuum of some sort. Possibly a Regina Electrikbroom, but I'm not sure. I don't even remember what color it was. Beyond that, I know that one aunt and uncle had a 1970s/1980s Eureka self-propelled upright, that the self-propel stopped working. I don't remember it clearly, but it seems like it was white or beige, with brown trim. You'd think I'd remember it better, because my aunt gave it to me when they bought something else. I don't remember what they replaced it with. And, when we were moving from that apartment to our house, I didn't immediately take the Eureka with me. And, somehow, it disappeared. I have a feeling I know where it went, but I can't prove it. And, I don't want to cause problems, since it's a family situation. I'm sure it's long gone now anyway. For our household, there's too many to list. But, the first one we ever bought new, and our first official household vacuum, was an Oreck XL Classic, and the Buster B that came with it. I still have both.

Post# 470027 , Reply# 20 3/7/2024 at 18:01 (220 days old) by Blackheart (North Dakota)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *It's mine now!* We had a Kirby Legend II. I traded my parents a G3 to obtain it back in the late 2000s and then in the last few years upgraded mom to a Sentria. we also had a Dirt Devil 103. View Full Size

Post# 471272 , Reply# 22 5/15/2024 at 20:04 by DoraTheExplorer (Virginia, USA)
Checkrate/Likes *My immediate family's vacuums and their backstories!* My parents: 1:1998: Eureka The Boss Special Edition Bravo II Widetrack (7821): Parents bought brand new at Kmart after they moved into my childhood mobile home. Was the best vacuum they had and lasted the longest, also being the machine that fostered my love for vacuums. Unfortunately the motor burned up in it in early 2012 presumably due to these Bravo II's tendency to suffer from fan bearing failure after about a decade of use. However, I recently got and restored one after desperately looking for another for YEARS! 2:2012: Bissell Cleanview Helix (82H1): As the Bravo died a few months before and we no longer had a full sized vacuum, my dad used his recently acquired disability backpay to buy this as well as two window AC units and a few other things we needed for the house around April or so that year. Unfortunately our household's long hair mixed with the fact that due to personal reasons my parents would only vacuum every month and a half on average at that point and not always clean the brushroll out meant the brushroll bearings failed in late 2014 and with my dads' medical issues as well as me not working on vacuums just yet meant that the machine was promptly thrown out after the 2nd or 3rd belt it ate. 3:2015: Eureka The Boss Power Plus (4703): As we were halfway through a deep clean when the Bissell failed, we desperately needed a new vacuum but couldn't afford to buy one. So my aunt who lived two doors up from us came to the rescue and gave us this which was her spare vacuum. It was past due for a filter replacement so it reeked of wet dog and because my aunt also has long hair and my parents never checked the brushroll, the belt began burning up the second time we used it and my dad threw it out as well. We would then go a little over two years with no vacuum at all (I know, I know, but don't judge as both of my parents had personal stuff going on) 4:2017: Bissell Powerforce Bagged (3522): A former friend of my dad gave him this 2003 Powerforce that he got from an estate sale and was cleaning out some of his hoard when my dad went to visit so he gave him this when he was told we badly needed a vacuum. At this point I was collecting so I took over the maintenance and usage of it. Was in great shape for its' age and only needed the foot hose to be unclogged as well as a new set of attachments as the originals were all missing. Used it regularly for a few months until March 2018 when I convinced my dad to buy a new vacuum for the house so I could add it to my collection and keep it from being destroyed by my sister's ex who started living with us at the time. To this day I still have it and it works perfectly! 5:2018: Bissell Powerforce Helix (2191): This is the machine I got my dad to buy as the new communal vacuum. I then added the 3522 to my collection and began using this at our house, and allowed anyone else to use it as I didn't care what happened to it. It was used until we moved out of our trusty little single wide I grew up in and into my maternal GP's house to live with them. As they had the soon to be mentioned Eureka Powerline, I took the 2191 into my personal collection and use it to this day as a shop vac/beater vacuum. My maternal grandparents: Note: Unsure what they had before 2011 but I think it was another Eureka such as a Maxima as I found the crevice tool to one in the garage when we moved in. 1:2011: Eureka Powerline (4773): Persumably bought to replace another Eureka with the same crevice tool, they faitfully used it up until about two months after we moved in, when the screw mounts on the hose partially broke off from someone pulling on the hose too hard. I was going to repair it for them, but as I was busy getting settled in, my grandmother went ahead and went out to Walmart to purchase a 2191 later that week as she wanted another communal vacuum for the house and didn't want to wait any longer for me to repair the Eureka. Which not going to lie, offended me at first, but it worked out though as the Eureka then became mine, and I have it to this day with larger screws being used to hold the hose on as I still haven't gotten around to replacing it. 2:2019: Bissell Powerforce Helix (2191) To this day, this is still the main house vacuum although it became a backup a few months ago when I put a 2015 Cleanview I have in it's place as it is so boring to use. My paternal grandparents: Note: Unsure what they had before the FQ but believe it was possibly an Electrolux canister. 1:1992(?): Filter Queen Majestic Triple Crown: They told me they got it from a Door To Door salesman in 1992 however when I looked up the model history of FQs, it shown that the Triple Crown came out later so it was probably later than '92. Either way, it ran until 2007 when the motor burned up while my grandad was vacuuming their living room, so bad that it apparently filled the room full of smoke. However based on their reports of poor performance towards the end as well as their track record for a few years past that point, I believe it died due to a lack of maintenance. 2:2007: Bissell Powerforce Bagless (6579-3): Bought at Walmart to replace the FQ which 2 year old me then played with as a toy for a few months, it only lasted a few months until the belt burned up while my grandad was vacuuming the hallway due to hair buildup in the brushroll and a lack of maintenance as you may guess. Of course he threw it out having known nothing about vacuums at that point. Unfortunately my first vivid vacuum memory is sitting on the couch and watching smoke pour from the hood as he came up the hall with it, though I have faint memories of it being used before then. 3:2008: Dirt Devil Featherlite Bagless (UD40135): Bought to replace the 6579-3, it was used until mid 2010 when stink bugs were sucked up in it and my grandad didn't know that the F1 filter can (and should!) be replaced periodically so he retired it as a car/shop vac and bought another Powerforce to replace it. 4:2010: Bissell Powerforce Bagless (6583): Besides the FQ, this was the second longest lifespan of a vacuum that they owned, mostly due to the fact I took over servicing it around mid 2015 but also because my grandad finally realized that vacuums require maintenance, LOL. I also remember looking over in my carseat and reading the side of the box next to me the night they picked it up, as well as a faint memory of the assembly and first use. It was used as the main vacuum until 2018 when it had entered my collection, which had since grew to where I was using other machines in their house regularly (I keep my collection at their house). Only major thing it needed was a brushroll in 2019, and then it still ran beautifully until I regretfully sold it with some other machines of mine at a yard sale in mid 2020 as I went on a 3 year vacuum collecting hiatus. 5:2013: Hoover Tempo Widepath (U5140900): Another aunt of mine bought this new from a local vac shop in 2008 after her house was built, but prefers canisters so she gave it to my grandparents after she purchased a shiny new orange Kenmore Progressive that AFAIK, she still owns to this day. It then became the backup vacuum which came in handy as it was used for almost the entirety of 2014 after the 6583's belt got broken. Of course the Bissell went back to the main vacuum after the belt was finally replaced due to being lighter and bagless, and it stayed as an occasional backup until 2017 when it became one of the first machines to make up my collection. Still have it to this day, as well as all of the purchase literature that my aunt gave us with it including the receipt from 2008! Nowadays I use a beat up '06 Bissell Lift Off Revolution of mine as their main vacuum as their poor old miniature pinscher has since became diabetic, blind and frequently has accidents in the carpet to the point I won't use my good machines outside of mt bedroom and vacuum room where the dog isn't allowed to go. (Poor baby, it's not his fault!) Misc: I also had two Eureka Superbrooms growing up. One was a maroon color with the brushroll which I played with at my grandparents until it mysteriously disappeared after I took it home in '09, and no one knows what happened to it. The other was a yellow one that was straight suction, and that one I had until around 2012 when little me thought it would be smart to stick a coin into the exhaust vents on the side of it which promptly killed it as it was dead as a doornail when I went to use it next. The yellow one I got from a neighbor when I was real little, and IIRC that's the same case with the red one. And sorry, I know this was SUPER long but figured others would enjoy hearing what machines I grew up around!

Post# 471518 , Reply# 23 5/27/2024 at 00:43 by VacuumFan123 (Clarksville, Maryland)
Checkrate/Likes 1997: Kirby G4 Before I was born, heard the dealer pressured them into purchasing it and I have fond memories of using that vacuum and now I own it personally. 2006: Rainbow E2 Gold dealer Found a reason we should upgrade from the old Kirby we had and so we did. Rainbow does not clean as well as the Kirby but they still use it for their sitting room. 2018: Vacumaid SR38 (found out our house had plumbing for a central vacuum) The central vacuum is primarily used for cleaning the garage and cars. A vac-pan was also installed later on and that was used until replaced by the LG cordless vacuum. The central vacuum is still used for cleaning the vast amounts of carpets in the basement and also the long hallways in the house as it is the most convenient with the large powerhead and Hayden 120v powered inlets. 2019: Roborock S6 robot vacuum (despise it) This was purchased to clean the main level of the home daily and is scheduled to do so but whenever I visit, it is always stuck somewhere. 2023 iRobot roomba 692 (also hate it) The roomba was purchased to be used for the laundry room to clean up cat litter and was bought on clearance for a very low price but all it does a relatively poor job. 2024: LG all in one cordless vacuum. This is what they use to clean the kitchen/breakfast rooms and was used to replace the vac-pans in the kitchen and it really does seem like a nice vacuum to use especially since there is no heavy central vacuum hose.