Thread Number: 46036  /  Tag: 80s/90s Vacuum Cleaners
Electrolux Discovery Line & Jack Benny 		[Down to Last]
Post# 475124   1/14/2025 at 15:58 by Paul (USA)        

For those unfamiliar with Mr. Benny, he was a U.S. radio and television comedian who had a longstanding joke of perpetually being 39. This year marks the 39th year of Electrolux Corporation/Electrolux Canada's launch of its Discovery L-shaped upright line, so it has that in common with him.

Aerus continues to market an upgraded version of it—the Heavy-Duty Model U165A, and there are more than a few knock-offs of that and the standard household version; so they've been an overall success.

One wonders if the model name with a ‘II’ correlated with the 1984 launch of the space shuttle Discovery, or if it was simply a play on Electrolux Corporation’s second "discovery" of an upright vacuum cleaner design?

Interestingly, I discovered that the production years or at least marketing for color groups sometimes overlapped other color productions. For example, the DII 1572E (with an upgraded 8.5A motor) was marketed in a 1990 Service Merchandise catalog that someone posted. So those listed are unofficial ballpark estimates. The accent color names, too, are unofficial. Another consideration is the company's depletion of overstock at the end of manufacturing periods, which may have produced some cleaners with anomalies not listed below.

I'm uncertain if motors were produced in both the US &/or Canada at the time.

Anyway, in honor of Electrolux's Discovery line relation to Jack Benny during 2025, here's some collected data of Electrolux’s Discovery line by company specs, online information and observations.

This is a discussion starter. Corrections and additions are invited as always.

Photos are from online sales unless otherwise noted.


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Post# 475128 , Reply# 1   1/14/2025 at 19:51 by Human (Pines of Carolina)        
A few extra details...

 human's profile picture
Your table refers to the Discovery Plus, which was a Discovery II, fitted with brackets for onboard tool storage, making it a little ahead of its time, if not particularly well designed. I had one that came to me without any tools, and by the time I had fully kitted it out, I found it to be quite awkward to use unless I jettisoned the hose and wands.

Also, there was a Sidekick adapter available for the Discovery III, which I have used to retrofit a Discovery II, so it's fully backward compatible. It adds a trapezoidal piece with plug-ins for the power cord and the pigtail for the SideKick, as well as a metal-tipped hose handle and a cord with retaining straps for the hose. I also have two later variants, an Epic 3500SR and a Genesis LXe, both of which came with electrified cords and are pre-wired to accommodate a Sidekick without an adapter.

Post# 475140 , Reply# 2   1/15/2025 at 13:44 by Paul (USA)        

Thanks, Edgar.

I actually used a couple photos you'd posted of your DII in my initial posted documents.

I agree about the weightiness of the onboard tools in my own experience.

The caddy, I think, is especially useful for using less storage space and allowing quicker retrieval. Removing the wands, joining them and putting them in a central location before vacuuming is helpful in lightening the load and still retaining most of the at-hand convenience.



Post# 475141 , Reply# 3   1/15/2025 at 14:20 by Paul (USA)        
1986/1988 Patent Images & Description

 Inventors:

Leonard E Bowerman, George Schick

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