Hoover estate sale find

[captainmoody]

I never thought about looking at/purchasing vacuum cleaners when going to estate sales until I joined this forum!
This Hoover looked so clean and well built I had to buy it, price was steep at $20 when I first looked at it, but went down to $10 after some haggling. It's a model U5015, does anyone know how old it is? Late 60's maybe? Are parts easy to obtain still if needed?

 

[brettsomers]

mid-late 70's, i think. agitator brushes and bags are easy to get. make sure the red filter below the bag is clear.

 

[myhooverco]

That machine is from 1975 until the demise of the Dial a Matic line in 1979. This was the better of the two "standard" DAMs. The serial number is behind the bag door handle above the handle screw. This one looks to sit squarley on the floor and does not look to suffer from the dreaded handle problems that so many of these did have. Great find. These machines run forever...lets just hope they continue to make the bags for them. I agree with David, make sure that the red filter inside the bag compartment stays clear. I grew up with the cheaper green version of this cleaner. I still have it and it still runs strong! And you got a heck of a good deal on it to boot!!!

--Tom

 

[captainmoody]

Can the year it was built be determined by the serial number? If so, how can I decode it?

 

[myhooverco]

The serial number can only tell you how far into the run it was made. It will not give you an exact date. The serial numbers started with 1001. On this model I am not sure when they stopped. Figure that they easily made 200,000 of these. They were very popular! Unless you have an original bill of sale, there is no way to date it specifically. This would only tell you the sale date not the build date. The UK machines had a much better serial number system and Hoover did adopt a newer and better serial number sometime in the 1980's.

--Tom

 

[norgeman]

70's Dial-A-Matic.

I used to have this exact same machine while I was living at home with my parents. Bought it around 1976 I believe and it had great succion for a clean air system vac. loved it and I also had all the tools for it. Gave it to my Mother in law to setle a debt that my wife and I had with her. The vac did a very good job of cleaning but I still think that the direct air vacs are better. Danf.

 

[veg-o-matic]

Oooh, gotta love them Dial-A-Matics! I have YET to see one in person.

veg