Kirby Classic III

[petek]

This is my latest project find I found the other day at a junk store in very nasty shape. The outer bag was filthy and it still contained a full and exploded paper bag inside, the brush belt had dried out and deteriorated but the brush itself was in good shape. After a good shampoo of the outer bag and some polishing, more needs doing in that department, cleaning out the innards and a new belt and paper bag it literally hums along and actually vacuums quite well. I'm told this model was sold between 75 & 79.
That's Lady K and my everyday Hoover PowerMax flanking Kirby

 

[tolivac]

I saw your machine on the chat room"whats the Best vacuum.com"I have a few of those-very good classic machines-and great performers.I also have a paper bag retrofit for mine.Got one as a trade in for a TriStar and the others from the Kirby dealers here.Got a Classic Omega from the Rainbow dealer.In my expereince I have found that the metal fans hold up better than the plastic ones-esp the early plastic fans Kirby was using-they should have stuck with metal.In one Heritage model I have-the machine worked fine in the upright mode-but when I tried it in the "canister" mode-the plastic fan literally exploded!!The plastic suffered age cracking from loss of the plasticisers.Metal fans don't have that problem.The newer Kirby fans are better than their older plastic ones.Their new design would even hold better with the metal alloy because the trailing edges of the blades are shorter than the leading edges-the trailing edges are under more stress when the fan hits something.The plastic fans get eroded quickly here becuase of the sandy soil that gets tracked in.i check the new plastic fans on my new machines-so far they are OK.The soil in my area is almost like fine beach sand.Your Lady Kenmore vac is pretty cool.Looks like your Hoover has the "soft bag" enclosure-these seem to me to be better and hold up better than the Windtunnels.Got some of those in trade and they were pretty shot.Gave them to a vac repair shop out here for parts-survival rate was low and the filters in them plugged quickly and badly.You needed to take it outside and blow it out with an air compresser-like what you did with a lawnmower motor air filter.

 

[petek]

Tolivac

The Hoover Power Max is a soft bag and was the model that suceeded the Hoover Power Drive. Where the Power Max has the compartment up front for the tools the Power Drive which looked very similar had an automatic cord reel. There's a Power Drive in light blue for sale at a nearby vac shop but he wants $89 for it that I won't pay, I'd consider that much possibly for a pristeen Dial a Matic in an original funky color though..lol
I'm really put off with the new Hoovers though,especially how they got rid of their best feature, the beater bar brush and have replaced it with a run of the mill brush like all others.
When I'm done polishing up this old Kirby I'm going to take it to the flea market and price it somewhat high just to see if there are any takers except that I may end up Kirby-less.

 

[tolivac]

I like the older Hoovers-esp those with the METAL-not plastic beater bars that can tear up your carpets if nicked,broken,or cracked-that can happen if the plastic "beater bar" hits a hard item-I learned from expereince.i too gave up on Hoover at this point.Like their older models much better.Have four at this point and like them very much-the metal bodies,metal fans and metal beater bars.Think they even perform better than their newer models.

 

[westytoploader]

METAL=EXCELLENT

The old Hoovers are GREAT, especially the rear-conversion Convertibles! Using a metal-body Hoover would surprise anyone used to those horrible plastic uprights; especially the fact that the Hoover weighs more and cleans better! I have three "metal" machines that I'm not selling; a 1970 Convertible 1020, 1975 Junior, and a 1978 Dial-A-Matic. The metal beaters have pretty much surpassed the modern machines I've used and are the only way to go on carpets, IMHO; that and the extra-long replaceable brush strips. And the "ping" they make when dirt hits the fan lets you know that it's gone!

My Eureka 630D's beaters are plastic, however I am usually pretty careful with it (that and I use it in my room only). I also closely inspect them periodically for any chips...and haven't found any.

--Austin

 

[tolivac]

The "ping" is another good thing about the metal fans-In my Royal cleaners-its almost like its tuned-even makes a pleasent musical sound. also same with my Koblentz-Its a copy of the Sanitaire but better-more power-more durable fan and fan housing.Its fan makes the musical sound as it picks up.also my NSS M1 has a HUGE metal fan that sort sounds like a bell if something goes thru it.-despite the scrap trap in the "snout"Even seen it eat up nails,junction box slugs,etc during a remodeling job clean up-many musical sounds then!!The plasitc(lexan) fans in the new Kirbys sort of make a "clack" when it hits something.Its a disturbing sound-when will the fan break?I have been using the metal Hoovers that I got in the "treasure chest O vacs"Love them!!Hoover fans seem pretty tough.-stronger than the Sanitaire and Kirby fans.

 

[kenmore1978]

Hoover vs Kirby

"Hoover fans seem pretty tough.-stronger than the Sanitaire and Kirby fans."

What?! Something HOOVER makes betther than something on a KIRBY?! Why, it's SACRILEGE!

 

[mrcleanjeans]

The Kirby ClassiC III debuted in 1976 and was replaced by the blue Tradition in 1979 which was the 1st Kirby to use a disposable bag. Yours originally had a cloth bag,with Sani-Emptor (dumpster)to empty it. It was red plaid instead of the orange now on it.A very durable machine.

http://1

 

[petek]

I see

what you mean about the bag then. I'm surprised though that vacs intended for home use were being mfg and sold as late as 1975 without a disposable paper bag and even moreso that people would buy one but I guess some did. Not surprised that a retrofit to bag-type came out, was this induced by falling sales.

 

[mrcleanjeans]

Kirby didn't have a retro-fit kit,the bag assembly on your vac is from the 1981-1984 Heritage machine.But in 1979,when the Tradition came out,you could take the fill tube assembly out,and the outer cloth bag would now become the only bag.When the Heritage debuted in 1981,they instead had you get the cloth bag or the paper bag setup.Several years later,they went to paper bag assembly only.

 

[tolivac]

I was referring to the older Hoovers.The metal fans in them are stronger than the plastic fans Kirby now uses.I have suggested to several Kirby dist that they should go back to metal.The vac tech in town here is VERY busy replacing plastic Kirby fans-He also commented on the metal fans-had to replace less of them.He did like the plastic ones in a way-more business for him.I have one "retro-fit" bag assembly for Kirby that came from DVC.Fits older kirbys and uses Eureka F&G bags.I too have a few Heritage series machines that have the cloth dump bag or the outer bag that uses the paper ones.Got them as trade-ins toward TriStars.In terms of dump bags-Royal Commercial Everlast,Koblentz,and Sanitaire still offer them for the commercial machines.

 

[kenmore1978]

Eureka F & G bags

Did F& G stand for something?

 

[maytagbear]

F & G

Fred and Ginger?

Fred and George? (Yes, I am looking forward to Book 6. Anyone else?)

Fine and Generous?

------

When I worked as an office cleaner, this very model of Kirby was what I was given. I liked the long cord, and the power was fine, but I HATED, HATED, HATED the dump bag. On nights I knew I was going to be alone, I brought in my own Hoover.

I have a sometimes severe dust allergy, and bagless vacuums have no appeal to me.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[tolivac]

During the times I had a Kirby and a Hoover with a dump bag(lived in an apartment) would remove the bag from the machine and dump it into the apartment house trash room or dumpster.If I tried to dump it into a paper bag in my apartment-the dust would clog the HVAC filter-the apartment had reusable filters-so I had to vacuum that over again.So I dumpted the bags in the trash room.

 

[kenmore1978]

trash room vacuum cleaner bag dumping

Even if dumped outside or in a trash room one still would need a face mask with dust flying everywhere. I have a little Royal handvac that leaks dust around where the cloth bag attaches to the machine. I'm going to convert it to the paper inside of cloth system they offer.

 

[SactoTeddyBear]

Re: Kirby Self-Propelled w/Shampoo Attachment:

I've got a fairly new Kirby Self-Propelled complete Vac System, including the Shampoo Attachment and some extra Disposable Bags and Belt. I'm not sure at this time of the Model Number, or about how old it is. The Unit's are in my Storage Shed's, of which I'm going over to this Weekend and I will get the Model Number. I don't know for sure, but it is around 5 to 8 years old and really hasn't had very much serious use, since it was bought new. Unfortunately, I don't have a Camera to take any Pictures, but it is in real good shape. I'm wanting to offer them to someone in the Club, if interested. I'm only asking whomever is interested, to just Pay the Shipping. The Unit was my Mother-In-Law's and she has had to move into a fairly small Apartment and didn't need the Kirby any more. I traded her an Oreck for her Kirby and she had paid somewhere around $1,700.00 for it originally.

Peace and Happy Vacuuming, Steve
SactoTeddyBear...

 

[tolivac]

SactoTeddyBear: I may be interested in your Kirby-please pass on its model#.I feel I could give it a nice home-and it would have lots of its Kirby freinds to vacuum with!

 

[SactoTeddyBear]

Re: Hey! tolivac:

Hey! tolivac, did you get my E-Mail? I've been waiting to hear back from you, before I add further info to the rest of the Club Member's, if you aren't interested still.

Peace and Happy Vacuuming, Steve
SactoTeddyBear...

 

[westytoploader]

Hi Steve,

If you don't hear back from Rex, I'm interested if it's a G4 or any model above that! It will share a house with 17 other vacuums!

Thanks,
Austin