Kirby Omega - THE BEHEMOTH - arrives

[moreleisuretime]

My Omega (an ebay purchase) arrived today. As I pulled the engine/wide body out of the box, I realized, A, I had never seen a wide nozzle Kirby in person before, and, B, this thing is MASSIVE! I plugged it in, turned it on - wow! The roar of the engine and the force of the bag inflating was intimidating.

And my dog thought the Dual Sanitronic 50 was the enemy. Now this. To him, the arrival of the Omega is the equivolent of the enemy's mothership landing in our house.

More to the real point, this guy needs a real cleaning, a couple minor repairs. It came with the original manual, and the serial numbers in the book match the vacuum's serial plate.

So...is it eligible for a Corporate Kirby spa treatment, and how do I go about that (esp. since I am not the original owner)? Am I better off sending it to a Kirby distributor for a beauty treatment? (It's such a muscle beast, it's more like sending it to gym for toning and definition.)

Any thoughts are appreciated, vac guys/gals!

dan

 

[bobbyderegis]

Dan, the local Kirby distributor does a great job of refurbishing, so did the one in Syracuse, NY. Give them a whack. Is there a name in the owner's manual? There is now!
I had a Classic Omega but I found it to be a bear to push. I went right back to my little 561!
Bobby in Boston

 

[moreleisuretime]

Bobby:

It's funny to think of the 500 series Kirbys (I count my Sanitronic in that group) as little, but in comparison to the Omega, they really are. I bought the Omega more for the styling - the back wheels, the flared top, the oval emptor - not because I preferred it over the other models.

Off the bat, I'm not crazy about the hard plastic upper handle. I don't think it feels as nice as the older grips.

I'll probably keep one downstairs, one upstairs, giving them both quality time (!) when I vacuum.

d.

 

[hoover1060]

to make an easier push...

Install the Heritage style 4-row brush roller, that will make a world of difference in how that Omega handles, and it will really clean too!

 

[moreleisuretime]

piecing it all together

I feel like I am taking Kirby 101 here. I really appreciate your help, Jeff/Bobby.

When I finally get the Omega in tiptop shape, I'll post a pic.

I was curious, Jeff - and I hesitate to even bring this one up for fear it's a circular debate - is there a difference in terms of suction, cleaning ability between the Hoover convertible design and the Kirby design (older models, of course.)

d.

 

[hoover1060]

a couple of thots

When you install that 4 brush roller, be sure to turn the adjusting screws all the way down, lowering the brush. Use the knurled belts, and you will not believe how that klunky kirby will glide across the carpets. Just be sure to set the height adjuster according to the instruction manual's directions!

Re: Kirby -vs- Hoover Convertible: In terms of cleaning performance, the Convertible was better on carpets, even with the bottom filling type C bag, it would sweep circles around Kirby.
There are many factors which determine performance: brush design, bristle material, motor speed, airflow, bag, fan, height adjustment, ect....
For some of its life, the Hoover Convertible was considered the industry standard, and there was nothing out there that could beat it.

 

[petek]

IMHO the Hoover Concepts/Powermax's are probably the best with the adjustable pile height rather than the auto pile height on the convertibles. Kirby's are definetly contenders as are those awful Sears and Singer Twin fans I have.

 

[moreleisuretime]

more thoughts

When I told my partner that I was buying a Kirby Omega (which would be my second functional Kirby), his comment was, "Why???" So you know where he stands in the world of collecting appliances. (Clothes are a different matter - he must have at least 75 shirts, poss. 100.)

With that as the backdrop, if anyone tells him I posted the following, I'll deny it!

I think my Kenmore Whispertone, which is my vacuum of current vintage, does circles around the Kirby. When I put the hose attachment on the Kirby, the amount of suction is much weaker than the Kenmore. And you can tell a difference in the nap on the carpet after one swipe with the Kenmore. Not so with the Kirby.

Mind you, the amount of dirt in the Kirby bag always amazes me. So it's definitely doing something. And not doing the canister dance (getting tangled in the hose, pulling the canister, flipping it over, banging into furniture) is a bonus. And I'm always willing to sacrafice functionality in the name of vintage. So the Kirbys stay and get used. But I do wonder about their performance.

d.

 

[hoover1060]

still more thots:

Pete, you're right the Concept/Powermax with the original metal Quadreflex agitator will outsweep a Convertible, but not my much.
The downer in the Concept/Powermax is that they are side suction, and the Convertible was center suction. Where the suction is makes a large difference.

To D: I'd say you could keep buying vacuums as long as the partner buys shirts, however the shirts will take up much less space. I suppose if you want you could get rid of both the partner and the shirts and then you'll have LOTS of room for vacuums

Older Kirbys were never really stellar performers, the old two-brush roller was pathetic, and most people didn't ever follow the instructions for the height adjuster.
From my experience, the 4-row brush with the adjusting screws turned all the way down(so the max amount of bristle comes thru the bottom plate) significantly improves performance. It also won't hug the carpet so much so theres' more airflow.
People never seem to understand that setting a height adjuster on "low" won't make it clean better, rather it just cuts off the airflow and puts more strain on the belt.

 

[moreleisuretime]

who's counting!

I am. On my list of things to do today is to count just how many shirts Mr. Shirts has in his possession. Knowledge is power, right?!

And in the spirit of fairness, I'll take a vacuum count:

3 Kirbys (two work, one is nearly DOA)
2 Kenmore whispertones
1 vintage Electrolux
1 Shark (junk) mini-canister vac
...and the shop-vac doesn't count.

 

[hoover1060]

Very good Dan, keep us posted!

 

[bobbyderegis]

Hi Dan, be careful of your Omega handle! I find that they tend to be brittle and can snap off. That was an ongoing saga in the repair shop. Jeff, I still think an old Eureka can outclean a Hoover convertible. We should have a contest. The Concept One, the absolute winner.
Bobby in Boston

 

[moreleisuretime]

99 and counting

that is the current figure, which accounts for one closet downstairs, two upstairs. I still have the basement to go.

and while I was at it, I counted 32 sweaters!

d.

 

[petek]

99 so far.. lol
I also live with a clothes nut. All I have can fit in a regular small bedroom closet and a few drawers, but mostly it's always on the floor LOL..
The other one, well he has a wall to wall closet behind two double sets of sliding mirrored doors, a full dresser, and our little laundry room has tens of hangers of his shirts hanging from the ceiling. I wear pretty much the same old sneakers day in and day out till they wear out, have one pair of expensive dress shoes I never wear (in black so they fit anything) and that's it, maybe a pair of sandals somewhere. I can buy 5 vintage vacs for the price of one shirt or pair of shoes.

 

[hoover1060]

99???

I'll be the first to admit I can be a clothes horse too, but I don't think I have ever owned 100 shirts at one time....

I try to keep things cleaned out too, and if I don't wear it for a year, it goes.

Just keep me out of the mall, I just recently paid off my Express bill!!

 

[moreleisuretime]

The Envelope, Please.

Basement count: 37. Let's see. 99+37 = 136. That's ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-SIX shirts. And every one was on a hanger. (So it did not count colored T-shirts, tanks, etc.)

I find it staggering.

I'm with you, Petek. My shirts/pants/suits all fit in two small closets - one for business dress, one for casual. I have four drawers. (He has two small/one large closet, nine drawers, an armoire, PLUS the same laundry room/basement ceiling action - a veritable closet in its own right.)

- - -
Maybe the next time I'm home by myself, I'll kill a little time by counting his pants. My off-the-cuff (!) estimate, 40.

d.