partscounterman
Member
When Martha and Mark moved over here, there was a cheap Eureka Boss in the apartment that they rented. When that died, the landlady told her "I don't provide vacuums-that must have been left by the last tenant."
So Martha has been talking to me (of course) about what vac to get. She is going to be moving upstairs to a larger unit soon and wants a better machine. She likes using my Kirby G3. She had a Kirby Legend back in Saint Paul and likes the Kirby quality and the G3 power drive (the Legend was a b*tch to push). Since then she has been exposed to the newer cheap plastic uprights, she found she likes having a hose attached to the back. Martha may be a Virgo, but she hates cleaning, so she likes these little shortcuts.
Yesterday I went out to see what is available for her. My first stop is an independant shop here called Discount Sewing and vacuum. I'm not so sure what they mean by discount as the prices I saw made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It is a very cool shop in that they have a huge variety of new and reconditioned vacs from every manufactor. I saw a reconditioned model R EElectrolux for $184. They had a Concept One priced at $339 (I swooned) just to give you an idea... As I looked I could see that the vacuum I want and what Martha wants is gonna be two different things. The plastic vacuums all seem so cheesy. Every upright there that had the hose built on the back seemed so flimsy I couldn't stand it. Even that new Royal Powercast seemed rather poor. There were a few bright spots. They had a machine called the Harmony (I think). It looked like an old Hoover or Silver King Upright, all metal, brand new for $399. No hose on the back of that one though. There also was a nice looking Koblenz all-metal upright-again a trditional direct air machine with no hose. They also had the traditional Royal direct air machines, as well as rebuilt Kirbys and Eurekas. So by the time I had looked around a while, the salesmen started pestering me and when I told them I was shopping for a friend, they quit giving me any real answers to my questions.
So I crossed Ho'ohana St. to visit the Kirby Dealer, just to see. Thier least expensive machine was a Kirby Classic for $199. No way in hell is Martha gonna push one of those beasts around, so you have to skip up to the rebuilt G3 for $799. And of course with Kirby you get a shampooer, which you must purchase separatly with any other machine. I also found out that a new Kirby is retailing for @ $1700, depending on how quickly you cave in to the salesman. The sales of new Kirby can only be conducted in the home. The nice thing about a brand new machine is that you would get the rebuild and fire warranties. A rebuilt machine would be alright too, I'm sure. (after all, I drive a rebuilt Kirby!)
After all that I stopped at Sears. I really don't want Martha to buy a machine from Sears for several reasons, but just wanted to look. The best looking plastic machines I saw were the Kenmore Progressive Uprights-they seemed sturdier than the rest. I did not bother looking at Dyson. They are too expensive for what you get and I think the tool set-up on them is funky with its attached wand.
I still think Martha should have a powerful direct air upright and a small canister as a companion, but I fear she has been spoiled by the convience the cheap vacs offer. I have even considered giving her my G3, if I could just get my hands on a decent small older Kirby with the cloth bad and sani-emptor. Otherwise I only have my Compact with no powernozzle.
Maybe we should check flEabay
So Martha has been talking to me (of course) about what vac to get. She is going to be moving upstairs to a larger unit soon and wants a better machine. She likes using my Kirby G3. She had a Kirby Legend back in Saint Paul and likes the Kirby quality and the G3 power drive (the Legend was a b*tch to push). Since then she has been exposed to the newer cheap plastic uprights, she found she likes having a hose attached to the back. Martha may be a Virgo, but she hates cleaning, so she likes these little shortcuts.
Yesterday I went out to see what is available for her. My first stop is an independant shop here called Discount Sewing and vacuum. I'm not so sure what they mean by discount as the prices I saw made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. It is a very cool shop in that they have a huge variety of new and reconditioned vacs from every manufactor. I saw a reconditioned model R EElectrolux for $184. They had a Concept One priced at $339 (I swooned) just to give you an idea... As I looked I could see that the vacuum I want and what Martha wants is gonna be two different things. The plastic vacuums all seem so cheesy. Every upright there that had the hose built on the back seemed so flimsy I couldn't stand it. Even that new Royal Powercast seemed rather poor. There were a few bright spots. They had a machine called the Harmony (I think). It looked like an old Hoover or Silver King Upright, all metal, brand new for $399. No hose on the back of that one though. There also was a nice looking Koblenz all-metal upright-again a trditional direct air machine with no hose. They also had the traditional Royal direct air machines, as well as rebuilt Kirbys and Eurekas. So by the time I had looked around a while, the salesmen started pestering me and when I told them I was shopping for a friend, they quit giving me any real answers to my questions.
So I crossed Ho'ohana St. to visit the Kirby Dealer, just to see. Thier least expensive machine was a Kirby Classic for $199. No way in hell is Martha gonna push one of those beasts around, so you have to skip up to the rebuilt G3 for $799. And of course with Kirby you get a shampooer, which you must purchase separatly with any other machine. I also found out that a new Kirby is retailing for @ $1700, depending on how quickly you cave in to the salesman. The sales of new Kirby can only be conducted in the home. The nice thing about a brand new machine is that you would get the rebuild and fire warranties. A rebuilt machine would be alright too, I'm sure. (after all, I drive a rebuilt Kirby!)
After all that I stopped at Sears. I really don't want Martha to buy a machine from Sears for several reasons, but just wanted to look. The best looking plastic machines I saw were the Kenmore Progressive Uprights-they seemed sturdier than the rest. I did not bother looking at Dyson. They are too expensive for what you get and I think the tool set-up on them is funky with its attached wand.
I still think Martha should have a powerful direct air upright and a small canister as a companion, but I fear she has been spoiled by the convience the cheap vacs offer. I have even considered giving her my G3, if I could just get my hands on a decent small older Kirby with the cloth bad and sani-emptor. Otherwise I only have my Compact with no powernozzle.
Maybe we should check flEabay
