the MOST fabulous dustpan

[air-waycharlie]

Hoover Citation 64

Graceful, elegrant and unpretentious, the Hoover Citation 64. Easy on the eye from any angle. A work of art.

 

[air-waycharlie]

The Hoover 68

Lastly, the deluxe 68 in Aqua Blue and Pearl White, 1961 to 1962. Truly one of the rare Hoovers with it's one year production run. This model debuted the vinyl handle grip. Great shade of blue.

Featured in the Jerry Lewis film, "Who's Minding The Store", released in 1963 with a wonderful cast. If you like Hoovers and have not seen this film, buy it or rent it, but watch it!

 

[brettsomers]

what a perfect looking 61! does the bag on your 61 have a slight rib knit into the fabric? and very nice 150. was the 150 produced in low numbers? when did you acquire these Hoovers? Thanks, David

 

[air-waycharlie]

ribnit and 150 data

David,

Yes, the 61 has a ribnit type of bag. The pattern is verticle and goes about 2 inches of rib and 2 inches of smooth alway the around the bag. The part that says, "Hoover", vertically, is smooth.

Since the 150 was produced for 3 years, I'm not really sure I would call it rare. It is very desirable vacuum for collectors as it had a 2 speed motor, automatic height adjuster, bag full indicator, cushion grip handle and automatic bag tension adjuster. However, it was being made during the depression and was quite costly.

Jeff Parker or Tom Anderson can probably give you specific info on production numbers and other information I am forgetting. I've seen lots of them around over the years but now fewer and fewer. I'm fortunate that I have the complete vacuum with original box, tools, and hose. It took 3 150's to make this one as complete and nice as it is.

The 61 came from ebay, the 64 was a combination of two machines I purchased from VCCC members and the 68 was a gift from my wicked step-sister, Ida Corwin, AKA Fred Nelson. I can't remember the history of the 150 except that the main vacuuum may have come from Fred Stachnik.

 

[brettsomers]

full bag indicator?!?! on a shakeout bag vacuum? how? and ive always been curious about the wheels/heightadjuster on the 150. David

 

[air-waycharlie]

Full bag indicator

I'm going to count on my vacuum gurus to correct me if I am wrong on anything!

The "full bag indicator" was more of air flow indicator. On the 150, at the base, if you remove the bag from the bake-a-lite housing/hood, there is a small round hole on the right side just above the rectangular opening from the "tunnel" from the fan area.

Attached to this hole on the backside, is a tube that connects to a device that has a red dot on it. When the air flow is reduced as the bag fills, the red dot will begin to appear in an a visable opening at the base of the right side.

I'll post pictures after my camera battery charges up. When I was showing this to a group at Fred Nelson's home last month, they all went bersek! They didn't know what the indicator was for or the purpose of the "viewing hole" on the base. So, that, in the most simple of terms, is the story of the bag full indicator.

With the height adjustor, the two FRONT wheels are raised or lowered while the back wheels remain stationary--a much better way to adjust the height. The correct way to use this mechanism is as follows: start with the vacuum in the highest position by lifting the front wheels of the vacuum and depressing the height adjustor pedal on the left rear. Then, with the vacuum OFF, push the adjustor again with all wheels on the rug you intend to vacuum. Turn it on and start vacuuming.

If you adjust with the vacuum on, it will pull it too far down on to the rug reducing air flow and cleaning effectiveness. I have seen this demonstrated more than once at the VCCC cleaning competitions.

However, on today's modern carpet, I do adjust the height with the vacuum on as most carpet seems to be of a short knap low plush type.

Brilliant for it's day and very ahead of it's time just like the Air-Way Chief was also. It was one of Hoover's main competitors at the time.

 

[petek]

Charlie, yes you are absolutely, undeniably, existentially, positively, indoubliably and fashion conciously tres avant-garde. LOL

 

[air-waycharlie]

What?

Pete,

Please explain. I think that all means something good!

 

[petek]

avant-garde ? forward looking ie. ahead of your time

 

[air-waycharlie]

Whoops!

Looks like I was a little behind the times on that last post--thanks for the clarification.

 

[brettsomers]

LOL, it did read as vaguely derogatory.

 

[myhooverco]

Bravo Charlie!

My compliments to you Charlie as you did the 150 justice in explaining all of the features. It was truly ahead of its time and very costly...$79.50 plus $16.50 for the tools. This was a lot of money for 1936! This model also debuted the famous clip on moulded plug embossed with the name Hoover and it was the first model to employ "top" conversion for the cleaning tools so that the user did not have to take off the belt to do above the floor cleaning. Henry Dreyfuss was paid a whopping $150,000 to design the machine and you could buy the machine for $1.50 a week hence the model number "150". When you started working for Hoover in the late 1930's, you bought one of these whether you wanted one or not. They took it out of your paycheck! They made somewhere around 166,616 according to a 1959 source. That is not many considering it had a pretty good run. Compared to the model 61 which had a 4 year run at over 400,000 units, the model 150 is quite rare in my opinion. Yours looks great Charlie...I have to agree with your picks of your favorite Hoover models. They are really a work of art. Thanks for sharing the pictures!!!

--Tom

 

[air-waycharlie]

Thanks Tom

I consider you and Jeff the "Hoover Experts" so to pass the test with your kind words is very appreciated. I guess in hindsight, the 150 is rare. Maybe because I have seen so many of them, I forget about the true numbers that are out there.

And Tom, I have to add that the 63 and some of the 800 and 700 series were quite athestically pleasing to the eye as well. I also have a pristine DAM 1140--those colors, just beautiful choices for a household appliance.

It is hard to fathom how much Hoover has changed. I can't even really wrap my mind around it. To be at the pinnacle of design of vacuum cleaners, the apex....the acme....of the industry and now to what we have today. My, my.

Well, I'm glad we get to share here with pictures and ideas. Keep them coming folks!

 

[gansky1]

Wow, this thread has bloomed, I've learned so much and now think I should head to the paint store and find a room to paint Neptune Green! You guys have some beautiful cleaners, I have found a few Convertibles over the years at sales but have always passed them on to new, loving homes. I may have to grab one for myself and give them a try. I have two model 61's that I love, the style and cleaning are just amazing.

Fred, what are the prices on the new Hoover ULW models? What are your thoughts on performance with heavy-pile carpets? In a commercial application, I think they would be outstanding.

Charlie, that Citation 64 is just stunning - I love the colors!

 

[brettsomers]

i am almost sure Dreyfuss designed ALL the Hoovers Charlie showed us. Dreyfuss also designed other household items, such as the old rotary dial phones from the old days.

 

[hooverwheelaway]

Greg~

The ULWs "retail" for $379 and $279, however--at our store--we offer "trade-in" prices of $299 and $239.

It did a superb job on my mother's frieze and plush carpeting--really brought up the nap, and cleaned it quite well. The pictures speak for themselves.

~Fred

 

[hoover1060]

Neptune green

Greg I have the paint codes/numbers from the Benjamin Moore store, I also have some of the paint left too, in two shades of neptune green.
Stop passing on those Convertibles, especially the older ones such as the one you brought me. One of those old Convertibles is the vacuum equivalent of an A-806!

David: From what I have researched, Henry Dreyfuss designed Hoover up thru the models 65 & 31 Convertible.
His other accomplishments were the old black desk phone(such as featured on "I love Lucy" and the 20th Century Limited Locomotive.)

 

[gansky1]

Well, Not a Convertible...

But this was a fun vacuum find today...

It does work - even the light, I love the lighted emblem on the hood! It's filthy, of course, and the bag has been repaired in a couple of places but it could be beautiful.

 

[frontaloadotmy]

A real beauty

I bet it will shine like new before long.

 

[air-waycharlie]

Now that we have focused on uprights.......

I think tomorrow would be a wonderful day to keep this thread alive with some great canisters! We have seen so many uprights that we can't forget the canister sisters too.

I just got in from flying, (St. Thomas, wooohooo!), and am fried. So, tomorrow when the sun comes out, (Annie where are you?), I'll pull a few beauties from the shelves and share a few pics. Glad so many of you liked my pet Hoovers and they are like children to me, each with their own personalities.