Vintage Electrolux 1205 Vacuum W/Power Head - $95 (Chattanooga)

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scoots

scoots

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An interesting item local to me. I know nothing about older vacuums. Does anybody have any comments on the price, performance, and availabilty of bags for this model?

I was given one of those bagless, all plastic vacuums. Aside from being disenchanted with the dust and filth when I empty it, I find it taxing to push and I'm tired of hearing the plastic parts squeek and squeel.

You all know what I'm driving at... :)


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i LOVE vintage vacuum cleaners......

but i am no expert about any vacuum cleaners myself. although, i do have a:
hoover 728 upright convertible (from around 1971)
eureka 1266 canister with powerhead nozzle (from around 1973)
hoover 70 upright convertible (with a 728 paisley design bag)
hoover 65 upright convertible
and an original shop vac (metal drum with a groovy painted & color design)

if there were any advice i could give you on this vacuum cleaner:
i would say, go check it out. make sure the motor sounds good, the vacuum cleaner has good suction, the hose isn't cracked, split, broken, or coming apart on both ends. and check the electrical power cords that connect from the powerhead to make sure they are in good condition.

as for the availability of the bags, that i couldn't answer for you though. i'm pretty sure if you call your local sewing & vacuum shop and ask them if they carry the bags, that would answer your question there.

and as for the price, i would say, if everything seems to be working good on this vacuum cleaner, the price is a little bit high but compared to what you would pay for the plastic crap vacuum cleaners that are at the stores now, the price isn't too bad. especially if everything checks out with this vacuum cleaner and everything is working good.
it looks like it comes with a dusting brush, a crevice tool (not sure if that is original or not?), and a bare/hard floor brush attachment too, along with the powerhead.

if you want some comparison on what i paid for my eureka canister with powerhead, i bought the vacuum cleaner, i want to say for like $60-$65 (that's with the shipping) and i had to replace the vacuum cleaner hose which i think was $35, the little hose for the powerhead $10, i had to have the power cord replaced cuz the cord rewinder gave out on mine and that was i think like $45. and i also bought a set of attachments for it which costed me like $35 for the set. so altogether, in the end, i paid for my eureka canister vacuum cleaner, in good working condition with attachments, about $190. oh yeah, i forgot i had to replace the belt on the powerhead and i bought a spare as well. and i bought extra bags & a foam filter.
so after all that, in the end, i paid over $200 for a working eureka canister vacuum cleaner with powerhead, in very good working condition.

JEEZ!!! i never realized how much money i spent for this eureka canister vacuum cleaner. but i do have to say, it's sentimental value means more to me than that!
i'm happy with my lil' orange eureka canister vacuum cleaner with powerhead & attachments.
here is my eureka canister vacuum cleaner :o)

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Old Lux's are great vacuums and this one looks to be in good shape. Genuine Lux bags are still readily available from any dealer. If the machine is in good running order, and the power nozzle works then I think $95 is a great price. Because the rubber inside these cloth woven hoses deteriorates over time, there may be a lot of leakage in the hose and thus you will think the machine doesn't have much suction. However if you remove the hose and put your hand over the hose inlet, you should feel a lot of suction. A replacement vinyl hose is readily available which will make all the difference in the world in the suction power.

Gary
 
Here Goes....

An Electrolux 1205 in good repair is a very, very fine vacuum. However, there are caveats:

1) These vacs are now over forty years old; unless they've had very light use, they usually need some work. The machine you're considering looks like it might possibly fall into the light use category. It has almost certainly had some care. You should test-vacuum with it before buying it, to be sure the Automatic Control is working right. If the machine keeps cutting off and the bag door keeps popping open as you vacuum, it's an Automatic Control problem. Usually a malfunctioning Automatic Control can be fixed, but I have also seen them defy every attempt at repair.

2) Motor bearings and brushes are two things that usually need work. The parts are readily available, and they're fairly easy to replace if you're handy. Any growling sounds coming from the motor are a sign that you need to attend to these; you'll hear them when you shut the vac off and the motor spins down to a stop.

3) These vacs have two weak spots in their design. 1) The plastic "sled" on the bottom of the machine, near the front, can crack with age. It is an absolute bastard to replace; you have to drill out chrome rivets and then rivet in a replacement. I would pass up a 1205 with this problem. 2) There is a "quick-connect" terminal block inside the machine, where the cordwinder is connected to the body; this was intended to allow quick servicing of the cordwinder. Unfortunately, the plastic of the block would fatigue from heat build-up and the block would give problems. The problem was so widespread that there was a field service procedure to replace the block with new components that eliminated the heat fatiguing problem.

4) That hose is original. It is beautiful. It is a lucky find. It almost certainly leaks. These hoses had a rubber carcass with a woven-vinyl exterior; the rubber ages and cracks. Figure $50 for an aftermarket all-vinyl hose on eBay, $100 or more for genuine Aerus. If you're lucky and the original hose does not leak now because of light use, it will after you've used it a while, due to the age of the rubber. If you are determined to use it, there is a repair procedure described over at Vacuumland, involving pouring liquid latex into the hose to seal the cracks. I personally would prefer to keep an original hose as a display and use a replacement hose for actual vacuuming.

5) It looks like the wands might be missing from that machine. I see that the turquoise sheath for the power nozzle wand is present, but that it is not on the power nozzle wand as it should be. That might point to a sheath problem. Turquoise sheaths are only available as used or - if you're really lucky - NOS parts. Replacement sheaths are the current Oyster Grey. This machine does not use the same wands for the power nozzle and the tools, as more modern, more cheaply built units do - it has the dedicated PN wand, and it has two wands for the tools.

6) That power nozzle is a PN-1, the first power nozzle design Electrolux used. PN-1 parts are still available, but they are specific to the PN-1; nothing is interchangeable with later Lux PNs. The PN-1 had one significant drawback that was corrected with the PN-2 design; the PN-1 will not stand up by itself like modern power nozzles do. If you're interested in correcting that problem, a PN-2 is correct with a 1205; Electrolux introduced the new PN partway through the 1205's production run.

7) If the dusting brush's bristles are worn out, or falling out when you try to use it, don't discard the whole brush. You can replace the bristles only; they're called a "dusting brush insert." Anyplace that carries Electrolux parts has them or can get one for you. They're common on eBay, too. That turquoise dusting brush is a desirable collectible in its own right.

8) The 1205 is a terrific machine when it's working right. It is a masterpiece of elegant, simple engineering; it's basically a can, a fan, a switch and a motor. It will run rings around a lot of newer, more expensive vacs.

9) Bags are readily available and not expensive. Some folks swear by genuine Aerus bags, I personally don't care and have never had a problem traceable to quality aftermarket bags.

Hope something in here helps!
 
Clarification:

"Aerus" refers to the new company that was formed when Electrolux snatched its trademark back from the American vacuum company some years ago. Today's Electrolux vacuums have nothing to do with the former American Electrolux. And Aerus has nothing to do with Electrolux now.

So, if you're looking for parts or service, Aerus is the company's name today.
 
I have one of these and am considering offering it for sale on CL for $100.  The original hose is long gone, but I would offer a newer hose with the vacuum.  I have all of the accessories with mine, including the PN-2 power nozzle.  Mine is strong and sounds good but has two negatives:  first, the cord retractor is fussy but will work, especially after the vacuum has been used for a short time and the cord warms up; second there is a problem with the Automatic Control.  If I pull or tug on the vacuum using the hose, the front will pop open.  I've not looked into a repair as this vacuum is not a daily driver, but I always hoped that whatever was the problem could be corrected.  The bags are still available - both in a service facility and online.  They are the same bags that are used in my 'Super J', both of my 'Diamond Jubilees', my 'Lux Classic' and my 'LE'.

 

These are great vacuums!

 

lawrence
 
Thanks for the input on this purchase

As I mentioned in the original post, this would be my first vintage vacuum purchase, so I appreciate all of your answers, especially Sandy's detailed input on the good/bad/ugly of the situation.

 

I'll make arrangements to look at this unit over the weekend and with Sandy's notes in hand make a decision and let you all know if I purchased it.
 
Scoots:

That turquoise plastic tube is the "sheath" I mentioned. It is supposed to slip over the wand of the power nozzle, sort of like an outer casing for the wand.

When you try to put it back on the wand, proceed with care - it is SO no-longer-available, I cannot tell you. You can, as I mentioned, get an Oyster Grey replacement, but it's never as nice as having an original.

Hopefully it is not cracked or otherwise damaged, and you'll have a beautiful PN wand again.

P.S.: The PN wand is supposed to be one-piece. If it is two-piece, then the owner has been using the tool wands on the PN for some reason. Don't try to put the sheath on the tool wands, if that is the case. It won't work, and chances of screwing up the sheath are pretty high.

Best of luck, and let us know how this turns out!
 
well, I was trying to read a chart, with each model and thought I would botch that - anyways, thanks Sandy, I wouldn't mind having another one, after looking at that link you provided.
 
Forgot to Answer:

Scoots:

This was Electrolux's TOL machine of the time. You could buy it with the power nozzle or without.

Price with the PN was about $325 in the early '70s, equal to about $1800 today. Electrolux would finance a vacuum and also accepted trade-ins, which lowered the price somewhat.
 
I'd like to find an Electrolux like that. Here in Canada, we didn't get these at the time. I do have a 1205 Jubilee model that was apparently sold during a strike/lock out at the Montreal factory (or something like that) but I have never seen the blue model around. 
 
Tim:

Sounds like you have a Diamond Jubilee, which was an early '80s machine. I have one of those, too, and they will suck dry latex paint off the walls when they're in good repair.

They do have a tendency to go through motor bearings; Electrolux went to a higher-revving, more powerful motor, but it had sleeve bearings.

The way to keep a DJ in good repair is to use good quality bags and change them frequently. People who try to run bags as full as they can get them are the folks who have DJ motor problems, for the most part.
 
Yes, it definitely has a very powerful suction. Most of the time I forget to check the bag and only know it is full when it pops open. That reminds me, I only have 1 more bag left so I need to get more. I usually go right to Aerius to buy them as it is not far from me. About twice a year I get a call from them wanting me to bring it in for a free "tuneup" I politely decline every time.
 
If You're Using.....

Genuine Aerus bags, and changing when the Automatic Control triggers the bag door, then you shouldn't have any problem with bearings.

It's only folks who monkey with the Automatic Control to get more dirt into the bag who can have problems. What some people do is to leave the Automatic Control set all the way over to the coarse dirt setting. That will prevent the Automatic Control from triggering the bag door until the bag is jammed pretty full. It's not good for the machine; the coarse dirt setting is for specific vacuuming jobs, not for everything.
 

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