WE GOT A KIRBY!!!!!!!

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Congratulations!

WOOHOO! You'll have a blast with this one!

I want one of these in the worst way but my thrifty mom won't budge...yet...let us know how it works and maybe you'll convince her to not chase the Kirby salesman away! ;-)

A-1 Vacs is a great seller; I bought my Eureka 630D upright from him early last year and it was in excellent shape.

I had a 1980 Kirby Tradition for a few years; one of the "big loud monster" type, and indeed it was!! Picked up anything in its path, but maneuverability and emptying the bag was a real pain. Currently the only Kirby I have is a somewhat rare 1983 ComVac 1300 that carries the 1959 design (side-mounted switch; old-style nozzle) that's completely unlike the Tradition: Quiet, lightweight, and a breeze to push!

However the Ultimate G is what I want...I've seen a few of them and they're absolutely amazing!
 
bag it up

Congrats,one bit of advice that will G-R-E-A-T-L-Y increase the filtration and prolong the suction is to use the new allergy filter bags that look almost clothlike. They are Filtrete material, made by 3M for Kirby, and are FAR superior to the so-called HEPA paper bags that came with the G.These bags were introduced with the Diamond Edition of the Ultimate-G and can be used in ANY G-series machine. Noteworthy is the fact that if you have pets, that pet smell will be reduced to zilch, and, though the bags are double the price, you can fill them twice as high before the suction noticably drops. Enjoy!
 
I would second the recommendation of the "Filtrete" bags for the Kirby cleaner.The saleswoman in my area recommended them to me when I got my Diamond G machine.She gave me a pack of them and mentioned I was the first customer in the area to try them.Love-em-amazing-the bag material does absorb odors.The bag material is the same sort of material surgeons and nurses face masks are made from.Also used a 3-M vacuum cleaner(sold for the electronic,computer and copier service industry)whose dirt container is lined with the Filtrete material to trap copier-printer toner powder.I have found the bags last up to 3 times longer than the standard Kirby paper bags.also the bags fit my Heritage models.As it fills you need to put a rag or wad of paper under the bag to prevent its weight from pulling on the fill tube.The "G" bags are shorter than the Heritage ones.
 
I also thought Kirby marketed its commercial models under the name "Janitronic"Remember seeing the name in some Kirby material.also the Commercial models weren't designed to use attachments.Almost simialr to Royal Classic machines. Have been looking for some of the Kirby commercial machines for my collection.The Kirby dealers here never heard of them!Too-it would be a good machine to offer to customers as a second machine to help close a deal!The customer could use it as an "upstairs" vac.
 
Wow, I had no idea Kirby had a vac like this! That's really neat-

We've always been a Kirby family, currently using a Heritage III for the last few years. Keeps going...and going...and going : )

Cory
 
Suction drop

I've never noticed a suction drop in my G4 as the bag fills, since it's a "top filler" like Hoover Type A bags so the air stream doesn't have to push through old dirt in order to escape through the bag like Hoover Type C bags or other bottom-filling nachines.
 
Do you have to buy these bags at a Kirby dealer? I've not seen or heard of them before, though I've used this type of bag in Sears cleaners. I thought the Micro-Matic bags were really good, but you say these are even better. Mine say they're for a G cleaner, even though I have a Heritage Legend and they work fine.
 
So far-at present Kirby has only authorized the sale of their 3M-Filtrete bags only thru Kirby dealers.I talked to an independent vac shop here-he was saying they could authorize their sale thru non-Kirby dealers soon. Besides me he mentioned other people requested them. He sells the standard G microlined bags.If you have a Hoover cleaner that uses the "C" bags-try using an Eureka "F&G" bag in the outer cloth bag-you may need to fold the bottom of the F-G bag over-but converts the machine to Top Fill. I Tried it with a Hoover 31 and it works better than the "C" bags.The F-G one will also hold more dirt.
 
Kirby bags

The bag issue is the only other little annoyance that my Kirby has, in that I have to pay more for fewer bags than other vacuums and have to go to a vacuum cleaner shop or order them from Kirby. For that reason, I alternate with my Electrolux canister (for which the bags are available in EVERY store) so as ot to put the full burden of dirt collecting on the Kirby (and to equalize the wear). Also, the powerhead on the Electrolux (somebody jury- rigged a Eureka powerhead onto it, but it works) has a much lower profile and can go places the Kirby can't.
 
Rich:
Very Nice collection of vacuums you have there. Cadillac is still with us-they make blowers,External filter wet dry vacuums(uses their blower as the power source) and plastics sealing and joining equipment.I too like how you can configure the Kirby to do other jobs.In their sales trainin g manuals it can be configured to 10 different machines.-Upright vac,Canister vac,blower,sprayer,shampooer,carpet fluffer,floor buffer,Suction only upright(broom mode as Kirby calls it)carpet dryer,inflator,the list can go on-think I have more than 10-even a leaf blower!Love the pix of your machines.When I was little my folks bought a Kirby from a DTD salesman(he was doing the Kirby Van campaign-knocking doors)They bought a 501 I think it was.It lasted almost 25 years. It got lost in a flood-if it didn't would probably still be running!Loved using it.My mom tells me of my dad using its sprayer attachment to varnish basement wall paneling-and made a mess of the machine.she mentioned he took it right to the Kirby factory(they lived in Ohio at the time and the factory was close to them) and they completely rebuilt it and polished it to be like new.I have been looking for one of that type for a long time!have the Kirby dealers here and others helping!Would also like to have a Kirby 1CB1-the early ancestor of the 500 series.Truely a cool machine.
 
Hi Rich, That is really a nice collection of vacuums that you have. They all look to be in such good condition. Just wondering where you found the Filtex, such a neat machine. What kind of a vacuum do you use for your daily driver? Thanks for sharing. Terry
 
Thanks, guys. My mom bought a Kirby from a DTD salesman too....I watched the demo and begged her to buy it...I loved the fact you could dismantle it and rebuilt it into something different...sort of like a Transformer (remember those?) My mom had a Sanatronic model. The Filtex was given to me by a vac collecting friend...it is a cool machine with a leatherette finish. I take turns using the vacs. Our housekeeper uses a 2003 Kenmore Cannister with powerhead that works well and stands up to her abuse. I won't let her touch the other vacs around the house. I just put a newer motor in the Hoover 63 and have been using it quite a bit. It's great!
I used the sander on my Kirby to sand wood for a fence I built! It did a great job and sucked up the dust. The neighbors couldn't believe their eyes! Thanks again for the compliments.
 
Those are beautiful machines, Rich! That GE is such a 40's looking design - so futuristic. I have never heard of Filtex before, so many different designs and makes... Do you still have machines on your "dream vac" list?

I just found another Hoover 62 at a sale last weekend that although I didn't need, brought home anyway as it had all the original attachments, bags and even the storage box with the metal clasp. The cleaner itself is nearly mint - barely a scratch on it, just like the one I found a year ago and restored. I wonder why someone would make an investment like that in a cleaner and then not use it much? I've seen this fairly often at sales, maybe they had another brand they liked better. Our vacs were always rode hard and put away wet - so to speak ;-)
 
I have the Turbo Accessary(sander) with my Kirbys and you can also use it with other vacs as well.If you use it with a bagged canister though-its bag will clog from the sanding dust. It works really well on a Filter Queen.Its fun to try the sander on other machines. Same with the Zipp-Brush.Maybe I sholuld try the sander on the Dyson I have-would be interesting to see if its filter clogs from the dust.I also take turns with the vacs I have-allows you to remember their stengths and weaknesses.That Kirby sander is a true dustless sander-can work as a polisher too--I even used it to polish both of my Shopsmiths aluminum tables!worked great.
 
the Kirby Derby

Hi Tolivac,love the stuff youv'e collected.When you refer to your Kirby from childhood,I'm not sure which you mean. The 500 series started as you may and probably remember , with the 505 in 1945, then the 508 in 1948,509 in 1949,510 in 1950,511 in 1951, 512 in1952, ...thru the 519 in 1959, then 560 in 1960, etc. And,as for the 1CB1 as a predesessor to the 500 series , you might have meant the model C , sometimes called 1C of 1935-37 origin ,the first with the Kirby name on it, tho' some say it was the retail R. The 1CB was a Kirby Classic Omega from 1973-1976, which followed the 1970-73 Classic 1CR ,in 1976 came the 2CB, The Classic III,...you, being a Kirby aficianado may already know this, but others just getting "sucked-in" may enjoy some vacuum tidbits
 
You are right-I need to have my Kirby chart in front of me-its at home.The 510 would have been the one I wanted to refer to. The 1C
was the early model I wanted to refer to.One of the Kirby salesmen ran into an older customer that had a 1C and she didn't want to give it up.The salesman was thinking of me and trying to get it for me.He was offering her all kinds of discounts and special offers to try to get it for me.The one that got away.The salesmen said it was in excellent shape and had all of its attachments.He sold her a Diamond G machine.The prospect wanted to keep that older one as an "upstairs" vac.Sometimes the Kirby model alphabet soup gets confusing when you don't have the chart handy here at work.
 
That is the disadvantage of the "G" models-they are heavy to slepp up the stairs. The saleperson said she was an older customer as well.The Royal Powercast is EVEN heavier than the Kirby-and doesn't have the "Tech-Drive" self propulsion drive.
 
not a ROYAL pain

The older Royal uprights ,such as the 880 which was out for years and years,were wonderfully light and easy to carry and push,they had a 3 amp. motor in them but cleaned well IF you put a straight-row brush in them instead of the standard brush , they were also quiet and came in red also under the name ELECTRO-HYGEINE,loved them.Besides, amps mainly tell you how much electricity a machine is sucking, not its cleaning efficiency.
 
I own two powercasts-On another appliance chatroom-there is rumors that royal was going to discontinue them.The only METAL clean-air upright.The performance is supurb-but the WEIGHT!It will give you a workout-put this one on one of those weight loss diet plans.I also own MANY of the Classic and Everlast Royal machines-those are better and lighter than the Powercast.The fan-first Royals-like the Kirbys make better use of eletric power-can use a smaller motor than clean air machines.I also have a Royal 189 that has a 3A motor and it outcleans about any 12A clean air machine I have.And that is using it with the original "A" bag outer bag assembly. It performs even better when you use it with a "B" type bag assembly.Sometimes while running the Powercast it can even trip a 15A line breaker without anything elese one it!The Powercast is a two motor upright-one motor for suction and the other for the brushroll.It has a cogged belt and a metal brushroll with replaceable brush strips.Another unusual feature-the plug has a built in GFI circuit breaker in it.Would make the machine OSHA legal for commercial use.The dealer I bought mine from says he has had commercial customers buy them-Two of the restaurants in my area.Haven't seen them in use yet.
 

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