Yesterday's finds

[mrcleanjeans]

converting the Convertible

How many of you gentlemen or gentlewomen have taken an old-style Convertible and used a twist-tie or such to hold the speed selector switch in the high position?Seems to me that the double-brush agitators would fare even better,since the motor would not be laboring so hard.I don't get it though,how the old dept.store versions of the Hoovers,called the Norca,back in the thirties,drove a double brush with about a two amp.motor?Perhaps the bristles were softer or the spiral formation helped with resistance issues,or maybe because the carpets were not plushy then? I'm quite curious.

 

[hoover1060]

It was Panasonic who bought the DAM patents when Hoover dropped the cleaner in 1979. Back then there were really only two "clean air" vacuums on the market, the DAM and the Kenmore Duo Power. Hoover dropped the DAM in favor of the open fan design for its uprights, as the open fan design cleaned better.
They also said they'd never make another clean air upright.
They ate their words in 1997 when the Windtunnel was brought out. By then all their major competition(Dirt Devil, Eureka, Regina, Kenmore) had clean air uprights in their lines, and here was Hoover saying their BOL Elite cleaned better. People were breaking Elite fans like crazy, and buying other cleaners.
Hence the Windtunnel.

MrClean: I've done the speed thing with Convertibles, it improves suction, but also makes the cleaner hug the carpet too much, and its very hard on the motor. I once had a Decade 80 that I replaced the powersurge switch with a regular one, using the cleaner in HI all the time. The motor started to deteriorate right away, and eventually threw bars off the commutator.
Today I would never abuse a Convertible in such a way. I leave it on low speed for carpets, the way God intended it to be!

 

[petek]

Jeff, you say they sold the patent to Panasonic in 79 but Panasonic was already manufacturing the Duo Power for Sears Kenmore in 74 or 75 ?

 

[hoover1060]

Nope...

The Duo Power models Sears sold were made by Whirlpool, not Panasonic.
The main difference was Hoover had the flexible hose from nozzle to bag, the Kenmores were rigid ductwork, and there was no suction dial....

 

[petek]

But Jeff. my Duo Power says it was made by Matsushita (Panasonic) ?

 

[hoover1060]

Pete, yours is Canadian....

The US models were made by Whirlpool....