Daves weird hobby......

[Muncie]

So every now and then I find my self buying and restoring kirby vacuum cleaners.... I just find them cool mechanicly they are a throw back to when things lasted and haven't changed fuck all in 60 years.

I found this particular one at cash converters and bargained them down because I knew it had been there a while.

If you have no idea what these things are think Morrison reel mower but for your carpet they have a spinning brush that basically combs your carpet up all poofy like an 80's women's hair.

Just like a Hillman hunter rather than a Rolls Royce they just seem to survive.

Tonight I ripped it to bits and polished the housings up to get it looking loved again.

Will fit new drive belts tomorrow and fit the cleaned up bag and see how it goes. 

 

[Muncie]

Sat together after a thorough autosol polish. Next to my current one I've been using for 9 or so years.

[igor]

My ex wife worked for Kirby for a time in the early '90s. Unsure whether she actually managed to sell any. 

[Muncie]

These things new start at over $2k I buy them fix them up with new parts if needed and move them on at a fraction of that and someone gets an awesome gadget and i get a few hours in the garage win win.

Somewhat rewarding. And no I don't have a spare room full of them yet though ive probably fixed up and moved on ten of them now.

[Muncie]

2 minutes ago, igor said:

My ex wife worked for Kirby for a time in the early '90s. Unsure whether she actually managed to sell any. 

Haha the only way to stop a kirby rep is tell them you already have one.

[igor]

Yeah. They used to hunt in packs.

[Muncie]

Bit of test this morning clean the yuck from the work car. Yup does that also used the hose attachment and "turbo! Head" to unravel all my daughter's hair out of the back seat as its the ginga moulting season.

Before:

[Muncie]

After.

Sucked up all the gravel no sweat.

[keltik]

I'm sure we had one of these back in the 90s.  Does all the vacuumed up crap go through the fan then into the bag?

Our family one sounded like an orchestra of children playing the recorder being fed into a wood chipper.

It got replaced by a nice quiet Dyson that sounds like a F-86 at takeoff thrust

[Muncie]

@keltikYup it's a mulching vacuum. Really good for detailing cars because you can chop and change attachments and suck up dry fries out from under your seats. You can even get a paint sprayer for it.

 

[BlownCorona]

On 10/03/2023 at 20:44, Muncie said:

@keltikYup it's a mulching vacuum. Really good for detailing cars because you can chop and change attachments and suck up dry fries out from under your seats. You can even get a paint sprayer for it.

 

my grandad said he once painted a car with a vacuum cleaner lol

[BlownCorona]

On 10/03/2023 at 20:44, Muncie said:

@keltikYup it's a mulching vacuum. Really good for detailing cars because you can chop and change attachments and suck up dry fries out from under your seats. You can even get a paint sprayer for it.

 

my grandad said he once painted a car with a vacuum cleaner lol

also there was a vintage hoover at the chch eco shop if anyone wants to be a sick as muncie. no idea if they are any good but it looked cool

[locost_bryan]

46 minutes ago, BlownCorona said:

my grandad said he once painted a car with a vacuum cleaner lol

Electrolux had a spray painter attachment

 

[Muncie]

I kinda got sucked into (pun not intended) buying extra vacuums to get all the attachments for the one I already had.

My old man used the spray attachment to hose used engine oil on the fence like stain and weed killer all in one.

His neighbours thought he was nuts out on the lawn vacuuming the fence...... 

[igor]

It is possible that my parents still have one of those Electrolux paint sprayers somewhere. No idea where it came from and I have no memory of it ever being used. 

[anglia4]

Dad painted a Ford Escort for my mum with one of those way back in the day.

Looks mint in the grainy early 80's photos 

[nvmyvl]

I got a Kirby in the garage.. just need a new drive belt for it.  Got a few attachments as well.  Must dig it out

[datlow]

Got the hair cut attachment? 

[Muncie]

Will keep an eye out for a flowbee.

 

 

[nvmyvl]

What year is yours @Muncie?? Mines a 1999 Gsix.. found a couple of drive belts last night in the box of bits that were with the Kirby.. got it working for the first time in 15 years or so. I've got a plastic caddy with a heap of attachments, a flexi hose and the wet carpet cleaning head. Thought there was more attachments, but they must of been thrown out over the last couple of house moves.

I really need to give it a Autosol like you did.. mines looking like it's been sitting outside under a tree for 10 years.