Vacuum Cleaner Recommendations

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

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Who remembers those Kirby vacuums.?

Think they were imported from the US with all the high profile sales pitch to go with them and an attachment seemingly for every application.

I seem to remember that in the 1980's they were over £1000. "But no problem sir / madam we have our own finance company to assist you."

In some circles there was considerable false snobbery and bragging rights for those that owned one. – I have no idea if they were actually any good or not though.?

Nick

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

Posted by Nick_G on 10/02/2016 11:37:22:

.

Who remembers those Kirby vacuums.?

Think they were imported from the US with all the high profile sales pitch to go with them and an attachment seemingly for every application. ( of course at extra cost )

I seem to remember that in the 1980's they were over £1000. "But no problem sir / madam we have our own finance company to assist you."

In some circles there was considerable false snobbery and bragging rights for those that owned one. – I have no idea if they were actually any good or not though.?

Nick

[Steven VineParticipant @stevenvine79904]

Posted by Nick_G on 10/02/2016 11:37:22:

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Who remembers those Kirby vacuums.?

 

The guy I first worked for had a Kirby demo one evening and I stayed around for it. I think it was the late 70's.

It sure looked good with its polished curved aluminium and red paint (we had some similar looking American made Rigid pipe cutters) The clincher came when the demo guy put a filter over the nozzle and then hoovered their mattress! We were all convinced the mattress was a death trap.

My boss 'bought it' and paid just over £700; a kings ransom in those days.

Steve

Edited By Steven Vine on 10/02/2016 11:45:16

[AndyPParticipant @andyp13730]

We bought a Kirby over 30 years ago because a standard upright was lasting about a year. The sales pitch was an absolute hoot – I loved the reaction when I kept calling it a Hoover ! It gets used every day, will still suck your socks off and the only attention it has had has been bags and belts so I am content.

A Henry in the workshop though.

Andy

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

Posted by AndyP on 10/02/2016 13:58:04:

We bought a Kirby over 30 years ago because a standard upright was lasting about a year. ……………………………………….

the only attention it has had has been bags and belts so I am content.

Andy

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So it's been a good buy and worked out considerably cheaper then in the long term.

Plus over all those years you have had the benefit of extra performance.

Nick

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

I cannot tell a lie I did a spell as a 'Kirby agent' back all those years ago when I was young & daft (Old & daft these days …   ) & I can well remember spending a good 3 hrs demo'ing the cleaner, including the mattress test only to be told …whoar! to expensive for me!!, needless to say I didn't reign long, on commission, & had to sell to earn anything… & meet targets for the week… not a cat in hells chance, I could see at many homes I was flogging a dead horse after 10 min' but had to go through the whole rigmarole. That was a period in my life that was well & truly wasted, saying all that it was a powerful cleaner & would suck the wallpaper off no probs… but the design was US 50's & too much 'Hooverish' & as said, the price, hence nobody liked the look of or bought it. Ahhh,what one has had to do to earn some extra cash… .

I use a 20 year old Vax wet & dry at the moment, still sucks up dust, cuttings, brass chips, filings no bother so until….

George.

Edited By mechman48 on 10/02/2016 14:52:44

[JAParticipant @ja]

What a useful thread.

I have put a Henry on my wants list. It should beat a dust pan and brush.

Thanks.

JA

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Nick_G on 10/02/2016 11:40:28:

Posted by Nick_G on 10/02/2016 11:37:22:

.

Who remembers those Kirby vacuums.?

Think they were imported from the US with all the high profile sales pitch to go with them and an attachment seemingly for every application. ( of course at extra cost )

I seem to remember that in the 1980's they were over £1000. "But no problem sir / madam we have our own finance company to assist you."

In some circles there was considerable false snobbery and bragging rights for those that owned one. – I have no idea if they were actually any good or not though.?

Nick

My Dad still tells the tale of how my mum made the Kirby salesman empty his bag of demonstration dirt back over the floor – then sucked it all up with her 20-year old Hoover.

Neil

[David CambridgeParticipant @davidcambridge45658]

Thanks everyone – a wealth of useful suggestions. The Henry looks good, as do the other suggestions – but for me the winner was the Screwfix Titan. At only £35 , and with a Screwfix only 10 minutes from my house it seemed like the obvious choice. Anyway, I bought one on the way back home from work, and so far it looks pretty good. I now have the cleanest lathe in all of Christendom!

David

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

Posted by David Cambridge on 10/02/2016 22:31:54:

I now have the cleanest lathe in all of Christendom!

David

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Nahhhhh. No way.!

That award must go to the man that threw all his toys out of his pram and went off to MEM seeking love and group hugs.

Nick

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Posted by Nick_G on 10/02/2016 22:42:25:

Posted by David Cambridge on 10/02/2016 22:31:54:

I now have the cleanest lathe in all of Christendom!

David

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Nahhhhh. No way.!

That award must go to the man that threw all his toys out of his pram and went off to MEM seeking love and group hugs.

Nick

Aaah, I remember him well, some asked the question did he have two machines, one for pics (cleaner than a operating theatre ) & one which he actually did the work on, mind you got to admit he did some nice work, could never figure out why he spat his dummy out, did someone offer constructive criticism /comments ?

George.

[Nick_GParticipant @nick_g]

Posted by mechman48 on 11/02/2016 11:36:09:

mind you got to admit he did some nice work,

George.

.

He certainly did.

I wonder though if he had another smaller vacuum to keep his workshop vacuum clean.?

Nick

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Let's not go there…

Neil

[steamdaveParticipant @steamdave]

I see Lidl's have got a wet/dry vac on offer this week. At EU39.95 it is cheaper than when I got mine several years ago.

Dave
The Emerald Isle

[Anthony KendallParticipant @anthonykendall53479]

This is what I use for Serious Suckin as Steve Wright might say on Fridays at 4.15. It was not the cheapest and bought before the EU started to dictate the max power of vacs, but certainly clears up the crap.

The adaptor on the top is used to remove the ash from the grate of my loco after running. I'm never going to take a grate out again – except to replace it of course.

[MWParticipant @mw27036]

Henry!! he gobbles it all up!! Mr, pah! make that Dr. Swarf Eater!

Michael W

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