Some Forgotten About Pictures

I was tooling through my 'Vacuums' picture folder on my external hard drive, and came across a few pictures that I thought looked nice, and a few oddities as well.

First, a blurry picture of the (later) 88. I like the perspective on this one.

The 89, with the PN III, cleaning the carpet. A very common sight during my younger days.

The Epic 8000 sits on the table. It isn't as elegant as the Renaissance C104A, but much more so than the C104H.

Yet another table picture, for the Guardian C154B.

This is the second of the vacuums I had when I was living in China, the Electrolux Ingenio. It was fairly powerful, had a variable speed motor, reusable cloth bag, and a telescopic wand. I regret not snagging this and bringing it back home.

The bronze Model G. Very elegant...in fact, the most elegant American Electrolux.

Another view of the bronze G:

The blue Model G, decked out with hose cord and power nozzle. I'm not sure if the original hose cord would have been in matching blue or not.

Black vacuums look better in the shade?

The first of the two vacuums I had when in China, the Electrolux 'Tabby'. This is the first, and to date only (thank heaven) machine that ever conked out on me. I was vacuuming with it one day, and it gave a dismal groan and blew up in a puff of smoke. Oh well. It did serve me well enough for a couple of years.

Time Traveling Adventures in Filtration

Here are three curiosities I had hidden away in a drawer of my vacuum collection room.

First off is an unused air filter for the Models 30, 55 1, 55 2, 55 3, 54, and 57. I really can't remember where this came from. It might have been thrown in when I got one of my 50 series machines, or it might have come from somewhere else. Either way, this is never going to be used, but saved for posterity.

Here is an unopened 80 series air filter, although, as can be seen, it looks black (!). I can only say that the package is unopened, and its going to stay that way. This must have been issued during the run of the ZB/Z 89 and 87, although the latter is missing from the model list, and note, too, that the American models E and LX use the same filter (and, presumably, the Automatic E/AE?)

Yet another 80 series replacement filter. This one, going by the graphics and the Consolidated Foods logo, was issued sometime during the AP series run (1973-82). It COULD be during the run of the AP 200/Super J, going by the gold graphics on the package, but who knows?

I'm not really sure about the efficiency of these filters versus modern ones, but I'm pretty sure they're not quite up to par. That being said, they do capture quite a bit of fine dirt and carbon brush dust. They also make the already near-silent 50 and 80 series vacuums even quieter!

As an addendum to 80 series filtration, I wonder if any Electrolux aficionados out there remember a filter that attached to the (outside) blower end of the machines? I definitely remember my grandparents having one for their 86s. It was white in color, and vaguely rectangular in shape. I have never seen one of these before or since, so I'm totally stumped as to its function. Was it the 'hospital filter', not shown, but mentioned, in the ZB/Z 89/87 manual, or was this supposed to be the same as the one on the American Hospital G? 

Another possibility is that this was some kind of scent filter, perhaps a precursor of the Clean Sweep Chips. I do remember a lot of 80 series Electroluxes having a distinct scent...I don't know if they sold some sort of product to suck up in the bag and emit a scent, as with the Clean Sweep Chips, or was it a scented oil on the interior filter, or this mystery filter I'm remembering, or what. I'd love to figure this one out.

Speaking of the 80 series, if I have no other vacuum-collecting ambition (and I really do, but never mind), its to have a complete set of all of the 80 series machines, in all their possible variations, with all possible changes/differences in hoses, hose handles, hose cords, wands, power nozzles, standard attachments, optional attachments, manuals, etc. I want the whole bloody kit and caboodle.

Semi-Vintage Vacuuming Week

A couple of spontaneous pics of the 88 1st version, currently in service as the upstairs (non-carpet) vacuum:

Its hard to believe this old boy is now 56 years old, and still going strong and looking great. Electrolux really didn't need to get much better than this (although the modern machines do have their strengths too).

Vintage Vacuuming Week

Recently, I had an urge to bust out a couple of older models to use, and settled on two of my all-time favourites: the 88 and 89. I also thought it'd be cool to break out the original attachments and hoses as well.

Incidentally, when I get out an older machine, I put it through its paces for real, honest-to-God cleaning. I've heard that some other collectors won't do this...i.e. they'll only run older machines to keep the bearings from drying out. To each their own, however. I like to use vintage machines as if they were the only vacuum I have, and the 80 series is definitely up to the challenge, decades after its introduction.

Everything seen here is all-original, down to the plugs. In fact, the only thing new is the bag (at present in the 88; I'm sharing the bag between the two, and that's why the 89's front cover is open). The hoses are actually in good shape, cosmetically and 'suctionally'. The 88 was made in 1963, the first year for the 2nd version of this model, and as such doesn't have a power nozzle connection. 

Close up. Note the difference in the plugs: there always seems to be a variety in the length of cord between the plug and the bulb stopper. The 89 plug is flush with the stopper, and the 88 has a short length of cord between the two. This seems to vary on models I've seen and used, so it seems that Electrolux Canada didn't have a standard for plugs. 

I've said it before in this blog, but the 80 series is amazingly quiet. My little niece grew afraid of the sound of vacuums after hearing a modern one switched on. I've often thought that my own lack of fear of vacuums is precisely because my first experience was with the whisper quiet 80 series, and indeed older vacuums in general. If the 88 and 89 were both running together, they wouldn't even come close to equaling the loudness of more modern machines. 

A Blaze of Christmas Cheer and a Great Childhood Memory

The ZB86, or Z86, or 86 2nd version has a special place in my 'vacuum heart', as its the first ever Electrolux I ever laid eyes on. I was a wee lad of 4 or 5, and every time I went to my grandparents' house, I would see the 86. Actually, they had two of them: one was the primary (upstairs) vacuum, and the other was used mainly downstairs, or in the shed by my grandfather as a shop-vac. I don't recall the year of manufacture of these models, but as my grandparents moved house in the year I was born (1972), and had owned both of these machines before that, they could have been made anywhere between 1963-7.

I only recall seeing one set of matching attachments for the 86s anywhere in my grandparents' house, in the cardboard handikit. I also recall two hoses, one with the metal end, and the other with the plastic handgrip. In 1972, my grandparents purchased a green electric hose, green telescopic wand, green PN IV, and green B-21 shampooer/polisher, all of which obviously matched the 89. The red hoses and attachments, after this, went by the wayside, I suppose, as I mainly remember the green add-ons. I have no idea if the two 86s already had power nozzle connections in the carrying handles, or if they were upgraded along with the add-ons.

I'm happy to have two 86s in my collection, although both are in pieces. The rubber ring around the motor housing has deteriorated in both, and both have no suction. I suppose I might find some replacement parts myself and get them put back together one of these days.

A picture of one of my 86s, the very day I got it from a fellow collector:

And now, particularly appropriate for the holidays, is the configuration I remember best from my early years:

A weird color combination, but very user-friendly.

Here is the 86 with his top-of-the-line older brother, the 88. The 86 looks a little bigger, because of its placement on the shelf and the angle, but its actually slightly smaller, because of the lack of the automatic bag shut-off machinery inside the front cover.

A 'Jamaica Bronze*' Jubilee

This fellow is 50 this year. As a birthday present, I busted out the Turtle Wax car wash, Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish, and Armor-All, to give him a nice cleaning.

I got this particular 88 in 2007, from a local seller who in turn got it from an older lady. Other than its beautiful and powerful self, all it came with was a green standard hose (to match the 89). I guess the older lady was rather set in her ways, as she apparently never upgraded the hose. Of course, I've since acquired most or all of the standard attachments to match this and the other 88s, and hope someday to find all the optional ones. If anyone out there has them, I wouldn't mind hearing from you.

Soon enough, I'll have had this 88 myself for 10 years, and I expect it'll still be working away, as quiet and powerful as ever.

*Apparently, the official color of this machine is 'Jamaica Bronze'. I could have sworn it was 'dark red', but what do I know? At any rate, happy 50th birthday to my all-time favorite vintage Electrolux.

P.S. I find it a little strange that the 88 is my favourite vintage machine. As a matter of fact, I didn't see that many of them when I was young. The only one that sticks out is one owned by my old friend (who incidentally owns the Lux Classic as featured in this blog). Maybe it's the very elusiveness of the 88 that charms me?

Some Time Traveling With My Favorite Vintage Electrolux

I needed to clean the lint trap of my dryer today, and the first vacuum I laid eyes on happened to be the 88 1st version. I figured I'd bust out the original hose and attachments, purely for fun, and this naturally led to a little photo shoot.

Assuming this was 1961, and you owned the top-of-the-line Electrolux model for that year, this is what you would have had:

The ensemble shown would have included everything you needed for daily cleaning. The vaporizer and sprayer, while original to the machine, would not (presumably) have been used for everyday cleaning, so I didn't picture them here. One 'false' note...the original dusting brush for this model would have had a bare metal top, with a red bumper, but I don't happen to have one of those.

Fast forward a couple of years to 1963, and this would have been your top-of-the-line Electrolux cleaning ensemble:

The major difference here is the telescopic wand, vastly more user-friendly than the two-piece set. The floor and rug tools also had a spring clip added, and the handikit became smaller. The motor unit also got a rubber bumper. Everything else was the same.

Note: I do have another 88, made in 1965, and it has the plug in the handle for the power nozzle. It was more or less around this time that the power nozzles, power hose handles, and power wands started to come out. I wouldn't mind having the above to make my 88 collection more complete.

Incidentally, both of these 88s run perfectly. The hose, attachments, and wand are in perfect condition, except for the dusting brush. It would have been amazing enough to have had one or the other of these when they were released, but here I am, 53 and 51 years later, with these beautiful ensembles in my collection, still looking as handsome as ever, and still offering their cleaning services.

112 Combined Years of Vintage Vacuum-ness!

Today, mostly for fun (and why do something that makes you sad, I say), and partly because I needed to clean, I broke out my two favorite vintage Electrolux models, the 88 2nd version and the 55 1st version, respectively.

As I've said before, for hard surface dusting and bare floors, a massive amount of suction isn't needed, and, even though these machines are not as powerful as modern Electrolux/Aerus models, they do the job just fine, with less power consumed, and with considerably less noise. These machines are really astoundingly quiet, the 88 being somewhat more so than the 55. I can only imagine how someone who is used to more modern vacuums would react after hearing one of these running. Of course, if you add on the power nozzle, it becomes moot, as Electrolux power nozzles have never really been quiet. In addition to this, I used the 55 to vacuum the 88 after filter, and the 88 to vacuum the 55 cloth bag and after filter.

Note: This particular 88 (I have three) has the "Electrolux" logo stamped on both sides of the plug, as opposed to all the other 80 series machines I have or have seen, which have the logo only on one side. Completely random? Who knows?

Incidentally, I think the 88 2nd version and the 55 1st version are positively gorgeous machines, quite close to the first Renaissance in the looks department. It's a great pity they aren't as useful as the latter, for, on the rare occasions I use a vintage Electrolux, I can't get past the short cord, lack of fingertip power controls, lack of variable speed suction, and lack of on board/lock fit attachments. Sad, but true. However, as I pointed out before, different eras mean different levels of technology and performance, so it's not completely fair to compare vacuums like this. All of my models have their pros and cons (yes, even the newer ones, which I love using!), and the 55 and 88 are fine vacuums which do exactly what they're supposed to, quietly and efficiently.

For the carpet, I used my go-to boy, the Lux 6000. What else is new?

The Mean Green Clean Machine

Presenting the ZB89, or Z89, or 89E, or, as far as I'm concerned, 89. Made in Canada by Electrolux Canada, this model was the top-of-the-line offering between 1967-73. I was born during its run, so it was utterly ubiquitous when I was young. I saw it everywhere...schools, stores, hospitals, homes, etc.

I have four of these, two of which are strictly for parts, and I have the owner's manual tucked away somewhere. Here is a full-on shot of the two machines with all the standard attachments, attachment caddy, electric hose, standard hose, hose cord, telescopic wand, and three different power nozzles. The model on the left also has the original plug with bulb stopper.

There isn't a great deal (at least in the motor unit) to distinguish the 89 from the 88, and in fact I think the 88 looks much better, but the accoutrements offered with the 89 set it above and beyond anything before it:

1. Electric hose: this was the first Electrolux with a hose with embedded wiring, totally eliminating the cord clipped to the exterior of the hose, and vastly improving its usability. The hose shown is actually not the first one that came with the 89; I believe the first had the same metal ball bearing end as the standard hoses, and a different weave pattern, as well as a dark green pistol grip, at least on some of them. As far as I know, the electric hose was first introduced in 1968.

Electric hose. Of course, the addition of the pigtail cord on the machine end means it can't swivel, but, what can you do? The fact that the business end swivels is pretty cool, for the late 60's.

The machine end still had a pigtail cord that plugged into the handle, which meant that this hose could be used with any of the 80 series machines. All that was needed was a new handle with a plug in it, and, in fact, I saw more than a few 83s, 86s, and 88s with the new (mismatched) green electric hose (one of my grandparents' 86 models had one). For example, if you owned an 88 (which never had an electric hose in matching red) and wanted to upgrade to the new electric hose, electric telescopic wand, and Canadian-made power nozzle, your cleaning ensemble might have looked something like this:

Not very attractive when everything is put together, is it?

When this hose became standard with the 89, around 1972 (?), the model became known as '89E' to distinguish it from earlier ones.

Serial number plate with "89E" notation:

Previous location of serial number (inside of bag door):

2. Electric, swivel, direct connect handle with trigger switch (see above picture of hose): this was, and still is, a revolutionary development. It's the direct precursor to the Epic style hose with the switch, and the Style R hoses with full power controls. I believe the contemporary US model 1205 featured this handle, as well as the telescopic wand, but they didn't catch on the US.

3. Electric, direct connect telescopic wand: the precursor to the vastly inferior sheath. It eliminated the wiring running down the outside of the wand, or the need to have separate power nozzle and accessory wands, and could be collapsed for storage. There was a red electric telescopic wand to match the red 80 series machines, but I'm not sure if this came first, or was a 'retrofit' after the green one.

Electric telescopic wand with power nozzles (PN II, III, and IV). The only real drawback to this wand is that the upper plastic part isn't reinforced; its simply a thin layer of plastic.

I can't understand why Electrolux eventually did away with items 2 and 3, which were infinitely more progressive, modern, and usable than what followed (and what is still used today on the Lux Classic). I also don't understand why they waited another decade to feature power controls on the hose handle.

The only other changes I can think of are these, and these are not necessarily revolutionary; merely different:

1. Plastic attachment caddy: more durable, certainly, than the prior cardboard. I'm not sure when this was introduced, but there was a cardboard caddy early in the run. There was also a dark green version of this. The attachments were largely the same, except for the fact that they changed from a spring clip to latch fittings, and the dusting brush, floor brush, and the elbow of the carpet nozzle were now made of plastic instead of metal.

2. The power nozzle (see above picture of power nozzles): the first 89 power nozzle was a copy of the American PN I (called 'PN II'), but the PN III (the only Electrolux PN to feature a brush roll height adjustment switch) and IV were totally Canadian. The PN III was the first to be able to stand upright. There was a power nozzle with the detachable elbow for the red 80 series machines, but I'm not sure if this came before the green ones or not.

3. The "dual-purpose" nozzle, for carpets and floors (see large tool on left in above picture). Kind of superfluous in view of the inclusion of the power nozzle, carpet nozzle, and floor brush.

4. The shag carpet nozzle. As far as I know, this was the first such nozzle on an Electrolux.

Standard (non-electric) hose. This must have been the first ever pistol grip handle the company made. The red 80 series machines also had a hose with this handle.

Side logo:

Front cover. Elux-o-matic!

Ready to do the carpet, with the PN II:

Floors:

(I should point out that I never use these hoses, wands, attachments, or power nozzles...they're strictly for "set completion" purposes. The hoses are especially useless, as are all of the other Electrolux braided hoses).

When I do use the 89, it looks like this:

The 89 is, leaving out the above refinements, every bit as quiet, powerful, and efficient as the 88 and other 80 series machines. The 88, however, as noted above, is considerably better looking, but you may disagree if you like dark green. Speaking of looks, there were minor cosmetic changes to the 89 over the years, as can be seen in the pictures. Some had the bare aluminum or chrome handle trim; on others, this was painted the same green as the body of the machine. There were two different styles of rear wheels as well.

Even though the 89 is not my favorite Electrolux, it does represent what Electrolux "is" to me in many ways, due to its prevalence when I was younger. I'd say that if you have an 89 in good shape, with a modern vinyl hose and updated attachments, you'd be hard pressed to find anything better (I said the very same thing about the 88).

A Beautiful Blaze of Red

Presenting the made in Canada by Electrolux Canada ZB88, or Z88, or 88, vacuum cleaner, made in two versions between 1957 - 1967. I'm happy to own examples of both versions...the one in the middle is the first version, from 1961, and the left and right are examples of the second version, from 1965 and 1963 respectively. This is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, my favorite vintage Electrolux, and is in a near tie with the first Renaissance as my favorite Electrolux of all time.

The first version was the first Canadian machine with:

• paper Style C bags
• bag-full automatic shutoff system, and
• fully integrated* automatic cord winder

The second version was the first to feature:

• the power nozzle. The first power nozzle was exactly like the American one...permanently connected to its own long plastic wand, with a cord on the outside of the hose. Later, the power nozzle got its own, detachable elbow and electric telescopic wand, but I'm not quite sure if this development happened with the 88, or the subsequent 89.
• rubber wraparound furniture bumper
• the telescopic wand. The 88 was certainly the first to feature the non-electric telescopic wand, but, as mentioned above, the electric version may have come after the 89 came out.
• the electric hose handle with trigger on-off switch. Again, this may be a "retrofit" after the introduction of the 89.

All three of these machines have their original cords, and two still have the original plug. I have a full set of standard attachments in their "Handikit", and original hoses and wands as well, although these don't get used. The only thing I don't have is the original power nozzle; they are somewhat rare, and I've never seen one in person.

Original plug, with stamped "Electrolux" logo and bulb stopper:

Some personal observations about this model:

• The 80 series (83, 86, 88, 86 Mk.II, 88 Mk.II, 87, 89) is arguably the quietest set of vacuum cleaners ever made, with the exception of a non-electric carpet sweeper. The sound of the motor gets drowned out by the cyclone rush of air through the hose, wands, and attachments. You could, as they say, run one of these in a sleeping baby's room while having a telephone conversation, and not notice.
• Despite the quiet sound, the 88 is very powerful, with plenty of suction and airflow, produced from a 5 amp motor. I'd say it could hold its own with any machine that says "12 amps of cleaning power".
• In the looks department, all I can say is that I think if it wasn't for the first Renaissance, this would still be the best looking Electrolux of all time. The dark red, cream, and silver combination is absolutely beautiful. Incidentally, I like the 2nd version better than the 1st...the addition of the wraparound bumper and the positioning of the "Electrolux" logo gives it an extra dash of style.

Some differences between the first and second versions:

1. front door: 2nd version on the left, 1st version on the right. The "88" clearly needed to be moved due to the addition of the wraparound bumper. The automatic shutoff control knob on the 1st version is the same as those used on the contemporary American models.

2. side bumper and logo:

1st:

2nd:

Attachments: Canadian models up until the 2100 always had a full set of dedicated attachments, stored in a kit (first of cardboard, as seen here, and then plastic). Incidentally, the 88 (and earlier Canadian models) featured an astounding array of optional attachments and accoutrements that I'd love to have. I do actually have a sprayer and vaporizer for the 88s, but these are not pictured here.

Filter: As noted above*, the cord winder is technically not fully integrated, as it can be opened to install an after filter. Depending on who you ask, the after filter for these models is no longer made. I have, in the past, cut a Style R after filter to the right size, and it works fine.

Bag chamber "basket". This configuration seems to produce quite a bit of airflow.

Purely for the fun of it, some shots of the 88 with his "brothers and cousins". Perhaps its silly to personalize vacuum cleaners, but people do it all the time with other objects.

The 88 and his younger brother, the 89:

The American cousin Model G comes for a visit.

The full lineup. If you have an 88 with an updated, airtight hose and updated attachments, you have an amazing cleaning system that can hold its own with many modern cleaners, including all the modern Electrolux and Aerus models, and that's saying something!