More Epic-ness

There are many joys in collecting Electrolux and Aerus vacuum cleaners. One of them is undoubtedly having models from different eras of the company's history, and another is owing a complete "set" of a particular model line. Electrolux and Aerus, throughout the years, always made a top of the line and bottom of the line model, and, sometimes, a middle of the line model as well, not to mention a corresponding upright in later years.

Today, with the arrival of my latest purchase, I now have a complete, all-original set of the Epic series in white with gray and red trim (manufactured between 1997-9*), namely the top of the line Epic 8000 cylinder, the middle of the line Epic 6500 cylinder, and the Epic 3500 upright**. All of these machines are in near-flawless cosmetic and running condition, and everything on them is original and intact. To say I'm happy would be a huge understatement...I'm ecstatic.

Epic 8000 

I've wanted an Epic 8000 for a long time. Its arguably one of the nicest looking Style R models, and when I look at it and the other models, I find myself wishing Aerus had continued with this style for its high-end model***.

The full ensemble. Absolutely gorgeous, if you ask me. I'm not sure if the 8000 came with the combination flip-over rug and floor nozzle, or the dedicated floor brush, but in any case I don't care, because this one matches and works perfectly.

The Epic 8000 is an attractive model, and a great performer. Even though its hard to compare two vacuums with different usage histories, I would put the cleaning performance of the Epic 8000 on par with its "younger brother", the Guardian 75th anniversary. The 8000, however, is slightly quieter, and, even though I'm now used to the looks of the box HEPA filter on the Guardian, the absence of it on the 8000 creates a more streamlined effect.

A shot of "the two companions at their reunion". They make a rather nice matching set:

Attachment compartment. I think this is the best set of standard attachments Electrolux/Aerus ever made, and this set is in great condition. One thing I've noticed: because the machine exhausts out of the attachment compartment, the attachments get quite warm after the machine has been running for a while!

Ratings plate. I'm not sure what "BL4" stands for.

One strange thing about the Epic 8000 (and presumably the Renaissance) is that it exhausts out of the tool compartment, rather than through the blow port. The blow port has a plug that redirects the exhaust air down through the tool compartment, and when the hose is inserted for blowing, the plug gets pushed down and redirects the air through the hose. Clearly they changed this configuration when they added the HEPA filter to the Guardian. I do know that the blow from the Guardian, even on low speed, is almost enough to blow your head off your shoulders, so perhaps there is a good reason for the exhaust redirection on the Epic 8000, and this also gives the machine a quieter running sound versus those that exhaust upward. In fact, I'd be willing to bet the Epic 8000 is one of the quietest Electroluxes since the 80 series (the quietest vacuum cleaners of all time, perhaps?)

Name badge (with a little scarring) + side bumper logo:

The Epic 8000 is so good, even my little nephew has given it his seal of approval:

Presenting the white, gray, and red Epic Series of vacuum cleaners. Call me strange, but I really feel a thrill at seeing this beautiful set. Not only are they aesthetically pleasing, but they all work perfectly and give excellent service.

*The official Aerus model history chart gives the date of the 8000 as 1997-8, and that sounds right, as the 75th Anniversary Guardian came next, in 1999. I'm betting the production dates of the 6500 and 3500 would be 1998-9.

**If I REALLY wanted to have a complete set, I'd add the matching Ambassador III cylinder plus the Floor Pro shampooer/polisher, but unless I can find them at a near free price, that won't be happening.

***I've heard it said that the Guardian Ultra has more power and airflow than the R Guardians, but of course the long cord, variable speed motor, hose handle controls, and adjustable, on-board attachments have disappeared on the Ultra.

Somewhat of a Landmark Model

First of all, as a Canadian and devotee of Canadian Electrolux models, the "75th Anniversary" of Electrolux didn't actually occur until 2007, not 1999 as in the U.S. When Electrolux Canada and Electrolux U.S. "merged", the Canadian side of the history was, in a sense, deleted, even though the models offered after the "merger" and until today are based on Canadian designs (i.e. the 1982 E2000 and 1985 LE).

Putting all that history aside, I'm absolutely pleased as punch to own the very first Electrolux Guardian, 75th anniversary model. This was an eBay buy* that arrived today, thankfully quite intact and in good working condition. Everything is original, even the filter (although I certainly won't be using a 13 year old filter!), and, although the unit is a little dirty, its nothing that a relaxing "spa treatment" won't cure. It didn't come with the Sidekick, combination rug/floor nozzle, or correct crevice tool, but I have enough extras of these attachments anyway. The only other "flaw" is the darker gray power nozzle elbow, but I've since swapped it for a matching one.

Top, with 75th Anniversary badge and logo:

Ratings plate:

One of the things I like about the Electrolux Guardian is that it clearly says "ELECTROLUX" in large letters. Some of the other Guardians have the whole "Aerus by Electrolux" and "Lux Such-and-Such by Aerus" going on**.

Power on and ready to go. I really like this hose handle and its graphics, although the later white and blue handles are even a little bit cooler, with the graphic of the cylinder and power nozzle underneath the "O/I/II":

Guardianing the carpet (which needs to be Rug Doctored again, alas):

"Resting from its labors":

Guardianing the kitchen floor:

The Electrolux Guardian is somewhat less powerful than the later Aerus Guardians, perhaps partly due to the fact that its older, and also due to the different motor, but it does the job just fine. Since I got it, I've been using it a lot.

I'm not sure if this model came with the dedicated floor brush or the combination rug/floor nozzle, but this floor brush matches, and I think it works better than the combination tool. It seems that Electrolux carried on the white-gray-red Epic 6500 and Ambassador III as lower-line models with the Guardian 75th...the first two models didn't change, as far as i know, until they became white and pale blue, presumably to match the Guardian Encore. This seems to put the Guardian 75th in the same league as the first Renaissance as a unique, standalone model. Very fitting for both machines, if you ask me.

I must say, I've developed quite a soft spot for this machine already. It's a bit of a landmark model, being the first Guardian, an anniversary model, and the first machine with a HEPA filter. To my mind, it gets a bit overshadowed by its successor white and blue machines, but with this one and its graphics, colors, logos, and performance, I feel like I'm more "connected to classic Electrolux".

(According to the post count, this is by far the most viewed post on this blog. Not that the Guardian 75th isn't a wonderful vacuum, but it makes me wonder what makes it, at least as far as this blog is concerned, so popular. I suspect it's the "75th Anniversary" designation...the Epic 6500, Ambassador III, and Epic 3500 also had anniversary editions, and a search for "Electrolux 75th Anniversary" could turn up any of those.



*I rarely indulge in buying vacuums on eBay, not because of the quality of machines on offer, or even the selling price, but because the combination of price + shipping + customs fees can sometimes be ridiculous, from the Canadian point of view. Sometimes, as with this Guardian, I can't resist.

**Aerus has certainly gotten a lot of mileage from the "Guardian" name, putting it on 7 different cylinders (Guardian 75th C134A, Guardian 75th C134B, Guardian Encore C134C, Guardian C134E, Guardian C154B, Guardian C154E, Guardian Ultra), the current upright, the air purifier, and heater. I wonder if they'll come up with something new for their next model line?

UPDATE 03-03-14: As it turns out, Aerus has continued the use of the "Guardian" name with the Aerus Lux Guardian Platinum.

The Silver and Black Attack

As noted in my "Eluxography", my main interest at present is in the Style R models and uprights, but I do like using models from every period of Electrolux and Aerus history. Today, I decided to use this lovely old boy, the ZB55, made in 1949 by Electrolux Canada*.

When I was very young, my paternal grandparents had one of these sitting in their basement, and I remember being quite fascinated with it. Oddly enough, I don't remember ever turning it on, but I do remember playing with it. Theirs had the (optional) cord winder; I believe this was the first one ever offered. I find myself wondering if this was the household vacuum when my father was a child, but I doubt he'd remember, and my grandparents have passed on. At any rate, the 55 does have a special place in my memories, and now, in my collection.

I got this machine from a fellow collector, with a few of the original attachments, and even after 63 years, it still works fine. Its not what you'd call "powerful" in the modern sense of the vacuum world, but set against that is the fact that its very quiet, and only runs on 3.8 amps. Not only that, but for bare floor cleaning and dusting, it has more than enough power to get the job done. You don't need a massive amount of suction for bare surfaces.

One disadvantage of the 30, 54, 55, and 57 is that the hose port sits too low on the front cover, making these machines at times a little hard to haul around, especially with the metal runners. The dirt capture (cloth bag) and after filtration (gauze-like filter) too, are certainly not up to modern standards, but for the amount of time I use this series of machines, I'm not overly worried.

Close up of logo plate:

Ratings plate (a little blurry):

If you ask me, this is one of the most beautiful Electroluxes ever made (Note: Wilkie Collins is another one of my passions):

*There were 3 different versions of the 55. Mine is an example of the 1st version; the 2nd is identical except the runners attached differently to the body, and the 3rd had a blue "weave" pattern on the body.