Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

On that subject Venson, my dear wife came across a parts illustration packed away for awhile for the old kenmore kart vac [Sears, Roebuck and Co.] and laminated it for me.  The total number of parts listed for the entire machine inside and out including all the attachments is a mere 94.  Amazing.  A simpler gentler time.

BTW, the listing is legal page size with a fold and all 4 sides used.  Paper.  I'm surprised it survived.  Recall it came in two colors.  The parts listing says to be sure to specify color when ordering parts.

Carmine D.

Hi Carmine,

Cool!

I've usually had to brave it out on my own.  Sears provides schematics online for current vacuum parts IF you have the complete model number (xxx.xxxxx . . .) of the machine you're looking to fix.  There are no general aids to help you randomly track down and access part numbers.  (Don't know why the system is so strict as Kenmore parts do not come cheap.)

My recommendation to even the very handy is to proceed  slowly and make careful note of how you take a thing apart so that you can put it back together.  Learned that upon my first attack on an alarm clock at the age of nine.  If you're not all that handy -- take it to a shop.  Everybody comes out happy.  The repair people make a little money and you are spared aggravation.

Venson

Hi Venson:

You know the general time frame of production and sales of the Kenmore Kart Vac, styled after the NASA rockets/launch pads.  Its model number is 116.732  [even way back then Sears, Roebuck and Co. didn't make it easy for its vacuum customers]. 

Carmine D.

Hi Carmine,

They made a good number of cart-vacs over the years.  The torpedo shaped models came first but later came a rectangular version of markedly different desing, which I have, with its own specially designed rug and bare floor tools.  Later, when Kenmore started putting out the flat, squarish cans they also made up a cart version too.  I actually saw one of these late models being used as a prop in "About Schmidt".  It sat besides the entryway to Kathy Bates' living room.

The Kenmore cart-vacs appear to have been more popular than I'd imagined for as many as I see turn up on eBay.  Considering time and place and that sales were angled toward women, I thought the size and the weight might be a deterent. Still, no matter how modern, everything was heavy then.

Venson

Hi Venson:

As I recall, these rocket & launch pad styled Kenmore tanks were widespread.  Also as you mentioned very heavy.  Although many years ago, back in the 50's I saw these come in my vacuum store for parts, repairs and trade-ins on a frequent basis.  Attesting to their sales popularity. 

Interestingly, the McCall's article from April 1955 recently posted here on another thread showing 6 uprights and 13 canisters/tanks of the era doesn't have one of these kart vacs pictured.   Obviously, the McCall's article is not complete.  Several popular brands/models of the day were excluded.  In my experience the Kenmore brand/kart-vacs were more pervasive than some of the brands/models pictured in the McCall's article.

Carmine D.

Hi Carmine,

You're right.  I remember trips to our local Sears in the late 50s and the vac department always had a truckload of models.  They sold lots of cans though I recall seeing few Kenmore uprights circa that point in time in homes in my neck of the woods.

Maybe the McCall's article was a marketing tool.  Electrolux, Singer, Eureka, Hoover, Landers, Frary, Clark and Westinghouse and Lewyt did a lot of advertising in women's magazines.  I've no recall of Kenmore vac advertisements in ladies mags.  Kenmore had the famous -- and also free -- Sears' catalogue for its advertising platform.  Lots of people used to love to thumb through "the wish book."

Venson

Hello Venson:

You're right. 

Over the last half century plus some, SEARSs vacuum sales popularity rose and fell.  Uprights have never been its forte even with Consumer Reports favorable ratings in the past decade right along side HOOVER.  SEARS canister sales on the other hand have in the past decade been praised by CR as capturing almost 25 percent of the new cann market every year.   Although this CR claim has not been made [or at least I have not seen it in print as I once did] in most recent years.  I suspect the rise and fall of SEARS vacuums mirrors its yearly overall successes/failures.  In recent times, even times better than these now, SEARS has struggled to stay competitive with other retailers. 

Maybe SEARS should bring back its free catalogue which died an ignominious death long ago. 

Carmine D.

No more excuses.  Back to vacuuming. 

Carmine D.