Help me find the right vacuum cleaner
- Thread starter Mikey P
- Start date
Russ T.
Supportive Member
Mikey P
Administrator
OK Grant...
Clue me in..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMNEN7HORmU&feature=share&list=UUGl4oOuCGURMINuh5ot3sxw
Clue me in..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMNEN7HORmU&feature=share&list=UUGl4oOuCGURMINuh5ot3sxw
Mikey P
Administrator
I tried it at home on a CGD on my enclosed patio as well as a olefin rug.
Brush stalls when I run the head at what I think is the proper height. Burning rubber smell.
When I flip that little switch the light dims and the motor takes on a whole different noise, other than that I can't tell wtf it's for.
Belt looks to be in fine shape.
Brush stalls when I run the head at what I think is the proper height. Burning rubber smell.
When I flip that little switch the light dims and the motor takes on a whole different noise, other than that I can't tell wtf it's for.
Belt looks to be in fine shape.
Ron K
Member
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2009
- Messages
- 2,371
Put a new Belt in. The light dimmer switch seems to be a light dimmer switch. I don't really Know what that switch is for, my Boat anchor ain't got one!
G'day Mike
This is what you have, the machine you showed is a Kirby Generation 7 Diamond Edition. These machines were made between 2003 and 2006 if I recall correctly. You can confirm the manufacturer date by looking at the serial number located near the bag port.
If the machine has been stored with the belt engaged on the motor shaft for a long time it's likely stretched now and that's why it stalls and smells. So getting a new belt is pretty important for retiring pickup performance. The switch mounted on the top plate of your model is actually unique to your model. It's a low speed toggle and it's used for cleaning delicates, you'll likely never use it and it was deleted on the machine that followed yours. In fact, it never existed until your model and quickly faded away As a silly idea.
Machine looks in great condition, the aluminium can be polished to new condition with some mag wheel polish.
You'd benefit from watching some of the videos The Kirby Company have out on YouTube which show how to setup the machine in various modes and how to change the belt etc.
Ultimate G Use Videos
http://youtu.be/kqGrvp5dxtg
http://youtu.be/zXSSwL5I0hc
http://youtu.be/gjHmzTjN9T8
http://youtu.be/xACNG1Jx3ag
http://youtu.be/CtEB1AheDKs
http://youtu.be/3Y6i7zcN818
Kirby Serial Number Year of Manufacture I.D.
http://youtu.be/4r0o4uMpHxk
It will take you a little while to get the hang of it and then it will all be second nature.
Grant
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Mardie
Member
Mikey did you get the optional foam cleaning kit ?? 
Mikey P
Administrator
THis was given to me at no charge from a local santa cruz pot farmer
The only accessory it came with is the High Colonic bag and hose.
The only accessory it came with is the High Colonic bag and hose.
Mardie
Member
Don't know but when sometimes when equipment sits for a long time it can cause you some minor problems at the beginning so don't blame that on the machine just get it fixed or you can send it to me for the same price you got it for. I will be glad to pay shipping and a nominal fee for your efforts and the cost of packaging.
hogjowl
Idiot™
So tell me, Mike. What have you learned from this thread?
Mikey P
Administrator
that I could start a thread about eating boogers and it would go 16 pages.
Mikey P
Administrator
and not 5 or ten posts per page like those niche' forums...lol
What I learned is that I need to find a source for the belt drive motors in the Sharks.
and I need some bags and a new belt for my new Airstream.
What I learned is that I need to find a source for the belt drive motors in the Sharks.
and I need some bags and a new belt for my new Airstream.
Mardie
Member
Shane Deubell
Supportive Member
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2011
- Messages
- 4,052
Funny i never noticed that before.... but you are right.
Mikey P
Administrator
Yep.
The guys took it out yesterday but no words back yet. .
The guys took it out yesterday but no words back yet. .
Lefty724
Member
Cool, would love to hear your thoughts on the Kirby.
Zee
Supportive Member
Do I see a Kirby banner in the near future? 
NobleCarpetCleaners
Member
- Joined
- May 16, 2010
- Messages
- 1,191
- Name
- Noble Carpet Cleaners
I carried a Kirby G3 for 2 1/2 years on every residential job. The transmission is really nice to have. Belts, brush and bags are easy to change. Gawd I remember vacuuming all those stairs with it. Truly the strongest sucking and production vacuum in wide open country of cut pile.
To frigging heavy in the end, absolutely no way to hook up a wand in acceptable time to vacuum the edges, nooks and crannies. I didn't want to continue to be a slave to the machine and still not have a "quick draw" way to get all those edges,corners and anywhere else the fuzz and crap collects. Does the Kirby do a pretty good job of sucking in the edge with just the standard head installed, yes, in fact better then any vacuum I have ever seen. But I needed far more performance then I was getting for the edges alone and don't have time to treat it like a Transformer and hook up a hose and wand.
It's the #1 recommendation I give to my customers for a vacuum cleaner. No other like it for a consumer. I tell them however to purchase used from a vac shop or off craigslist then take for tune up to a shop. The sales force that Kirby continues to perpetuate their direct selling program are the least informed most dishonest low lifes I've ever seen going door to door. Gotta be the weirdest disparity between the quality of a product and the way its sold I have ever seen. Like if John Deer picked crack addicts to sell their tractors. Everyone should have one but not through those sales people.
To frigging heavy in the end, absolutely no way to hook up a wand in acceptable time to vacuum the edges, nooks and crannies. I didn't want to continue to be a slave to the machine and still not have a "quick draw" way to get all those edges,corners and anywhere else the fuzz and crap collects. Does the Kirby do a pretty good job of sucking in the edge with just the standard head installed, yes, in fact better then any vacuum I have ever seen. But I needed far more performance then I was getting for the edges alone and don't have time to treat it like a Transformer and hook up a hose and wand.
It's the #1 recommendation I give to my customers for a vacuum cleaner. No other like it for a consumer. I tell them however to purchase used from a vac shop or off craigslist then take for tune up to a shop. The sales force that Kirby continues to perpetuate their direct selling program are the least informed most dishonest low lifes I've ever seen going door to door. Gotta be the weirdest disparity between the quality of a product and the way its sold I have ever seen. Like if John Deer picked crack addicts to sell their tractors. Everyone should have one but not through those sales people.
Russ T.
Supportive Member
I didn't buy one yet but was imagining that I would use it as a first step to vac open areas. Once the van is fired up and I have presprayed with the Hydroforce, I would go around edges with my vac hose like I already do. This gives the prespray some dwell time as well. Do most of you do edging with your vacuum or suction hose from truck? Maybe this is one of the things I should consider changing...just trying to get better.
The Clean Machine
The Clean Machine
NobleCarpetCleaners
Member
- Joined
- May 16, 2010
- Messages
- 1,191
- Name
- Noble Carpet Cleaners
It's tempting to think of using the vac cuff to suck those edges, but think about it from a business perspective. It's the most expensive, noisest form of suction you could ever use on a job/service that screams efficiency. If I'm spending precious time on a pre-vacuum my priority is to get "everything" vacuumed in the one pass, done, out of the way. My Proteam upright is the closed thing to completing that mission I personally have ever got my hands on. I can fill bags and fly through the job, open field and edges. Done and back in the van. I've about as much emotional attachment to it as I do any gadget in my van. Getting the dry soil out with the least amount of physical/cost effort possible.
Far as prespray and dwell time. I've made friends with pulling the solution hose in first on jobs I prespray. Shoot the product and then shut the dam machine off. Then set up vac and suck tools and bungees and "stuff". I don't like making a career out of every single job. But but but, everyone has their own steps towards getting the appearance they're after and their own efficiency to get there. But as far as the machine I need to lift dry soil in a short amount of time I haven't found anything better then what i'm using. Friend of mine uses a Proteam backpack for that mission and swears by it. Perhaps I'll try that sometime.
Far as prespray and dwell time. I've made friends with pulling the solution hose in first on jobs I prespray. Shoot the product and then shut the dam machine off. Then set up vac and suck tools and bungees and "stuff". I don't like making a career out of every single job. But but but, everyone has their own steps towards getting the appearance they're after and their own efficiency to get there. But as far as the machine I need to lift dry soil in a short amount of time I haven't found anything better then what i'm using. Friend of mine uses a Proteam backpack for that mission and swears by it. Perhaps I'll try that sometime.
hogjowl
Idiot™
Edging is the single reason I prefer a Dyson vac. It is the only vacuum I have found that loses NO power when I bring out the edging hose. Only on occasion do I have people mention the fact that I vacuum, but I get quite a few people who say something about me edging.
I said the Dyson is the only vac, I have found, but that is not quite true ... the Shark is just as powerful at edging, but it's tool won't allow popcorn kernels to pass through and the darn vacuum falls over in the floor when you try to pull it with the hose.
I said the Dyson is the only vac, I have found, but that is not quite true ... the Shark is just as powerful at edging, but it's tool won't allow popcorn kernels to pass through and the darn vacuum falls over in the floor when you try to pull it with the hose.
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I take the Kirby to site in a plastic box. In the box the machine is setup
As a canister. I do edges first and establish a perimeter of the cleaning site, then throw the handle fork and deep cleaning head on and do open expanses.
Once done I quickly return it to canister mode, take out the bag and install a fresh one which has been sprayed with a Benzalkonium Chloride doedoriser and put it back in the crate. My helper is spot treating while this happens. Then we get to pre spraying.
Grant
As a canister. I do edges first and establish a perimeter of the cleaning site, then throw the handle fork and deep cleaning head on and do open expanses.
Once done I quickly return it to canister mode, take out the bag and install a fresh one which has been sprayed with a Benzalkonium Chloride doedoriser and put it back in the crate. My helper is spot treating while this happens. Then we get to pre spraying.
Grant
Mikey P
Administrator
And how many jobs do you average in a week ?
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hogjowl
Idiot™
snicker ...
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Only been at this about a year. Averaging 6 at this point. Imagine you guys over there are doing quite a bit more.
To give you an idea of our market and demographic, Whyalla has a population of 22,000. There are four carpet cleaning business here including ours. There are three other general cleaning businesses that dabble in carpet cleaning too.
I'm fortunate to have a repeat relationship with the local University campus which is a source of good large scale repeat work.
Whyalla has a very large transient population of short term contract and fly in fly out workers owing to the nature of our local iron ore mining and steel making industries.
Whyalla is 4 hours by road from
Our closest metropolitan centre Adelaide which is South Australia's Capitol city.
https://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whyalla
In recent years Whyalla has suffered numerous economic difficulties owing to heavy financial losses and corresponding redundancies at the steel works. These losses were a result of the economic contraction of the GFC.
We continue to push the business's growth in the region with a view of extending bookings.
It's a slow process but we're patient.
Having spoken with other US operators over the past year I am awed by the sheer size of many US municipalities and correspondingly the volume of job bookings.
Grant
To give you an idea of our market and demographic, Whyalla has a population of 22,000. There are four carpet cleaning business here including ours. There are three other general cleaning businesses that dabble in carpet cleaning too.
I'm fortunate to have a repeat relationship with the local University campus which is a source of good large scale repeat work.
Whyalla has a very large transient population of short term contract and fly in fly out workers owing to the nature of our local iron ore mining and steel making industries.
Whyalla is 4 hours by road from
Our closest metropolitan centre Adelaide which is South Australia's Capitol city.
https://maps.google.com.au/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whyalla
In recent years Whyalla has suffered numerous economic difficulties owing to heavy financial losses and corresponding redundancies at the steel works. These losses were a result of the economic contraction of the GFC.
We continue to push the business's growth in the region with a view of extending bookings.
It's a slow process but we're patient.
Having spoken with other US operators over the past year I am awed by the sheer size of many US municipalities and correspondingly the volume of job bookings.
Grant
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ruff
Member
Good answer Grant.
And I am sure your business will grow just fine.
Lots of us here in the U.S. have great respect for Australia. From what I hear it is quite similar to how things were here in the 50's and I mean in a good sense.
And I am sure your business will grow just fine.
Lots of us here in the U.S. have great respect for Australia. From what I hear it is quite similar to how things were here in the 50's and I mean in a good sense.
Mikey P
Administrator
The boys and I have used it a few times now, I gave it a good floggin on some nylon pile and an Olefin glue down.
Very impressed with how it vibrates the carpet and the ease of use. The drive wheel make it feel like you're cheating.
It really is an incredible piece of equipment.
but damn, does it ever need a bypass hose that's ready to go.
Very impressed with how it vibrates the carpet and the ease of use. The drive wheel make it feel like you're cheating.
It really is an incredible piece of equipment.
but damn, does it ever need a bypass hose that's ready to go.
