Spent some money last night.

We had gotten a "sales" call over the phone from Kirby, offering to clean two rooms of carpet. Of course we knew there would be a sales pitch but practiced saying "no" all day Saturday. It didn't do any good. We already had a Kirby purchased in '91 and it was going strong. But he showed us the improved strength of the motor and the new technical improvements that had been made. Then I remembered that Ken and Tammie said they had bought a new vac at WalMart and it was the cheapest one there and had already broke inside of a month. So I asked the guy what he'd give me for a trade in and he said $300. But then I said I guess we'd keep it because the kids needed a good vac. Then he said if we had an old ANYTHING to trade in, he'd still give us the trade in amount for it. Of courses we had an old Hoover cannister in the basement so brought it up. Granted, the new one cost a lot but boy does it do the job. He shampooed the living room and dining room besides. We had moved almost every stick of furniture out of those rooms.The couch, love seat and chair spent the night on the deck and the dining room table is upside down on top of the kitchen table. All the rest is shoved into hallways, den, sewing room, kitchen and laundry room. The carpet looks so much better. Yes I do have a Hoover carpet scrubber also. So anyway, somewhere along the sales pitch, we mentioned we used the Kirby when we cleaned after tenants move. And then remembered TAXES and are going to put it on an expense for the duplexes. If we didn't have that one, we wouldn't be able to vacuum there soooooooo------!! I know, we're not supposed to work on Sunday but can't stand this house like this. It did snow a bit last night and luckily, when we put the stuff on the deck we just layed it down the way we were carrying it so the snow fell on the backs of the stuff. It'll just blow off easily. So I'm excited to get a new vacuum. And I'm excited to give the old one to the kids. They have 5 cats and a dog so you can imagine what they cope with. Of course the old one has the same basic attachments and shampooer as the new one.

May you always stay as happy with it as you are today!

WE've been happy with the old one for 19 years so am also hoping the new one holds up as well.

My mother always had a Kirby. I hate the noise and they are hard to push. I have her newest sitting here. Even though it is several years old, it has very few 'miles" on it because I don't use it. I have an Oreck and I am very happy with it. My mother swears by the Kirbys.

HMM, was your mom's self propelled? Mine was and was never hard to push. He showed us though how hard it would be to push without the transmission. It sucks down so hard to the carpet. The new one can be pushed with a fingertip. I would suggest that if you mom's is self propelled, that you complain to your local repair place or contact the company because they stand behind their machines. Maybe something is wrong with it. I am going to have our old one reconditioned before giving it to Pete's son and his wife. It'll go another hundred years. Well maybe not that long.

No. it's not self propelled. It was probably purchased before they came out with the ones that are. It has not been used in years and wasn't used that long after it was purchased because I complained about it so much. If they have the self propelled models now, I don't know who would want this one or what it would be worth. It has all the attachments too but it is the kind where you have to put the boot with the hose on the bottom of the vaccuum. I suppose that has been updated too. You are right - I think that thing will live longer than me. I was just looking at it in the furnace room the other day thinking boy I'd like to get rid of that monster.

He told me that mine that I bought in '91 was the first of the self propelled. It pushed easily but was kinda jerky as it shifted from reverse to ahead. But it still went easily. This new one purrs and there is no jerkiness.