KIRBY VACUUM BUYERS GUIDE 

I've tinkered with vacuums since childhood, and I started repairing them around 2007. Kirby is my favorite brand because I like the classic look and the fact they can be rebuilt over and over. I have a 519 and a Diamond Edition as of now, but I have owned other models in the past. The Heritage 2-Legend 2 are probably the best well-rounded models, IMHO. I chose the Diamond Edition because I have a lot of hard flooring and large area rugs. The delicate switch comes in handy on the runners. I have had the 519 since I was twelve. Concerning the vintage models: You can convert them to using a disposable bag system if you so wish to do so. I have converted 500 series, Sanitronic and Classic models to using a disposable bag system for some customers. I don't mind having one with a shake-out bag, since I don't use it every single day. But, if it was my main use machine, I would have the disposable bag system. I rig up a Kirby mini emtor, fill tube and top adapter and use a Tradition, Heritage or Heritage 2 outer bag depending on which model I'm rebuilding.

This upcoming June 03 I will have my Classic Omega for fifty years. I hardly use it anymore because it is heavy but it has never given me a moment of trouble and it was a main house vacuum for decades. I’ll never get rid of it because whatever I’m using will eventually need to be serviced or replaced and when it does the Kirby is always there. They’re burly, bulky, strong and they’ve just always been there like your brother.

Kirbys are so cool. I wanted to have one when I was a kid. Weirdly enough we have quite a few used models on sale, despite people not having any wall-to-wall carpeting here.

Paid $25 for my sentria 2 about 6 months ago. It had only ever been used enough to fill up half a bag, and I don’t even mean like half of the entire bag I mean like half of what Kirby recommends you fill it to. Couldn’t be happier with it.

I own 7 Kirby’s 2 sentrias 2 legends 1 hearitage and 2 omegas all have plastic fans besides one the omega has a metal fan I love Kirby’s especially old ones every Kirby I’ve bought has ran amazing and still does The omega it was sitting in a antique store in poor shape dirty and barely any chrome to it but I bought it cleaned it up put a new brush roll in it and it’s been doing amazing ever sense

I have found Kirby's (all models) for no more than $50 at thrift stores and are usually in good condition.

Kirby’s are certainly interesting machines. There’s really nothing else like them on the market, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your opinion on Kirby. I have a Diamond Edition and a Gsix that I’ve modified some that I mainly use, but I have every model from the Heritage onwards. Never paid more than $120, which was my Avalir. They are decent machines, and I think the older ones have great build quality. Using the hose is incredibly cumbersome, but I feel like most people who bought them mainly use them as carpet machines. They are good if you buy them cheap, they can last a long time, but never buy one new.

Thank you so much for this video. I love Kirby's mostly for their looks and plan on buying a used one, now I know what I what to look for.

My Kirby is bout 16 yrs old n going, but we do take it once a yr for maintenance with a professional 😊

I bought a Gen3 for 60 bucks and it does exactly what i need it to do. id say ive bought a new vacuum every 2 years and they always just suck. last one we got was a $300 cordless shark and i swear everytime i use it i need to take it apart just to get it to suck anything up. My parents have had the same Kirby since the 90's and they got it from my grand parents and my Dad is using it to this day. as a mechanic i think it's pretty cool. now id never buy a new one but this thing in mint condition, came with repair records from a local repair place so i think i got a deal and vacuums the carpet just fine for me.

Just got a sentra at goodwill for $7.00, works great!

Awesome video. I bought a diamond edition ultimate g probably 15 years ago. Hardly ever used it and it's been in storage forever. Since I'm in the carpet cleaning business I just got it out of storage and was cleaning it up because having a very good vacuum for pre-vacuuming is extremely important in my business. I have found that Kirby's tend to have excellent CFM which is critical to my business. You had mentioned that you had made a video about how Kirby's actually aren't all that impressive but I looked for it and really couldn't figure out which video you were referring to. Again, great video!

My Kirby GSix its on its way to its 2nd Motor since i had it

I currently have a "Frankenkirby" that I built from a Heritage and a Heritage II Turbo and converted it to run the Sentra bags. I also have a Tradition with removable bags that belonged to my mom in the 80s that I need to find time to restore. Finally I just found a Sentria II complete with accessories, 10 bags, a new brush roller and the shampooer kit that I found in the trash. I plan to repair it on my RU-vid channel in the coming weeks. I just can't turn down a free Kirby!

Just so everyone knows don’t exclude the non paper bag( shaker bag) mainly for people who have trouble with paper and modern bags, the Kirby dual Sanitronic 50 and 80 and the two best shaker bag models and not heavy, the 13inch power head is better to not ruin your carpet, as the modern brush rolls can possibly be harder on your carpet, I daily drive the dual sanitronic 80

Every 3 months replace the belt, wow! The belt on my Dirt Devil just broke after 12 years. I was looking to replace it with a new vacuum or Kirby. 😂

The tradition uses a paper bag and has a grinder/knife sharpener or even a possible rig for a jigsaw and drill

You can install the bag emptor from a legend 1 or 2 on the older heritage and tradition models to allow the use of the newer HEPA bags

Just picked up a G7 Diamond Edition from a flea market for $20 I want to restore. I already really like it, but I also want to find a Classic 3. Had one as a kid.

a kirby tradition can have a bag retrofit and run a modern bag, they are a decent machine. we used a 1984 heratage for a long long time. it's a much better choice then anything sold at walmart, but it's not as good as a sebo, miele or riccar

Great info and thanks - ive got a legend 2, g4 and g7

Get the legend 2 as ot is the last model to be most easily serviced on your own or else be on the search for on of the older models that are vintage but the best

I had a Kirby G6 and I kind of regret getting rid of it.

Kirbys actually have very high airflow. And that’s why they clean extremely well!

You say Kirbys are cheap, but there are like 800$ for a new one. Where are these cheap kirbys?

just got a g7 for $8 gonna go through it now and hope everything is ready on it

Step one: acquire grinder and cut off wheels

I have a kurby to sale alsost brand new will take 990.00 for it just needs new belt

Funny how a used Kirby that people paid around $2000 for is worth about the same as on old shark on marketplace.

I'm trying to sell my brandnew kiby avalir2 thats still in the box

We have a Centra Kirby vacuum cleaner. It has a brown bag print on it. Is it interchangeable with other models? If so, which ones? Thanks, Arden.

I got a vintage 1991 Royal Dirt Devil 103 hand vac with a gray fan. Surprisingly no cracks in it. Is it bad if a Royal has a gray fan or is this just a Kirby thing? I am hoping that the fan won't need replaced because unlike on a Kirby, these small impellers that the hand vacs used are long discontinued, and so I will not be able to replace it.

I'm so mad I threw out my Kirby 😩 10 years ago.

Any chance you can do a video (even a quick one) on dusting brushes? You've got some great content on hardfloor, carpet attachments, but I'm a big fan of dusting the house with a central vac and dusting brush. My local stores dusting brush isn't great, so advice would be appreciated!

i was half expecting this to be a 5 second video that said "fucking dont"

Which vacuum brand would you recommend for a pet owner? Also, are there vacuum/shampooers out there like Kirby?

Is that a Dango watch? If so I have the same one.

you should do a filter queen vacuum buyers guide one of these days

Could you do a video explaining why grey Kirby fans are not good because I’ve got a grey fan in my Kirby legend it was in the machine when I got it and I am noticing bad stress cracks and the blades have cracks running along the bottom and what would you rate older metal fans my omega has a metal fan

So starting from heritage two because of safety Also known as legend are the most basic and Perform well on all except high pile carpets since then they are harder to push G3 AND 4 have different brush rollers than the rest PET brushrollers don't make a big difference The vacuums have a very little changes made to them

There is no buyers guide, just don't buy one

are the metal fans ok?

Good morning I have a brand new Kirby diamond that still in the box. I’m trying to sell.