Question about vacuum cleaners HELP! - Page 2

If your lucky enough to find a KIRBY they are usually all stainless or alum or cast alum

clip the cord and pull the motor. the rest goes back in the trash.

Originally Posted by smokemaker68

If your lucky enough to find a KIRBY they are usually all stainless or alum or cast alum

Yep. Found a Kirby the other day. Its a bugger to pull apart and has lots of steel star screws on the cast (so I have to get the right equipment!) but I think its great working with the older stuff. It makes you appreciate the quality of those machines before the ****ty and cheap obsolescence era took off!!

I have given up on vacuum cleaner motors. The new housings are made out of some kind kryptonite embedded plastic, a sledgehammer just bounces off them. I just clip the cord and leave them in the trash where I find them. They all smell like cat pee and have fleas or roaches in them anyway.

do scrapyards take printers and coffee machines as mixed metal? what about older heavy copy machines?

I LOVE love love sweepers! I take the whole thing even if the cord has been cut because the motors break down into steel, aluminum and copper. I dont know why lots of folks dont take them but I cant pass up the stuff inside!

printers and coffee machines, older heavy copy machines?

I break all of them down and retrieve the circuit boards and stainless in some coffee pots, plus alum, little motors,misc. wire, etc. then the steel goes into my ever growing pile. I even save the screws while taking thing apart, took in a few pounds with a steel load the other day,(plus keeps them out of my tires, and the bottom of my shoes.)

Also keep an eye on the handles. I got a Hoover the other day with a telescopic aluminum handle, wieghed about 2lbs.

Vacuums are my fave! they have an aluminum wheel /fan in the motor also and then the copper too. I always take the motors apart.

I break them down as well 3 lb motor 1 lb ins wire. Some new ones are held together with 5 screws rest is plastic clips and such! Even the rod that the wheels are on!

I break them down if I have them.
The outer lamination core normally has 2 very easy to remove copper coils in them, the bearing ends are usually Ali with a iron metal clip & bronze/brass or iron bearing.
The shaft can be burnt to get the copper (time is $)
Theres iron random stuff like a big spring etc & then the actual cord, thats where the money is......

I like wet/dry vacs. After I knock out the motor, what's left is a plastic tub with a drain plug that can hold drinks and ice. If I find one with a complete set of wheels I can roll it out to picnics.

I used to get vacs. by the truck load. It would take about 10-15 min. to break down and that was taking evry screw out because my plastic guy would take the plastic. I lost both vac.contacts and my plastic guy quit taking vac.plastic so I don't get very many any more, sometimes the thrift store that I pick up from has them for me but that's about it.

kirby vacuums are worth way more to a refurbisher
^^^^^ click ^^^^^

I no longer break them down just cut the cord and send them in with the sheet iron (shred) for $.029 lb. I do save the tubs from the wet and dry vacs as they have wheels on them and I store other metals in them. BUMP UP the PAST! LOL But as prices are so bad now why would you get rid of that extra weight???

Originally Posted by cummins

Cut the cord and move on. Unless it's really old...most are aluminum not copper motors anyhow these days. Like most new appliances

But add it to the shred pile!

I cut the cord and be done with it. I will take them if someone calls me to pick up scrap, but not when curb shopping. With prices down and barley anyone scrapping there is more actual metal to get.