I Think My Kirby Model 515 Is 53 Years Old!!

Another thing I like about my old red plaid Kirby vacuum, is that it has a reasonably quite motor too.

The newer vaccums, I've noticed, seem to have raucously loud motors, I wear earplugs when I use them! They are in good working condition, if they need a new belt, etc, my husband replaces and cleans them up before I use them.

The newer vacuums having loud motors, are not because of something being wrong with them. Yet they don't seem to have the cleaning suction power, for the amount of noise they make!

I've been trying to do a little research, to find out how old my red plaid Kirby vacuum is. It has on a metal plate on the bottom of the metal vacuum head, "Kirby", with machine #114029 WS, patent #'s 2538464, 2598120 and 2268970, other patents are pending, and Model 515. Because of wear, we can't quite read all the small print on the metal plate.

It doesn't have any "Kirby" logos anywhere on the vacuum bag or on the front aluminum cleaning head. It only has a round red circle, with what looks like the "sun" or outline of an "eye, with eyelashes". See detailed photos below...

It has a very long red power cord, red wheels, and a full aluminum body and round handle. You push the aluminum on/off power foot button switch on the left side of the vacuum head, near the bottom, where the power cord plugs into the machine.

However, my research shows, the closest description of a "red plaid vacuum bag", puts it to be the "Kirby Classic lll, and was made from 1976-1979. However, because of the medal plate on the bottom of the machine which shows what looks like Model 515, seems to be a Kirby made in 1955.

But things don't quite match up with the description of this vacuum either. None of the rest of my description fits, because there is NO logo anywhere on the bag or medallion on the front of the vacuum head, and the vacuum bag seems to be the wrong color. My research shows that Kirby didn't start using the logo until the 1930's.

However, the "Kirby Classic lll", has the red plaid bag, which seems to be the only thing that matches up with my vacuum, and has a red on/off power foot button, and has the "Kirby" logo on the front vacuum head medallion.

The only thing that matches up with my Kirby Classic lll vacuum, is the red plaid bag!

So it's a little confusing, to try and match which machine this actually is, or how old it really is.

Humm, my Kirby is either, around 30 years old (1976), or 53 years old (1955), or much, much older (no logo, pre-1930's)!!! However, because it's a Model 515, it seems that it is 53 years old.

Either way it still works great!!!

Anybody got any ideas on what's going on with my Kirby, no logo, red plaid bag, model 515?? Could it be a "re-conditioned" Kirby with parts from different years???

See my detailed photos below, titled:
"Kirby Red Plaid-No Logo" to "Kirby Red Plaid-Aluminum Handle Detail"
(They post at the bottom of my blogs...)

Gotta go, see ya, until next time....