Kirby Vacuum Models

Here at Great Vacs we are frequently asked about what the differences are between some of the Generation model vacuums. We are also asked what model might be best. We have decided to make this page to answer those specific questions. This is not a technical page about Kirby vacuums. To get that information you will need to contact the Kirby Company.

Disclaimer - Great Vacs is not in any way associated with, retained by, contracted by, or remunerated by The Kirby Company or any of its subsidiaries, affiliates, or related companies, nor do we represent the Kirby Company on any level. This informaiton has been gathered for imformation purposes only. For official and model specifications you will have to contact the Kirby company. We have tried to make this as accurate as possible but do not guarantee it to be 100% accurate. The data contained in these pages represents our opinionated and one-sided perspectives only and must not be construed, interpreted, disseminated, or quoted as Kirby policy, philosophy, practices, regulations, guidelines, or opinions. If you have any knowledge or information you would like to share to improve this page, please email us at great_vacs@yahoo.com. We don't claim to include all information in this document but if you have knowledge or information to share that might enhance this information, please feel free to contact us.

The Kirby Generation Series. In our opinion there is no better series of upright vacuums than the Kirby Generation series. Kirbys have been famous over the years for three things; having incredible suction and vacuuming power, lasting 30+ years if properly maintained, and being heavy. With the Kirby Generation series they solved the only bad thing about the Kirby by adding the tech drive self-propelled feature which makes it much easier to push around. Here at Great Vacs we sell almost all models of vacuums and are not prejudice towards any one brand of vacuum. However, almost the entire staff at Great Vacs uses a Kirby vacuum and that speaks volumes. We are sold on the vacuum because of its performance. When we have had to make repairs or do warranty work, we have also been extremely impressed with the engineering of the vacuum. With all our used Kirbys we include a 5-year motor warranty through our shop. Of all the Kirbys we have sold we have only had to do warranty work on three of them. Those are great odds for a great vacuum. Listed below are the individual Generation models and any feature changes from model to model. To see specific recommendations on which vacuum is best for you scroll to the bottom of this page.

	Kirby Generation 3. The Generation 3 Kirby was the beginning of the Generation series. It came with standard filtration, the standard fan, and was the first Kirby to come with the Tech Drive System (self-propelled). The only weakness of the Generation 3 that we noticed was the transmission (it shifted too fast and was not as smooth) and some of the pivot assemblies (sometimes the handle will lean forward). The Generation 3 was the start of one of the world's best vacuums in our opinion.
	Kirby G4. The G4 Kirby is a great vacuum and much like the G3, however, some improvements were made. They added a smoother shifting transmission and designed a stronger pivot assembly. They then added the feature of Micron Magic Filtration. Micron Magic Filtration was years ahead of its competition when it came to filtration. I have seen some "hepa-type filtration" that was not at good. As far as vacuuming power, there were no significant changes.
	Kirby G5. The G5 Kirby and the earlier model (the G4) are very similar. As far as performance you probably would not notice it. They did make some good changes though. Probably the most significant was the kevlar fan. Most vacuums don't have the power to suck up bullets and quarters but Kirbys do (yes we have found several bullets in Kirby bags over the years). Most people don't vacuum up those kinds of items but there are some people who do. The G5 was a great model for them because of the kevlar fan, which is almost unbreakable. The look of the Kirby was also changed slightly and it was more rounded and modern looking (see pictures). Also, the powerhead belt lifter seemed to move easier. A few tools (like the floor tool) took on a slightly different appearance as well. The brushroll magnet was also switched to the other side. There is a brushroll for the Generation 3 - G4, another one for G5 - Gsix, and another one for the Ultimate. As far as brushroll performance, we never noticed a difference from models Generation 3 through Gsix.

	Kirby Gsix. There was really only one significant change with the Gsix and that was the Kirby bag mini emptor. It was designed so that air could flow better through it. Technically the Kirby Gsix and all models after it have a little more suction power becuase of the bag. The average person would not be able to tell the difference but it is there. Another change was in appearance. On the handle they started putting the years (like 2000 limited edition). The 1999 and most of the 2002 Kirby Gsix have nothing on their handles. However, the 2000 and the 2001 had their years on the handle. Also with the Gsix, Kirby introduced HEPA filtration (can filter down to 1/10th of 1 micron). However, unless you have allergies or asthma, you probably wouldn't notice it.
	Kirby Ultimate. There really weren't any significant changes between the Gsix and the Ultimate besides color and the filtration looks a little different (still HEPA filtration).
	Kirby Ultimate Diamond Edition. The changes we noticed with the Kirby Ultimate Diamond Edition are few. One is the bag appearance changed a little (see picture). The biggest change is the 2-speed switch on the Kirby. That allows you to turn down your power if you ever had to do some delicate vacuuming like drapes or rugs. Also, the shampooer seems to be made out of a lighter material.
	Kirby Sentria Their were actually several changes between the Sentria and the Diamond. In my humble opinion I did not like some of the changes and I actually like the diamond model (previous) a little better. The main reason that is is the diamond model has the 2 speed switch to lower your power (like if your vacuuming rugs or light dusting) and on the Sentria model they took off the 2 speed switch. However a the Sentria model looks really cool and kirby did a good job of modernizing it. This model does not look like your grandmas kirby. From what I have seen I did not see any performance improvements in the sentria over some previous models. I also read the article kirby put out on this model and they did not mention any performace improvements in that article. So besides looks and age it should have the same feautres and performance as the Kirby Ultimate, and Gsix Models. Another Good/Bad feature is that they made the vacuum a little bit lighter. This is good because that is the only complaint we hear from kirbys is that they are easy to push but heavier to carry. The only bad part about that is how they made it lighter (in my humble opinion). They made the belt lifter knob and the main handle out of plastic and they dont seem to be as strong as on the previous models. So a little lighter but the handle is now plastic. Another great improvement on this model is they upgraded to halogen lights. It looks really cool and works better. They also made a few design changes on the tools. For a couple of years you will have to buy some of the parts from a authorized kirby dealer until they release the parts to Vacuum Shops. Some of those parts are: the halogen light system, the bumper, the bag, and the main handle. However from normal vacuum use I doubt you would need those parts anytime soon.
	Optional Accesories for your Kirby. Kirbys come with lots of standard tools but there are several optional tools that you can buy as well. They include (terminology may differ) Turbo tool (sander), shampooer, zip brush, hardwood floor buffer and hardwood floor head accessory.
	Recommendations. If you are thinking about buying another plastic upright from a superstore that is only going to last a few years, we suggest you buy a Generation 3 Kirby Vacuum or Kirby G4 Vacuum. It's about the same price and it does a better job vacuuming and will last much longer. If you are on a budget but want a good all around vacuum we suggest the Kirby G5. Its one of our best sellers and has a Kevlar Fan for longer life. If you have really bad allergies we recommend a Kirby Gsix or later. They all have HEPA filtration, Kevlar Fans and similar power. As you can tell, there are differences between the models but the biggest differences are age and color. In our opinion, age is not a big factor in a Kirby because they last so long. However, when it comes to pure vacuuming performance, most people don't notice a big difference between models. We hope this information was helpful to you and that it will answer your questions about differences between the Kirby Generation Models. If you still have questions, you may email us at great_vacs@yahoo.com or see our Kirbys for sale on our website.