Kirby — Schematics
23 schematics · See all brands
Kirby was founded in 1914 by Jim Kirby in Cleveland, Ohio, and the first vacuum cleaner sold under the Kirby name appeared in 1935 as the Model C. The company has been part of The Scott Fetzer Company (a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary) since 1935, and the same family of all-metal, modular, multi-attachment upright vacuums has continued through every generation since — Tradition, Heritage, Generation, Sentria, Avalir, and the current models.
Kirby has always sold direct, through independent in-home distributors, never in retail stores. The build philosophy is geared around lifetime ownership: every Kirby uses the same bag system, the same shampoo and floor-care attachments, and parts that interchange across decades of models. Replacement belts, brush rolls, fans, motors, bags, and the wide ecosystem of carpet shampoo and Tech Drive accessories make Kirby one of the most repairable vacuum brands in the world.