Our family got one from a door to door salesmen in the mid 80's and it lasted all through my childhood and my mother still uses it to this day. It looks to be the same model, that brown color. The new ones are black and blue. One of the nice features is the exhaust plug that you can take out and put the hose on for inflation of air mattresses, pool toys etc.
As soon as I seen this vacuum it unlocked a core memory, I could smell the oils that came with it. Does anyone else remember the set of oils that you could put in it that would freshen the air?
My mom had one of these, circa 1950’s, and I remember watching in grossed-out fascination when she emptied the water tank after sweeping the whole house! (It’s shocking how dirty our homes get) We didn’t have scented oils back then.
You got an AMAZING deal on that vacuum cleaner even if you had to repair it!! I was one of the suckers who ended up paying over $2000 for mine new almost 10 years ago! I just pulled it out of storage and used it today for the first time on my new home I just bought and I am thrilled that I didn't just give it away when I lived in a tiny home (what the hell was I thinking?? Yea right, no place to put it but in storage where it didn't get used!) UNTIL NOW!! Congrats to you! Great find!!
Awesome! If you haven't used it in years, I would consider replacing the belt on the power nozzle. It'll make a big difference in how it cleans on carpeting, even if the old belt isn't broken.
@@VacTech1 i agree with this. I have a e2 from 1998 and the belt has NEVER been replaced, found an OEM belt in the original rainbow box, threw it on the power nozzle and it cleans 100% better. Vacuum hasn’t been used for atleast 5 years until tonight
wow i always thought this was a scam we had a salesman show up and cleaned our house and sold us 1 at the end i was 8 yrs old ... we used it for 10 yrs
The Rainbow is a FAR superior cleaner. Period. I want one very badly, but alas, it is one of the most expensive vacuums ever made. I bet those rich sheiks in Dubai own them! 😏
I had 2 rainbows and my husband got rid of both of them when we got the house vac. I like the house vac because I do not have to drag around the canister but nothing cleaned my house like the Rainbow. I am looking for a used one at a great deal myself now. I think that model is probably the best one that they made. I have more allergies than ever and I think the Rainbow would help me,
Great video and fantastic performance for a 30 year old Rainbow I demonstrate the Rainbow occasionally for Rainbow UK not because I'm a salesman but because I love them and have had one for 16 years. I am always astounded by the performance, it still works like the day I bought it. People say they're expensive (I paid £2400 in 2002 because I wanted a brand new one that hadn't been abused) so far mine has cost me £2.88 a week if I divide the price by weeks of ownership but as I can shampoo my carpets really well anytime I want that £2.88 is even cancelled out. When I do show a Rainbow to people I am genuinely aghast at the poor performance and pollution of some of the most popular machines. Some cordless machines are £600 or more and still leave so much dirt in the carpet, lasting only 3 to 5 years maximum. I went over a carpet spot 50 times with a well known cordless (think Jaws) then once with the Rainbow and even I couldn't believe a) the amount of dirt the cordless had still left behind and b) the amount of dust being thrown back out of the machine into the air. The idea of the water is to trap the dirt , dust and other contaminates to expel them from the home and start fresh every time. People really notice the dust and dirt levels going down over the months of use.
Thanks for this review. I just got one for free and I was trying to figure out how it works. Very unique. I think I will use it in my garage exclusively.
You can also use it to filter the air in your house. Fill it with Water and their is a front nozzle that you rotate I believe counter clockwise, and you turn it on without the hose attachement, and watch how it intakes all the dust floating in your house. It's an amazing machine. They also sell these Rainbow air freshener drops you can get on amazon or ebay or online somewhere. You place a couple drops in the water and while it cleans your air, it also adds a nice fragrance. We had our Rainbow for about 20 years till it finally gave out. Same model you just got.
Thank you I too agree you made this very easy to learn how to hook up the vacuum cleaner and how to use the attachments, wow didn’t know how to use the piece for hardwood floors to which I have a lot of in my home
Thanks! I hope you're happy with yours. If it's been a while, a new belt for the power nozzle will make a big difference in how it cleans carpeting. Thanks for watching!
LaurenLovesMusik me too!!!!!! I used to HATE that vacuum w I was a kid! Especially when I had to empty the water!!’ I’m 37 now w a home of my own and somehow landed on this video lol being older and loving to clean my house def makes me miss a vacuum this cool and powerful!
@@ashevans5152 age changes perspective on things. Every time my mom had to brag about her Rainbow, I had to roll my eyes as a kid... fast forward to today... bought one myself, and understand why it was such a big deal 😂
I just put a new belt on my newly trash picked 1993 D4C today. I am looking forward to trying it out. What I know so far is the bin holds water, and that both the main motor and the floorhead motor work. I may have to replace bearings on the main motor as it makes a whine on wind down when I shut it off. But then I noticed the separator nut was a little loose, so I finger tightened the nut, and already the separator hand spins quieter. So maybe that was the problem (too late to fire it up right now to confirm). It's also missing the brush and crevice attachments, as well as the tool caddy, and it is aesthetically beat up. But mostly everything else is there. I think it was thrown out because the floorhead motor came loose, causing the belt pulley to drill into the plastic siding enough to create smoke. This would explain why the floorhead power cord was cut, which I reconnected with pigtails for the time being. It turns out the gray cardboard floorhead motor mount was missing. And one of the motor mount screw holes is cracked. I did not see any burnt, loose, or disconnected wires. I will have to get a new cardboard motor mount, and figure out what to do about that cracked motor mount screw hole. It seems to hold it's screw in there, but with time and vibration, the floorhead motor will work itself loose again. Any ideas?
The broken motor mount housing might be difficult to save. I would try to mend it with strong adhesive (I would probably try J-B Weld epoxy). There will likely be a decent amount of pull on it, from the belt tension, which could cause it to break again quickly. If it doesn't hold, I would get another powerhead to swap out the housing (or just tune up the other powerhead you find). I hope you're able to save it! They're nice vacuums. Great tools, and they don't lose suction.
Have the exact same one in my basement, was my grandparents vac n when they passed my dad decided to keep it and not throw it away. Was a great vac for the time.
I love my D4C Rainbow vacuum, had the same one for 30 years, get it serviced every few years, suction is better than ever and it tackles everything, from retrieving jewelry dropped down the drain to clearing out clogged drains. I will never own a different vacuum; very satisfying to throw away the dirty water after cleaning - I can see all the dirt the Rainbow sucked up and know my house is clean. If the water has a lot of pet hair, I'll dump the mess into a garbage bag for the dumpster.
I have both versions of the D4c and I can honestly say, I like this model for the PN2 power brush, and although it's more easy to maneuver and has more aggressive agitation than its predecessor, I do like the PN1 a little bit better, mostly for its better airflow.
I wasn't aware the older nozzle had better airflow. I love how the PN2 grooms and zips around. These Rainbows are more enjoyable to use than I ever gave them credit for. I'd love to try out the newest model, the SRX, someday!
@OneDayAfterAnother You have a point there, I believe that super aggressive brush roll was put in the PN2 to compensate for its low airflow. Also, the newer models did come with a 2nd hose, but it was use mostly for wet pickups.
You should buy the aqua mate and post a video of using it and show how it works. Maybe a before and after of carpet to. Loved this video. Seems powerful.
This model's a little different than the one I just received. The one I have the cord winds up around the upper part of the canister. I do not believe I got all of the attachments but I have two different types of hard hoses. One width and one without power.
lol I own 4 different vacuum and one of them is a $600 Dyson and I got one of these D4C at an auction for 95 bux with all of the accessories I had heard about rainbow vacuum cleaners and how good they supposedly were, it has the older powerhead the square one. it was time to test it against my 4 other vacumes so I vacuumed with my vacumes and then this rainbow D4C SE and the amount of dirt that came out of my carped kinda grossed me out it was thick about 1/4 inch of thick mud at the bottom of the water that was now dark brown even though it is more of a hasel I'm glad to not have that filth in my carpet... I'm kinda shocked at how good it vacuumed severely besting my other vacumes.
Wow! So if you just got it, that powerhead may need to be tuned up to get the best cleaning results. I would replace the belt on it, and clean out the brushroll. That powerhead was made by Eureka, so it takes a Eureka powerhead belt. Although they last a long time, the belts stretch out over time.
@@VacTech1 yeahhh it's my grandmas and it is not smelling good....just turned it on and I saw a white cloud come out of it and oof makes my throat swell up
@@justFreya5 Oh I see. It might need a complete teardown and cleaning, to get rid of the smell. Dust can get into the motor fan leading to odors. Did you fill it with water when you tested it?
Amazing! I’d replace the belt on the powerhead if it’s been a while since it was done. They take a long time to break, but they stretch out, and it’ll affect performance. Hope it keeps working great for ya for many more years!
The bottom plate unclips, and lifts off. Under the brushroll, the belt cover also simply unclips, and folds back. Make sure all the pieces are seated and clicked into place properly when you put it back together!
I wouldn’t want one. I had one in there too expensive in there lousy job you can have it if you want. My Dyson does just a good job. I don’t need water or nothing. That’s my opinion.
The performance is very good, and I didn't notice any dust leaving the machine, but I understand your apprehension, as I always had the same. I will say that when I took it apart and washed it, the exhaust area after the motor only had the very finest layer of ash-like dust to it. I would like a Rainbow model with a HEPA exhaust filter in the future, but I'm more impressed with this vacuum than I ever thought I would be. Thanks for watching! I enjoy your vids.
The previous owner probably didnt keep the water clean or didn't put enough water in it so that’s probably why a thin layer of dust was on the fans . A little bit of dust isnt bad . I will say i like the Rainbow much better then any other vacuum out there.
It also will have a bit of carbon dust due to the carbon brushes inside the motor. Almost all electric motors including vacuums will do this. New Rainbows are brushless so this Isn’t an issue
Use the power tool to vacuum and clean your matterss, you will not believe what it pulls out of a mattress. I use to sell them and I have owned one for over 28 years
Thanks for the demo.
I picked this thing up off the side of the road and wondering where the filter went.
Now I know how it actually works!
Our family got one from a door to door salesmen in the mid 80's and it lasted all through my childhood and my mother still uses it to this day. It looks to be the same model, that brown color. The new ones are black and blue. One of the nice features is the exhaust plug that you can take out and put the hose on for inflation of air mattresses, pool toys etc.
Best model. I bought it in 1997 and still have and use mine!
It’s a great machine. Glad yours has treated you well!
@@VacTech1you just made salsa with a vacuum cleaner 😂
As soon as I seen this vacuum it unlocked a core memory, I could smell the oils that came with it. Does anyone else remember the set of oils that you could put in it that would freshen the air?
My mom had one of these, circa 1950’s, and I remember watching in grossed-out fascination when she emptied the water tank after sweeping the whole house! (It’s shocking how dirty our homes get) We didn’t have scented oils back then.
Yes, you can still buy them from some Rainbow parts suppliers.
You got an AMAZING deal on that vacuum cleaner even if you had to repair it!! I was one of the suckers who ended up paying over $2000 for mine new almost 10 years ago! I just pulled it out of storage and used it today for the first time on my new home I just bought and I am thrilled that I didn't just give it away when I lived in a tiny home (what the hell was I thinking?? Yea right, no place to put it but in storage where it didn't get used!) UNTIL NOW!! Congrats to you! Great find!!
Awesome! If you haven't used it in years, I would consider replacing the belt on the power nozzle. It'll make a big difference in how it cleans on carpeting, even if the old belt isn't broken.
@@VacTech1 i agree with this. I have a e2 from 1998 and the belt has NEVER been replaced, found an OEM belt in the original rainbow box, threw it on the power nozzle and it cleans 100% better. Vacuum hasn’t been used for atleast 5 years until tonight
wow i always thought this was a scam we had a salesman show up and cleaned our house and sold us 1 at the end i was 8 yrs old ... we used it for 10 yrs
I've had mine for30 yrs . Still working. Now I got another newer model. My friend passed & her son gave me hers. I love my RAINBOWS
The Rainbow is a FAR superior cleaner. Period. I want one very badly, but alas, it is one of the most expensive vacuums ever made. I bet those rich sheiks in Dubai own them! 😏
This was by far Rainbow's best model! I love mine!
I had 2 rainbows and my husband got rid of both of them when we got the house vac. I like the house vac because I do not have to drag around the canister but nothing cleaned my house like the Rainbow. I am looking for a used one at a great deal myself now. I think that model is probably the best one that they made. I have more allergies than ever and I think the Rainbow would help me,
Great video and fantastic performance for a 30 year old Rainbow
I demonstrate the Rainbow occasionally for Rainbow UK not because I'm a salesman but because I love them and have had one for 16 years. I am always astounded by the performance, it still works like the day I bought it. People say they're expensive (I paid £2400 in 2002 because I wanted a brand new one that hadn't been abused) so far mine has cost me £2.88 a week if I divide the price by weeks of ownership but as I can shampoo my carpets really well anytime I want that £2.88 is even cancelled out.
When I do show a Rainbow to people I am genuinely aghast at the poor performance and pollution of some of the most popular machines. Some cordless machines are £600 or more and still leave so much dirt in the carpet, lasting only 3 to 5 years maximum. I went over a carpet spot 50 times with a well known cordless (think Jaws) then once with the Rainbow and even I couldn't believe a) the amount of dirt the cordless had still left behind and b) the amount of dust being thrown back out of the machine into the air. The idea of the water is to trap the dirt , dust and other contaminates to expel them from the home and start fresh every time. People really notice the dust and dirt levels going down over the months of use.
I have continued to be impressed with the performance of my Rainbows, and it's very satisfying to see everything they've collected after you're done.
Thanks for this review. I just got one for free and I was trying to figure out how it works. Very unique. I think I will use it in my garage exclusively.
You can also use it to filter the air in your house. Fill it with Water and their is a front nozzle that you rotate I believe counter clockwise, and you turn it on without the hose attachement, and watch how it intakes all the dust floating in your house. It's an amazing machine. They also sell these Rainbow air freshener drops you can get on amazon or ebay or online somewhere. You place a couple drops in the water and while it cleans your air, it also adds a nice fragrance. We had our Rainbow for about 20 years till it finally gave out. Same model you just got.
99% sure just replace the motor carbon brushes, google it
Me puede ayudar cual es el carbón de boquilla
Thank you I too agree you made this very easy to learn how to hook up the vacuum cleaner and how to use the attachments, wow didn’t know how to use the piece for hardwood floors to which I have a lot of in my home
Thanks! I hope you're happy with yours. If it's been a while, a new belt for the power nozzle will make a big difference in how it cleans carpeting. Thanks for watching!
Thank you. This is the most thorough video I've seen and was honestly surprised to find a video about my exact model.
I’m 32 and we had this when I was a kid. I hated using it lol but it helped so much with my asthma. The water was always brown. 🤢
They work very well, but they're definitely a whole lotta' vacuum to deal with.
Same here..
LaurenLovesMusik me too!!!!!! I used to HATE that vacuum w I was a kid! Especially when I had to empty the water!!’ I’m 37 now w a home of my own and somehow landed on this video lol being older and loving to clean my house def makes me miss a vacuum this cool and powerful!
@@ashevans5152 age changes perspective on things. Every time my mom had to brag about her Rainbow, I had to roll my eyes as a kid... fast forward to today... bought one myself, and understand why it was such a big deal 😂
Why did you hate using it if it worked and made your house clean? Do you like to live in a dirty house or are you just lazy?
I just put a new belt on my newly trash picked 1993 D4C today. I am looking forward to trying it out. What I know so far is the bin holds water, and that both the main motor and the floorhead motor work. I may have to replace bearings on the main motor as it makes a whine on wind down when I shut it off. But then I noticed the separator nut was a little loose, so I finger tightened the nut, and already the separator hand spins quieter. So maybe that was the problem (too late to fire it up right now to confirm). It's also missing the brush and crevice attachments, as well as the tool caddy, and it is aesthetically beat up. But mostly everything else is there.
I think it was thrown out because the floorhead motor came loose, causing the belt pulley to drill into the plastic siding enough to create smoke. This would explain why the floorhead power cord was cut, which I reconnected with pigtails for the time being. It turns out the gray cardboard floorhead motor mount was missing. And one of the motor mount screw holes is cracked. I did not see any burnt, loose, or disconnected wires. I will have to get a new cardboard motor mount, and figure out what to do about that cracked motor mount screw hole. It seems to hold it's screw in there, but with time and vibration, the floorhead motor will work itself loose again. Any ideas?
The broken motor mount housing might be difficult to save. I would try to mend it with strong adhesive (I would probably try J-B Weld epoxy). There will likely be a decent amount of pull on it, from the belt tension, which could cause it to break again quickly. If it doesn't hold, I would get another powerhead to swap out the housing (or just tune up the other powerhead you find).
I hope you're able to save it! They're nice vacuums. Great tools, and they don't lose suction.
Have the exact same one in my basement, was my grandparents vac n when they passed my dad decided to keep it and not throw it away. Was a great vac for the time.
Tnx. Very helpful. Would recommend using electrified hose only with Powernozzle and waterhole with other accessories
I love my D4C Rainbow vacuum, had the same one for 30 years, get it serviced every few years, suction is better than ever and it tackles everything, from retrieving jewelry dropped down the drain to clearing out clogged drains. I will never own a different vacuum; very satisfying to throw away the dirty water after cleaning - I can see all the dirt the Rainbow sucked up and know my house is clean. If the water has a lot of pet hair, I'll dump the mess into a garbage bag for the dumpster.
Glad you like yours! I think it's a great machine. Works really well.
I have both versions of the D4c and I can honestly say, I like this model for the PN2 power brush, and although it's more easy to maneuver and has more aggressive agitation than its predecessor, I do like the PN1 a little bit better, mostly for its better airflow.
I wasn't aware the older nozzle had better airflow. I love how the PN2 grooms and zips around. These Rainbows are more enjoyable to use than I ever gave them credit for. I'd love to try out the newest model, the SRX, someday!
@OneDayAfterAnother You have a point there, I believe that super aggressive brush roll was put in the PN2 to compensate for its low airflow. Also, the newer models did come with a 2nd hose, but it was use mostly for wet pickups.
I've had one for years. LOVE IT
You should buy the aqua mate and post a video of using it and show how it works. Maybe a before and after of carpet to. Loved this video. Seems powerful.
I have one of those too and they are amazing, just fyi. only fill the tank up to the pin in the middle of the water bowl.... Enjoy and Merry Christmas
I wonder how much this unit sold for when it was brand new ??
miss that sound of the rainbow vaccum!
This model's a little different than the one I just received. The one I have the cord winds up around the upper part of the canister. I do not believe I got all of the attachments but I have two different types of hard hoses. One width and one without power.
Just bought a house and this was in a closet. Hope it works okay, but I do already have a Dyson and a Shark.
Beautiful machineI I have a D3c model in my collection! Awesome vacuums!!
the bearings in the unit are on the way out. when you turn it off, the metal zing sound is the dry bearings
lol I own 4 different vacuum and one of them is a $600 Dyson and I got one of these D4C at an auction for 95 bux with all of the accessories I had heard about rainbow vacuum cleaners and how good they supposedly were, it has the older powerhead the square one. it was time to test it against my 4 other vacumes so I vacuumed with my vacumes and then this rainbow D4C SE and the amount of dirt that came out of my carped kinda grossed me out it was thick about 1/4 inch of thick mud at the bottom of the water that was now dark brown even though it is more of a hasel I'm glad to not have that filth in my carpet... I'm kinda shocked at how good it vacuumed severely besting my other vacumes.
Wow! So if you just got it, that powerhead may need to be tuned up to get the best cleaning results. I would replace the belt on it, and clean out the brushroll. That powerhead was made by Eureka, so it takes a Eureka powerhead belt. Although they last a long time, the belts stretch out over time.
Hola tengo una en mi trabajo por más de 23 años trabajando y hoy ya no prendió saben donde se puede reparar porfas
Where can I purchase the cleanning products for it.
You should never store it put together. When it’s not in use the machine and water basin should not be together.
Rainbows are pretty amazing, can't figure out why people whine and complain about them.
Can you show how to clean out the part in the middle...like when you flip it over...idk if I'm explaining it right lol
The separator unthreads (you have to remove the nut holding it in place), and can be washed. Rainbow recommends checking and cleaning it regularly.
@@VacTech1 yeahhh it's my grandmas and it is not smelling good....just turned it on and I saw a white cloud come out of it and oof makes my throat swell up
@@justFreya5 Oh I see. It might need a complete teardown and cleaning, to get rid of the smell. Dust can get into the motor fan leading to odors. Did you fill it with water when you tested it?
@@VacTech1 yes I did I don't have the tools to get it done but I'll see what I can do
Dude you’re back ! Lol
I just got the same unit. For $15!
I LOVE THIS VACUUM 😍💗♥️💓😀
do the plastic cord clips fold up?
One of them does, to quickly unwrap the cord.
So is it a carpet cleaner or vacuum
It's primarily a vacuum cleaner, but theres an optional attachment that let's you use it as a carpet cleaner. It can do both.
Is it rare im gonna buy one of these
They're not too rare where I'm from, but they are getting older.
Can you use the wood floor attachment on a rug? I don't have the power head...
You can, but the floor brush will both be hard to push on carpeting, and won't be very effective.
A friend of my wife just gave her one of these for free trying to figure it out
Nice! I’d get a new belt for the power head. Hopefully the suction motor sounds good too. How they’re taken care of makes all the difference.
I have this vacuum since 1996. Still working, was only once in service!
Amazing! I’d replace the belt on the powerhead if it’s been a while since it was done. They take a long time to break, but they stretch out, and it’ll affect performance. Hope it keeps working great for ya for many more years!
How do you open under roller
The bottom plate unclips, and lifts off. Under the brushroll, the belt cover also simply unclips, and folds back. Make sure all the pieces are seated and clicked into place properly when you put it back together!
THAT'S A GrEaT MODEL 2 HAVE!!!
I wouldn’t want one. I had one in there too expensive in there lousy job you can have it if you want. My Dyson does just a good job. I don’t need water or nothing. That’s my opinion.
It's hard to say it cleans well so much of the dust goes out the back side.
The performance is very good, and I didn't notice any dust leaving the machine, but I understand your apprehension, as I always had the same. I will say that when I took it apart and washed it, the exhaust area after the motor only had the very finest layer of ash-like dust to it. I would like a Rainbow model with a HEPA exhaust filter in the future, but I'm more impressed with this vacuum than I ever thought I would be. Thanks for watching! I enjoy your vids.
The previous owner probably didnt keep the water clean or didn't put enough water in it so that’s probably why a thin layer of dust was on the fans . A little bit of dust isnt bad . I will say i like the Rainbow much better then any other vacuum out there.
It also will have a bit of carbon dust due to the carbon brushes inside the motor. Almost all electric motors including vacuums will do this. New Rainbows are brushless so this
Isn’t an issue
💅🏼💅🏼💅🏼
To long. Show me how to take out water
my parents got talked into buying one of these, worst fucking thing in the world to use. disgusting water cleanup. dogshit product
The maintenance of them is what kept me from trying one for years. They work well, but plenty of setup, teardown and cleanup involved with them.
@@VacTech1 yeah as the middle schooler who was put in charge of all that in our house it became my enemy lol
Use the power tool to vacuum and clean your matterss, you will not believe what it pulls out of a mattress. I use to sell them and I have owned one for over 28 years