I just got a D-33 off eBay. It’s the model after Monica and I’ll call her Queenie, I’m not feeling too creative at the moment with regard to names, lol. Queenie and Monica look as alike as two sisters can: Queenie’s top ornamental grille and powerhead cover look to be the same moldings but are chrome instead of brown and she has the automatic cord reel in the base. I really wanted the latter but it probably contributes to her 25 pound weight, she outweighs my Kirby Legend II by five pounds and that is no lightweight! In comparison a two-speed Tristar CXL/Compact C-80-2 is a svelte 15 pounds even though it uses the same Lamb motor as the Filter Queen.

The literature that came with mine is dated February of ‘82 so I figure it was made sometime after then. Once FQ got into those earthy browns they stayed with them forever so I’d guess Monica was made well into the ‘70s.

For some years Health-Mor (Chicago based manufacturer of Filter Queen) offered a BOL vac called the Princess. It’s basically the same as the FQ but grey in color with less chrome and a one-speed motor (some earlier FQs also had this). The Princess was sold through vacuum cleaner stores unlike the FQ, I’m not sure if the door to door FQ salesmen also sold Princess. The Princess name was additionally used on a re-badged German made upright for awhile but I think those are pretty rare while the basic FQ Princess is not. Just like Kirby and Compact/Tristar, Health-Mor made a very functional and high quality product intended to be maintained rather than thrown away after a couple of years.

I forgot to add that it was tennblondie's purchase of Monica that inspired me to find Queenie: I saw her earlier post and since the D-31 and D-33 models are my fav Filter Queens I thought it might be nice to peruse eBay for just a moment and there was Queenie calling to me . . . so thanks to her for posting.

I don't prefer the gas pump style hoses either. I've got a new OEM FQ hose on order since mine has seen better days; according to some sources it would be possible to use an early gas pump type hose with the D-31 or D-33 so there is some flexibility with regard to hoses so long as the vac has the earlier push locks on the tools. At some point FQ brought out a new tool and wand design and those must use the later gas pump style hose.

So far using the FQ has been a delight due primarily to the very high quality tools and on board tool caddy, plus I really like the two speed motor. I do have one of the rare two speed TriStar CXLs but the motor is sick and I don't have a powerhead for it, now that I've spent more money than Queenie cost me on the new hose and assorted replacement parts and accessories it will be the daily driver vac.