catlady

Venson and Carmine,

You have both been very helpful.  Thank you so much.

Venson, you have really gone the extra mile to get information for me and I really appreciate it.  There is a good group of people on this site. 

mole wrote:

No, I don't have kids and I do not see how me being upset with the cost of the bags makes me a malcontent.  I have been very satisifed with the vacuum and have had no complaints about it.  I felt I posted a very honest and fair review of the new Miele and the only complaint I have is with the cost of the new bags and the fact that I had to wait a very long time for them to come in and had to borrow a vacuum while waiting.  I think you have misclassified me as a chronic complainer.  That is not the case.  I am glad you were not my Vac Shop Salesman.  You seem a bit quick to misjudge.

I did a lot of research before I bought my vacuum and I spent a lot of time with my Vac Shop Salesman testing various vacuums.  I knew the Miele bags were pricey, but I feel that 4 bags for $16.95 + tax is excessive.  If you recall the first box of bags I purchsed were 5 bags for $15.35 + tax.  I did not know the price was going to go up for less bags.  And yes, I will go through them quickly with the amount I vacuum to reduce my asthma symptoms.  If I want to continue to work as a rescuer (and I do) this is something that I need to do to stay healthy.  I have no complaints about the vacuum itself.  I am very happy with it for a number of reasons. 

Getting a Central Vac will definately be a goal for our next home.  Hopefully we can make that happen within the next 3 or 4 years.  Until then, I will be sticking with the Miele because I like the fact that I am not sneezing/coughing when I vacuum anymore.  The bagless systems (which is what my previous vacuum was) just aren't a good option for asthma sufferers like myself.  When I went in for my allergy shot this morning, the nurse told me the Dyson is not recommended for someone with severe allergy/asthma problems like I have.  She said no bagless system is recommended due to having to empty them.  She also told me that Miele and Sebo are recommened, but a Central Vac is the best option.  So I guess I will deal with the cost of these bags for my health until I can get a Central Vac.

At this point in time, would you guys recommend I sell the Miele and get a Dyson?   I had researched vacuums for almost a year before finally purchasing my Miele.  I read a lot of reviews that the Dyson had frequent repair issues so I decided to look into other options.  My Vac Shop guy is very aware of my situation with the rescue I run and the amount of animals I keep in my home.  I spent a couple of months running to the Vac Shop testing vacuums after I knew how much my stimulus check was going to be.  If you guys remember from my review, the vacuum I was going to buy was the Sebo X4.  I had thoroughly tested it, but the Miele outperfomed it except in the edging test with the cat litter.  I was tired of buying vacuum cleaners that couldn't hold up to my use and felt I was wasting my money on buying a new vacuum every year.  I wanted one that was going to last.  The biggest reason I went with the Miele is because of the low emissions and how its really well built.  It's solid.  With my last vacuum I would often sneeze and cough the entire time I was vacuuming.  I do not have that problem with this Miele.  Also I don't mind hauling the vacuum around the house.  My home is small and the 40 foot cord allows me to do an entire floor at a time without having to switch the plug.  The Miele is actually pretty convenient for me and easy to use.  But now that I see how much those bags will cost me over time, it doesn't seem to make sense for me to keep the Miele.  A lot of spays/neuters could be done with that money.

When I first bought the Miele, my Vac Shop guy told me that he only had 1 box of bags per vacuum and they were not free with the vacuum (I thought they would be).  At that time I paid $15.35 for 5 bags in a plain white box.  I went through those bags in about 2 1/2 months.  When I returned to the Vac Shop he told me they were ordered but never came in and they were having problems getting the bags in.  I waited and waited and borrowed a vaccum from my MIL.  Finally I posted my frustration on here.  I called Miele directly and was connected with a Salesman.  He told me that they had plenty of bags on hand and that my Vac Shop should not have any problems getting them in.  I called the Vac Shop and told them what the Miele Salesman told me and asked them why they were having such a problem getting the bags in.  The guy sounded suprised by what I told him and said he was going to call his Salesperson right away.  A week later I got a call saying the bags were finally in.  That's when I was shocked that the bags were now $16.95 (checked my receipt last night) for just 4 bags.  I thought the bags were always going to be $15.35 for 5 bags and I was more accepting of that. 

I agree that a central vac would be a much better option for me, especially because I have severe asthma.  That is why I clean so often.  So I can continue to do rescue and keep myself somewhat healthy.  I did look into a central vac before the Sebo (that was the one I wanted to buy) and before I finally bought the Miele.  My husband feels that since we want to eventually move into a bigger house in a better neighborhood we should wait and put in a central vac when we get a new house.  He doesn't want to put any more money (such as a central vac) into our current home since it needs so much work already with more important items such as a new roof and ceiling repairs from water damage.

I do still love the vacuum and stand by my earlier review.  It does a great job in my home.  It's better than any vacuum I've ever owned.  Although I am really curious about the Riccar so many people love.  But I don't think I'll be getting another stimulus check anytime soon.  The bags are a big downfall for me though.  Because I vacuum so much and I have so many long haired pets I fill up the bags quickly (about 2 weeks, sometimes a few extra days if I slack on my vacuuming).  The bags that initially came with my vacuum were 5 bags for $15.35.  Still expensive, but I did expect them to be pricey because of the quality.  I just didn't expect the actual U bags to be less for more.  I am going to mention this when Miele sends me my next survey.