vacmanuk
Joined: May 31, 2009
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When Miele announced that they were going to produce an all in house designed upright vacuum cleaner, I amongst many buyers probably didn't think much of this at the time. The U.S has for many years licensed Panasonic uprights that we get in the UK under the Panasonic label and Miele rebadge as their own series in the U.S Thus when the new S7 range was launched I was interested in buying either one of their models or a Sebo X4 Pet upright; my sister has an old Sebo X1 Automatic of which it has lasted her nine years, so the Miele S7210 had a lot to live up to!
When I got my S7210 home I noticed that quite a lot of thought has gone into this production model even though it is the basic starter vacuum in Miele's UK range line up. Thus you get a rotary variable suction dial that gives a surpremely quiet motor to a middle range of noise for the highest setting to 1800 watts of power. Over the Sebo X1 which has half of this power I was quite astounded on the power of this Miele model.
In terms of carpet performance the S7210 excels very well although it is quite a large upright vacuum and takes some time getting used to. Whilst many in the U.S who have bigger homes will adore the Miele S7's size, in my home which is probably much smaller, I found it difficult to cope with the Miele's size. The trump card on the S7 is a swivelling neck similar to the Sebo Felix and as such with a flick of the wrist the S7 can be turned left to right with the floor head correspondingly changing. Whilst I find this is a good idea, the 14" floor head sometimes proves to be too bulky for its own good and half the time I end up using the hose on the back. In terms of gliding, the S7 has sprung wheels at the front, additional castors and a flush sole plate that gets all the dust of all natures sucked in. Gliding is superb generally but I don't like the fact that I have to manually push a pedal to mount the S7 over different floor coverings, like an additional rug for example on existing floors. Power controls however are mounted on the handle and give you the option of beater bar on/off.
Its the hose at the back that is extremely good and considerably longer than my sister's Sebo. I find the hose for example will happily extend to 3 metres or so without the vacuum falling over. This may be due to the fact that unlike other vacuums on the market it has a hose lock that deposits the hose to the bottom of the cleaner thus minimising falling over. There are three tools on this model which are made of good quality PVC plastic and like the Sebo X features a longer crevice tool that is quiet when fixed on. A delight however is the extension pipe - a metal item (at last!) and telescopic adjustable to any height. Made of aluminium means that it is also light weight and a main grab handle at the back ensures that the S7 can be lifted. It is however heavy at 9.5kg.
In the end despite its Super Air clean filter (2 come free with a pack of 6 bags costing £6-95) and a large 6 litre capacity bag, I eventually passed my Miele S7 on. Despite the beautiful precision and build quality, I find the Miele is far too big for its own good. Although the bags are large and hold a lot of dust, I simply rule out having to spend extra money on filters to bring the S7210 up to higher standards even if Miele's HEPA or Active Air Clean Charcoal filters minimise pet hair odour.
The S7210 cost me £249-00 (around $402) without taking bags into consideration. In the end I found Sebo's X4 Pet model at £235 ($379) brand new at a high street outlet and it comes with a 6 metre hose. Yes, whilst the Sebo X4 is more old fashioned, it has everything I need without being so heavy and bulky. The Miele S7210 will however I am sure, suit buyers who are looking for a large upright vacuum cleaner, but for those with smaller homes and a lighter gliding factor, my money goes to Sebo.
Date Purchased: 03/01/09
Price Paid: $402
Recommend: Yes |
Pros:
Beautifully made, variable suction control, great hose and smaller attachments at the back, won't fall over.
Cons:
Too bulky to swing around furniture effectively; too heavy to lift, cost price in the UK expensive. |
This message was modified Jun 15, 2009 by vacmanuk
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