The Sebo Dart range is based on Sebo's "combo" cylinder meets upright design, "Felix" family. There are two models of the Dart available; the Dart 1 with a 175 watt motor brush head and the Dart 2 with a 200 watt 14" motor brush head. In terms of purchase the Dart 1 makes a lot more sense than other commercial uprights on the market and after suffering with putting up with an Oreck XL donated by one of the companies I started working for, I wasn't impressed with the Oreck one bit not just by its noise but by the fact that I found it difficult to maintain, unclog and use effectively in the quickest time possible for cleaning offices.
The Sebo Dart is however a simplified version of the Sebo Felix. So you get no adjustable height handle, but a fixed handle, you get no variable suction, but 1300 watts of instant power the moment you switch on, no additional cleaning tools other than Sebo's standard 12" long and noise free crevice tool and no beater bar stop button on the floor head. In short, Sebo have made the Dart to be as simple and basic as possible but it is in its element when it comes to actual usage.
Weight wise the Dart weighs around 7kg which isn't as heavy as the older Sebo X1 Automatic I had, and whilst that may well be heavier than most commercial uprights on the market, the Dart 1 has a great swivelling neck similar to Dyson's Baby uprights and to a latter extent any cylinder vacuum cleaner. The trick is that the Dart uses cylinder vacuum cleaner floor heads so the natural progression from cylinder to upright is just the same mechanisms as seen in the Felix family.
However in use, I find the Dart really gets around carpets with natural ease. Unlike the Oreck XL, it can be wheeled around on its back wheels and it can get around office chairs and under low desks with a flat to the floor cleaning when the bristles of the brush bar are actually hitting the carpet surface.
Noise wise, the Dart 1 isn't that noisy despite the lack of a variable suction control. Despite having no electric sensor on the motor brush head, the Dart 1 has 4 height selections available giving precise pick up where it is needed whilst its usual LED's of warning are also included. If something gets clogged on the brush bar however, the Dart 1 will automatically stop. Once the clog is removed (and can be instant due to the button release on the floor head itself where the entire beater bar can be removed) the Dart 1 can be switched on again; there is no 30 minute or more waiting time for the motor to be cooled down on this model!
When I purchased my Sebo Dart 1 in 2006 it cost me £179.99. This works out to be around $293.46 The bags are also deep fill despite their known capacities of 3.5 litres. In my experience the Sebo family of vacuums bags and filters last longer than anything on the market; filters can last up to 32 bags or whenever they start to go completely black and their replacements don't cost that much money. The bags themselves are ideal for safe and easy dirt disposal thanks to the self seal hats on the bags themselves that seal the bags up once they are full. Generally with office contract cleaning I find I go through bags either every 3 weeks to 2 months depending on the location and the severity of the dust pick up.
Over the more expensive Oreck XL which is simpler in its design but harder to maintain the Sebo Dart 1 is an excellent upright vacuum cleaner perfect for smaller businesses.
Date Purchased: 12/2007
Price Paid: $293
Recommend: Yes |
Pros:
Lightweight, powerful, good suction, good carpet performance, simpler than Felix hence lower price.
Cons:
Availability, no beater bar stop function, fixed handle gets in the way when made to go to hand held function. |
