Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Hi everybody... Today I bought a Miele S2 Delphi, the model with the SEB-217 powerbrush. I considered buying it online--lots of places offered free overnight and no sales tax, but I wanted it today. Plus, it felt good supporting the city of Chandler, AZ with 43 dollars of sales tax and supporting a local business...

Anyway, I can post pics and a review of the machine if anyone would like it. It's very similar to other Miele canisters, with the 1200 watt 'Vortex' motor, crushproof hose, quality German construction, and virtually silent operation. Seriously--the 217 powerhead doesn't make a peep. I had to check a few times to make sure it was on. Quite the contrast from the Kenmore powernozzles that will rattle ones eyeballs out of their sockets.

One question, however: The manual states that the indicator on the SEB217 should glow green for normal operation, and red for abnormal. Mine does neither: it glows orange, but purrs quietly, grooms the carpet beautifully, and makes no extraneous noises. For anyone else with a recent Miele, is orange a normal color? Or, for anyone that owns a vac store, I'd be indebted to you if you get the chance to check on your display.

I have wanted a Miele powerteam for a long time, and the S2 series finally makes it semi-reasonable: 543 dollars out the door for a 7+1 year warranty, friendly local service, and a free package of GN bags--I thought that was very nice, considering you pay the same for a Miele no matter where you go, and these bags are 20 dollars a box. I've gone to some vac shops that won't even throw in a pack of generic paper bags when purchasing a Panasonic Platinum upright.

Trav

The connector has never fallen off on my Miele's, Carmine. It's the tools. I know that Miele tried to experiment here with a better holder than the clip on one equipped with my original S4210 and that was a particular pain in the neck even though it could be clipped to the handle before the hose as well as the main metal pipes.

When my Miele S4212 gets around a corner for example the wall that it gets stuck behind before moving into the next room is naturally obstructed. Sometimes when the machine is then pulled out of the corner, the vacuum will move out of the way and a tool falls off in the process.

In this respect SEBO's K series which only has a single clip on the tubes for its dusting brush is better thought out; all the other tools sit within the machine's design. Miele are evidently concerned about weight and price/model line ups which is why they probably added the newer lock on tool holder by the main hose connection on the machine. Still not as effective as the bigger S5 models or older S500/S300 models with the push button tool door and the tools inside.

I've always felt onboard tools are the ticket for both canisters and uprghts and I have felt that way since an ill-fated experience with an Electrolux 7020A.  It's hose grip was designed to allow for clipping on often-used tools but they continually kept falling off while I worked.  That ain't my idea of "handy".

The whole affair with tool clips on wands and vacuum hoses is merely about being cheap albeit the idea serves best with central vacuum systems as there is no unit to store tools on. 

This is just another "dumb-down" to make the public pay more but get less.  Speaking on behalf of Kenmore, at least in this inbstance, its models cost somewhat less than Miele and other brand cans but thngs that matter like onboard tools storage and swivel hose connections with integrally designed electrical connection are good thng -- not bad.   But, excuse me, it costs so much more to deliver quality Miele says.

Venson

Venson wrote:



Right on Venson, it is a way of "cheapening" things. Hoover have one, as pictured on here on their Chinese made Freemotion cylinders. The idea is that there's a slider underneath where the round part is that pushes out the brushes, reverse it and it becomes a flat upholstery tool. In other words Hoover have copied Electrolux here with their excellent "butterfly," style combo tool. But even at that, as it sits underneath the smooth tube, the tool connector does sometimes come off, no matter how fancy or flush Hoover make it. One thing I do like about clip on tools at the top is that they are generally easier to get to rather than having to bend down to get smaller cleaning tools all the time.

vacmanuk wrote:

Do you own one of these vacuums Vacmanuk? Just curious buddy. If so, what's the quality like compared to a Miele and/or SEBO?

Nope I have never bought a Hoover Freemotion and reason being since I'm a member of UK group Hooverland, one member on there has bought a Freemotion and found it below par and I'd go with his thinking and reasoning behind it. It looks really well designed, very organic and the 2 way standard suction only floor head has a Miele copied pivotal neck that allows the floor head to go side ways. Pity Hoover didn't incorporate a similar neck on their main floor head air turbo brush. The Freemotion is also noisier than the German vacs and very expensive, bits have broken off, thus the plastic build is poor and although I like the handle design and the way the tubes can be moved from the top, I'm led to believe the adjuster for it has snapped off far too many times. One novel feature that it has (but it doesn't impress me) is that the air filter exhaust automatically rises up when the machine is switched on. It is of course a fad that doesn't offer anything new to the owner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z0OC-GmnFM

vacmanuk wrote:

See, all these bits snapping off wouldn't happen w/ a Dyson, thus making them high quality machines (Dysons). Just FYI. Too bad this isn't build like a Dyson or a Miele, because the features do look very cool. I'm also interested in Bosch's newer machines, especially their Roxx'x bagless canister, as it uses filter technology that you can find in U.S.A-made aftermarket Shop Vac filters, and this technology is called "CleanStream." Interesting stuff.

Hertz wrote:
Oh yes Hertz, W H A T E V E R. You like You Tube don't you? Have a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHoMv21MpOE Here the owner can't seem to get their hose out. Recently bought model I'm assuming since its one of the ball uprights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecCF5N9zheA&NR=1 here the owner has bought a Dyson from EBAY and what a feeble sound it makes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc49M83xs90&NR=1 Here the owner's motorhead which can clearly be seen moving as well as being heard makes a good sum of the Dyson right at the end of the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDGmHE81WO4&feature=related Now this one is particularly good, particularly because the owner has listed how long they've had their vacuum for and the parts that have needed to be replaced. Infact they go onto say:

"...I will need to buy a new motor next week and put it in the machine myself - looks like the post motor filter will need changing too. Good thing I got Dyson to send me a spare one 2 years ago and I didnt pay for it either.

This machine has been very reliable for the 7 years its been in use and to be honest it has been used a lot in the house and in the car a few times in the 7 years.

So far the machine has had a new clutch when brand new as the original one was noisy , a new wand handle and 2 x stair tools and the whole duct changed over which I changed myself apart from that everything else has been ok just now its completely gone. Will be cheaper to get a new motor than buy a new one..."

Now, out of all these videos on You Tube, it seems Dyson seems to be number one for reliability faults or things breaking. If it was the case that Dyson had an impeachable record, Hertz, why do all these videos on You Tube exist? Its certainly not all from crazed vacuum cleaner collectors who are trying to find fault with their models.

So much for your "high quality" claim.

Have sold Miele over 12 years never have had electical connection problems like Kenmore/panasonic or any others, belive its because of the solid pins

vacmanuk wrote:

No crap sherlock there's always going to be bad lemons, but Dysons, on average, will last MUCH longer than the cheap china-crap vacs due to Dysons high build quality. I don't usually trust Consumer Reports when it comes to reviews, but they rate Dyson close to the very top when it comes to brand reliability. I wonder why that is? Oh yeah! Because they're built DAMN well!

Oh here we go again. Consumer Reports - that deals with just America and Canada, right? Fire back at ya ma lad - Which? Consumer reporting have been doing the data since Dyson's first machines - they are STILL rated AVERAGE for reliability! Fair enough you can look at the "free" stats Which? put online but you need to be a paid member to get the low down on where Dyson are going wrong!

And if there are "bad lemons," on You Tube where Dysons are concerned, what's happened with Miele or Sebo? Where are the bad lemon videos on there? Why aren't the owners putting those videos on? Ask yourself that question. You can't have bad lemons for a company you keep heaping praise on following a palette of broken Dysons offered to you for a cheap price and trying to support "quality vacuums"

Quality crap, yes.. perhaps.