Miele customer moved to Sebo

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SeboU1

SeboU1

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Gold Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2025
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123
Location
Pittsburgh PA
Well in an effort to preserve my Miele S8 Unique, the Black Friday sale got me and I will now have a Sebo D4. Miele really left their customers in a tough spot, as they no longer offer a model with handle controls and the better 236 nozzle. Overall the Unique has been very reliable, the only repair was a hose replacement (not the handle, just hose). I like everything about the unique, other than the park feature that turns the motor off. I like that I can put the parquet nozzle there and the unit turns off, but they did not completely think it over. If I’m using the parquet nozzle and want to clean a chair, you cannot keep the wand in the parking slot.

The D4 seems like it will definitely have the usually Sebo quality and reliability, compared to Miele. I knew that they only give the cheapest floor brush with the D4. I looked at Sebo’s floor brush selection and was surprised with how many floor brushes they make. I went with the Wessel Werk twister nozzle, since I’m used to it on my Miele. I might try the Sebo made parquet nozzle at some point. I’m glad that you can still get a canister with handle controls, as all Sebos have it. I was stuck between the E3 and the D4, but I wanted the long cord of the D4. I like the power control better on the E3 and K3, not sure why they did the +/- buttons on the D4 (I guess to make it seem more premium). Anyone else have an experience with the D4? I usually turn the standby off before I unplug my Unique, should that also be done with the D4?
 
i went thru darn near the same exact debate a few months ago and ended up
With a D4. Once I learned I can do both my floors without moving the cord, I felt it was worth the extra $.

I wish it had the slider versus the +\-. I don’t turn the standby off, I figure Sebo uses properly rated devices, due to their reputation and long warranty period.

Edit: oh… I got the premium wheeled parquet tool. I actually use the regular one more because you can ‘scrub’ with it. Can’t do that with the premium one because of its wheels. If I had to do it all over again I would have bought the turn and clean one instead of the premium.
 
Last edited:
herbicide said:
i went thru darn near the same exact debate a few months ago and ended up
With a D4. Once I learned I can do both my floors without moving the cord, I felt it was worth the extra $.

I wish it had the slider versus the +\-. I don’t turn the standby off, I figure Sebo uses properly rated devices, due to their reputation and long warranty period.

Edit: oh… I got the premium wheeled parquet tool. I actually use the regular one more because you can ‘scrub’ with it. Can’t do that with the premium one because of its wheels. If I had to do it all over again I would have bought the turn and clean one instead of the premium.
Click to expand...
I’m glad to hear about the turn and clean nozzle! I have smooth Pergo floors in an upstairs bedroom, but most of my main floor has a Pergo with “pits” (to make it look like real wood). My Foyer has tile, so I could use the extra brush there too. I do find that my Miele parquet always does better than my Lindhaus with the wheeled floor tool. I am most excited for the long cord! My Miele gets to most of the house, but I always have to replay to finish the last room. My X4 will clean every floor without repluging, but I would have to replug to use attachments in the far end of the last room.
 
centralsweeper63 said:
I have only seen the K3, as it is all my local vac shop has, though I loved it. I hope you love your Sebo to. I was a Sebo convert a few years ago too.
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I do. It’s extremely quiet and extremely powerful. House is noticeably cleaner with it, dust and dog smell are essentially a thing of the past.
 
Just me but hard floor nozzles with wheels don't work in our home.. The best hard floor brush is something like Sebo's most basic parquet floor brush. I have wheeled floor brushes but I can't turn them sideways to get between the desk and wall or some of the other narrow gaps where pet hair collects. If you look at the hard floor brush that comes with a Vapamore ( Crapamore ) MR500 Vento, that is the ideal hard floor brush. Sometimes simple is just better.
 
centralsweeper63 said:
That is great to hear. I am getting a k3 for Christmas.
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A K3 will clean every bit as well as the E or D series and for a lot less money. About all you might be giving up is bag size and cord length. Those are not worth the ridiculous premium you pay for the D. I have a lot of heartburn with Sebo canister vacuum pricing. The only one that is worth the high price is the K. No vacuum made is worth more than $1,000 USD. Not a one.
 
centralsweeper63 said:
In NZ a k3 is $1,800, an E3 is $1,900 and a D4 is $2,000.
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That is very interesting, I’ve never looked up the New Zealand prices! The conversations include that: NZ K3 is $1,032 us, NZ E3 is $1,089 us, and NZ D4 is $1147 us. The K3 costs significantly more in NZ than in the US! The E3 costs slightly more than in the us. I found it interesting that the D4 is cheaper in NZ when compared to the us Black Friday sale. I guess the distance from Germany makes the price rather high.
 
For $100 USD less than American prices the gen5detect is available with 3 more accessories. Some prices are higher and some are lower. That is NZ. In Australia the Pinnock Premier (our version of the Compact machines) cost $940 USD adjusted for inflation, meanwhile in America the same vacuum would cost $2095 USD adjusted for inflation.
 
I've had Mieles for years and been satisfied with them. I recently came across a used D4 at a great price. I'm a convert. The D4 is amazing. Huge power, quiet, great filtration, excellent features. The 40-foot cord lets me clean the whole living room, dining room and kitchen from one plug.

Re: the floor brush. Sebo offers a cheap (<$10) adapter that lets you use standard 1.25" attachments. I'm using a generic parquet brush with the D4.

Incidentally, a friend of mine was recently shopping for a Miele to replace an ancient Kirby. She wasn't overly impressed by the C3. At my suggestion, she compared a Sebo E3. She bought the Sebo and has been really happy with it.
 
bisonian said:
I've had Mieles for years and been satisfied with them. I recently came across a used D4 at a great price. I'm a convert. The D4 is amazing. Huge power, quiet, great filtration, excellent features. The 40-foot cord lets me clean the whole living room, dining room and kitchen from one plug.

Re: the floor brush. Sebo offers a cheap (<$10) adapter that lets you use standard 1.25" attachments. I'm using a generic parquet brush with the D4.

Incidentally, a friend of mine was recently shopping for a Miele to replace an ancient Kirby. She wasn't overly impressed by the C3. At my suggestion, she compared a Sebo E3. She bought the Sebo and has been really happy with it.
Click to expand...
Miele always looks like a luxury piece, especially the beautiful Porsche paint on my Unique. Since I bought my X4, I can say that Sebo has superior quality. Of course I didn’t doubt the quality of the x4, I always see the cleaning people abusing the Windsor sensor in a building I frequent. I have a rule that any vacuums I buy new must have a 40ft cord, it makes a big difference.

I could consider the 1.25” adapter, I have all of the Riccar 1.25” attachments. I bought the Sebo specified tool so I would have the parking.

I’m sure Miele sells primarily because of the good looks, the Sebos have a lot more features for the prices. Let’s say one was looking at the C3 Home care (without handle controls), the E3 offers a lot more for the comparable or if not less price.

I’m excited to try my D4, I’m just waiting on the UPS guy!
 
I think that for $1,300 I had best get more than a guard l1 comfort (our comfort doesn't even have handle controls!). I think for $700 more getting the D4 is way better value as it has better quality, handle controls, much longer cable, powerhead and a bigger bag.
 
Sebo makes a nice product but their North American pricing is an insult. Even before the recent imposition of tariffs Sebo would sell vacuums in the EU for half of what they charge for the same machine in the US. Shipping a 40 foot container from Bremerhaven to the US costs around $2,000 and you can put 21 standard pallets on the floor of one of those 40 foot cans. Figure nine vacuums ( boxed and ready to sell ) per pallet, shipping from Germany to the US adds around $20 per vacuum. If a "high cube" ( taller ) container is used the pallets can be double stacked allowing 42 pallets and reducing shipping cost to around $10 per vacuum. Shipping them across the US adds another $20 or so. I spent a lot of years in logistics and know what things cost to ship. Also, there is simply no way a D cost $400 more to manufacture than an E. In the EU the price difference between a D and E is on the order of 30 Euros. Miele pricing is no better and they are not as well made or durable as a Sebo. A Miele is a $300 - $400 in Europe and as far as I'm concerned that is all they are worth here.

The German companies, whether it is household appliances, automobiles or motorcycles have Americans convinced that anything from Germany is naturally and automatically superior to anything from any other country. As someone with German coffee makers, toasters, cars, motorcycles and vacuums I can safely say they are full of prunes ( and you know what happens after eating prunes ! ). Some of it is better but often it is worse with too much complexity and more recently unreliable electronics. Thirty years ago maybe they had a point but their stuff has cheapened all across the board and their competitors have caught up and in many cases surpassed the Germans.
 
centralsweeper63 said:
I think that for $1,300 I had best get more than a guard l1 comfort (our comfort doesn't even have handle controls!). I think for $700 more getting the D4 is way better value as it has better quality, handle controls, much longer cable, powerhead and a bigger bag.
Click to expand...
IMHO Sebo has not improved upon the C3.1. That remains their best ever canister vacuum, and especially so if it has the recently released revised C/K hose that is 8 feet long and finally has an off-on switch for the power nozzle and you also have the later all metal telescopic wand ( earlier versions were half metal and half gray plastic ). With those two modern upgrades a C3.1 is a very nice piece of equipment.
 
Another Miele to Sebo convert here. The first 'good' bagged vacuum I owned was a Miele C3 Homecare+ I bought used which was actually a wonderful machine. But then I got my hands on an NOS Sebo Airbelt C3.1 and loved the solid more commercial feel of it so I ended up selling the C3. I didn't wanna use the Airbelt C3.1 too much since its a vintage machine plus I wanted something a little more powerful and modern so I got a D4 for a great deal. Unfortunately ended up selling it shortly later so I could get my finances together and pay down some debt. But I definitely got hooked on the machine and with their Black Friday deal I'm currently in the process of getting another D4. I was curious about the E3 as well but I like the D4's longer cord, swivel hose, and 4 caster wheels.

However I do have a Miele U1 upright that I absolutely adore, more so than most Sebo uprights (which are still good I just wish they had more dual motor offerings outside the Dart/Felix)

cheesewonton said:
A K3 will clean every bit as well as the E or D series and for a lot less money. About all you might be giving up is bag size and cord length. Those are not worth the ridiculous premium you pay for the D. I have a lot of heartburn with Sebo canister vacuum pricing. The only one that is worth the high price is the K. No vacuum made is worth more than $1,000 USD. Not a one.
Click to expand...
FWIW its rare that I've seen anyone pay more than $1000 for any Sebo canister unless they buy directly from the website. Sebo dealers have reasonably higher margins on their products so they can be talked down quite a bit on the price and still do well. I had a dealer offer me a D4 couple years back for $999 just over the phone, about $300 off at that time.
 
Ant_Tenna said:
Another Miele to Sebo convert here. The first 'good' bagged vacuum I owned was a Miele C3 Homecare+ I bought used which was actually a wonderful machine. But then I got my hands on an NOS Sebo Airbelt C3.1 and loved the solid more commercial feel of it so I ended up selling the C3. I didn't wanna use the Airbelt C3.1 too much since its a vintage machine plus I wanted something a little more powerful and modern so I got a D4 for a great deal. Unfortunately ended up selling it shortly later so I could get my finances together and pay down some debt. But I definitely got hooked on the machine and with their Black Friday deal I'm currently in the process of getting another D4. I was curious about the E3 as well but I like the D4's longer cord, swivel hose, and 4 caster wheels.

However I do have a Miele U1 upright that I absolutely adore, more so than most Sebo uprights (which are still good I just wish they had more dual motor offerings outside the Dart/Felix)


FWIW its rare that I've seen anyone pay more than $1000 for any Sebo canister unless they buy directly from the website. Sebo dealers have reasonably higher margins on their products so they can be talked down quite a bit on the price and still do well. I had a dealer offer me a D4 couple years back for $999 just over the phone, about $300 off at that time.
Click to expand...
I use my C3.1 and don't worry about it. The suction motors can be rebuilt and Domel still makes new ones. One of the reasons I prefer the old C3.1 is that it uses a full size ( 145mm, 5.7 inch ) motor, not the tiny little Bosch screamer used in modern Sebo canister vacs. The C3.1 also uses the same synthetic dust bags as the G, X, Mechanical and 370 series uprights. No problems with parts availability for the canister and the hose, wands and ET-1 are literally the same items sold with the K series. Mine came with the weird-Harold ET-H power nozzle and I can still get replacement parts for it, though I long ago retired it in favor of an ET-1. The Cs have a long cord and IMHO the best attachment storage of any Sebo canister.

I tried one of those Miele U-1 things when they first came out but five minutes of use had me sweating profusely. Man that thing has a heavy upper body and the twist feature made it very tiring to use. Nein danke. A Sebo G1 or 370 is much easier to use. So is the Hoover Hushtone.
 
cheesewonton said:
Sebo makes a nice product but their North American pricing is an insult. Even before the recent imposition of tariffs Sebo would sell vacuums in the EU for half of what they charge for the same machine in the US. Shipping a 40 foot container from Bremerhaven to the US costs around $2,000 and you can put 21 standard pallets on the floor of one of those 40 foot cans. Figure nine vacuums ( boxed and ready to sell ) per pallet, shipping from Germany to the US adds around $20 per vacuum. If a "high cube" ( taller ) container is used the pallets can be double stacked allowing 42 pallets and reducing shipping cost to around $10 per vacuum. Shipping them across the US adds another $20 or so. I spent a lot of years in logistics and know what things cost to ship. Also, there is simply no way a D cost $400 more to manufacture than an E. In the EU the price difference between a D and E is on the order of 30 Euros. Miele pricing is no better and they are not as well made or durable as a Sebo. A Miele is a $300 - $400 in Europe and as far as I'm concerned that is all they are worth here.

The German companies, whether it is household appliances, automobiles or motorcycles have Americans convinced that anything from Germany is naturally and automatically superior to anything from any other country. As someone with German coffee makers, toasters, cars, motorcycles and vacuums I can safely say they are full of prunes ( and you know what happens after eating prunes ! ). Some of it is better but often it is worse with too much complexity and more recently unreliable electronics. Thirty years ago maybe they had a point but their stuff has cheapened all across the board and their competitors have caught up and in many cases surpassed the Germans.
Click to expand...
I agree that the D4 does not cost them that much more to produce. The D and E use the same motors, and there is no way that the larger molds, longer cord, and the spinning light add up to the difference.
The prices are high, but we’re forced to pay them here in the us if you really want one. The prices are probably influenced by the US foreign relations.
 
SeboU1 said:
I agree that the D4 does not cost them that much more to produce. The D and E use the same motors, and there is no way that the larger molds, longer cord, and the spinning light add up to the difference.
The prices are high, but we’re forced to pay them here in the us if you really want one. The prices are probably influenced by the US foreign relations.
Click to expand...
No, it's just marketing. Take BMW Motorrad for example. From the late 1970s and into the early 1990s they sold a 1000 cc air cooled twin called the R100 and an identical bike with an 800 cc engine called the R80. The bikes were part for part identical except for cylinder bore, which necessitated different sized pistons and rings. The R80 also had slightly lower gearing in the final drive, which means one or two more teeth on the ring gear compared to the R100. Every thing else was part for part the same and they came down the same assembly line. Same part count, same number of assembly steps, same amount of material. But BMW charged $2,000 more for an R100 over an R80. And they made sure a set of 1000 cc pistons, rings and cylinders cost just a tad more than $2000 to deter customers from buying an R80 and bumping the displacement to 1000 cc to save money.
 
Ant_Tenna said:
Another Miele to Sebo convert here. The first 'good' bagged vacuum I owned was a Miele C3 Homecare+ I bought used which was actually a wonderful machine. But then I got my hands on an NOS Sebo Airbelt C3.1 and loved the solid more commercial feel of it so I ended up selling the C3. I didn't wanna use the Airbelt C3.1 too much since its a vintage machine plus I wanted something a little more powerful and modern so I got a D4 for a great deal. Unfortunately ended up selling it shortly later so I could get my finances together and pay down some debt. But I definitely got hooked on the machine and with their Black Friday deal I'm currently in the process of getting another D4. I was curious about the E3 as well but I like the D4's longer cord, swivel hose, and 4 caster wheels.

However I do have a Miele U1 upright that I absolutely adore, more so than most Sebo uprights (which are still good I just wish they had more dual motor offerings outside the Dart/Felix)


FWIW its rare that I've seen anyone pay more than $1000 for any Sebo canister unless they buy directly from the website. Sebo dealers have reasonably higher margins on their products so they can be talked down quite a bit on the price and still do well. I had a dealer offer me a D4 couple years back for $999 just over the phone, about $300 off at that time.
Click to expand...
I definitely like the commercial feel! The et1is much better on a canister, I think the et2 would be too much to handle with the big canister. The D4 is the most powerful canister I’ve had. Overall it’s a great machine! I will say that it takes some getting used to the way the canister steers, it’s not as precise as the Miele. The wheels are big, so it has no problem going over anything! The controls are rather intuitive once you’ve used them. The hose is plenty long, so you can go rather far from the canister. Overall, wonderful canister that was clearly made for some decades worth of cleaning. I also prefer that the handle remains straight when going under things rather than the angle of the Miele.

I do have a few minor complaints after my initial use:
1. Sebo should be ashamed including the cheap floor brush rather than the premium one.
2. The plastic part of the wand that hides the wire feels a bit cheap (new style wand).
3. The canister does not have much weight in the back when using, so the machine lifts off the floor when removing the floor brush from the parking slot.
4. Sebo should add a one touch cord rewind (like Miele comfort), as it’s a long cord.
5. Sebo only includes one bag, no spare like the X4 (Miele doesn’t either).
6. The canister carrying handle is not as nice as Miele.

This was my first use of the D4, so some of my complaints might not be as strong as time goes by. These are also complaints of a long time Miele user, so I’m not used to some of the different designs. The main advice I would give if anyone is between the E and D, go try the D at the dealer.
 
SeboU1 said:
I definitely like the commercial feel! The et1is much better on a canister, I think the et2 would be too much to handle with the big canister. The D4 is the most powerful canister I’ve had. Overall it’s a great machine! I will say that it takes some getting used to the way the canister steers, it’s not as precise as the Miele. The wheels are big, so it has no problem going over anything! The controls are rather intuitive once you’ve used them. The hose is plenty long, so you can go rather far from the canister. Overall, wonderful canister that was clearly made for some decades worth of cleaning. I also prefer that the handle remains straight when going under things rather than the angle of the Miele.

I do have a few minor complaints after my initial use:
1. Sebo should be ashamed including the cheap floor brush rather than the premium one.
2. The plastic part of the wand that hides the wire feels a bit cheap (new style wand).
3. The canister does not have much weight in the back when using, so the machine lifts off the floor when removing the floor brush from the parking slot.
4. Sebo should add a one touch cord rewind (like Miele comfort), as it’s a long cord.
5. Sebo only includes one bag, no spare like the X4 (Miele doesn’t either).
6. The canister carrying handle is not as nice as Miele.

This was my first use of the D4, so some of my complaints might not be as strong as time goes by. These are also complaints of a long time Miele user, so I’m not used to some of the different designs. The main advice I would give if anyone is between the E and D, go try the D at the dealer.
Click to expand...
Just me but what offends you as "the cheap floor brush" is the one I greatly prefer. I really cannot use floor brushes with wheels in back. A parquet floor brush like that which comes with Sebo canister vacs is what I buy for all my vacuums.

If you want a powerful vacuum in the US buy a Kenmore 600 or the Kenmore Elite canister. Either one puts Miele, Sebo and all the rest back on the trailer.

I would have to see how one touch rewind works but in my experience I like to slow the rewind down the last foot or two and gently guide the cord in to the plug seats gently. If the plug slams into the back of the canister on rewind sooner or later tears develop in the cord at the plug.
 
cheesewonton said:
Just me but what offends you as "the cheap floor brush" is the one I greatly prefer. I really cannot use floor brushes with wheels in back. A parquet floor brush like that which comes with Sebo canister vacs is what I buy for all my vacuums.

If you want a powerful vacuum in the US buy a Kenmore 600 or the Kenmore Elite canister. Either one puts Miele, Sebo and all the rest back on the trailer.

I would have to see how one touch rewind works but in my experience I like to slow the rewind down the last foot or two and gently guide the cord in to the plug seats gently. If the plug slams into the back of the canister on rewind sooner or later tears develop in the cord at the plug.
Click to expand...
I will say that I have never had much of an issue with the “cheap floor brush.” I had the cheaper brush on a Miele, Riccar, and my X4. I think the D4 has more suction at the floor, so the nozzle suctions down to the floor, making it harder to push. I’ll see how the turn and clean version works, if it’s the same I will have to use a wheeled nozzle.
I always hold the last few inches of cord and plug when rewinding, so it doesn’t hit the canister. You can do the same thing with the one touch models, it will stop once it gets to the part that’s in your hand.
 
I have a question for anyone that has the Sebo K3 or E3. Has anyone bought the larger Sebo dusting brush and clipped it onto the wand clip? The onboard brush is rather small, so I thought it would be practical to get the large brush and clip it to the wand.
 

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