6000 sq ft home and the need for clean

[Dori]

The home has Hayden Central with 10 year old shot PN and hose.
I really dislike lugging the hose around and want a dual system for my cleaning challenges.

I will replace the Hayden parts and will use it on the second floor. 50/50 hardwood/tile/carpet.
I have a problem with dog hair. The kind that floats on the furniture.
The first floor Is hardwood/tile/area rugs and a lot harder to keep clean. I'd say I have 3000sq ft up and the same down.

Wish list: 1. A way to clean tile surface without using a mop and scrubbing grout. (Sirena?)

2. Vacuum for first floor that for some reason is very dusty and has dog hair everywhere, Northern breed type shedding. This pet hair floats and doesn't get embedded in fibers. I need to be careful of air flow because I notice the pet hairs fly up and land on furniture! I also need a long cord.

Priority is the vacuum since I think commercial bare floor scrubbers are the only viable option and they are out of reach cost wise.

I was ready to go with the Sebo x4 or the Sebo D4 then started to read about Sirena and Rainbow. I own a Hoover wet vac and love the idea of cleaning with water.

Do I replace the Hayden Powerhead and hose about $310 and get another hose for second floor for additional $200, or invest in a better cleaning vacuum for versatility and a cleaner home. I've been using a Dyson and it picks up pet hair but something tells me it only surface cleans the carpets.

I am not looking into Miele due to the short electric cord. I looked at the Maytag online but how does it compare to the Sebo?

I read threads but still not sure if canister or upright is right for my home.

I hope the vacuum guru's on this cool site can steer me in the right direction.

 

[jade_angel]

I'd say when in doubt, go with the canister, just because they're more versatile, and because you have a lot of bare floors. The Sebo D4 is a great choice, as would be the Riccar Immaculate or Simplicity Gusto or Moxie. I personally like the Tacony vacs a bit better, because their power nozzles are amazing, but Sebo is solidly in second place to me (despite the lack of a light on the PN). Mieles are really nice too, but the hoses and cords tend to be short and the build quality, in my opinion, isn't as good as it once was.

As for the choice between Maytag and Sebo, I'd vote Maytag (or equivalently, Simplicity/Riccar). Sebo makes a very durable vacuum, but in my opinion the X4 isn't an amazing deep cleaner. It will last forever, but I think the D4's power nozzle will outperform it (and also last forever). The Sebo Felix is pretty nice, but for 6k ft^2, I don't think it's a great choice - too small, overall. That said, it offers upright convenience with a bare floor tool. I think Sebo makes an X4-style upright with a manual adjustment - might be the G1? I don't know much about it, but maybe it's worth a look. That said, if you prefer uprights, the Maytag tandem-air units are hard to beat, assuming you don't find their wand/attachment setup cumbersome for bare floors. (Personally, I think uprights are clunky for bare floors regardless, but some don't mind...)

As for the central system, can you get a hose kit with a Wessel Werk EBK360 power nozzle? Those are great and do a very good job on both pet hair and deep grit. I have one that I use with a Filter Queen, and it seems to even keep up with my Kirby for deep cleaning, which is mighty high praise considering the performance of a Kirby. Personally I'd avoid the EBK340 in favor of the 360, because the 360 has manual height adjustment (which does a much better job on carpets) and because it has a shaped brush roll that shakes loose embedded grit much better than the EBK340's standard round plastic brush roll.

In your position I'd look at getting two central hose kits with EBK360 nozzles, but going with a very good canister would be a good bet too.

 

[Dori]

Thanks Jade!

I have looked into Wessel Werk for my Central System. I thought the SEBO was better because the belt has a great warranty, and the easy removal of the brush. I often vacuum up socks and it shuts off when there is an obstruction. I'm not sure the EBK360 can adapt to the Hayden. I'll need to check that too but I do think the Wessel is better than the Hayden and in the same price range so a great alternative.

I will read up on the other suggestions.

 

[dustin]

I can recommend you look into a Hoover Floormate for cleaning/scrubbing hard floors. I have one and it is wonderful, cleans far better than a mop and bucket. They can be had for about $150, less if you don't mind used. You are supposed to use *only* Hoover's cleaning solution, but I have had mine several years and just use regular all purpose cleaner, no problems at all.

 

[sbakerde]

Go for a complete wessel kit

The wessel nozzle itself will not fit directly on a Hayden hose. However if you get a complete kit with a hose that will work with you inlet valves. A whole kit may be the best option and the hose would be more pliable and easier to use than the Hayden hose. I do agree the dyson is more of surface cleaner on carpets from my experience with them. I have a nutone system and I keep a complete hose and nozzle set on each floor. I found it easier than lugging all that in and down the steps. A quality canister with a good brush would also work well for the hard floors.

 

[kirbyvertibles]

I'd say either upgrade your central hose and power nozzle like stated above or go for a canister because they are more versitle, however I would reconsider a water vac. Now I love water vacs and think they do a great job but a house that big I can see a water vac being a real hassle. I would say a tristar would be a good choice as they are very simple and are a great cleaner.

 

[jade_angel]

Ah, if you're not averse to buying second-hand, then yeah, the Tristar CXL/DXL are some of the best canister vacuums ever. The power nozzle they come with is very good, especially upgraded with a VG2/VG3 brush roll (*), and they can take others like the EBK360 or Sebo ET1 if you prefer. The EXL is fairly decent too. I haven't been overly impressed with the MG series, but those have been replaced with the CS, which seems to be well-regarded. A new Tristar is extremely expensive, though.

Personally, I'd go used, any Compact with a PN connection or a CXL/DXL, they're hard to beat.

(*) - I think the VG3 brush roll is very similar to the middle-of-the-line Simplicity brush roll, with replaceable strips and stiffeners. It agitates very well without the problems that metal beater bars can cause on glued-down carpet.

 

[Dori]

Thanks for the replies.

I really like the idea of a water vac. My thought is to use the central upstairs since it doesn't get that dirty.

Downstairs is a lot of hardwood floors and area rugs of various piles. Needlepoint, and plush. Am I correct in my thinking that the water vac is more for rugs? If so then I'm leaning toward a canister for downstairs. Why are they so much more cost than uprights?

That leads me to question which canister has the longest reach, best tools for dog hair, and best floor attachment for tile and wood floors?

I like the idea of the floormate for help with the kitchen floor.

I read on this forum the Miele tools are very high quality. But, I like the Sebo for the reach.

Any thoughts which way to go?

 

[Dori]

Jade Angel, I missed your suggestion. I will research Tri-Star. Never heard of it. Thanks.

 

[blackheart]

When replacing that hose

You will want to look into a crushproof plastic hose for maximum airflow the material the hose is made out of can dramatically effect how well a central system works. If you can find one look for a 1 3/8" hose as that extra 1/8 of an inch supposedly can increase airflow by about 25% from a 1 1/4 hose.

Lindhaus nozzles have not been mentioned yet, they would also be a great option they are one of the best cleaning nozzles out there, they also have more height adjustments than most if not any nozzle out there.

Water filtration vacuums are alright, but they can be a lot of work to maintain you have to fill the pan before each use empty it out when finished, clean off the seperator and be sure not to store the pan on the machine. Their separators also seem to fight against the motor resulting in so so airflow.

Tri-Star styled machines are pretty great. They are simple yet powerful. Some of their machines such as the MG1 and MG2 should probably be avoided, the motors used in those models delivers poor airflow. I would suggest a Patriot which is somewhat similar to the tri-stars but better, or the CXL/DXL works too.

 

[Dori]

Focus: Bare floors and Turbo heads

Should I avoid the turbo heads for hardwood floors?

Does any one brand of Turbo style heads have a possible solution for my situation? Perhaps the turbo is fine for low pile area rugs and bare floor?

Thanks for the replies. I'm going to look at both Sebo and Miele today. I'm told the D4 is big and bulky, and cumbersome. I don't mind that since I won't be dragging it up stairs but I hate when canisters need to be yanked and wrestled. My current Electrolux I pulled out of storage is driving me crazy with this issue. The canister gets tangled in the cord and unplugs all the time. I don't even realize it's getting tangled. I guess I'll find an answer to this shortly by actually seeing the size of the machines today.

 

[ralph123]

Simplicity Wonder / Riccar Prima

I would suggest you consider the vacuum the Tom Gasko has helped to design (i.e. Siimplicity Wonder / Riccar Prima). With 6000 sf, you want a vacuum that will follow you and get the job done efficiently. It seems to have excellent tools for cleaning your bare floors and an ideal hose length.

Here's a link to the thread about the Wonder.
http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?23777_121

 

[Dori]

I should explain my dilemma: my sweet dog's pet hair sticks to the bristles of most bare floor attachments and you need to constantly remove it and clean it with the hose.

If I don't vacuum every day I will get the type of build up and I end up using a powerhead rather than a bare floor attachment.

Just thought I needed to put that in because I am really interested in making this job easier and more efficient and now is the opportunity.

Best,
D

 

[sebo_fan]

Personally, if it was me I wouldn't bother with the D4 - I'd get the SEBO FELIX. Its an upright with the same ET1 floor head and has a button to stop the brush roll. It also comes with a deluxe parquet floor tool for cleaning hard floors. The downside is that it has a short hose on board, so its useless for stairs (but you have your central vac I suppose) and a small 3.5 litre /3.07 quart dust bag capacity compared to nearly 6 quarts on the D4. It also has a long power cable but must be manually wound.

But on the plus side, the Felix is a lot more nimble than dragging the D4 behind you, it swivels around corners thanks to its swivel joint and it is slim and compact. The synthetic dust bags can last a good couple of months before requiring to be changed, but it depends very much on how much dust your current vacuum goes through, current quart capacity and judge from there.

 

[Dori]

Ralph123: the "Wonder" looks great but for one thing, I don't think the wheels make sense. The dusting tool brought back memories. Electrolux right? The cord retracting is a great feature.

I loathe wheels that don't move the vacuum smoothly in all directions. When does the new Tacony models come out?
I myself wish it was white or black.

I used the Sebo D4 today. It isn't difficult to carry or maneuver due to its size and weight. Not sure how it compares to a simplicity " wonder." I like the light that helps you know the right height for carpets and the tool storage. Not sure the suction, airflow is superior but I think it will last .

Can I wait for the Simplicity/Riccar. Probably not a good idea.

 

[Dori]

The Sebo Felix doesn't look like a serious vacuum to me. I did look at it in the store. With the Dyson I have to empty the dirt container twice a week. Does that mean I will go through bags that often with the smaller capacity Felix?

 

[sebo_fan]

SEBO bags in the Felix are hard to know what they actually fill up to because the synthetic dust bags last a lot longer and don't often have to be disposed of until at least 2 months have passed.

I know from experience owning a SEBO D2 (NON PN model) that the bags in my home take around 3 months to fill completely before they need replacing. Of course it depends on the size of the home and the amount of dust in question.

I was initially worried that you would find the D4 bulky which is why I suggested the Felix. If you find the D4 isn't that much of a chore then that would be better, even if they are more expensive to buy.

 

[jade_angel]

Remember that with a bagged vacuum, the dust tends to pack down, while in a bagless, it gets fluffed up by being swirled around. So, a bag that looks as big as a Dyson tank will last a *lot* longer. For me, I find I only have to change bags every two months or so on my Simplicity upright, and that's only if I use it exclusively. I usually use my Filter Queen and Kirby a lot, so in practice I change them even less than that.

 

[Dori]

I purchased the canister - now on to central vac parts

Thanks to everyone for your help and guidance.

I have just one more question. I'm not sure of the affiliation between Wessel Werk and Lindhaus. I'm trying to find the EBK360 to replace my broken Hayden Central PN and hose. I will probably by online. Is this my only option besides the Hayden PN?

I purchased the Sebo D4 and really like it. I have this problem with canisters and the cord but I am working on correcting the way I move around.
The only regret I have is I wish it had the convenience of an on/off switch on the hose handle. I really miss that. Otherwise I think I made a very good choice.

Best,
Dori