cannister recommendations wanted

[expatCanuck]

Hi folks -

We've got a 15-year-old Miele S334 (a green'Ambiente') that's been used & abused, but our most recent move has just about killed it. (Recently bought a shop vac to augment it).

Love the tool with the whirling brush inside; not a fan of the 'flatter' tool -- found it just doesn't 'glide', & have never really used it.

Modest 1500 sq. foot home, wood floors. Allergy sufferers. One cockapoo that's mostly non-shedding, & a spouse with long hair that loves to tangle the whirling brush.

Find all the various vacuum flavors confusing, and would welcome cannister recommendations (Miele or otherwise) in the $500 range (+/- $150).

Thanks kindly,

- Richard

 

[ultralux88]

If you were happy with your Miele, I'd stay with another one. The one machine I feel would fit your needs and budget would be the S2 HomeCare (in the link right below) as it comes with a combination floor/rug tool as well as the full sized (the larger power nozzles tend to do better on longer hair) and the usual small attachments. This recommendation is assuming you do have some carpet or large area rugs. This machine comes with just the standard filter grille for using the filters that come in the bags, but if you want to use the HEPA it will accept one in place of the grille.

S2 HomeCare: http://mieleusa.com/Product/Details/670

Now, if you do not have any carpet or large area rugs, I'd suggest going with the Jasper, which is in the S6 series. It comes with whats called the AirTec tool, another combination tool that will do rugs and floors well, on lower pile rugs it is capable of cleaning as well as a power nozzle. It comes with the HEPA already installed.

Jasper: http://mieleusa.com/Product/Details/658

The other brand that I would recommend if you're interested in seeing what else is out there would be Simplicity or Riccar, they are sister brands made by the same company, and other than colors and names are identical machines. They are made in the US and are great machines as well.

Simplicity Canisters: http://simplicityvac.com/canisters

I would avoid going with any of the big box brands, because after owning a Miele you'll notice the difference in quality immediately, even the Kenmores aren't built as well as they once were, which is sad really. There are other high end brands, but I chose these mainly based on the budget you set, and those specific Miele models are what I would take a customer to had they come into my store and told me what you posted here.

 

[floor-a-matic]

Or U can buy a rebuilt Aerus/Electrolux or Compact/TriStar (CXL, DXL & older models with PN)

 

[MieLux]

I'm with Ultralux88 - I'd stick with Miele and if they faulter then I'd try the Ricccar/Simplicity. Visit a local vac shop and try them out.

 

[eurekaprince]

I am very impressed with my new Miele S2121 basic bare bones canister vacuum. I was lucky to find one on sale here in Canada for $350 which included the fancier AirTeq carpet/floor head and a mini hand turbo nozzle for cleaning upholstery and car rugs. A few weeks later I bought a fancier HEPA exhaust filtre to make sure I was getting rhe best filtration possible.

If you can afford a more expensive Miele, there are suction only versions of the new S8 series that are great for a home with mostly bare floors. The FreshAir is in white, the Calima in yellow and the Alize in light brown. They come with nice conveniences like a longer cord, sealed bag compartment, "under-the-hood" onboard tools and even a flashlight on the hose handle! See link below....

http://www.mieleusa.com/Product/Details/1012

 

[sebo_fan]

The S8 also has the Comfort cord rewind - one touch and the cord all rewinds without keeping your foot down on the pedal. Also a feature on the S6 but uses the smaller FJM bags and has no flush underside tool storage.

 

[jkbff]

The S6 is a decent canister but if you want an electrified power head, the s6 is bundled weird. The nice thing about ALL Miele canisters is that down the road if you decide you want an electrified power head you can purchase the right parts (hose, wand and power nozzle) and have a full power team.

A good package that can be picked up would be the S8 FreshAir and purchase the STB205 (Air-Driven Turbo Brush) separately.

http://mieleusa.com/Product/Details/1012

The other recommendation would be the S6 HomeCare. It comes with the STB205.

http://mieleusa.com/Product/Details/662

I know the HomeCare package is dealer-only but the FreshAir should be available from most places.

-Josh