Help! Shopping for New Vacuum and Overwhelmed

[nycwriter]

Hello all -- I'm new to the board. I'm using a Fantom Thunder I purchased in 1997 that I've been thrilled with but am looking to replace for reasons which I'll explain shortly. I understand Fantom reviews have been mixed at best; apparently I either bought early enough (it seems most of the Fantom problems are with post-'98 models) or I just got lucky; 16 years of nearly constant use and never a problem -- none of the electrical failures or power losses that seem to plague many units. Living in an apartment in Manhattan with a variety of floor surfaces (hardwood, thick plush and shag rugs, and linoleum), and lots of furniture creating many nooks and crannies, I've been forever grateful for Fantom's ingenious "wand" design that allows immediate switching between beater brush to hose, which I do frequently every time I sweep. I have been consistently blown away by the unit's suction, and the volume of crap it picks up even during my "light" cleaning days.

OK. Now the reason for which I'm shopping around to replace my beloved Fantom. First of all, it's about as loud as a Boeing 737 just before takeoff. Living in an apartment in Manhattan, this severely limits my ability to vacuum to no earlier than 8 AM and no later than 9 PM (which for most people is no problem, but for myself, who works odd hours and frequently does the housecleaning between 10 PM and 1 AM, creates an inconvenience).

Second -- and more primarily -- it's dusty. VERY dusty. Emptying the bagless chamber sends up a plume of dust in my kitchen, and I find I have to actually wipe the entire unit down each time I use it.

That's really my only complaint, but it's a nagging one.

So I've been looking at the entire universe of vacuum cleaners that seems to have expanded by leaps and bounds since I purchased my Fantom 16 years ago, and I'm really at a loss and could use some advice.

-- I have an unlimited budget. Money is no object; I'm willing to pay for quality.
-- I have no preference over upright versus canister, but (correct me if I'm wrong) it's my understanding that uprights clean carpeting better than canisters. My preference is to have whatever performs best on my rugs versus whatever works best on ALL surfaces.
-- I've been partial to Kirby because of it's apparent pure suction power, but the deal-killer has always been that you can't deploy the hose attachments without a major hassle.

After exhaustive research, I've tentatively settled on Miele's top of the line upright. I'm impressed with the quality, the "swivel" design, and the entirely closed bagging system.

But here's the detail that's keeping me from making the purchase: The VOLUME of "dirt" that the unit picks up. The bags in both the Miele upright and canister models are quite small. And what little I've heard about the frequency of bag changes is that with "average" use I can expect to change them at most once a month.

!!!

Once a month??!! I have to empty out the dust chamber on my Fantom (which appears to hold at least TWICE as much capacity as the Miele bags) after EVERY SINGLE USE!

Common sense is telling me that while my Fantom is apparently blowing dust all over the place, it's still trapping a good EIGHT TIMES as much crap as what the Miele apparently picks up.

Comments, anyone??

 

[eurekaprince]

It is hard to compare the two vacuums as far as volume of dirt picked up. There are all sorts of factors involved, including the differences in how a bagless vac spins the dirt and how a bagged vac compacts the dirt in a bag. If you had wall-to-wall carpeting everywhere, you'd be better off with separate upright and canister cleaners because you can get uprights with very large bags. But since you have a mix, you will probably not need to change the bag that frequently. It all depends on how dirty your home gets (dusty location, open windows, kids or pets, etc)

If expense is no option, the Miele uprights are top rated in Consumer Reports and excel at noise reduction. Some find these uprights a bit heavy, so the best alternative is the Sebo Felix Premium at $600. It׳s a very lightweight upright vac that offers lots of optional attachments. It's also very quiet and has a decent size bag. Go to the Sebo website for more details. Or search Youtube for some videos on this easy to use vac. Good luck!

 

[singingrainbow]

Ok,

First of all, you must remember that your fantom has cyclonic action, and that this spins the dust around inside the bin which causes a "fluffing" effect on the dust which makes it look like more than is really there. The miele bag system does the opposite and has a compacting effect. This is a common misconception, but remember that when you empty the fantom, the dirt is full of air. A full miele bag will be like a brick. Now I don't want to start an argument over which will clean carpets better, but a canister vacuum with a good power head can clean carpets just as well as an upright, but it depends on which upright and canister you are comparing. I own both a fantom thunder and a top of the line miele upright and at least in my home, the miele does an overall better job.When I first got it some years ago and ran it around for the first time, I could hear it pulling dirt out of our carpets. One other thing to consider is that the miele is a heavier upright because it has two motors, one for the brush and one for suction.


If you can, try going to a vacuum store which sells them and try if for yourself so you can get an idea of how it would be in use.


Hope this helps!


Scott 

 

[nycwriter]

Thank you both for the quick responses!

I never thought of the "fluffing" effect of my Fantom's cyclonic action. And of course, I've never emptied a full Miele dust bag, so I was unaware of the "brick" effect.

Now that Sebo has entered the discussion, any thoughts on Sebo vs. Miele?

 

[eurekaprince]

Just some other differences between the Sebo Felix and the Miele uprights:

The Mieles have a headlight, the Sebo power head does not.

You can get an optional extension hose for the Sebo which will make using attachments even easier. You can't get a longer extension hose for the Miele uprights.

The Sebo allows you to remove the power nozzle completely and attach a smaller parquet floor brush which turns the vac into an electric broom which is MUCH more maneuverable in a small apartment filled with furniture. You can also buy an optional shoulder strap to carry the main unit like a canister to clean your furniture.

Not sure how long the cord is on the Mieles, but the Sebo Felix has a nice long 35 foot cord.

Here is a youtube clip from a vac shop showing some of the great features of this multifunction vac:

 

[luxman107]

The new aerus lux platinum is a great machine. The thing I love most about Electrolux(aerus) if you ever need service or supplies they come to your house.

 

[kirbyloverdan]

I love

Kirby Sentria II the attachments never have bothered me .

I use my Aerus Lux Platnium canister and love that also along with my Aerus Guardian Upright.

I also use my Rainbow E4 Black the newest one out .

I had a Miele twist upright and I sold it . It was too bulky and the bags are tiny.

I can`t find anything to like about any Sebo the automatic height adjustment on the uprights constantly adjusts and my carpets never seem to get groomed properly.

 

[singingrainbow]

About the felix

Another thing to consider is that the bag on the miele is larger than on the sebo felix, plus with the miele you would not need to buy an extra extension hose because of how long the one it comes with is. Also the sebo felix does not come with a very long hose, dusting brush, or even a wand for high up cleaning, all of those would have to be purchased separately. If you could give up some of the more "deluxe" features you could get the miele twist for 399 with the same tool setup, same motors, same cleaning ability, and same suction as the higher end models.


I am not trying to bash the sebo felix because it is a great vacuum, I just think that for you the miele would be better.


Scott

 

[nycwriter]

All of a sudden I'm now reconsidering the Kirby ...

 

[bagintheback]

I'm surprised not many people have have suggested the new Rainbow. It sounds perfect for you. It both vacuums and deep cleans carpet and hard floors (mopping & hot water exaction). I hear the water filtration is amazing at controlling large amounts of dust, and you will never have to worry about full bags.

http://rainbowsystem.com/

 

[eurekaprince]

Matt,

If you live in an apartment, my advice is to keep your vacuum set-up simple. Though there many loyal fans of Kirby vacs and Rainbow vacs, I have never been one of them. The Kirby is too noisy, the Rainbow requires too much maintenance to empty and keep clean and both are too bulky for the confined spaces of an apartment.

Looking at Consumer Reports test results, if money is no option, to me the easiest solution is two simple but high performing vacs: Get the Hoover Lightweight Platinum bagged upright for all your carpets, and get a suction-only Miele canister with a wide array of tools for everything else. Most of the noise people living under you hear is caused by the beater brush roll of an upright. Though the Hoover is quieter than a Kirby, it performs just as well and is easier to use. If it's early in the morning, or late at night you can always use the Miele canister (even for surface cleaning of your rugs) as it is extremely quiet. You can deep clean your carpets at other times with the Hoover.

Don't be too concerned with the size of the Miele bags. Since you won't be using it to deep clean your rugs, the bag won't get full very fast and you can pop in a new bag every 3 months. The Hoover Platinum Bagged Upright has a very large easy to change bag.

Hope this helps!!!

Eurekaprince Brian

 

[sbakerde]

go for the Miele

In my experience I feel the Miele vacuums are far better deep cleaners than the Sebo models, especially for the Uprights. Miele seems to have a might higher airflow than the sebo. IF your wanting ease of use for attachments a canister model might be best. The mid line Miele canisters are quite small and light weight. Though even the Miele uprights have a rather long reach with the attachment hose. Kirby is a great machine but attachment use can be an ordeal, Personally I prefer the on board design of the Miele.

As far as dust capacity goes your fantom container full would fit into a Miele bag at least 5 times maybe even 10. I will add reguarless of which vacuum your purchase stock up on bags right away, you may go through them fast for the first couple of months. When my fantom fury died I replaced it with a Kirby and got 10 pounds of sand out of the carpet the first vacuuming. Apparently the Fantom did nothing for the deeply embedded dirt.

 

[kirbyultimateg]

Here is the Sanitaire SC679 upright.


http://www.sanitairevac.com/commercial/products/shake_out_bag_uprights/sc679.jsp

 

[kirbyultimateg]

Here is the Sanitaire SC3683 straight suction canister.


http://www.sanitairevac.com/commercial/products/specialty/sc3683.jsp

 

[kirbyultimateg]

Here is the attachment set for the Sanitaire SC679 upright.


http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/SANITAIRE-Vacuum-Attachment-Kit-5H070

 

[kirbyultimateg]

Here is the Sanitaire S635 upright.


http://www.sanitairevac.com/professional/products/upright/s635.jsp

 

[kirbyultimateg]

Here is the Eureka Boss 1934 upright.


http://www.eureka.com/en-US/Vacuums/Uprights/Boss/Uprights-TheBoss-1934B.aspx

 

[kirbyultimateg]

Here is the Sanitaire DuraLite SC9050 upright.


http://www.sanitairevac.com/commercial/products/cri_approved/sc9050.html

 

[Anhedonius]

If the Felix appeals to you, consider getting it at Costco, which carries the Felix online. The price is the same as the MAP everywhere else, but the Costco package includes the turbo brush, extension hose, and extension wand usually sold separately. Also, if you hate it, it's Costco - no questions asked returns, no matter when. It's $25 additional (I think) if you don't have a membership, or $55 to get a membership that you can use at the warehouse (there's one on 125th St.)


http://www.costco.com/SEBO-FELIX-1-Premium-Upright-Vacuum.product.11649749.html