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The Simplicity power head is powerful!!

Tacony power nozzles on the Riccar/ Simplicity do produce more noise than the Miele SEB228 nozzle and maybe the SEB236. However, that still doesn't make them loud!! It's a much quieter nozzle compared to the CenTec CT14DX that everyone loves on their 1990's Kenmore Whispertone canisters. It's also quieter than many Hoover power nozzles and that's hARD for me to say too as I love the noise of Hoover Power Nozzles so much!!

The Riccar/ Simplicity nozzle has a metal base plate, and metal brush roll. It has 6 heights, it's a wide width, nice headlight and very sturdy. It runs on a virtually maintenance free serpentine belt, and has rubber wheels in front and back on metal axles. The height adjuster actually does a great job. It gets super low to carpet on the XLow setting, much beter than the CenTec heads and Sebo. On X High it also does well. It's significantly more powerful and aggressive than the Sebo ET-1 which in my opinion acts more like an air turbine nozzle. The Tacony head is also more powerful than many Aerus heads. I like the metal base plate and the few metal base plate guards make it easier to use on area rugs compared to the completely open agitator cavitys on Wessel Werk EBK340 and EBK360 which is what Sebo SEB236 and 228 are made by.

Pictured below is agitator view of Wessel Werk EBK360. This is the same head as found on Miele SEB228 and same agitator set up as Miele SEB236, it's all very similar design to Wessel Werk EBK340. These power nozzle are powerful, clean well and have chevron brush rolls. However, the complete lack of agitator cavity support bars means this power nozzle will constantly get stuck on corners and edges of throw and area rugs. Just something to keep in mind for what you're vacuuming.
 
...

Quote " iI can certainly afford my own domestic help. Unfortunately, as the old saying goes, good help truly is very hard to find. In my 17 years in New York City I have yet to find a housekeeper who can measure up to my standards (and unsettlingly enough, I don't think my standards are all that high).

Alas -- even Joan Crawford had to do her own vacuuming. "


So true.
 
The one thing about the Riccar/Simplicity nozzles including their uprights is there is a gap in the center of the brush roller brissles and side, that leaves uneven brush lines in the carpet...or for example if you are vacuuming an area of dirt or crumbs two or three swipes are needed to clean completely because that center part of the brush roll leaves a line of dirt. Not a big deal, but something I noticed when demo. The Miele, Sebo and Aerus machines do not do this because they have two complete uninterupted rows of brissles.
 
Just back from another vacuum store and the last one I'm going to. He dropped the Riccar/Simplicity due to many tech problems. Said it was as decent machine that broke down too much. He has the Perfect which seems like the old Elextrolux (he said the guy bought the dyes etc from them and it's a tank. The problem for me is that is seems so loud and heavy. With MS, I have to be a bit careful about weight, but only to an extent.

He wants 650 for it and that's with a box of bags, lol.

The Miele Titan is 500 even and he'll throw in the bags and an off market turbo head. That's a floor model and his last one. He has the Calipso in a box for 799 and he'd give me the turbo head and a box of bags. That seems like a decent deal. It also has the upgraded 236 head which I really like. It's just comfortable in my hands. If it was a blind test, that would probably be the one I go with.

The guy at the last store said that a Silver Moon isn't a good buy since it's 10 years old and the motor fix is 300. He says that and then says the the Miele's motors will last forever (when trying to sell me his demo or new one). What to believe?
 
CTSooner...

I have a Miele S2 Delphi, my mother has MS and the only canister she has ever been able to easily use without tripping over due to her balance problems is the Miele. Best part is she hates and I mean HATES canisters, yet she fell in love with the Miele.
 
i have a miele titan, and i have 2 issues with it. the first is the hepa filter, which does not do a good job removing odors, such as pet odors. the other issue is the 217 powernozzle. i have 2 area rugs downstairs, and i have to vacuum those rugs on lowest setting, and have to run the powernozzle one way, or it hops and skips around. also, it has trouble cleaning my one dogs short hair from the area rugs. wish i bought a 228 or 236. wish it had a longer cord though. other than that it is built well, very quiet, and cleans well.
 
THANKS for sharing

Wow, this is what I'm talking about. I LOVED the Perfect but no way I could use it. I may do Miele. Should I suck it up and go Titan or Calypso or the used Silver Moon? What's a fair price to offer for the Calypso. Can I get it for lower than 799 with a turbo head, bags and the 236 PN?
 
Oh I missed by two hours getting the Titan with a barely used 236 head. He would have given it all to me for the 599. I would have brought out my card for that on the spot I think, lol.
 
What about the Hoover Elites and Bissell Powerglides Zach? Those are a great choice for vacuum buyers, even for you.
 
if space is an issue, the titan is a small unit. but, the good thing with miele is that all of their canisters use the same motor, filters, powernozzles, etc. the s2 series, which the titan is considered, has a unsealed system, but still filters well enough for most people. if asthma or allergies are an issue, dont buy a model from the s2 series.
 
As a former owner

of a Vacuum Shop Miele USED to be a good Vacuum Silver/Blue Moon`s , Aluminium ect. were the best machines they ever made PERIOD IMO .
I gave my Sister a Capricorn and I owned one also both machines had numerous problems electronic, motors,replaced hoses broke .

We both used them gently and myself being a collector owning over 400 Vacuums used mine with the utmost care and it failed . I will never own another Miele until they go back to the Quality they were known for .

Simplicity/Riccar a Tacony company which I sold Simplicity and was a dealer for them .I never had any returned for repair other than a belt or a Fan on the Freedom series.

They are very reliable and out feature any Miele with things such as longer hoses larger normal sized attachments all which are VERY important .

Aerus is another Quality brand my family has owned for generations .I have 40 years experience and own mostly all TOL vacuums produced .

Aerus, Simplicity/Riccar , Rainbow , Filter Queen , Kirby ,Royal, Vortech Force ,TriStar ,Patriot, Hyla and Oreck would be the ONLY brands I would recommend .[this post was last edited: 1/3/2013-20:39]
 
There are a ton of recommendations and like anything else, folks have favorites and that's why they make so many models. I vacillate as learn more and more, but that's a good thing. The Miele's are comfortable. I really love the Silver Moon with the newer 236 head and he's throwing in every other head and bag/filter you can think of to close the deal at 455. He claims the hose is new so I assume the former owner traded it up for the Capricorn because the hose died on him somehow.

It's 10 years old and that's a concern for a motor. He'll give me a 1 year on the whole system, but will that motor go 10 more years at full speed? I really dont' want to spend more than I need to in order to get a great vacuum and I know I don't have to. I'm waiting out my bid on ebay for the Moxie still before I make a decision.

How much is a fair price to offer someone for a Moxie? If I go that route, I want a really good buy obviously. The one he's selling me is a demo I believe. Demo price vs new? How much for each one? What is the difference between Riccar and Simplicity?
 
CTSooner

Does the Silver Moon have power controls on the handle? If it does I would suggest you go with it. I have no idea how far your MS has progressed or how severe your symptoms are, but I could see a few problems arising with an S2 or lower end S5 series. The variable power controls on the others aren't something you could easily use without bending, depending on how your symptoms are now or how bad they'll become this could become a serious problem during cleaning. Also with the S5 series with the way the power and cord rewind buttons are shaped and how glossy and slick they are they can be a problem to press.
 
riccar and simplicity vacuums are made in the same factory as eachother. they are mechanically the same, and use the same bags, belts, filters, etc. of eachother. the only differences are colors of the vacuums, and headlight design.
 
I've been to several vacuum stores and 99% of them say Miele, they will last longest and have fewest problems/repairs. The Simpl/Riccar are also good lasting about 8-12 years depending how you take care of it. Miele is subject to stringent factory testing, it's no uncommon to secs 15-20 year old Miele.
Sebo will give you 10-15 and Aerus around 20 or so years if maintained. Older style Royals.

The most repair prone: kenmore, bissell, dyson, dirt devil, electrolux(eureka)
Most bagelss types

This is coming from a third gen vacuum shop owner. In business for over 70 years
 
Furthermore

I do not believe Tacony Simpl/Riccar puts its machines through rigorous testing before it leaves the factory as does Miele in Germany. Simpl/Riccar is assembled in US with globally sourced components in St James, MO. Hose pull tests, drop tests, cord failure tests etc I never heard of being done on them... Rather a more simpler inspection on assembly line.
 
Yes the Silver Moon has the controls on the handle and that's what draws me to it each time. I would want the Capricorn Miele if I bought a new one, but I most probably can't afford one. I don't know the lowest they'd go for one with the 236 head which I like the best. The silver moon has a newer 236 and a new hose (he claims it's a new one).

If I went for the Silver Moon, with all the tools from an off brand turbo head, an adaptor, a blower deal (I'd never use this though), a newer swivel head floor tool and a finger deal for blind, how much should I offer?

Should I worry about a 10yr old motor/housing? How much longer should it work? I only vacuum a couple of times a week. Will this unit be better than a new Moxie that also has controls on the handle?

I've been contacted by a few of you and that's awesome. I'm usually the one helping others make choices on audio, knives, OU sports info/recruiting, woodworking machines etc... as I'm into those items, so it's neat being on the other side of things.

Every single store owner who's in touch has said Miele, Miele, Miele. They always say they are built as good as anything on the market. I've never heard a really bad thing about them.

Riccar/Simplicity seems to give a good unit, but maybe not great. There have been some problems, but they seem to fix them, but since I'm buying once and hope not to have to buy for another 10 years or more, I'm only concerned about their current models. I like them a lot as they seem to offer a good balance of things.

If I was able to carry the Prestige, I'd probably buy it as it seems like a tank and the suction seems great. The problem I have at the stores is that they throw debris on the short carpets and every unit does a similar job. The Panny was the only one that didn't pick things up as good as the others upper end units.

Fantom, you get it! Yes, I've noticed the cords etc... I should be fine with them, but it's an issue. I do like the feel of the Miele too as I have carpel Tunnel in addition to the MS, so comfort is most important (knocks out the Prestige).

I ramble and I'm sorry. It seems like I need to figure out how much the Silver Moon is really worth and how much longer it should last as long as I take great care of it. If not, then I need to see how much a Capricorn would be or should I just deal with the suction control on the body instead of the handle. How often will I really change suction? If I have to have the controls on the handle, but can't afford the Miele's, then I'm looking as the Moxie and will need to see what's a fair price for his demo unit.
 
If you have carpel tunnel and MS, the Moxie is going to be a lot heavier than the Miele. I think the Moxie with its parts are about 30 lbs--its a heavy machine. the Miele should be lighter about 8-10lbs, depending on the size power nozzle.

I am from Long Island and we hardly have any Simplicity or Riccar retailers. Its also hard to find Sebo, Aerus Lux and other mentionable brands here. Most of the population here seem to like Big Box or disposable junk brands like: Hoover, Bissell, Dyson, Shark and Kenmore. Wealthier households have housekeepers. Where you are in CT, I checked it out and you have many more Riccar dealers, Miele and Aerus. You cannot go wrong with whatever you decide. If something goes wrong or needs repair, at least you have 6 or 7 dealers that service within a 20 mile radius.

Maybe you want to wait and save a little extra money and get a brand new Miele Callisto, its one of the best machines available. or get the Moxie if you can get a better deal and weight/bulk is not an issue.
 
I'm in Berlin which is the epicenter of the state. The Riccar dealers don't seem to carry the canisters onsite, but the Simplicity seems to be the exact same other than color. I just need to figure out is the Silver Moon is my best option or if I need to go new. I think the lightweight of the Miele is very appealing to me as is the quiet sound so my three dogs don't get too scared, lol. I'm still open and have a bid on Ebay that still has three days left. He says it's a Moxie 2 and has a picture of the Moxie, but it's a demo and in his write up he keeps saying it's an RC 1400. I think that's a discontinued model they had hose problems with. If so, I'm going to probably pull out of the auction as the info isn't correct and I'd only want a Moxie at that price.

How should I deal with the guys locally when I figure out which unit I want to buy? I want a great price, but realize they need to make money too.

Does anyone know how much I should pay for a new
Capricorn with 236 head
Callipso
demo Simplex Moxie
 
Hey friends - let's get back to helping out Matt in Manhattan....not that all the other posts have not been interesting! :-D

Matt - one of your last posts seems to indicate the kind of vacuumer you are: you want to be able to wheel out an upright, plug it in and go clean, shut it off and put it in the closet. You don't want to have to assemble, disassemble, open and empty and re-assemble. You don't want to make the process a "Broadway Production"!

I think your very first instinct is going to suit you fine: a shiny new Miele upright. With a 39 foot cord, you probably won't even have to change electrical outlets once you start cleaning. And the on-board tools are good enough for all extra cleaning needs like furniture and nooks and crannies. You can probably even buy one of those nifty parquet Twister floor brushes that will attach to the upright hose and wand to clean floors under sofas and stuff.

Therefore....after over 100 posts (nice thread here guys!), my final recommendation is the Miele Cat and Dog S7 White Upright. Don't bother with the fancier more expensive versions of the S7 - the less electronic circuitry you have on your vac, the less chance for problems and repairs later. The white S7260 just has a rotary suction control - very simple and uncomplicated.

For what it's worth - and I know many Vacuumlanders do not trust Consumer Reports test results - when tested in controlled testing situations along with more than 30 other uprights on the market, this Miele "Cat and Dog" White Upright did very well in all categories: either "excellent" or "very good" in carpet cleaning, bare floor cleaning, cleaning with the hose, emissions and noise control, and handling. So, there is a high likelihood that it is a worthwhile investment.

This Miele S7 Upright will be a major step-up for you from your Fantom wondervac!

Here is a nice videoclip which shows how easy it is to use -



 
NYCWriter, how we doing?

You started this thread. Haven't heard from you in a bit, so I imagine you're long work week is ending and you'll do more research over the weekend. CTSooner has it down to a few machines. I think a feud between Tacony's Riccar and Simplicity vs. Miele is common. Both are terrific machines and I think it comes down to user comfort, options and price. Miele are said to be better built but they're quality has dropped and they get their fair share of repairs. Riccar/ Simplicity units are excellent, strong builds that will last many many years. They had a hose problem on some canisters but have changed materials and that seems to be a non-issue at this point. They recently brought manufacturing back to the U.S. and quality of finished product is better. I like the newer style telescoping wands compared to older version!! Buying brand new especially with either of this works out well because you get manufacturer warranty which on a new Moxie canister would be 5 yr. all inclusive.

What are your thoughts on something Matt? Are you liking the sound of Simplicity Synergy upright or Riccar Radiance, or Riccar Brilliance, all of which have their Tandem Air System? What the Tandem Air System does is eliminate the battle between uprights of whether a direct air system, (Also known as Dirty Air or Fan First), or Clean Air System ( Also known as Bypass) system is better because these machines use both. The Tandem air system uses 2 suction motors. This is why the vacuum can be demonstrated with the bag door removed because the machine has suction motor pushing dirt to the bag. If you put the bag door on, then you also gain the power of a motor pulling air to the bag. It's an upright so you would just have to switch hose to attachment use. The Miele S7 uprights are a similar technology to this but I believe the Tacony system is better.

On a canister you can have on/off power nozzle control at your fingertips, release suction hose from power head and grab whatever dirt in cracks and crevices that you want. I also use bare floor brush or electric power nozzle from canister to clean sofa cushions and stairs while I'm doing the main room. Can't really do that with a bulky upright.

Let us know where you're at. Remember everyone that this is a vacuum cleaner. It's an appliance just like refrigerator for cold beer and oven for baking brownies. A machine to help us with allergy removal etc. None of the machines listed above are junk and all will do a terrific job cleaning just about any environment. We on this forum know what junk is and we won't post those for recommendation!!! I've done a fair share of vacuum refurbishing and resale, I only resell machines that clean decent and avoid a few brands otherwise, which I will not state here in-order to maintain the status quo.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend. Those with snow and cold temperatures like me-- be careful and bundle up!! To everyone stay well and wash hands, this is cold and flu season!! It's a good time to boost Vitamin C and take some Echinacea.
 
Well thank you all very much! I have to admit, I thought I was pretty "up" on the latest vacuums (have always had a fascination with them anyway), but there are quite a few brands I've never heard of.

What I really WANT is an all-metal Royal Everlast; raw power, no frills. Basically a motor on wheels with a bag. Unfortunately, it's not what I NEED; it's as loud as a jet engine and about as complicated as you can get for using attachments.

After an honest appraisal of my home (size, furnishings, % of carpet vs hardwood -- which is about 50-50 ), I think I may have had a Come to Jesus moment regarding canister vacs. This is very difficult for me since I'm a third-generation upright guy. My mom has had nothing but uprights (and let's face it, MOM is always right); both grandmothers only used uprights. In fact, the only person in my entire family who had a canister was one of my aunts, but she was always "different", so no one said anything about her choice in vacuum.

This weekend I'm going to test out a Royal Lexon S20, as well as the Miele S8990 UniQ . While I'm at it, I'll also try the Miele upright, but truth to tell, now that I've at least brought canisters into the conversation, I've been fantasizing about having a vac that would allow me to NEVER AGAIN have to move my heavy-as-a-piano solid oak Stickley dressers ever again! Getting a power nozzle on the carpeting under those dressers, the bed, and the sofa has been such an unreachable dream that, like x-ray vision, I've always kept tucked firmly into the realm of fantasy.

Any thoughts on the Royal S20 vs the Miele UniQ? I know the Royal is half the price (practically) than this model of Miele, but I'm wondering if there's really that much of a difference in performance, or is it just the bells and whistles?
 
Miele Capricorn new should be about $800-850 upon negotiating or for floor model.
Callisto should be about $700 which would come with the smaller electro power nozzle

A Simpl Moxie Id guess would be about $650
 
Best thing about the Miele UniQ: you get a funky flashlight right on the hose handle! Which means you will always have a way of seeing what's lurking behind the sofa, under the bed and up on the tops of your framed artwork!

The new S8 series has not been laboratory tested anywhere in North America, so it's hard to say. But here is a neat little video by the British version of Consumer Reports - Which? Magazine....




 
OK, wait ... just seeing some videos about the Riccar. Might have to take a trip into Brooklyn to try one out (seriously -- not ONE Riccar dealer in MANHATTAN???).
 
INTERESTING price comparison ...

Just saw a vintage Hoover ad for a Convertible. The ad was from 1968 (the same year my parents were married and received a wedding gift of -- a brand-new Hoover Convertible -- milk chocolate brown with yellow hood). $79.99 with accessories.

Now, I think we can all agree that the Hoover Convertible in the '60s and '70s was pretty much the Everywoman's sweeper -- not a cheapie, but not top of the line, either. It was the Chevrolet of its day; a solid workhorse, but not quite a Buick, Lincoln, or even a Cadillac.

I crunched the numbers and adjusted for inflation, today that vacuum would cost $568. That's what EVERYBODY paid, back then (in today's dollars) for a solid middle-of-the-road vacuum, without even thinking about it.

And yet today, people have become so spoiled with cheap imports that they balk at anything over $200.

Interesting.
 
Another way to look at it:

$568 (in constant 2013 dollars) back in 1968 bought you a solid, yet middle-of-the-road Hoover Convertible.

Today it positions you (at least at the entry level) into the high-end realm.

If anything, this means vacuum cleaners have become much *cheaper* over the past 40-odd years.
 

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