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Nycwriter, I have had electriolux's for more years than I would care to mention, but I don't think there is any company left in the country that still picks up and delivers if service is ever needed.. The few times I needed service they usually just fix it right in my home. When I do the every five year preventive maintenance on my machines they pick up and deliver..same with bags, filters, they drop them off at my house.
 
Re: Mielel hoses

My longest standing Miele cylinder (S571) lasted about 8 years. The hose had been trampled on many times as well as general abuse. But true to the quality, it never broke once. Infact it lasted longer than the machine itself. I have never heard of a Miele hose drying out, let alone any other plastic hose on a canister or upright vac.
 
It seems that

many Miele vacuums last about 10 years or less when I owned my store customers would bring in dead less than 10 yo Mieles to trade for new vacuums .

Compared to Aerus formerly Electrolux I still have and use my Aunt B`s 1947 model XXX I dont hear too many stories of that old Mieles still being used.
Don`t get me wrong I like Miele I love German products I drive German cars .
You rarely if ever see vintage Mieles for sale say on eBay but you`ll fing many vintage Electrolux vacuums there .

Besides Kirby , Filterqueen and Ranibow these DTD brands seem to hold up better than any TOL vacuum out there .
 
I don't think Miele vacuums have been available in the U.S. market as long as Electrolux, to hear of a 20+ year old Miele still in service. correct me if I am wrong about this. Maybe in Europe its more common.

How is a Rainbow vacuum? Never had any experience.... Does that water become cumbersome every time you need to vacuum?
 
30 years old...

maybe people still have them, or traded it in for a new model...I don't know, guessing.... I do see many more old Electrolux on ebay if you do a search. But then again, I do not see older model Riccar or Simplicity either....
 
Lux Platinum Canister would be my vote......

My first imput on this thread, but Kirbyloverdan has a thread going about the above cleaner. You can actually watch the video. I kind of collect like Dan does. I have Mieles, Electrolux, Aerus, New Black Rainbow, Kirby's including the Sentria II. In your first post, you said money was no object, but were concerned about storing a canister. I don't have this vacuum, but it will be the next one I get. I did have the Aerus TOL Canister before this one and was disappointed and wrote Aerus about my concerns. My biggest problem with it was the loudness and too much suction. It would stall out the mini power nozzle even using the suction control on the handle. This new one has at least 8 suction levels and an auto control, which some Mieles have. It will have a rather small foot print when stored upright and the easiest bag change ever invented. Can't put the bag in wrong....It also has two hepa filters. One that will need replaced and a long life one.

I am so excited about this vacuum. I am glad Aerus is bringing back the quality we all expect from an Aerus/Electrolux vacuum. If you can't get to them, I am sure they would come to you.


Sincerely,

Bud Mattingly
PR-21
 
Seems like Aerus is still the top

brand in vacuums. I went to a bunch of stores and I made sure I went during 'off hours' so that I could truly test drive and not take time away from the owners, but I was very serious and open as to what to get and where to get it.. Every place I went sold Miele, except where I got my Sebo. There was only one used Miele for sale and that was the 10 yo Silver Moon. Most said the motors will last about 10 years and cost over 3 bills to replace. I would think that's one reason there may not be that many available even though they are so popular. Just a guess.
 
On vacuum popularity ...

I think perhaps one main reason Miele is so popular among the top-tier vacuums is simply because they're sold EVERYWHERE (like Hoovers), as opposed to the direct sales or exclusive distributorships for Kirby, Electrolux, etc., which forces potential customers to go out of their way to buy them.

Can anyone explain why, out of all the household appliances, VACUUMS have historically had such a convoluted sales route from manufacturer to consumer?
 
NYCwriter,

That is a very good question. I want to guess that a lot of the convoluted sales has occurred from the Direct Sales brands. (Kirby, Electrolux, Rainbow, etc.) As other brands grew (Miele, Sebo, Dyson, Oreck, Eureka-lux etc.) the direct sales method became more challenging because other brands are using a retailer network and online videos to sell the product. In a sense they are using there own websites, social media and a retailer network to market and sell. Direct sales brands I think have a tough time with adopting different methods of marketing and selling....what worked 40 years ago, does not work today. Another assumption is they do not want to institute a specific price for the product, rather overprice the product and negotiate to see how much we can rape the customer for. Many times I think this steers the customer to Sebo and Miele.
 
Yeah ...

... I really have no patience with the whole haggling thing. Pain in the a$$. I also resent the fact that someone can walk away with X product for hundreds of dollars less than I did because he was a better negotiator.
 
I had Kirby stop by last year and when I realized how messed up the pricing was I decided I wouldn't be buying one, but I sent them to my ex who did buy. I found out that they would let the whole thing go for 1000, I told my ex. That's exactly what she paid for her Kirby (everything including the carpet cleaner).

It's too bad since is seems like a great vacuum.
 
The

direct sales vacuum companys are still in business and are doing very well so im guessing they must be doing something right ?

Lets see if Miele and Sebo are still around as long as they have been especially when many mom and pop vacuum shops are trying to stay afloat and keep their doors open .

The sales tactics in many vacuums shops can be pretty nasty also . I have many friends who own stores and they say they are NOT in business to repair your vacuum but rather when a customer comes in with a repair you MUST sell them a new vacuum PERIOD . So I guess its everywhere not just the D2D people .
 
NYC writer,

I had to haggle to get my Aerus at a price I was willing to pay. They started at $1,300, I walked away with Upright & Tools for $700 with a trade. Good machine, very durable, however, the sales experience was undesirable.
 
I am so glad I found this board

I was going to get screwed if I didn't do my homework. I do wish I had the bucks to get the new Lux. That would have been easy, but there are so many choices and they are all pretty close. I wish that Lux could offer the new one for under 1k for everyone. If I went to an Aerus dealer, I bet I couldn't come close to getting it for anything near that price. I tried and the guy was not cool. He tried playing games with me and I walked out as did another woman who was there to purchase one. She said to me outside that she wouldn't buy from a guy like that. She said there are other Aerus dealers who would want our business. I knew it wasn't me when that happened.

You have to be an informed consume now days.
 
Unfortunately that's what gives Aerus a crappy image, the arrogant store owners who want top dollar for a basic machine.
 
Every

company store has someone who is nasty . All the Aerus stores I have visited have been very pleasant .

Many times going into a vacuum store sales people / owners can be mean also .

No matter what kind of business you have good and bad people it`s just the way humans are .

Aerus has one of the best customer service compared to many D2D companies for selling top quality lifetime lasting vacuums.
 
Oh, as I said there are other Aerus stores. I was just put off, plus i realized I didn't need to spend over 1k and decided not to go that route. I would have bought from an Aerus dealer on this board or through Brian if I went that route most probably.
 
All of the Long Island locations I have been to we're not that nice at all..... Three have shut doors and Miele is popping up more and more, they are even in some Oreck stores and Bloomingdales. I have received excellent customer service, demos and no pressure sales at all from any Miele stores
 
Actually, CTSooner, that's a good question ...

If I bought an Electrolux off of one of YOU guys ... through the mail ... would I still be able to get it serviced by my local dealership?
 
Matt

as long as they register the warranty in your name it doesnt matter where you get it from . If you want I can call my guy and see what price he can sell you the Aerus Platinum for and he could ship it to you . He is a very nice guy I guess the NY stores have not too nice people . I have encountered that while shopping in NY for various items the store clerks just don`t seem to happy I felt like I was bothering them most times .
 
Yes, unfortunately that's how it is...I wish Aerus was bigger here, but from Manhattan to Montauk Point they have tarnished the reputation. Its not just vacuums, its appliance stores as well...they just do not know that friendly approach. It seems as if they are un-knowledgeable and un-willing to know how to work with a customer and face questions.
 
I may be curious too on that Lux

I'm sure I could easily sell mine for the 699 I got it for as I haven't even done the warranty card yet. You guys got me hooked. Thanks a lot. Brian, this is on you, lmao.
 
OK ...

... tried out the Royal S20 Canister, as well as the Sebo D4. Not impressed with either, after trying out the Electrolux.

The Sebo in particular was disappointing. Is there ANYTHING on that machine that's not plastic? Call me old-fashioned, but for a unit approaching $1K, I want some METAL on the damn thing. I want it to feel SOLID. It just doesn't *feel* like an expensive piece of machinery ... not even as solid as my mom's old Hoover Convertible 1060. Frankly it feels like a toy. And the hoses on both are an absolute joke compared to the Lux. It's like they went out of their way to find the cheapest hoses possible. And no, they don't hold up; I noticed some cracking and splitting on the floor models -- and how old could they possibly be?

Speaking of metal, though, I tried out one of the Royal Everlasts. My my my!!! Damn I wish I was walking out of the store with one of those. Surprisingly light, but *solid*. Unfortunately I just don't have the expanses of carpeting to justify such a "raw" machine. Maybe in a house like Downton Abbey ...
 
Hey...the Aerus is the way to go, I had them all, bought, returned and sold many, and still found myself liking the Aerus the most. Something about them, perhaps the rubber hose, electric side kicks, it wins me over. The only other brand I enjoy all around so far is Miele. I have yet to come to like Riccar, I'm still sniffing it out.
 
Matt

you are so right . I am so glad Aerus brought back a METAL machine .

I love all vacuums and Sebo has never impressed me . That canister is really huge I am not sure why they made it that LARGE ? I just can`t find anything I like about that brand of vacuum IMO .

Aerus has it going on with the new Guardian Platinum it is surely going to be a home run . I never checked out the Royal but I own its Brother the Hoover windtunnel and that machine is just OK . I used it once and it now sits in the back of my closet .
 

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