Help with Kenmore ID and comparison with newer Miele

[vamp945]

Hi all,

I recently acquired a "vintage" Kenmore 4.8 vacuum. I have attached a photo to this message. Not pictured is the beater brush (no light on the beater brush). Can anyone help ID this machine? How old, actual manufacturer, etc?

I have also recently acquired a Miele S4 (S4580) vacuum circa late 200x, made in Germany.

Due to a lack of storage space, I can only keep one vacuum. I'm trying to decide between these two machines. I assume that the newer Miele is a far better machine, but I thought I'd run it by the experts here before I part ways with the vintage Kenmore. As we all know, newer is not necessarily better!

 

[vacuumlad1650]

Kenmore is late 80S early 90S made by Panasonic. Model number should be engraved on the bottom
Andy

 

[panasonicvac]

It's an early 90's model, one of the first Kenmore models that were made by Panasonic. I rather keep the Miele over the Kenmore because the Miele is more durable, the performance is better, and it has better filtration. Plus almost all the parts for the Kenmore are already gone.

 

[compactc9guy]

Keep the Kenmore

Those vintage Kenmore are so much better than Meyle id keep the Kenmore i have use some like the one pictured cant beat it for a plastic canister the y are great .

 

[vacerator]

Panasonic

has been making Kenmore vacuums since the 80's. I believe they purchased the company from Whirlpool that made them prior.
Service Merchandise sold Whirlpool branded vacuums in the 80's also made by this Panasonic company.

 

[kirbylux77]

Vamp945, I would keep the Kenmore.

First, one obvious reason, your Miele being a compact S4 model, there is NO WAY to add a powerhead in the future....there is no socket in the canister for a electric hose. You can only add on a turbo brush, which robs the vacuum of some of it's airflow/suction to make it work. Your only hope would be to trade the S4 in, save some money on a newer Miele, & start from scratch. Even if your S4 was capable of being upgraded to a electric powerhead, the cost of the hose, electric wand & powerhead would be so exorbitant that upgrading makes much more sense.

Yes, the Miele would have better performance in terms of suction/airflow, & better filtration, but only because the Miele has a exhaust HEPA filter. If you use a HEPA Cloth bag in your Kenmore that solves the filtration problem, the only emissions your Kenmore would be exhausting would be carbon dust emissions from the motor. And although the Kenmore has less airflow/suction, it isn't a huge difference....90" inches of waterlift for Kenmore, vs 100" inches of waterlift for Miele. Both are more than capable cleaners & are up to modern standards. Even if you did want more suction from the Kenmore, there is a upgraded Ametek 115923 motor that you can buy & install that has the same power your Miele has.

Finally, the Kenmore long term is going to be signifigantly more reliable than Miele will be. Miele S4 canisters use a single stage Domel motor & circuit boards inside the canister which can & DO fail. Miele claims a 20 year life expectancy, but it is routine to see Miele canisters with bad circuit boards around 10 to 15 years old, & repair parts are exorbitant for Miele vacuums when they do break down. Kenmore, on the other hand, uses a double stage Ametek motor....carbon brushes can be replaced & the entire motor rebuilt if desired, & a simple power switch. A suction release on the hose accomplishes the same results as variable speeds, without the need for circuit boards. As for parts availability, that won't be a issue, these were VERY common vacuums & both genuine & aftermarket parts will be available long into the future. One little tip about your hose - store it off the wand when storing it so it lasts a long time, as the hose material can crack at the ends when stored on the wand.

Hope this helps you make a informed decision.

Rob

 

[vamp945]

Thanks for all the replies!

Thank you to everyone for your thoughtful replies. Thanks especially to Rob for your thorough explanation.

I should note that my home has no carpet at all, negating the need for a powerhead. Still, the S4 that I have includes a battery-powered powerhead, so it can be used on carpet (rugs) if needed.

Also, I do have HEPA cloth (aftermarket) bags for the Kenmore, so the filtration should be pretty good.

With those two points in mind, performance between the two vacuums is probably tied pretty evenly.

However, the Kenmore is much louder and heavier. The difference in noise is highlighted even more when the Miele is used on a lower power setting. The Miele is also more pleasant to use because of the reduced weight, improved ergonomics, and telescoping / reticulating wand and hose.

Still, I can see that the Kenmore is a workhorse and is likely to last a long time yet. I'd like to keep both machines, but have to make a decision.