Just a thought....

[godfreys_guy]

So the Miele S7 series is no longer available here in Australia, due to the proliferation of canister units, Had they launched when Shark are now becoming HUGELY popular would have meant there was a premium alternative to people, but it was the reverse...

Anyways - My thought was around design So the S7 is I take it quite a popular vacuum in the US and less so in Europe - Do you think that Miele in the US would have had a large hand in the design of the S7 series?

I know this has happened with the Aerus Platinum/Lux Intelligence (although based on the hose, lack of handle controls and clunky Power-brush I think the US pulled the short straw), It was a joint design between Switzerland and the US.

Also between VAX and Hoover for models like the Air Range and floormate etc.

 

[sebo_fan]

As far as I understand it, the S7 WAS designed for the U.S market in mind, rather than Europe. It wouldn't surprise me if Miele U.S had some authoritative influence, but bear in mind Miele already had the U.S market making rebadged Panasonic uprights with Miele badges on them and were only sold there - not sure if Canada had them, but they may well have done, too.

Miele's cans/cylinders are also world wide sellers, their stick vacs have higher sales in the EU compared to the UK which have had none of the ranges offered since the 1990s/2000s.

 

[sbakerde]

Your exactly right

The s7 series was designed for the US market. Miele North America asked the powers that be for an upright vacuum as many homes here are mostly carpet. Miele corporate refused to put the money and man hours into designing an upright without proof that it would sell. So was the birth of the rebadged Panasonic upright. After it was established that an upright vacuum would sell Miele designed the S7. If I remember correctly the S7 was several years in the works before it was launched. I'm personally not a huge upright fan but I do adore the Miele S7.

 

[sebo_fan]

Thank you. I owned one of their models when it first came to the UK market. I liked its quiet motor and general cleaning efficiency. However the design of it was too big for my home and I was surprised that the floor head had to be manually pedalled over rugs. I was also surprised that the brush roll couldn't be independently removed like SEBO even though Miele had incorporated rather handy "cut lines" to take hair off the brush roll.

The plastic body was also susceptible to scrapes, more than my SEBO uprights - and the S7 for all that it was quiet and provided good suction - also seems to have its hose stitched in by two crosshead screws that I found difficult to remove when removing clogged pet hair. The S7 isn't for everyone though I wish Miele would do a compact upright. I believe there's a market that Miele would sell quite a lot of them - but they won't consider it as they feel it would steal sales from their cylinder/cans family.

 

[marcusprit]

Yes I would love Miele to introduce a compact upright it would be a great addition and I'm sure a big seller. Shame they don't have any plans too :-(

 

[godfreys_guy]

Miele do have a compact upright...

it's here in Australia....
We no longer get the S7, which is unfortunate.

BTW - It wasn't only the north american market that got the pana miele uprights, we had them here in Aus too!


http://www.miele.com.au/au/domestic/products/floorcare_models_S_192_Mini_upright_Turbo-68757.htm

 

[sebo_fan]

Compact upright = nah. It's a stick vacuum

Miele have forever called their S160 series a "compact upright." However its a stick vac.

After all, was the Hooverette ever considered a compact upright vacuum cleaner?

I had one of those Miele stick vacs. Dreadful. Bottom fill dust bags leak, Miele won't address the issue and fit seals to them like they have in their HyClean dust bags, and even if there is a seal on the main dust channel, it still sticks open and lets dirt drop down from the bag into the floor head and out the bottom.

Elsewhere there are some nice design elements, but in general I find it too heavy. Even with a turbo brush fitted, it still wasn't light enough. By compact upright, I mean something the size of a Vax Mach Air, but bagged style made by Miele.