Meile's with Lamb motors

[DesertTortoise]

Which Meile canister vacs came with Lamb motors? I want to know for reference if I ever go looking for a used Meile canister to add to the collection. Thanks in advance.

the Desert Tortoise

 

[ultralux88]

I believe they switched over in late 1999 or 2000. The only series that would have them are the S200i series (such as my S238i which is the oldest body style canister they sold here). It would be all S200i machines made from 1985-1999. They did make the Plus and Natural, S251i, with the German motor and the Vortex motor though. They also were in the S300i Series like my Blue Magic or a Red Star until the changeover. The Platinum only came in the German motor, and most of the late S300i's had the newer motor in them. The Red Star some other one I can't think of now even made it up into the Vortex era, so you'd have to go by the age of the vacuum. The S400i's also had Lamb motors in them like my White Pearl, it has a Lamb motor in it. The vortex motor is the easiest to tell by looking at the speed control and seeing if it goes up to 1100 or 1200 Watts, the vortex is 1200 and the Lamb and German made motor are 1100.

 

[DesertTortoise]

Thanks ultralux. It's tough to find images of the older Miele vacs.

 

[kirbykid63]

Just listed one

I just pulled one from a s312i,find mieles all the time and part them out need anything let us know.

Rich
new2youvacuums on eBay.

 

[DesertTortoise]

Hi Kirbykid. I've never had a Miele canister vac, so I was thinking of stalking some classifieds, eBay and Craigslist for a decent used one to learn on. You know I'm weird for Kenmore canisters of a certain vintage. Maybe I'll like a Miele? Dunno. I thought at least the Lamb motor would be familiar to me and I know they last. I don't think I have seen the older Miele's.

 

[ultralux88]

I honestly think the German or the Vortex motors are better. They definitely don't fail as much as the Lamb motors do, we've replaced a good number of Lambs in Mieles, but very few of the German motors and even fewer Vortex motors, they are really well built and hold up well even in case of abuse that send tons of dirt and even a few cases water thru the motor, and they generally hold up, while this tends to kill the Lambs. And contrary to what Miele might tell you the Vortex motor is very easily taken apart to replace bearings and I don't know if you can get the carbons from Domel or not. I don't know about the 2 fan German motor if Domel made it or not, but I do know the Vortex motor for a fact is at least a Domel design, you can find the vortex motors in the Domel catalog.

 

[ultralux88]

I forgot to add that Domel in my eyes makes a better motor than Lamb, they tend to be more powerful for a similar or lighter motor.

 

[DesertTortoise]

Wow. What's failing and what model Lamb motors are these? I have a bunch of older Kenmore canister vacs with a variety of 5.7 inch Lamb motors, one speeds, two speeds and even one with infinitely variable speed and the only one to have any kind of problem was my eldest, with over four decades of use. The brushes were worn down and a bearing was pretty rough. It ran but was noisy. It's out having the bearings and brushes replaced. Nothing else was wrong with it. Even the beaters I buy for parts or to restore never have bad motors. Those old Lamb motors seem to be the one item that you can't seem to kill, which is why I was interested in the Lamb motored Mieles. I've had paper bags blow and all kinds of crud run through those motors with no apparent ill effect (I clean them up right away when that happens btw, old Kenmores didn't have much for filtration until my vacuum guy turned me on to Electrolux bulk filter media). What are the weaknesses I haven't yet encountered that causes them to fail?

 

[kirbylux77]

Ultralux88

Reggie, are you nuts or something?!?! You SERIOUSLY think that a Slovenian-made Domel motor is better made than an Ametek motor? I think NOT! Our local shop, before they went under in December 2012, made the unwise decision of buying some Domel double-stage motors from Hibbert Wholesale, to use as replacements for Ametek motors in Tri-Star's, Filter Queens, etc. He had TONS of problems with them & a lot of them required premature replacement, most of them under 2 years old. No way would I ever take a Domel motor in a vacuum I was having repaired, nor would I ever buy a vacuum if I knew it had a Domel motor in it!

Rob

 

[ultralux88]

Well experience has told me otherwise. When Sebo switched to domel motors in the automatic series and the Windsors they got more powerful but also seem to have the motors last longer. Same for Pro-Team backpacks, domel motors are presented kind of a fan upgraded motor, they do take more abuse than the lamb motors from what I've seen too, and there's a big difference in power

 

[DesertTortoise]

I am curious what is failing in Lamb motors? I have quite a few vacs with their 5.7 inch TF motors and they have been bulletproof in my own limited experience with them. Even the beater Kenmore vacs I get to refurbish never have bad Lamb motors.

 

[ultralux88]

I feel the older lamb motors were very good and lasted years. lots just that the newer ones don't seem to hold up as well. I think some is the higher amperage, I also think the bearing failure is a big part of it too. I see more of the mid 90s and newer lambs with burnt out armature windings and damaged commutators than the older ones too. The lamb motors are bad or unreliable for a motor today, they're still better than most. I just think the domel motor is just a bit more reliable, closer to that they used to be.

 

[bebring]

I just bought a 2 stage lamb motor to replace the motor in my Shop-Vac, will be a good motor?

 

[DesertTortoise]

What motor number? I wouldn't worry too much about a US manufactured 5.7 inch Lamb motor. They are not overstressed like perhaps some of the smaller motors might be.

 

[bebring]

The number model is 116471-00, is assembled in Mexico.

 

[DesertTortoise]

Peripheral discharge. I have no experience with their peripheral dischage motors, only their through flow canister vac motors. It's not one of their most powerful motors.

 

[bebring]

It's maybe not the more powerfull but it have a good power for a peripheral dischage (It what I think). I wanted to put the original performance in my Shop-Vac 950A and it was the same spec and size.