Miele bags and filter generic options

[vegassucks]

I purchased the following on Amazon and offer the following opinion.

Generic Bags: 5 bags and filters for $8 which is $1.60 per bag or a $2.40 per bag savings from the OEM bags. I do not see a big difference in the quality between the generic and the OEM bags, maybe a slight edge to the OEM bags as they have a closing flap but for the savings worth considering.

Generic Hepa filter: I paid $11 for the generic filter from Amazon. This is a $38 saving from the OEM brand. The fit and finish is exactly like the OEM filter less the words Miele on the side. This is a no brainer, why would anyone pay $38 more? The generic Hepa-filter is the clear winner.

 

[vegassucks]

Hepa filters

Take a close look, a $38 saving is huge and worth giving the generic a try.

 

[piano_god]

IMHO, there's two machines you should never use an aftermarket bag or filter on: Miele and Filter Queen.

While the 3M (EHCPNA) bags tend to be the better aftermarket, they still leak fine dust into the bag chamber on a Miele. The genuine AirClean do not. The aftermarket HEPA's use inferior media that will not filter to genuine specifications. In addition, the aftermarket HEPA's are more restricting to the airflow, hence the machine runs hotter.

Why would you spend good money on a high-end machine and be proud to save a few dollars on the expendables that will compromise its filtration and airflow? Your experiment with aftermarket will void the warranty, too...

Personally, I have fifteen Miele's in my collection. Over the years, I've tried the majority of aftermarket bags and filters in my "beater" s314i, and NONE have come close to matching the genuine.[this post was last edited: 8/31/2013-15:56]

 

[singingrainbow]

When using generic bags in Miele's you must be very careful, I have used them in the past for our red star but never in a new machine.


Is this for that home care you just bought? Because if so then using these copy bags and filters just invalidated your warranty, I can say this with experience as I work for a miele service center.


Plus these bags do damage to the machines innards over time, we have repaired machines where copy bags either burst, leaked, or let too much dust into the motor.


 


Use at your own risk!


Scott

 

[joshdonnell]

Generic bags and Generic Filters

Will Void your warranty. I only use Genuine Miele bags and filters. And that goes for all my bagged vacuums. My Rainbow i bought a Generic filter . I think thats ok tho. And plus its an older Rainbow .

 

[vegassucks]

Snake oil, that is what you are selling when you state these bags and filters are some how going to destroy your machine. These generic bags are actually made by Electrolux and there is a good chance the generic filter is made by the same company that manufacture the Miele brand and put their name on it.
The same BS Is used with automobile oil filters,you must use the OEM. Than you find you find out that the OEM issues the same third party manufacture as the generic. If you really are convinced that using a generic Hepa filter really will destroy your machine than waste your money.

I can tell you that the Miele GN bag does leak even with a seal. The only person who will try to scare you away for using generic bags and filters are the dealers who mark up these items as mush as 80%. If you want to argue that I want to support my local dealer by purchasing from them, I will agree with that argument as a valid reason to purchase OEM bags.

I can tell you that the dealers by me sell Generic bags for every make they sell and mark them up about 50% Internet pricing. Oes the fact you paid more and purchased them from a dealer make them better?

 

[singingrainbow]

It's your warranty to void and your money to waste.

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

I think the general consensus here is would you put cheap gas and Wal-mart tires on a BMW? I think I remember someone saying exactly that on this forum some time ago.... and the sewing machine mechanic told me that when I brought my Bernina in for a tune up loaded with thread from Joann's instead of from his store... LOL


I have had a problem with aftermarket bags in a Miele... 2 Mieles actually. I bought some aftermarket DVC brand FJM bags for my Miele Plus S251 canister years ago... I thought they would be the same because they were the same synthetic cloth like material and they were not paper. Well, I've had 3 of them burst! The side seams split wide open and dirt got all in the bag chamber... had to clean it out with the Dyson. It was a mess each time. I thought I'd learned my lesson. I got the Miele S7 upright a few months ago, and the bag that came in it was genuine Meile. It was pretty full, yet there was not even an ounce of dust in the bag chamber. I noticed in a video on Youtube that Govacuums.com had made their own bags and they were supposed to be the same quality as the genuine Miele U bags... I bought a box. I've been using the cleaner for a few months and, well... you can see by the picture below what the result is.

I'm a slow and stubborn learner, but eventually catch on... For me, from now on, NO aftermarket products for the Miele, period! I'm not claiming that I know for a fact that using an aftermarket product will run your machine, but there is typically a difference in quality... I buy aftermarket bags for soft bagged, fan first machines all the time, but it's a machine where the air goes through the motor, I've learned not to do that.

Hope you have better luck than I did )

 

[vegassucks]

it your money

My OEM GN Miele bags leaks, period. It's your money and you need to spend it the way you want. Your not driving down the freeway at 80 MPH in ur mIele so the tire comparison is silly.

Another excellent choice, it's your money.

 

[vegassucks]

This is the OEM bag

See the dust leaking. I have only used the OEM bag, they are no better than some of the generics.

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

That does look pretty bad... are those paper or the synthetic cloth like material?

 

[singingrainbow]

If your miele is leaking that much dust into the bag chamber then something is seriously wrong, did your miele come packaged with the hyclean or airclean bags?

 

[vegassucks]

OEM bag

This is the bag, OEM has not been changed.

 

[singingrainbow]

To be honest, I am stunned.


I have never seen an S8 with that much dust leakage.


In this case, if the copy bags don't leak as much than I would use them!

 

[vegassucks]

Might be a defective bag

The bag may be defective? I do believe the Bag Go Vac sells is just as good as the OEM. While arguments against premotor filters might be valid as some manufactures are inferior to the OEM. The Hepa filter to me is worth the savings. I do belive this after market Hepa filter to be the exact same quality as the OEM.

 

[joshdonnell]

Miele bags

I use the oem bags and they dont leak . I might be something your picking up.

 

[vacman117]

That is most definitely not normal for your machine to be doing that. I have never seen or used a Miele that leaked that much dust, and every one that I have owned and used has had a genuine Miele bag. I would replace the bag with another genuine one and see what happens. If the problem persists I'd take to your dealer and see what they think...


 


Chase

 

[singingrainbow]

I echo what chase said, wipe out the chamber, put a new genuine bag in, and if it does this again then take it to a service center and have it fixed under warranty.


Scott

 

[piano_god]

The bag leakage shown occurs when the machine has been used after bag door is opened and the collar on the bag has not been pushed back into its slot. Therefore, you always make sure the bag collar is all the way in the slot before closing the bag door and using the machine...

 

[vegassucks]

Bag collar

The Bag collar has always been pushed back down in the slot. The Miele bags are not an air tight seal and do leak fine dust. If you take off your hose and look into the vacuum you will see the flap is opened. The flap only closes when you open the bag access door. I do believe the GoVac bags that GOVac sells for $2 per bag will work just as well as the Miele bags. [this post was last edited: 8/31/2013-18:25]

 

[piano_god]

The silicone gasket on the bag opening forms an airtight seal to the spout when the bag door is closed and the bag is inserted correctly. This means dust and debris will not leak between the bag collar and spout when inside the machine provided the bag is inserted correctly. If the bag is not inserted properly, it will cause dust to accumulate on the collar and other areas throughout the bag chamber, as your photos show...

 

[vegassucks]

Airtight???

Not an airtight seal. Try and find anywhere in writing where-as Miele claims it to be. It is only a seal to prevent leakage when taking the bag out to change it. Airtight is something people assume and never claimed by Miele.

Specs

Miele AirClean GN bags replace IntensiveClean Plus GN bags.
Bags fit Miele S400, S2000 or S5000 Series canisters
Improved technology features 9 layers of filtration to trap and hold dirt and debris in the bag, including dust mites, pet dander and pollen
Self-locking collar automatically closes when removing dustbag to prevent escape of dust and allergens
25% larger bag capacity requires fewer bag changes and waste
Includes 4 AirClean GN dustbags, 1 Motor Protection Filter and 1 Air Clean Filter

 

[piano_god]

I'm sorry, vegassucks, but I do not need to find it in writing. The silicone gasket on the Miele AirClean bag forms an airtight seal to the spout on the bag door provided the bag is installed correctly.


 


If the bag door is opened and closed repeatedly without the bag being pushed back into its slot completely, it will do exactly what occurred in your photograph. Judging by the stress marks on the pullout tab on your GN bag, it appears you've removed and inserted it multiple times.


 


Good luck with your aftermarkets, though...

 

[vegassucks]

Airtight

If you believe that the bag is airtight I cannot stop you. Many believed the earth as round, Piano_God
you might still believe it is LOL. Thank you anyway for your good wishes. Those who believe Miele has some superior bag that can not be duplicated for half the price are good for vacuum shops and Miele so there is a positive in everything.

Yes my bag was removed to try and figure out why it was leaking. It did not take a rocket scientist to figure out that the gasket seal is very cheap and not an airtight seal. While the bag compartment is an airtight seal when on, the bag in the compartment is not an airtight seal. Do you have any idea how tight it would fit around the pipe if it were?

When you change your bag next time just lift the inlet around the pipe and move it around, you will realize how lose the fit is. Actually the Go Vacuum bags look to have a higher quality seal than the Miele bags.

 

[sebo_fan]

Well if you have the bags from Go Vacuum, do report. If not, why try and assume that they are just as good? The Proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

I have used copy bags too in my Miele vacuums - and the story isn't good. Oh yes they're cheap at the time to buy but they tend to have a shorter life than Miele's genuine bags.

My other problem with the bags is that they don't stay in after the lid has been opened. They seem to catch on the main dust channel shroud and prise themselves out of the plastic holder thus causing damage TO THE plastic holder cartridge when the lid won't pop open properly. I have bought copy bags in the past when stocks of the IntensiveClean bags have either dried up or they are no longer on sale.

Bagged vacuums hardly expel as much dust anyway as bagless - but by using copy bags, I find that not only can they lead to damage due to their poor fixings but also they can damage/badly stain the felt filter at the motor vent (not the exhaust).

 

[vegassucks]

Not all are equal to OEM

Not all after market bags are equal. I am purchasing from Amazon so I can return any that are not up to par. I do believe the Hepa filter is just as good and may even be manufactured by the OEM manufacture. I will update on the Go Vacuum bags, I should have soon. The first ones from Electrolux (3m) do not seem up to par so I am sending back for refund and do not want to risk using them. I am not very impressed with the Miele OEM seal, the bag quality itself is excellent.

 

[piano_god]

"...[the silicone gasket] is only a seal to prevent leakage when taking the bag out to change it."


 


Thank you for the laugh, vegassucks! I suggest you cut the collar from a genuine bag and observe it from the reverse. Report back with your findings...


 


 


"If you believe that the bag is airtight I cannot stop you."


 


I never said the vacuum bag is airtight. As someone who has spent years in the vacuum industry, I've never come across an airtight vacuum bag. It doesn't sound like it would work very well, though.


 


  


"When you change your bag next time just lift the inlet around the pipe and move it around, you will realize how lose the fit is."


 


I wonder why Miele installed a silicone gasket then? If you hold the bag against the spout and observe the gasket through the use of a small mirror, you'll notice the gasket maintains its seal when moved around due its flexible nature. <span style="text-decoration: underline;">When properly installed in the bag holder, the gasket will create an airtight seal to the spout when the bag door is closed.</span>


 


 


"Do you have any idea how tight it would fit around the pipe if it were?"


 


Last I checked, friction isn't the only way to create a seal. Materials, such as silicone, can create a seal too.


 


 


"Those who believe Miele has some superior bag that can not be duplicated for half the price are good for vacuum shops and Miele."


 


I have tried the 3M (EHCPNA), EnviroCare Technologies and the DVC branded melt blown polypropylene bags in my Miele s314i. All of them leaked fine dust into the bag chamber and soiled the pre-motor filter. Bobby kindly took a photo of the bag door on his Miele S7280 using the "ZVac" bags sold through GoVacuum. Judging by his photo, they appear to leak dust too.


 


Miele's nine-ply melt blown polypropylene bag <span style="text-decoration: underline;">is</span> superior and has yet to be equalled. When you have a precision piece of German engineering, it's a real shame that you seem to advocate the use of cheap Chinese expendables that greatly compromise the proper operation and long-life of the machine. 

 

[vegassucks]

Piano_god

Piano_god,
Your use name alone tells me not debate someone who thinks their God, so I will not waste either of our time. It might be that my bag is defective but it does not seal properly around the collar, big gaps. Look at the photo of my bag you can see the seal looks deformed.

I will give Go Vacuums bag a try because I believe their company has integrity and would not sell complete garbage, that being said if I do believe it is garbage I will post my opinion. I will use the aftermarket Hepa filter in the above photo after a year. I do believe it is built to the same quality as the OEM and for $38 savings I will take my chances. Worst case senerio it is more Than likely better than the s-class filter.

 

[sebo_fan]

Actually what you should do is order another OEM HEPA filter and take it apart. I think Go-Vacuum do a superb video on You Tube showing how difficult it it to take apart the Miele HEPA filter, to prove that it is sealed up. Only then by comparing the actual destruction of the OEM part will you know whether it is the same as the one Miele also sell.