Miele canisters assembled in Germany

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papadop

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Hi folks,

Is there a Miele vacuum guru who can share some information on which US Miele canisters contained the blower feature, had the option of adding an electric power nozzle, and were assembled in Germany with German made parts, in the last ten years?

Thanks for any help.

-Chris
 
I am not a Miele guru.....

I had a Miele Champagne I think it was an S548 model #. You had to remove the hepa filter in order to use the blower function. You also had to be careful with the lid open not to let the hose snap it off......while using the blower.


 


 


Bud Mattingly


PR-21
 
Puh-leeze!

"....what difference does it make if they are Chinese made?"

Use your Gran's Kenwood mixer, and then one of the new Chinese-made ones.

Then get back to us.
 
<span style="text-decoration: underline;">All of the current S2 (S2000), S4 (S4000), S5 (S5000), S6 (S6000) and S7 (S7000) models are made in Bielefeld, Germany. </span>

Miele's factory in China is located in Hong Da. This factory produces entry level machines that have had their moulds retired from the Bielefeld factory. While these machines are moulded and assembled in the Hong Da factory, the electrical components, including the hose, wand and attachments are imported from Miele's factories in Germany. At this time, a few S500 (Solaris series) and Universal Upright (stick vac) models are produced there for Canada and the United States.

Miele Naturell (S246i) and late-model Red Star w/ SEB 213-2 (S314i) were produced in Hong Da, but have been discontinued. I believe a S300 series machine may still be in production there for the European market.

The S300, S400, S500 and S600 models supported a blowing function through the use of an adapter that was inserted when the Super Air Clean or HEPA filter was removed. However, the blowing function has been eliminated from current models.

S300 and S400 machines supported the use of a powerhead with the use of the SES 105 (SES 110 for Ambiente/White Pearl, SES 115 for Platinum) hose. S500 requires SES 113 (pigtail) or SES 118 (direct connect) hose. However, S500/S600 machines with total control handles (Silver Moon, Red Velvet, Blue Moon) require the SES 125 hose.


 


Hope this helps,


 


Scott

[this post was last edited: 2/5/2012-00:31]
 
That's why I love my Tristar & Kirbys for their blowers, no adaptors necessary, just remove the bag or filter from the exhaust and insert the hose and twist to lock, done, no adaptors, not filter media to remove, just a simple set of actions... :P

And yes, my S316i has a blower function, but it sucks more than it blows...
 
I don't get the link between poor quality and China? As if the two go hand in hand? Surely they could make better quality in China if the manufacturers actually wanted better quality?
 
Quality and China do not go together, they make things to a minuscule budget, shaving off anything they can to make things cheaper, be it thinner plastic, cheaper electronic components, thinner wires, weaker components, it all adds up to the savings and thus profits...

Just compare things made say 30 years ago to their modern counterparts, there is a massive difference in build quality, one example is american telephones, compare modern Cortelco phones to their Western Electric counterparts, the Cortelco models have more plastic,and less quality, especially with the ringers in the desk phones being made out of flimsy plastic and having some weird ball-bearing clapper thing that sounds awful...

And over here in the UK, go to any pound shop and look at the stuff on sale, "Skerple" marker pens made to look like "Sharpie" marker pens, bicycle lights whose design was brand new in the 70's, mobile phone chargers that you're lucky if they last a month, all made in china, and that cheapness is seeping into what were the quality brands...

If it's made in china, it's guaranteed to be low-quality...
 
Yes I take all that on board, but it misses my point totally. If someone asked a Chinese company to make something of a prescribed quality standard, what is there to stop them making it? The people requesting the poor quality must be happy with what they are getting.
 
VR - It's an American thing - I've noticed from other forums I'm on - American consumers have a bigger market share, their continent is bigger by default - thus they have been ripped off by Chinese built offerings, and those who don't admit it won't say it - not everything in China is crap - Americans also don't like the fact that China is communist, and they don't agree with the way people are treated.

danemodsandy - I have a Kenwood hand mixer. It's 10 years old, it's made in China. What's your point? It still goes, it hasn't cracked and the work it's been made to do has been light to heavy action. When it breaks I will buy yet another made in China article - I have confidence in Chinese built things, I don't have a mindset assumption that China builds crap. I don't have confidence in all things German. I had a Braun food processor for many years but getting parts for it was very rare. Braun UK couldn't care less and they ceased production of all their small home care appliances. They're not the first German company to do this.

The problem with Miele is that there was an early issue with Miele vacuums - but quelle surprise, it was "only" an issue with certain continent buyers. The early S4 models were made in China, whether Miele wants to admit it or not. The Germans were keen to play down this fact. Screw driver assembly does not infer that the build will be 100% positive-complete. But it's time for people to realise that wherever the model is made, if it doesn't work or something goes wrong within their expectancy, they shouldn't point to the country of origin to where it is produced, but rather the brand itself.
 
RS:

It is possible that Chinese manufacturers provide better quality to the U.K. market than they do to America, but on this side of the pond, "Made in China" denotes dubious quality. Many a consumer item that used to be well-made here is now of lesser quality than was formerly the case, and some items don't even work at all, such as manually-operated can openers and nail clippers. Pet owners here lost quite a few pets to the presence of melamine in pet food, put there intentionally by Chinese manufacturers seeking to achieve better test results for the percentage of protein in the product.

I own a Farberware percolator from the 1970s which is nearly forty years old and still going strong. The "same" perc is now sourced from China, and failures within a year are quite common; the Internet has many consumer complaints about the problem. The Kenwood stand mixers sold here (under the DeLonghi name) are not a patch on the old U.K.-made Kenwood Minors and Majors; control failures are common. And the difference between a vintage Westclox alarm clock and its present-day Chinese version is not to be believed. The old American-made item weighs nearly two pounds, and is nearly all metal. The new ones weigh only a few ounces and are mostly plastic, including the works inside. I don't think it's a coincidence that the new ones make frequent appearances in charity shops, in non-working condition.

One of the reasons I enjoy owning vintage things so much is that I am able to get lasting quality instead of disposable junk. I also try to purchase new items that are made in the U.S. or the E.U. whenever possible, to reward manufacturers who are still trying to keep up standards. I avoid Chinese manufacture whenever possible, with the twin exceptions of cell (mobile) phones and laptops, because those are nearly impossible to find made anywhere else. And even then, I do not buy from companies who are using Chinese suppliers known to mistreat their workers.
 
Benny:

There is, as you correctly point out, nothing to stop a Chinese manufacturer to supply precisely the same quality as a manufacturer anywhere else. Sadly, however, there are numerous instances of Chinese manufacturers shaving quality to increase their profit, as has been pointed out by another poster here. The pet food tragedy was one such instance; those manufacturers had been given very strict and precise quality specifications, and chose to put melamine in the pet food instead, to boost test results for protein content. Many, many people here lost beloved moggies as a result; melamine is deadly poison to animals.
 
"Pet owners here lost quite a few pets to the presence of melamine in pet food, put there intentionally by Chinese manufacturers seeking to achieve better test results for the percentage of protein in the product. .."

You just reminded me of something here - I'm a big Fleetwood Mac fan (and Stevie Nicks) but when they were in Glasgow I bought one of their band mugs - made in the U.S - but it carries a warning that the mug can't be used for drinking out of as it carries a "lead paint" poisoning tag!!

As with your brand info - you also reminded me of Westclox who, sadly went into liquidation in 2001 (I had an Uncle who worked in the original Scottish factory) but the company was bought by Salton who produce in China. A lot of the old brands suffer from this too - we're not alone in the U.K for getting Chinese made appliances - but some can last under duress. Our "British" Russell Hobbs and Swan appliances are Chinese made with only a few traditional stove-pot kettles still being made in the UK. But then as a consumer you're then limited to going with a heavy, traditional metal kettle that takes ages to boil versus all plastic contraction, lighter and quicker to boil.

Therein is a point for going for Vintage or sticking with vintage products. Yes they do last longer but they were built at a time when you bought something it was for life. To what extent do you judge reliability over versatility/easier use? That's a consideration that not many brands before and after the WW1 considered. I can say that I had a lot of vintage products but they began to get limited over products that are more modern and can do more tasks than one alone. In the UK we are restricted to filter coffee makers that don't grind the beans for you - I know the U.S have tons of products like that, and only now the UK are at last getting blenders that can cook. They're not all going to be ones I may buy, but we now have a wider access to a wider range of appliances designed to make life easier.

I know one thing - as much as I love vintage products in general, I'd never consider buying a carpet beater bat/broom. Taking a rug out and beating it to death in Scotland when it rains/snows/ices 364 out 5 days a year would be total murder!
 
RS:

As someone who's a bit older than I think you might be, I don't have the expectations of vintage products that a younger person might have. My TriStar and Electrolux vacuums don't have variable power levels, electronic speed control or HEPA filtration, but that's fine with me - I never had those things before, and so don't miss them now. I don't care that my vintage Farberware pots and pans aren't nonstick; I know how to cook without making a chop seize fast to the pan. And I don't mind a bit that my telly is an old CRT model instead of an LCD screen or plasma - while it isn't widescreen or stereo, it's long since paid for, which is more than I can say for many of my friends' 52-inch plasma wonders.

And it takes a bit of judiciousness to use vintage. My washing machine is a 1970s Maytag top-loader which uses more water than today's machines. Since I do only two or possibly three loads per week, it's fine. If I had a family and did more loads, I might consider going to a new front-loader, though it would be with regret that I would be opening the door to problems with shoddy electronic control boards instead of a proper metal timer.

The other wonderful thing about vintage is, it's so CHEAP. My washing machine and dryer were free, discarded by someone who had a bit of trouble with the dryer and decided to get new machines instead of paying to repair something "old;" I spent only about $50 for repair parts for the dryer. I recently found an Electrolux Model L for $20, needing only a bit of cleaning and a new set of tools to make it a very good machine. I have a hobby of sewing upholstery and curtains, and my sewing machine is a Singer Touch-Tronic 2001 in the best cabinet made, costing me all of $130 as opposed to its original price of nearly $2000.

Americans are crazy like that. I don't know if you have the same thing in the U.K. - do people throw out perfectly good things just because they're a bit older, or dirty or need a bit of repair?
 
P.S.:

I do have a carpet beater, LOL. It's used only for the small rug in the bathroom, and only in decent weather. Here in Iowa, we have some pretty fierce winters most years, though not this one.
 
Yep, people in the UK are wasteful, unappreciative and well & truly suckered into the "Don't use that old thing, buy this shiny new one instead" mentality...

Myself, I love vintage things, made back in the day when designs were simple, reliable, economical and long lived, I may only be 26, but I know quality when I see it, and off the shelf stuff these days, it's not quality, it's quantity...

And when a company moves to china, either decided by the management to reduce costs or cos they're bought out by some unpronounceable name company over in the red state, then that's the end of that company, especially of they mix up the brands, heck, look at what TTI has done to Hoover & Royal, making a Royal commercial vac which is actually a domestic Hoover Decade80 with a Royal logo slapped on it!!!
 
"Yep, people in the UK are wasteful, unappreciative and well & truly suckered into the "Don't use that old thing, buy this shiny new one instead" mentality..."

That has been around since the 2nd world war. There have been enough documentaries over the years which have said this. I know it first-hand. The difference was that 'old' items were passed on / repaired / traded in, but the 'mentality' of aspiring to new is actually quite old. If it wasn't for the fact that items can be bought so cheaply now (something UK consumers and consumer groups have demanded) then they would still be re-used when replaced.

Not forgetting that it is almost impossible to get anything mended now (not to mention almost always cost prehibitive on anything less than white-goods), so people have no choice but to buy new.

Interesting point made about electronic controls on washing machines. Of all the automatic front loaders I have ever owned in my life (seven to date), only two had 'physical' programers. The other five were electronic. All of those five failed due to the same manual parts (bearings, brushes, motors) that were in any other machine. Not that i am saying electronic boards don't fail, i am simply speaking as i have found.

I never did diversify into repairing washing machines, but i know plenty who did. The electronic controlled washers were not well received. They were labled 'complicated' and 'troublesome' by the repair guys. Why? Because they didn't know how to fix them. Because also they feared technology. The reason i started buying electronic washing machines was because of the faliure of a physical programmer on a certain Hoover I owned.
 
Benny:

You may get better electronic boards in Britain than we get over here; ones in American appliances fizzle out with enormous frequency, at appalling cost. And on everything, including fridges. GE fridge boards are notorious for failure; repair shops in large cities often have hundreds of spares in stock. On the other hand, our vintage electro-mechanical timers often last decades, and are usually re-buildable when they do fail (it's usually just the clock motor).

We have exactly the same problems with motors, spiders (the part that holds a washer's drum) and bearings you do.
 
Oh now you're asking! The first one was the one my parents bought and I wasn't involved in washing machines then. It was a Hoover of some sort. I am sure it had orange parts and it had no soap drawer. It was from the 1970's. We had that for what seemed like forever as mother kept having it mended. In 1992 she bought a Hoover logic to replace it, which looked a lot like that dishwasher of yours. It had a thumbwheel dial. That was the one which had programmer issues.

By 1999 my parents had both died so when the washing machine broke in 2000 I got to chose and replaced it with a Hotpoint Aquarius, which broke down more times in the three years I had it than I care to remember. It had two new sets of bearings and a new drum in that time. Hotpoint changed it for a new machine, but i had no confidence in it, so gave it away after 6 months to my wifes daughter. I then had a Zanussi Aquacycle which I really liked but left that in a house i was selling. I had that for about a year. Then I had a Bosch which ran until last year. It got very noisy and then the brushes eventually went, but the motor went with it. That was about 3 months ago. I have another Bosch as I type.
 
Yes I remember Yugo cars - the Americans went nuts for those and then they discovered the joys of a Hyundai Pony.

We had endless Hoover washers - the first being a Keymatic (don't ask me which one because I wasn't born then but my mother remembers loosing the keys often) but I do remember at the age of 5 sitting on top of our Twin Tub top loader and learning to tie my shoes. Thereafter we had a Hoover Electron 1100 which had the worst door release button and boy was it noisy! Then a Hoover Ecologic 1300 washer dryer which was hell, kept burning out and endless drive belt problems, Replaced by a Bendix washer dryer that had a hunger for broken door pulls and eventually replaced by an LG washer-only which we've had since 2004, no problems at all and as good as the day we got it. No more drive belt pay outs either!

As a student though I appreciated the American Whirlpool models as they were so much easier to use - its a pity the UK don't have more of the top loader design.
 
danemodsandy in reply to your post number 16.

Back in the 1990s people were throwing out perfectly good working order appliances just because they were old or needed a good clean - and they're still doing it. The amount of old vintage vacuums I got was amazing and either chucked because of a blocked dust channel or a broken zip on a soft dust bag for the old Classic Hoover uprights.

In recent years vintage vacuums have increased in prices on Ebay. More collectors are buying old machines, restoring them and then setting a high price on them. It's good in a way, but it means that trying to find a banged up model that needs love and attention is getting scarcer. Also the UK is seeing a resurgence of returning to the 1950's to the 1980's - women are now making clothes instead of buying them and going back to the styles reflected in the these time periods. Therefore they are also buying the appliances of that period.

Another aspect the UK have had (and not sure if its an American thing) is that several repairers are doing up old machines such as a Dyson that has stopped production, cleaning out the motor, filters and replenishing lost parts or tools. Slap a 6 month guarantee by law on it, reduce the price and brand it "refurbished" or "graded." They also take catalogue returns as well as machines that have been left to debt collectors. They also take current year machines from several brands and put them out as graded. I only found one company tonight (www.domesticsdirect.co.uk) who have a whole long list of graded Miele vacuums at seriously good prices!

I like vintage things too, but I've found in my experience you need the space to put them all in, especially if you can't just live with ONE vintage appliance in your home.

twocvbloke - yes people in the UK may be wasteful, but as VR points out rightly, getting repairers to repair an old appliance isn't always cost effective and the parts themselves are scarce or can be expensive to buy. One of the good aspects of the internet then is seeking a supplier yourself for parts and learning to do the repair yourself.

I know in the U.S that there are quite a few private/independent dealers compared to the U.K where most private electrical repairers have died off. This is due to the cost, availability of the parts, supermarket brands, bigger department stores, and ultimately, online shopping.
 
RS:

A confession here:

With the exception of vacs - which I have six of and want to downsize - I don't collect vintage like most people. I buy just what I need, same as most people do, but my selections are vintage instead of new. I don't have multiple vintage washers and dryers like my friend Ben; I have the one pair, for actual use.

I also look for vintage that can be repaired if necessary. An Electrolux Model V would be a lovely thing to own, but there are no spares available, so I leave such things to the real collectors. More recent Luxes have plenty of spares around if one knows where to look.

I'm sorry to hear that Britain has also succumbed to the "new is good" virus that has gripped America for so long now. I know American ex-soldiers who served in your country during WWII and afterwards, and they still speak admiringly of British fortitude in the face of war, bombing and rationing that seemed as if it would never end (in case any Americans here don't know, British wartime rationing continued on certain items until 1954, and gasoline was rationed all over again for a time in '57, due to the closing of the Suez Canal). Britons were famous for making do on very little.
 
P.S.:

You know why Yugos had a heated rear window, don't you?

So you could keep your hands warm while you pushed!
 

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