Miele S8

[GM1982]

GeorgeCT

We have been over this many times....the only canister that makes the longest cord (presently) is the Sebo D4. Outside of that vacuum brand, I am not aware of any that I know of that has a standard long cord, unless you go to uprights. They're just not making them that way today

 

[georgect]

Good Point...

George...you hit the nail on the head.
If Sebo can do it with a 40 ft cord (I don't know of any canisters that can match that length) and Riccar has a 28 ft cord (almost 30)...
Then it's totally feasible that other manufactures can do the same.

The short cord length is just a cost cuter to the manufacturer but it's a huge selling point to me and I would pay more for longer cord/hose length and larger tools.
I'm sure there are lots of others that would pay more for those features also.

It's not much to ask for.

 

[cue003]

The sebo has the longest cord. Then the common breakdown stops seem to be 28ft, 26/25ft, 22/21ft.

If you must have a long cord then sebo D4 is your only canister choice. Whether Or not you like that vac is another story. If you can live with shorter based on your room design/layout then Aerus, Riccar/Simplicity fall into the next category. A little shorter than that will be your Kenmores etc. Miele on the lower end at 21.5ft.

Since the Miele cord is too short then scratch it off your list and move to something else. For me I have plenty of outlets and have no issue moving my plug 1 time on each floor of my home when cleaning.

The D4 is a nice machine. I just preferred the miele S8 instead and the "short" cord didn't bother me. If I want a longer cord I will simply add an appropriately rated extension cord for the task. Some are against extension cords calling them unsafe etc. I think that is due to the fact that most people do t know how to choose the right extension cord for the length of run and the power draw. Not all cords are created equal. You can even get locking cords so the vacuum cord doesn't pull away from the extension cord.

http://gizmodo.com/5903218/how-to-choose-the-right-extension-cord-for-anything

 

[pr-21]

Extension Cords

Eureka used to make a 10 ft extension cord designed for the upright cleaners. I used it on all of my 2000 Series uprights. Not sure if they still make them or not. Now days it is important to get an extension cord that can carry the number of amps your vacuum has. I had one for my Miele that I bought off of Ebay.


 


 


 


PR-21

 

[cue003]

The cord length is also part of the design priority for some manufactors. Every design has a trade off for someone whether it be the designer, builder, or customer. Can't please everyone. If you could there would only be one vacuum company. No need for others.

 

[georgect]

Silly Extention Cords...

Hummmm...if people are buying extension cords for their vacuums (hint, hint), then manufactures should pick up on the que (like Sebo, Riccar) and just make the cords longer.

You don't have to extend the cord all the way but it's nice if was there to use.

 

[cue003]

@georgect, your point has some validity to it but not everyone needs a longer cord. Hence the reason the Riccar isn't as long as sebo etc. Anyways, which vacuum did you end up purchasing to augment or replace your Miele?

 

[cc]

What do y'all think about the miele autoeco? Does anyone have hands on experiences & opinions? Also the sebo d4 is an excellent machine with a longer cord. I have used the 2013 model and it has excellent filtration as well as suction. It performs on par with the miele canisters. SO, if cord length is important, give it a 30 day trial. The Aerus platinum is my favorite canister, with a respectable cord length, although not as long as sebo.

 

[eurekaprince]

Some of our friends in Europe have mentioned a potential danger to running vacs with only part of the cord pulled out of the cord reel. Though I think this may be a quirk of 240volt vacuums with high wattages approaching 2000 watts, this may be the reason why European vac makers limit the length of cord stored on a cord reel. I am not an electrician, but I wonder if electrical safety and fire hazard factors put limits on the length of cord wound up on a cord reel. I know Sebo is German, and so I wonder if they have some sort of extravagant electrical protection system on the D4's cord reel.

On the other hand, there really is no excuse not to offer an 8 foot hose with all deluxe canisters. The standard height of a room in North America is 8 feet and so an 8 foot hose allows the user to dust the tops of wall units, and upper kitchen cabinets, and the tops of draperies, without having to carry the canister in one hand, or prop it on its backside. This should be the standard length for all suction-only canisters, at the very least.

 

[cue003]

@eurikaprice, an 8 ft hose would be lovely on all the premium canisters.

 

[georgect]

@ cue003

I got a tip that Riccar is due to release a new redesigned TOL canister toward the end of this year.
I'm holding out to see what it will offer.
I just hope it will be even better than the Immaculate that is offered now.

 

[eurekaprince]

And here is a recommendation from a Miele S5 User's Guide relating to pulling the entire length of cord out from the cord reel:

"Unwind the cord completely to aid the vacuum cleaner in dissipating heat."

It seems to me that it is obviously possible to have a 30 foot cord wound on a canister's cord reel, but the vacuum needs to have some extra engineering done to allow the cord reel to perform properly, to allow the motor to dissipate heat properly and to prevent any dangerous electromagnetic "fall-out" from endangering the user if the vacuum is run with part of the cord still wound on the reel.

 

[GM1982]

Some vacuum manufacturers, and other products as well, have certain target markets and type of consumer they want to go after. If you look at the individual websites of each vacuum brand, you might be able to get clues as to what type of situations, homes and people they are making there vacuums for. (example: luxury home owners, families, budget conscious, college students, etc.) If you look at the Sebo website and demo pictures, you might get the impression that they are targeting people with large homes and/or commercial use, hence the long cords and hoses. I don't think I would put much of a bet that Riccar will make as long of a cord as the Sebo D4, I don't think its intentions are there. Riccar likes to compete with Miele, but their canisters aren't as good as Miele yet. I had a Simplicity Verve for a short time, I did not like it, the canister was very clunky and hard to pull on thick carpets, it was louder, Made in China and the power nozzle very noisy. Tools, except for the dusting brush were small. I believe the Riccar and Simplicity mid and large size canisters suffer from the same things I just mentioned. The uprights are better made in my opinion.

But for cord length- Sebo

 

[sebo_fan]

Long cords? Yes Please!

Well, its not as if SEBO are the master of vacuums with long cords - look at Kirby and Oreck -two uprights from two total different spectrums - Id hedge my bets and say both are convenient for long travel and reach, hence the reason to have long cords in the first place - and both are great for commercial cleaning, as are SEBO products originally.

In defence of SEBO canisters, the user manuals also carry the same suggestion of pulling out the entire cord. There is no auto fail safe or "extravagant componentry," but ALL of the canisters do have lesser heat coming off the motors as well as the simple fact that the exhaust diffuser isn't on top of the cord rewind wheel inside the vacuum unlike Miele and other brands who put the exhaust at the top.

 

[eurekaprince]

The issue here is not the length of cord on uprights that don't have a cord rewind. You can easily find a 39 foot cord on a Miele S7 upright, and a nice long 50 foot cord on a Sanitaire upright. Neither of these feature cord reels.

The challenge seems to be to safely and smoothly wind up a long cord on a vacuum's cord reel, usually found in canisters. Personally, I feel it is imperative to have a top-side upward facing exhaust on a canister. Blowing the exhaust out of the sides or bottom of a canister kicks up dirt and dust on the floor before you have a chance to vacuum it up. The cord reel chamber should not serve double-duty as a heat diffuser or exhaust path. But there must be some reason why it is such a challenge to wind up 40 feet of electrical cord inside a canister. Maybe this is just a size issue - the cord reel would need to be wider and so it would make the canister bigger?

Somehow, Panasonic has been able to do this in their Kenmore canisters, even though the cord reel chamber also serves as an exhaust path. My mom's Kenmore Progressive has a generous 28 foot cord.

 

[piano_god]

If I may...

Firstly, Miele is one of only a handful of vacuum cleaner manufacturers that actually make their own cord rewinds.

Secondly, regardless of who makes the rewind, a longer cord will result in much greater force and stress to the cord, the rewind assembly and its mechanism. For Miele, a manufacturer that specifies a component lifespan of twenty years, they're not simply going to attach a 40' cord to a spool, increase the length of the spring and pray that it can withstand long-term use.

As for the Sebo D4, it's easy to go to a third-party rewind manufacturer and tell them to make one of a 40' length.

...but how long into the future will it actually last?[this post was last edited: 2/25/2013-02:22]

 

[GM1982]

piano god

Very valid point, that's why I tend to prefer uprights, because of the longer cord. Short cords are common on canisters for the reason you mentioned.

 

[sebo_fan]

Actually not very impressed with that post regarding Miele's so called claim of components lasting 20 years and the reason I'm not impressed is that Miele don't fit a 20 year guarantee on their components - oh yes they say that their machines are designed to last a long life time - but their floor heads haven't lasted that well in my hands/7 to 8 years at the most and the springs start to go on the pedals. Do Miele offer free replacement?

No, they suggest its a consumable/wear item that has to be replaced - yet the Video links and the hype suggests the floor heads are made to withstand longevity. Telescopic ratchets on metal tubes start to fail after five or so many years too. The only "wear" items that have lasted with me is the simple bent plastic handle and the cleaning tools! 20 year quality longevity components? Nah, sorry.

As for stresses on cords, well a lot of brands like SEBO don't fit furiously fast rewinds to allow stress to happen. One reason alone to why the C series vacuums don't have as fast a pull system as the K series with its daft pull release mechanism. I can see SEBO'S theory in fitting a pull/pull system that eliminates a button that can break - I know from my own old Miele S571 that a new push button had to be replaced on the original machine and Miele charged me for that!

When BOSCH can fit a 12 metre cable (39 to 40ft) onto the large canister (BSGL5000) vacuums, there's really nothing to stop Miele from doing the same.

Miele do not make long cords because they don't want sales of other products in the range to suffer. Period. It has nothing to do with stresses or whatever else any one chooses to point out. Its a simple case of marketing. You only need to look at previous Miele canisters and weigh up the slight increments of metres that have increased over the years.

 

[GM1982]

Sebo says it will last for years, yet it only offers a 5 year warranty. I think a lot has to do with how you maintain and care for the vacuum over time.

 

[eurekaprince]

Thanks for that post, Scott.....very interesting conversation here with lots of valid points!

Wow...a 12 meter cable on a Bosch BSGL5000? Where can I get such a magical machine???!!!. Do they sell it in North America?

Here's a thought: nix the cord rewind for a 40 foot cord! If people don't mind winding up a long 39 foot cord on a Miele S7 upright, then surely they could do it for a canister? Just need two sturdy metal rotatable hooks that fold down on the canister's body after unwrapping the cord. Or just provide a hidden compartment big enough to store the cord easily on hooks. No reel to break! Ever!