Well, I must say I do like this new Aerus Platinum, & am tempted to buy one. It looks like an awesome cleaner!! Having said that, I am gonna wait a year or two until they resolve the issues they are having....namely the hose contacts, leaky bags, PN cover being offcolor, etc. I agree that this Platinum, although good, is a "lemon" to some degree like the Renny was at first.
As to the issue of bags & filtration, I agree with most here that the HEPA Cloth bags for the Sauber Intelligence would be overkill to bring them here. It already has a HEPA filter before & after the motor, & is a sealed system....how much more do you need?! The only issue now is making sure the bags don't leak so much dust it shortens the life of the pre-motor HEPA filter. As for the paper Home Solutions bags, though, I would like to see some improvements to their bags in general. One thing I have noticed that is a problem with Aerus-Electrolux bags is the blue sealing strip that holds them together in the back. What I have found over the years, whether using the yellow GermGrabber bags, blue Home Solutions bags, or DVC Multi-Filter 4 ply bags, is that there is at least 2 or 3 in a 12-pack of bags where the sealing strip fails & the bag breaks in the back. For this reason, I only use the Perfect or JohnnyVac HEPA Cloth bags in my Luxes with no afterfilter, like my Grand Marquise, or I use the Arm & Hammer "C" bags from WalMart in machines I use paper bags in, as they are folded over & glued in back like conventional bags are made.
As to the bags failing on the Platinum, I have to wonder whether the suction from the Platinum is too strong for the bags, & it is causing the sealing strip to fail prematurely. One way to find this out would be for Perfect Canister owners who use the paper bags to add their input here, seeing the suction is just as strong on them.
Now, I have a question for Funeraldirector....what is up with the pre-motor HEPA filter?? On the YouTube videos I have seen for the Sauber Intelligence, it says this filter is a Washable HEPA filter....yet the Aerus Platinum is suggesting it be replaced, & says every 6 months or whenever the change filter light comes on. So, is it designed to be washed, dried & replaced in the cleaner, or is it a disposable HEPA filter? And WHY would they not make it a Washable HEPA filter for the North American market if they already have a disposable Sealed True HEPA filter in the back? Seems a bit overkill to have TWO disposable HEPA filters in one vacuum.
Rob