Decisions, decisions
I am in the mood to buy a new vacuum and am stuck between an Aerus Platinum and a Rainbow E2. (Yeah, Rob, I still haven't bought a new E2!) They are two different beasts with pros and cons and this makes the decision tough. I've looked at both and can get a good deal on either. My main vacuum now is a Miele Aquarius. It is a very good vacuum with a short cord and hose for the large rooms in my 50's ranch. Filtration is excellent - there's no dust in the bag chamber after 5 years. The Aerus and the Rainbow have the long hose and cord that I'm looking for.
I like the fresh exhaust and quality of the Rainbow, but I do not hesitate to suck up whatever is on the floor, be it stray cat litter, paper clips, paper bits, etc. That makes for messy and inconvenient disposal of Rainbow water by pouring it through a strainer into the toilet or outside. Is there a better way? I know, I should sweep those things up into a dustpan before vacuum, but the reality is that I'm not going to do that.
Bagged vacuums make sense at this point, but I have found that they can take on odors and not give that fresh smell like the Rainbow. I like the convenience of the Aerus bag and they seem small enough that frequent changing will prevent smells. It is definitely easier and quicker to use out of the closet. I love the design that's reminiscent of the Model XXX. The question is: Is the filtration as good as the Rainbow? If it is, then I might lean toward the Platinum.
Both Aerus and Rainbow branches are great here. I've been sleeping on it for two weeks now and I hope that the lightbulb will come on soon so that I can move on from the indecision. This is a great thread and I'm not a hater of any of the vacuums discussed!