ultraperformer
Well-known member
Wonder if this is going to be a John Lewis exclusive no sign of it at Currys who stock other AEG machines?
New AEG/Electrolux UltraCaptic cylinder/canister.
- Thread starter sebo_fan
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sebo_fan
Well-known member
Well it has only just come out = John Lewis are the premium "darlings" of the department store world and general franchises. I'm sure online seller companies will start stocking the AEG Captic in - but also bear in mind that JL also test a lot of the appliances they get, sometimes having one of their product team write a review on the site about it.
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
Henry on stairs
Inexplicably, what Numatic fail to tell anyone is that with the 2.4m hose, Henry can clean most staircases top-to-bottom by attaching the hose to the straight end of the metal tubing and putting the attachment on the bent part. This gives full reach, though of course it is only really suitable for stairs which do not twist as the rigid tubes are not easy to handle round a bend. However, even with just the hose, a Henry can clean in excess of 50% of an average staircase from bottom upwards, meaning the remainder can be cleaned with the cleaner on the landing above, without fear of pulling the cleaner down.
It needs to be remembered of course that every possible option for cleaning stairs brings with it another difficulty. An expanding hose on an upright can be hard to manage as it pulls backwards; an ordinary crush-proof hose extension is more to store and is easily tangled around the feet of the user as they walk down the stairs; balancing a cylinder cleaner on the stairs can be unsafe, and so on. The best plan of action is to find the method which best suits the individual user and not to over complicate the issue with problems which are not actually a problem to all. Example: I find the whole idea of needing to store hoses and 'park' tubes a lot of fuss about nothing as I never found it a problem to remove a hose from a cleaner and hang it over a coat hook, just like Electrolux used to suggest. But clearly there is a demand for such features, seeing how so many cylinder cleaners have such a thing.
Inexplicably, what Numatic fail to tell anyone is that with the 2.4m hose, Henry can clean most staircases top-to-bottom by attaching the hose to the straight end of the metal tubing and putting the attachment on the bent part. This gives full reach, though of course it is only really suitable for stairs which do not twist as the rigid tubes are not easy to handle round a bend. However, even with just the hose, a Henry can clean in excess of 50% of an average staircase from bottom upwards, meaning the remainder can be cleaned with the cleaner on the landing above, without fear of pulling the cleaner down.
It needs to be remembered of course that every possible option for cleaning stairs brings with it another difficulty. An expanding hose on an upright can be hard to manage as it pulls backwards; an ordinary crush-proof hose extension is more to store and is easily tangled around the feet of the user as they walk down the stairs; balancing a cylinder cleaner on the stairs can be unsafe, and so on. The best plan of action is to find the method which best suits the individual user and not to over complicate the issue with problems which are not actually a problem to all. Example: I find the whole idea of needing to store hoses and 'park' tubes a lot of fuss about nothing as I never found it a problem to remove a hose from a cleaner and hang it over a coat hook, just like Electrolux used to suggest. But clearly there is a demand for such features, seeing how so many cylinder cleaners have such a thing.
sebo_fan
Well-known member
Good point VR and that reminds me...
Another thing that some cylinder vacs have (Miele's clippable tool storer is a design in point) is that the tools are located by the handle, thus you have then with you at all times instead of having to walk back down to the vacuum if it can't be sat on a stair or if the tools store on the body. OR you get the tools at the time of need and go for it.
Another issue is a design point on cylinder vacuums made to stand upright. I've only had a few vacuums that fail to stand upright on a stair step successfully - the worst being the Bosch BSGL5000 series as it has poor upright bits on the back that can fall off and eventually allow the cylinder to fall forward.
SEBO's K series have 2 sensible small feet on the front to prevent the machine from falling off the stair and if it does fall on its front, the power switch is raised from the body due to the design anyway and switches off safely. SEBO added the raised control dial on the D series to perform the same way should it fall on its front.
With Henry, most owners don't bother with the tools and just use the metal bent part for cleaning stairs. I've done it myself!
When I emailed SEBO a few years ago to ask why they added the 2.1 metre hose to some of their vacuums, it was purely because it offered owners extra stretch and the ability to just hold onto the hose, handle and lightweight tubes rather than constantly pulling the motor/machine behind them. Another reason that SEBO have added higher power motors with the longer hoses is simply to counteract the lack of suction by the longer airflow stretch in the hose AND if owners choose to use the cost optional 3 metre stretch hose attached to the standard 2.1 metre hose for even more stretch, there's still power available. I've done that myself but again whilst the standard hose on the machine is great to have, the excess one can't be stored.
Another thing that some cylinder vacs have (Miele's clippable tool storer is a design in point) is that the tools are located by the handle, thus you have then with you at all times instead of having to walk back down to the vacuum if it can't be sat on a stair or if the tools store on the body. OR you get the tools at the time of need and go for it.
Another issue is a design point on cylinder vacuums made to stand upright. I've only had a few vacuums that fail to stand upright on a stair step successfully - the worst being the Bosch BSGL5000 series as it has poor upright bits on the back that can fall off and eventually allow the cylinder to fall forward.
SEBO's K series have 2 sensible small feet on the front to prevent the machine from falling off the stair and if it does fall on its front, the power switch is raised from the body due to the design anyway and switches off safely. SEBO added the raised control dial on the D series to perform the same way should it fall on its front.
With Henry, most owners don't bother with the tools and just use the metal bent part for cleaning stairs. I've done it myself!
When I emailed SEBO a few years ago to ask why they added the 2.1 metre hose to some of their vacuums, it was purely because it offered owners extra stretch and the ability to just hold onto the hose, handle and lightweight tubes rather than constantly pulling the motor/machine behind them. Another reason that SEBO have added higher power motors with the longer hoses is simply to counteract the lack of suction by the longer airflow stretch in the hose AND if owners choose to use the cost optional 3 metre stretch hose attached to the standard 2.1 metre hose for even more stretch, there's still power available. I've done that myself but again whilst the standard hose on the machine is great to have, the excess one can't be stored.
ultimatevacman
Well-known member
I usually just put Henry at the bottom of the staircase and do half of the stairs, and then put him at the top and do the other half. I agree a Miele would be better, but Henry does fit on stairs without a problem, I'll upload a picture tomorrow if you like? 
- Joe
- Joe
ultraperformer
Well-known member
UltraCaptic
These look better in some of the videos I've seen on Youtube very futurisic looking, one oddity about it is that the second stage smaller cyclones deposit the fine dust into a separate dust casset underneath the vacuum which must be emptied separately! I can see people forgeting about that or not reading the instructions and the thing getting clogged with dust!
These look better in some of the videos I've seen on Youtube very futurisic looking, one oddity about it is that the second stage smaller cyclones deposit the fine dust into a separate dust casset underneath the vacuum which must be emptied separately! I can see people forgeting about that or not reading the instructions and the thing getting clogged with dust!
sebo_fan
Well-known member
Joe - when I say using a vacuum cleaner ON stairs like the narrower sledges etc, it means it can be put on a stair STEP physically. You're referring to what I thought all along with Henry - either leaving him at the top or bottom of a landing. That isn't the same. Cue the horror incident I had with my old Vax tub when I left it at the top of the stairs and it trundled down behind me!
ultimatevacman
Well-known member
Yes, I know what you mean now. Luckily there's a small bump at the top of my stairs so there's no chance of that happening. Oh dear, did it knock you down the stairs?
dysondestijl
Well-known member
Yeah, he posted the story in the 'what was your worst vacuum experience' thread! It was funny to read but I shouldn't laugh as I imagine it wasn't funny when it happened!
ultraperformer
Well-known member
Omg when I read Joe's reply I thought it sounded really sarcastic (I know it wasn't) I nearly spat my water out all over my iPad lol
sebo_fan
Well-known member
Lesson learnt there though - I never clean stairs with a tub vac, even if I have to carry the bloody thing!
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
A younger person may not need to hold onto a rail when climbing the stairs, so it is quite possible to hold a vacuum cleaner in one hand and the hose in another when vacuuming stairs. I have cleaned stairs like this, with a Henry, many times when I was a good deal more able bodied.
sebo_fan
Well-known member
Yes but then anyone with a degree in logic would carry a normal cylinder vacuum with the ability to lock the hose and floor head either to the rear or side, whatever the machine allows. You can't do that with a Henry or a Vax canister. Nor can you trust that the vacuum is going to roll back on you, unless of course you have a nap in the carpet to stop it from happening like Joe's carpet : )
Some cylinders/canisters are narrow enough to sit on stairs as you clean upwards or downwards.
Some cylinders/canisters are narrow enough to sit on stairs as you clean upwards or downwards.
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
Not always; sometimes with the hose clipped to the cleaner it can be quite obstructive, especially on staircases where the rooms above are very low down over the stairs. But like I said, if one is sufficiently capable of doing so, holding part of the cleaner in each hand is a possibility to be considered.
sebo_fan
Well-known member
Would you do the same with an upright though and a hose?
vintagerepairer
Well-known member
That would depend on the cleaner and where the carry handle was located.
ultimatevacman
Well-known member
Lol sorry if that sounded sarcastic. Like you said, if I didn't have that little bump at the top of the stairs I would never attempt the clean them with a Henry!
dysondestijl
Well-known member
To be honest, I've given up on using a cylinder on stairs. Unless I'm at someone's house who only have a cylinder! I just prefer to either clean the stairs like this:
dysondestijl
Well-known member
Or if I can't be bothered to set up the dirt devil, then I just use this:
ultraperformer
Well-known member
My Vax Mach Air cylinder has two hoses the short one is a super stretchy one for doing the stairs, car etc nice touch from Vax I thought.
