Rainbow Questions

[filterqueenman]

Good Day all,
Have been off the site life has been hectic to say the least. The big news is we moved to Salt Lake City, Utah and this is my first full week in our new home. Now here is my question (s).

I need a new machine and I am leaning very much towards the New Rainbow. The primary reason is I need a good canister as I have a lot of hardwoods and second we live only 2 miles from a salt flat and we are surrounded by almost like desert landscape. The dust is unreal.

The house is new and has a filtration system in the HVAC, but I kid you not I am dusting constantly. At night I can see the dust floating in the front door when opened from the porch light.

My neighbors on both sides have a Rainbow and love it but I have some concerns - perhaps warranted perhaps not - hoping the Rainbow experts can help me out. I have a demo scheduled for Saturday.

1. Very hard water here. Will this damage the machine - or am I looking at having to use distilled water to prevent corrosion.

2. House is hardwoods - but I have a both deep and low pile carpets too. How is the machine with hardwoods and is the power nozzle adaptable to two drastically different styles of carpet.

3. I have a Miele upright and love it for quick pick ups, but it simply is not doing the job on the hardwoods. I can dust mop after vacuuming and still pick up dirt.

4. How does it do on stairs?

Any additional advice would be great. Also, I think a Rainbow Dealer is a member if I can my answers then I can cancel the demo and buy from a member. (I would prefer that anyways).

Thanks one and all for your help!!

Doug

 

[sebo_fan]

Doug, have you considered the Sebo D4 Premium? It has a PN, superb brush on/off for hard floors, big bag capacity and a long hose that can cope on stairs.

 

[williamr1248]

Rainbow Questions

Doug,
Give this guy a call. He is the Rainbow expert. I bought the new Rainbow from him last year and he gives both fantastic service,prices and service.

Mr. Ken Bashford
Galaxy 2000
9008 Anderson Mill Rd
Austin,Texas 78729

512-451-8993

email: [email protected]

If you have any questions,send me an email. I have had mine for almost a year and once you make the switch,you will never go back. One of the best features of the new machine is the Rainbowjet System for hard surface floors. You may want to check out the Rexair Rainbow web site and some of the past posts on the forum.

Ken is the Rainbow Disributor who was at thee vac convention. I would buy from him again without any hesitation.

 

[beerad]

How about this idea?

Go with your scheduled Rainbow demo.

Have the Rainbow rep go through all your concerns on your list and you test out the vacuum in your home.


THENon the same day)

Go to a Sebo dealer and test out a new Sebo D4 Premium.

Go through all your concerns on your list and you test out the vacuum there.


NOW:


You have two good vacuums AND the experience of using them and testing them to see which one may suit your cleaning needs best.


NEXT:

Choose the best one that will suit your cleaning needs.


How about that?

I am curious to know which vacuum you will choose?

 

[beerad]

How about this idea?

Go with your scheduled Rainbow demo.

Have the Rainbow rep go through all your concerns on your list and you test out the vacuum in your home.


THENon the same day)

Go to a Sebo dealer and test out a new Sebo D4 Premium.

Go through all your concerns on your list and you test out the vacuum there.


NOW:


You have two good vacuums AND the experience of using them and testing them to see which one may suit your cleaning needs best.


NEXT:

Choose the best one that will suit your cleaning needs.


How about that?

I am curious to know which vacuum you will choose?

 

[kirbymodel2c]

Hi

Hi Doug, I just wondered what's made you go for another make of vacuum cleaner when your profile name has Filter Queen in it. I thought you would of gone for a new Filter Queen with there Defender or what ever there current air purifier is called now?

Hope you find the vac that meets your needs the best.

James)

 

[williamr1248]

Rainbow Questions

Doug,
Sorry I forgot to answer your questions.

(1) we have very hard water . I have a water softner but I have always just used the regular hard water in my Rainbow. Also use the hard water in my old Rainbow. It never seemed to hurt or damage the unit in 18 years of use.
(2) I have hardwood floors too. I use the Rainbow hard floor tool every day. It will ride on the machine and it has very soft horse hair brushes.
I can answer your question ONLY about the new power nozzle. I like it. It does not damage the carpets as so many of the newer machines. What I like is the fact that with the Rainbow trigger switch you can just release the switch and the brush stops, which is nice when you get to end of the rug. You can also lock it in the on position or off position if you prefer. I do not use the power nozzle for the hardwood floors. It also has a quick suction relief on the hose handle and the new electric hose is very long.
(3) I have never had any luck trying to use an upright on hard surface floors. What was happeneing was that they would suck up the loose dust and grit but leave a film of dust on the surface.
(4)for stairs-I remove the Rainbow from the dolly. You can use the electric (not turbine) Rainbowmate but I use the new power nozzle which you can connnect to the hose handle,either one or both of the electric wands and it has the led lights and the new revolving side brushes to get into the corners. The new design also really concentrates the suction on the carpets.

 

[joshdonnell]

Heres something to consider

A metro vacuum. Its a canister its not made of plastic its a all metal canister vacuum. And its at a good price . Rainbows and sebos and filter queens are great! But at the price point i would only give 300 bucks for a rainbow , or a filter queen. Like a used one. If thats what yoU want. I would never pay that much unless it something i really want. So the metro vacuum is a great choice.

 

[williamr1248]

Rainbow questions

Brad,
You perked my interest about the Sebo. I checked out the web site. That is one HUGE machine and power nozzle. I have never seen one before.
Are they sold primarily for commercial use? It looked like it was made very sturdy. I am a sucker for lights on the power nozzle!

 

[mieles7]

Here's a video of the D4. It looks like a high quality machine.

 

[sebo_fan]

William - the D series was made to compete with the Miele S5. It is slightly larger than the Miele S5 by the body, has a longer hose and a 12 metre cable - nearly twice as much power cable than standard Miele S5 machines. The video link Mieles7 has provided here is a good one although I would never consider picking up beans with a hard floor tool. That's what the hose and smaller tools are for - but then that's me.

The D4 Premium essentially replaces the entire C cylinder vacuums Sebo used to make, so it's not a commercial vacuum although Sebo have since brought out a D Professional machine solely for commercial use and has a removable manual winder cord instead of auto rewind.

 

[williamr1248]

Rainbow Questions

RS,
Thanks for the information. Sometimes the videos make things looks different.
It's funny that I don't use my floor brush to pick up beans either!
I do not think we have Sebs around our area. I don't remember ever seeing any of their products.

 

[filterqueenman]

Thanks!!

Good question about Filter Queen! The reason I am not considering a new F.Q. is simple. It is not the same machine as years past. I do not care for the power nozzle, what use to be metal is now plastic and lastly service. We do not have a dealer in the area and I would have to ship the machine to Health-Mor at my expense in the event of warranty work was needed. A lot of the feature that made F.Q. stand out are no longer available. I also did not care for the floor brush at all.

William - I was hoping you would give me your take when I posted as you seem very knowledgeable. I did find a Vac Shop that sells Sebo and plan to go by at some point today. The moving van is due to arrive around 8am - this is the small load that did not fit on the original truck. The moving company underestimated and so some things had to come on a separate truck. The joys of cross country moving!!

One of the primary reasons I am leaning toward the Rainbow is the dust. The one thing Rainbow owner agree on is they excel in dust control and that is my fight in this home as I stated. I realize a lot of new machines have great filtration, but I know that I don't want to have dust and salt hanging out in my machine. Additionally, the smell - with the Rainbow I start clean each day.

I also realize that a learning curve is required, with cleaning the machine after each use and setting up - but to me that is small price to pay to keep the house dust free.

Josh - I did look at the metro vacs. The exhaust is was turned me off. Also, the reviews on Amazon are not too hot. One person wrote that the exhaust is so strong it pushes the machine across the floor. I can only imagine the dust that would go flying. It appears also in the reviews that the machine is not the "tank it once was". Made cheaply - the same is true for F.Q. What made the machines stellar had been replaced with cheaper gauge medal or plastic. Thanks for your suggestion it is appreciated.

 

[sebo_fan]

Sebo are relatively new to the U.S - but their commercial uprights have sold under the Windsor vacuum name. That doesn't mean that their whole range is sold under the Windsor tag, only the X based uprights (Sensor, XP etc) and the Felix uprights (Axxcess, Flexamatic, Karcher CV300.) Karcher in the U.S are less of a in-house brand but rather a trader server company using other brands and licensing their names to be put on them.

 

[sebo_fan]

Whoops, and of course the Sebo BS36/46 and 370 uprights - those are also sold as Windsor models in the U.S too.

 

[joshdonnell]

central vac

or go for a central vacuum, thats your best bet. i like the aqua air central vacuum system. everything goes down the suewer.

 

[joshdonnell]

and

i dont belive the are made cheaply ,meaning the metro vac. anyways just trying to help

 

[trebor]

IF you go with the Rainbow...

As a former Rainbow distributor, I used to include two extra separators with each sale, so the customer could slap a clean one on the machine, and put the dirty one in the top rack of the dishwasher. I would think salt dust would crystallize on the vanes of the separator. Initially, the separator will be very dirty, just like a new vacuum will fill a bag more quickly than the old one. I would also seriously consider placing a water basin on each floor for convenience. Just dump, rinse, and put away where you fill it.

The new Rainbow looks wonderful! I recently bought the previous model for just $60.00! It only came with the electric hose and the P/N. I gave it to a friend who desperately needed it. He and his wife both have breathing problems.

I am gifting my G-4 Kirby and D-4 Rainbow to a woman who just moved into a big two-story home full of carpet, and she has no vacuum cleaner. So, now, soon, I will have nothing but a shop vac and two antique Hoovers that need a bit of work.

I am on the lookout for a newest model used Rainbow, or I may buy a Lindhaus Valzer, very lightweight.

 

[filterqueenman]

Central Vac

Josh - I would love to have a central vac in this house. I had one in our home in D.C. - but without tearing out walls it is not feasible. I have a Astro Vac with the Miele attachments and it was a winner for sure. When we went into contract on this one I had two vendors come in about installing a Central System and both said it would require a lot of drywall repaid and the foam insulation in the walls prevents the pipes from being fed to each floor.

Went and looked at the Sebo - That is a super nice machine. The dealer lent it to me to bring home and try out over the weekend. I will let you know my take on it.

Thanks everyone - all the advice is much appreciated!!

 

[djtaylor]

filterqueenman,
I am also in the Salt Lake Valley. There are two or three Rainbow dealers in the area and you should be able to find service work rather easily. On 2100 south and West Temple is the Oreck Clean Home Store, they also sell the Meile. I don't know very much about Meile, but you might try there as well. Also, I know a couple of places to look for used high-end vacuums if that is of interest to you.
Also available for a mini-meet if you like.
Justin
email address [email protected]

 

[williamr1248]

Rainbow questions

Doug,
Here is the bottom line for me-you can argue all day on which vacuum has the most suction,air flow or best price or which deep cleans the carpet the best-the reults for me after using the ONLY a Rainbow for 1 year:

(1) there is SO much less dust in the house on blinds,table tops
(2) MY Electrolux room air purifier has been able to use the hepa filter 6 months longer
(3) BIG improvement in my asthma
(4) Never,never any foul smell and no saving filth in a closet.


I am only speaking for MY use but I would NEVER go back to a bagged or bagless
machine. I like having a clean machine with full power EVERY time I clean.
The extra 30 seconds it takes to dump that basin and rinse it is well worth the time. I was such a hard sell but my home is just cleaner since I use only a RAINBOW.
If you have any questions feel free to send me an email.

 

[joshdonnell]

Or you

Could go with a hyla

 

[filterqueenman]

Demo is 2 hours

My Demo is in 2 hours - will let you know how it goes. Justin, Nice to meet a new friend in the area. We are not in Salt Lake proper, but in Park City. That is about 20 min from downtown...I think only lived here 1.5 weeks. Still get lost going to the store....

Played with the Sebo - fun machine - and will relate more later on that. I can't get over how quiet it is. That is a nice feature!!

Happy Weekend!! Again, thanks for all the advice.

 

[kirbyloverdan]

I own the

newest Rainbow 2012 Onyx . I used it and all my other water vacs on a daily basis and had very little if any dust . Well about two moths ago I stopped and started using my Aerus Guardian Ultra , My Sentria Kirby and my Miele S7 swing all HEPA filter vacs . You should see my house it is so dusty I have to pull my Rainbow out later just to dust before I vacuum . Never again water vacuums only for me I dont have time to dust and have a dusty home .

 

[rainbowjoel]

Rainbow

You can use Aquawet. It says it softens and conditions the water.

http://www.goodvac.com/Rainbow_AquaWet_p/r-sup-aqw-r2484.htm

 

[joshdonnell]

Well dan

I use my kirby and miele no dust .

 

[beerad]

waiting in excitement filterqueenman

wwwwhats the update?

on the Sebo?

Rainbow?

are you ready to make a choice?

 

[mark40511]

Aquawet

I'm still not sure what this stuff is. I know it's a wetting agent, but I wonder if it's the same thing as Jetdry dishwasher rinse aid. I know Jetdry will foam terribly if you put too much in the basin, so I only put a couple of drops.

But another thing I've heard is if you put some mineral oil in the water it will catch more dust? I'm not sure about that.

Then again, I put essential lemon, eucalyptus, or pine (natural essential oil) not from Rainbow, in my basin, so I wonder since it is "oil" if that also helps with non-wettable material- not that I'm vacuuming anything (that I know of) that is non-wettable.......But it can't hurt just in case.

At times I don't use my Rainbow and will use my Epic 6500. And although I love my Epic 6500, I too can tell the difference in the dust level. Both my plasma tv stands are shiny black and it's easy to see the dust accumulating on it even by day two. When I have used my Rainbow from top to bottom, I always can look at the entertainment center and tell whether or not I used the rainbow days later. It's not going to completely eliminate dust, but to me, it's a pretty substantial difference.

I've never used distilled water in my rainbow either, and our water here is hard. I wish I had the new PN since most people seem to think the E1 and E2 series PN's are terrible, but I can say that even still it sucks crap from the carpet pretty good. If it wasn't doing so, I'm sure my Epic 6500's bag would fill quickly, but it takes forever to fill the bag on that.

I'm rambling. Too much coffee

 

[filterqueenman]

My choice is

Rainbow!

Hands down the best of the two for my purposes I should say. Demo was okay, but to be honest I learned more from the members of the club then the sales guy.

Now - The Sebo is a very nice machine but has one very annoying problem. The hose on the tank is fixed and so when moving about in the room I tipped the machine over several times. Also, the wheels are small and for lack of a better description the machine "belly flopped" on deep pile carpet.

The plus are the Sebo did a great job on the hardwoods and also was superb on the low pile carpet. but....I still can see dust.

Purchased from Ken - way better price then the local dealer for the entire package. Also on a members advice is going to throw in the extra water basin and separator. Will arrive in 3 days and also Ken included shipping...nice!!

Will post pics upon arrival. Thanks for everyone for your help it is greatly appreciated.