Rainbow vs Sebo/Miele

[amtraksebo1997]

PanasonicVac

They basically are, they're wood-paneled, overpriced Shop Vacs that are much more of a pain in the you know what to use than a normal Shop Vac.


I'd say water filtration vacuums are a complete scam. They're often advertised as being extremely well-filtering, when oftentimes that couldn't be further from the truth. So basically, you're getting a machine that is more hassle than a bagged vacuum, only for it to blow dust back into the air. On top of that, they're sold at premium prices. At least with a Kirby if you bought it new, you'd be getting a decent machine, but here you're getting a waste of time and money. Speaking of which, it's also additional money on your water bill, so there's that. The few and minute benefits of them are outweighed by their laundry list of cons.

Anyways, does anybody happen to have a DeLorean around here so I can stop T. Russ Hill from incorporating water into the Rexair design?

 

[bagintheback]

I think you should stick with Rainbow. The move to HEPA bags from what sounds like a lifetime of water filtration will be significant. Depending on how much dirt you have you might have a dirty bag sitting in your closet for months. That doesn't bother me much personally, but you noted you liked the freshness of a Rainbow. Sebo and Miele bags are also expensive and will feel like an added expense.

Sebo makes excellent vacuums, but as Dysonman1 noted they are significantly overpriced here. I gifted my grandparents a Sebo X4 a few years ago and so far it hasn't developed any major odors. It kinda just smells like The House. Their old Hoover smelt a similar way. I haven't owned a Rainbow for a significant amount of time to know if they start having The House smell too.

Go with what you love! If you're a Rainbow family there's no major reasons to switch horses.

 

[amtraksebo1997]

BagintheBack

Vacuum smells aren't something I think should be worried about unless your machine filters badly (ironically, pre-E2 Rainbows don't filter well and have next to no odors). I've kind of just accepted that even the best filtering machines of mine are just going to have them, and that the smells go away after an hour or so after vacuuming. If it drives you that crazy, maybe try using an air freshener of some kind (I.E. Febreze products, scent tablets, etc.). Me personally, I use Febreze or a small sprinkle of carpet powder (keyword being "small").

 

[dylanmc]

bagintheback

Thanks for the feedback! I do love my Rainbow - it's just not very time-friendly to use. I agree that the switch to bags would take some getting used to. I'm still considering all options. I watched a video from Performance Reviews on YouTube yesterday where he reviewed a Rainbow E2 Black (what I would upgrade to), and his review didn't sell me. I personally don't like the newer style power nozzles. I think the one that came with the E2 single speed through the E2 Platinum work better. I could be mistaken, but that's just what I "think". I never understood the need for side spinning brushes, and I HATE the first version of the power head with spinning brushes that ALSO had a center belt. Like, why am I only going to get (what feels like) 6 inches of cleaning per pass? ... NAH.
Anyway.
I do have one "collectible" that I don't use much that is a bagged machine. I have a Hoover Elite 200, and like you said, it just kinda smells like "the house".
I think since we don't have pets, and don't plan on getting another indoor dog anytime soon, the odor wouldn't be as much of a problem as I think I'm making it out to be - still an adjustment from water, though.

 

[panasonicvac]

I don't know what your budget is or what your house blue prints are but if you're looking for something that won't stink up the place at all, the best vacuum in my humble opinion is a central vac. With having a unit in the garage or basement and venting it outside, you won't smell anything at all. Also depending on the model, they can be more powerful than either SEBO or Miele. And with the bags so huge, you'd only need to change it out like once a year. This powerhead from OVO is good for starters but they can be later upgraded down the road with a 228. Anyways, just a suggestion.

https://www.amazon.com/OVO-Powerful...ocphy=9029718&hvtargid=pla-1889892848292&th=1

 

[rainbowd4c]

Rainbow now user friendly.

@ DylanMC. You do have a little bit of a point about Rainbow not being user friendly. But you just have to get in a routine. Once a month I give mine a really good cleaning (water pan, separator and underside). But just for daily I have it down to a science where it maybe takes me all of five minutes at best. I tend just dump the water down the toilet rinse it out really good and flip it upside down on the sink to dry overnight.

My Kirby on the other hand. It was a gift from my mother in law. That I feel like i need a Masters in Engineering to use.

 

[amtraksebo1997]

RainbowD4C

Kirbys are really not that hard to use. I daily drove my Ultimate G for a long time with next to no frustrations. The key is to read the owners manual, and/or watch the instructional video for it (which Kirby themselves have uploaded the ones for the Heritage II-Sentria ii on Youtube). The most important things to understand are how to properly adjust the height,how to properly use Tech Drive, how to remove the nozzle and/or attach the hose, how to change the bag and belt, and how to adjust the brushroll endcap height. Anything else can be looked up in the manual or VHS tape.

 

[mark40511]

Personally, I prefer having a HEPA bagged vacuum AND a Rainbow...which is what I have now... I use the HEPA bagged more but I still use my rainbow..

Also - I agree, I watch Kirby enthusiast on youtube (I think he's from Australia) He goes over all about how to use them... It really doesn't look that bad... I like how you can get a super long hose for the Kirby and take the front off/ connect the hose and clean everywhere.. Which is what I do with my current vacuums...About 3 years after I got my rainbow I discovered they sold a separate 14 foot non-electric hose and it changed EVERYTHING... After having used a vacuum with a long hose like that to clean basically anywhere, I wasn't aware they made those types of hoses for OTHER vacuums as well...so I bought one for my HEPA bagged upright.. I turns pretty much any vacuum into a central vacuum basically rendering whether to choose an upright or canister useless because the extension hose/tools allow both an upright or canister to basically do the SAME thing... aside from maybe a little more portability (vacuuming under beds with the power brush) etc. But all I do in that case is just run the floor brush under the bed to get dust bunnies

 

[panasonicvac]

That's great to see Rexair also offered an extension hose for the E2 models. I've only seen this once on another thread from a D4C. In addition, Fred serviced his Rainbow in his dishwasher including the motor which I'm sure you remember Mark. If I was using a Rainbow or a Kirby as a daily driver, that's how it should be serviced yearly. But, I'd rather have a machine that only gets tuned up once in a while like SEBO or anything that filters the dust before it gets to the motor.

https://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?17494