SEBO CONSUMABLES & NEWS

[sebo_fan]

So the next thing to do was to try out a different way - by finding somewhere on the Felix to store the K1 tool - and what better way than at the back of the handle, just below slipped onto the top cord tidy?

In use it will stay on and it doesn't disturb my hand. Only problem is, it needs to be jammed on - and I don't know anyone who has ever used the hanging loop hole on the back of that plastic slip tongue anyway - I always felt it was too heavy for the Felix to be mounted up on a hook with the ET-1 dangling!

You can already see the K1 tool is revealing the edge at the side expanding as it's on the top cord storer tongue (dont know what the right word is but you get the right idea!).

 

[sebo_fan]

Even when laid flat to the floor the K1 tool doesn't slip off and doesn't impede the machine when made to lie flat.

 

[sebo_fan]

Sebo D Tools

Lastly, the upholstery tool has been replaced from the traditional clamp and brush idea to the newer triangular long dusting brush that comes with the D cylinder vacuum.

The smaller size of the brush makes it more compact when using the 3 stage height option. I was never keen on the more traditional brush that was larger and was too close to my fingers when the handle was set at the lowest.

 

[blakaeg]

You did a great job there with the tools ;-) I think the Felix tools are better than the D machine tools, especially that upholstery nozzle.

Has your Felix motor been ok all these years?

 

[sebo_fan]

Well the upholstery tool as you may know is smaller on the D series - the longer one is perfect for giving the Felix that much needed extension pipe reach even if we do know that it doesn't come with a straight suction tube as an added extra. The longer crevice from both the K, C and X series is also one of very few that can get inside my Hotpoint tumble dryer filter shaft all the way to the bottom to clear it off fluff!

As for motor problems, when the problem initially started, it was like, 2 years after ownership and that's when the power head started to cut out. It got sent back to SEBO and this is when they improved the wire inside the neck so that when you turned left or right, the wire would not come out. This is a design improvement that has been added to the current 2011 and 2012 model year range.

Other than that the power head has only just started to cut out - but only randomly - and I don't think it's the wire to blame here - I may take it apart and inspect inside. I don't want to buy another Felix at this time anyway (not after I just bought a K1 Pet at Christmas, there)- but rather, will just use my Dart 1 power head or the ET-H that came with my K3 Premium - a machine I dont rate very highly, sadly.

The only problem with the ET-H is that it won't allow the Felix to lock to the upright position - unless you store the machine front facing with the handle set against a wall. It also has an auto sensor height adjustment as opposed to the 4 stage manual dial.

 

[blakaeg]

I love the upholstery nozzle on the Sebo upright machines. I feel its one of the best designed ones as it provides a much more through 'scrub' of the carpet then others do with their Velour strips which eventually come off anyway. Again the crevice tools are excellent as well as you rightly mention, they are very long.

When I asked about the motor, I mean the main motor. Good thing that the new motor seems to have sorted out the problem they had. The motor as you already know is no longer Ametek, but the powerhead still has Ametek being used so it seems the powerhead motor has always been reliable. The user really won't notice any difference with the new motor, just slightly cooler and thats an ever so slightly cooler breeze from the exhaust of the Felix which is down to the fact that the different type motor has more air going through it due to the fins.

You are right, the ETH head on the K Premium machine has auto adjustment. The dial on the head just controls the brushing action, from soft to hard.

When you check the head of your Felix, check that the PCB is ok and the power on the top isn't 'jammed' as it could be anything causing the cutting in and out but generally, the heads on these machines are excellent and very robust and reliable. When I say jammed, I mean to see, when its taken apart and put back together, see if it rectifies the fault as it might just dislodge something. The ETH head is very easy to take apart and put back together.

 

[sebo_fan]

Thanks for that tip Blakaeg. As for the main motor - no problems at all. Still as powerful and quiet as the day I got it. I had info from a good source that the new motors are quieter though : ( SEBO need to improve that right across the range IMHO - if Bosch can attain it, so can SEBO.

 

[Sanifan]

I never thought my Felix was terribly loud. I'll fire it up again to see, but I always thought the sound level was very reasonable. If the new motor is even quieter, that would be super nice. Cooler running and more reliable are fantastic, too. But if there's no real performance advantage, them I'm pretty satisfied with my Ametek motor.

Did anyone get thrown by that little rubber bumper at the end of the Felix handle? It seems way too small to fit into the recess at the tip of the handle. Doesn't fill it up or protrude out far to offer any real protection. I got my Felix used, so I thought the bumper may have been damaged or worn down. But the one in sebo_fan's pic looks exactly like mine - too small. Was it a case where Sebo ordered a huge batch of the wrong sized bumpers but decided they had to use them because it would be too expensive to dump the load and order a replacement batch? I'm very curious as to why the handle bumper is so tiny and so deeply set in the molded recess.

 

[blakaeg]

I have had the Felix with new motor running and can honestly say, I could not really hear any difference in the sound at all. Its really down to the use of the sound insulation and general design of the body. If you ever remove the exhaust filter on a D machine when its running, listen to how loud it is when the bottom filter is taken out and then when its put back in, the difference is amazing. I love how quiet the Felix is compared to my Dyson which is so noisy and uses a lower wattage motor. Sebo machines are generally medium for noise level but I agree, could do with making a little quieter. I find that the motors whine when turned down on low power on K and Felix.


It looks like the Rubber Bumper on the handle is broken as its not supposed to look like that. As you probably know, the purpose is to stop the machine from falling back when you rest the machine up against a wall when you have either a Komi Head on or the Parquet Brush as the machine cannot stand up without the power head on. They sell the Felix in America and Germany without the Powerhead and with it too. The Dart also available as Dart Kombi so the ones that come without a powerhead need some sort of support I suppose. I find the bumper quite practical

 

[Sanifan]

Bumper...

Okay, so it is worn or broken. Any idea if Sebo will sell a replacement bumper over the phone or web? I tried looking for an authorized dealer my area and can't seem to find one.

So the Felix doesn't self stand with the parquet head on? Makes sense. I may actually hang my Felix by that little hole in the handle once the parquet head becomes the main one I use.

I sure would love to get that bumper replaced, though.

 

[blakaeg]

Sorry I don't know if SEBO USA will sell this part. Why not ring them to find out? I doubt it will be availale thou.

Part number 7164GW (corresponding two letters at the end to represent the colour) covers only the handle grip so it seems you will need to replace the whole handle if you want to have the bumper again...

 

[sebo_fan]

Yes mine is well worn = the rubber end is supposed to cover right over. But! My Dart just has a handle similar to the X series - no rubber end - just complete basic handle. Not sure about the rubber end though being replaceable - you could phone Sebo and ask.

 

[sebo_fan]

Apparently when the Felix first came to the UK it was available with the Kombi head and no variable power. The Dart is like that where no variable power slider is standard - just on/off slider. However they also sell a Dart With Variable slider control but no power head, which at the time was not available when I bought the Dart.

Very confusing!

As for motor noise, if you have K series and remove the name plate and filter and then put back the name plate, the noise level difference is a shock!

 

[blakaeg]

Thats very true and there was a Felix 1 which has standard cleaning width and also a Felix 2 with 37cm cleaning width, like the X5 Extra. I recall there was also a Felix Ice Blue with no adjustable handle, does your handle adjust up and down?

I bet you could convert the Dart to having adjustable power as all the mechanical parts inside are identical. What do you think to the power adjustment on your K1 Pet machine? Isn't it odd that they have the higher suction on anti clockwise and lower power on clockwise setting?

I really can't stress how much I love my Felix classic. It pulls itself forward, even on hard floors, its not too noisy, the variable motor power and excellent brush bar which really scrubs up my carpets to a professional standard. My Felix Classic is produced around 2006, S serial number, so its one of the early ones and its great.

I like how SEBO have all the parts visable to all on their excellent spare parts diagrams.

http://www.sebo.de/res/docs/eng/SPARE_PARTS_LIST_SEBO_FELIX_1_PREMIUM_CLASSIC.PDF

 

[sebo_fan]

My model isn't an Ice Blue though - it's a Navy model. The reason I put an Ice Blue exhaust filter on it was simply because where I store my Felix, there's rough casting on the wall where the "house vacuums" go and whenever the machine was pushed against the wall, the back of it would get paint marks on it. Plus I quite like the Ice Blue design - I've thought about ordering the new Vogue filter cover but then I'd have to get the matching tie clip things too. Paint marks don't seem to show up so easily on the lighter colouring.

The original hose split after two years and I had to make do with a second hand one off EBAY for a Classic. Eventually got the newer hose from SEBO - apparently it stretches a bit better than the original ones. However the Dart hose and the Felix hose are not the same in terms of the plastic handle part that slips into the machine. This is because the Dart's brush bar will continue to rotate because no stop lock has been added in the suction air channel on the main body before the floor head.

Its true that the Dart could probably handle a variable suction dial on it. I try not to mess with the electronics too much on my Sebo vacs unless of course something goes wrong.

Whilst I love the way the Felix moves, we do seem to have apparent different levels of carpet even though the same runs all throughout the house, so I'm frequently changing the adjustment dial - much prefer the X1.1 in this respect for the auto decision!

As for the suction dial on the K - I've never really thought about it TBH - I much prefer the current model's flatter surface and the fact that you can feel the dial going through nibs as the suction gets higher. I found the older model's dimpled and somewhat raised concave design often moved too easily, especially if the hose rubbed past it and for all that many people slate the K on its look, it's a far better thought out cylinder vacuum than any Miele vacuum - no arm wrenching to lift the suction tubes because they're so light anyway, the air driven turbo brush is far more compact than Miele's STB 205 and the Parquet Deluxe and Kombi are also well thought out - whereas on a Miele if you want to clean flat to the floor you have to twist your arm and the tubes to get the floor head to lay flat - not with the SEBO deluxe floor tools. Also the LED bag fill light compared to piston style and the quality of build is much more substantial than Miele.

Also what I like about the K is the fact that you never get to see the motor, even after you have removed the filters and the protection filters are also pretty good too. It is also far easier to store the model than Miele's daft side parking. Bosch went onto the use similar design from the K series where the central parking is more compact and less likely to appear bulky. Miele offer that with their S2 but it's about time they did that with all their models.

I agree with you with regards to the parts diagrams - but unfortunately the Felix ones just show a standard imploded diagram of the Dart model's smooth handle without the nib on the back.

 

[Sanifan]

K3...

You mentioned you weren't too keen on your K3. Why not? I thought it's supposed to be a good machine.

I had an opportunity to purchase a used K3 around the same time I got my Felix. Both were used, the K3 in better shape and just a little more expensive. I could only afford to get one of them. I ended up getting the Felix. I've been happy with it but always wondered if I missed out on anything by skipping the K3.

I have to say, I got the orange and purple Fun model and it happens to be my least favorite color of the lot! The orange is OK, but I hate the orange and purple colors on the filter cloth, and I hate that plaid-like pattern. It reminds me of what I hate about 70's design. The only reason I went through with the Fun is that I got a decent deal.

Please tell about your K3 and your thoughts on it!

 

[sebo_fan]

Sanifan - I think you made the right decision and the Fun model is a little known rare investment - keep it good and you may find in years to come if you ever sell, the Felix Fun may gain a little more monetary value. It didn't sell well in the UK due to its colour but I've since seen second hand ones go for silly money because of their rarity. I didn't mind the colour at all against the Classic "Chav-Burberry" like version.

I think the K3 Premium is a good idea, if you have a small home and little space. However unlike the U.S love for canisters and power heads, I'm just not a fan of this idea at all. Maybe it's my vintage-traditional upbringing, that a cylinder/canister vacuum should be lighter with a suction only floor head (or a good air-driven turbo brush), compared to an upright with a permanent electric roller brush.

I don't think you're missing out though - I find the Felix much more controllable and faster even though it only has that 1300 watt total power compared to the 1800 watts on the K3 Premium. The more modern K3 Vulcano is only slightly better (regardless of its uprated 2100watts) - this is because SEBO fit a 1.8 metre hose on the K3 Premium whereas the Vulcano has a slightly bigger 2.1 metre length - and it is abundantly better in use. I bought a K3 Vulcano many years ago for a friend and tried it before I handed it over - just to test it to see the difference on my K3 Premium.

The K series is traditionally a vacuum built for small to medium homes given the amount of power cable you get and the K3 Premium is like a canister & powerhead "basic" model because it has a short amount of cord (or even now if it has been given a bit more) you still have to put up with the shorter hose on it. There's more of an issue here because the electric embedded cord inside makes the hose less flexible and feels too stiff to be of any great versatility.

The K models without the electric hoses are far better, lighter and just easier to pull the machine around. I don't like the electric set up either - even if the older auto adjusting ET-H is good, it is bulkier than the ET-1 (I note that SEBO U.S offer the more modern Felix ET-1 floorhead) whilst the connection of the hose to the electronic handle is also bulkier and doesn't move as freely.

Again you're limited by the space efficiency and faster performance because of the hose and a tendency to keep stepping over the hose or changing hand position because the hose can't move around as much. I've spoken to SEBO about it many times, but they're happy with the design and it's built to the standard so that it doesn't fail. You can see here that they're going with the reliability and efficiency rather than comfort.

However, the K3 Premium / powered canisters have had problems with the pig tail plugs that fit between the handle and the electrified suction tubes - which are also thus, heavier than the standard suction tubes. I had a failing plug in the first year and when SEBO sent out the replacement one, it was only a short time thereafter that the plug started to work intermittently. Now my K3 Premium is used with either the turbo brush head or suction only but it sees very little use due to it's inherently-difficult to use embedded corded electric hose.

 

[sebo_fan]

Today I went to Glasgow to get my passport renewed and had to spend 6 hours in the city before it could be processed. What better way to visit John Lewis and see their exclusive X4 Excel upright. Reason it's an "exclusive" to John Lewis is simply because JL didn't want to keep "knowingly underselling" price match all the time with X4 Extra uprights, hence the change of name and colour to differentiate the models.

Anyway I also test drove the Panasonic MC-UG614/ I note that another member on here had already created a thread on this model as it is known as a Kenmore Progressive Glide.

If Panasonic or Kenmore decided to match the specs of the Felix, then this upright couldn't be closer if it tried. Here's the specs:

5.9Kg
Swivel head and 2 motor system.
7 metre cord
Tool kit
Mini turbo brush
hard floor to carpet adjuster/on/off.
3.5 litre capacity bag, 1900 watt, 250 air watts (Claimed).

I love the design to a point - the 14" floor head is too big to get around tables and awkward furniture though. It has a brush on/off pedal at the back - and it's a bit noisy. However, whilst it has a similar price band to the Felix (£219) and dust capacity, JL have yet to stock the dust bags - but worse of all - it comes with a shoe bag in which crevice tool, upholstery tool, mini turbo brush and a short hose are included. You have to manually attach the hose onto this machine and there's a poor plastic stabilizer that slips into the back of the floor head so that it doesn't fall over. Shame you can't slide it into the back of the floor head when not in use, so it's a part that could get lost over time.

Still, now I know why Sebo never put a looped handle on their upright - its lovely and curvy on the Panasonic but it twists my wrist painfully when turning left or right.

 

[Sanifan]

Thanks for your thoughts on the Felix Fun and K3. I had no idea the Fun was a rare model. I had the impression they were the most common because for a while most of the marketing I saw for the Felix featured the orange and purple Fun. I'll cherish it, of course, but I do wish I had an Onyx or Rosso Red instead! Those are my top two color schemes.

The K3 sounds good but complicated. I know how limiting a short hose can be. I have a Dyson DC23 Turbinehead which I love, but the hose is on the short side which makes it hard to get up high. Great suction on that machine, though. When I was deciding on the Felix or K3 I had no idea how compact the K3 was. It's small, isn't it? Also, short electrical cords are anathema to me. In truth the Dyson only has a 25 foot cord and it hasn't been an issue. I'm moving into a house with bare floors and a staircase, though, so I can see how that might mean trouble. But I plan on using a Clarke backpack vac for the staircase and above waist detail cleaning anyhow, so that solves it. Still, that short electrical cord would be an issue on the stairs.

That Panasonic Glide, was that marketed stateside under the Hoover badge? I saw one in a thrift store for a very reasonable price. It looked exactly the same as the picture you attached but with different colors. I did a little research but didn't find any info. Maybe I got confused and thought it was a Hoover when it was really a Kenmore. Anyhow, it slipped my mind and I didn't buy it. Is it comparable to a Felix? If so, I missed a good deal!

 

[sebo_fan]

Price wise it costs £219 which puts into direct pricing with the Sebo Felix, this side of the UK. When looking at the specs despite the additional tool kit you get with it, the bag capacity alone side lines with the Felix too. It is slightly lighter than the Felix though but not eco friendly sporting its 1900 watt motor.

For hard floors and a staircase I'd just rely on my Sebo D2 - its 12 metre cord ensures I'll get around everywhere or even the smaller K1 Pet / Komfort model.