Sebo Felix suction

[ocscott3085]

This past weekend I went to an authorized Sebo dealer near my house to test a Sebo Felix. When I asked if he had any in the store he said he doesn't like to carry the Felix because it's a glorified electric broom and would much rather steer me towards an X4 or one of their powerhead canisters. I informed the man that my parents have an X4 that has had issues with it's height adjustment so I had no desire to go down that road. He told me that the X4 or the canisters would have a lot more suction than the Felix. Is that true? Does anyone know how the specs compare? I don't recall the X4 being a powerhouse but it definitely got the job done. I tried the K3 Airbelt canister and it seems like it would be a good choice for a canister but since I have a central vac I don't need that type of machine. I liked the idea of the Felix because it has a bag, swivels, and has a hose to use when necessary. The guy was definitely feeding me a lot of false information. He started saying how the Miele C2 Compact Electro at Bed, Bath and Beyond has a much smaller motor than the C3 Cat & Dog. Once I realized he wasn't being completely honest I lost faith in his testimony of the Felix. I also tried a top of the line Oreck Elevate. Loved the way that it steered and it's weight but the Supralite I gave my mom definitely cleans the carpet better so I scratched that off my list. I guess I'm stuck with the Shark unless I hear good things from you guys about the Felix.

 

[dave]

Tests

Take a look at this thread by Blackheart: http://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?35013_48

It has some test results from the X4 and the Felix (along with others). You will see that the Felix yields better results than the X4.

I had an X4 and I hated it. Like you, I now own a Shark (which I'm very pleased with) and am looking to purchase a Felix in the New Year as I've always wanted one. I have a Electrolux Sanitaire ZC880 for special occasions!

Being in the U.K. the Felix isn't going to cost me almost a month's salary like they do in the States!

 

[blackheart]

Felix!

It's a nice machine the cleaning power is definitely superior to the X4

Airflow at the base
X4: 59.11
Felix 73.96
In terms of suction the Felix again beats the X4
X4 hose 70"
Felix hose 79"


You also gain the ability to shut off the brushroll, variable speed control, a handheld canister mode, a manual height adjustment, and a swivel neck. The felix is hands down a better machine in my book.

In regards to the canisters vs the Felix the D4's airflow at the PN is about the same but the suction measures in at about 70" due to the bag guage leaking. I do slightly prefer the D4 though it's a little quieter plus there's no fighting with a stretch hose.

 

[vacuumdevil]

The Felix is a super cool and funky machine! It definitely has as much airflow and I think more water left being that the motor is not running a brush roller and suction at the same time. 2 motor unit!
Definitely get yourself a Felix hopefully somebody is going to offer you a discount for being a collector!
It sucks when vacuum shops aren't honest.
It's been a good seller at the stores I've worked at over a years. But hard to train older employees to like it for some reason especially or it guys.


There's also a buffer attachment that's kind of cool call the Disco.

 

[ocscott3085]

Thanks guys, the only reason I'm on the fence with buying it is because nobody is selling it locally for me to try in person. It looks like it could be top heavy like the Shark.

 

[fantomlightning]

I'd...

Say buy online from a place decent with returns. Tell the dude at your local Sebo store that he can shove it, the Felix is a brilliant machine. Feel and handling wise it isn't for everyone, but it's far from top heavy in the way you're experiencing with the Shark currently. While it can get a bit tipsy when using the tools upright, you always have the option to take it off the PN, collapse the handle, and hold it using the handle on the side as a kind of Hoover Portapower on steroids. Plus the hose is much easier to work with than just about any other modern machine that has a stretch hose. You basically can't go wrong with these guys, they do a good job of putting much of the good of a canister vacuum into the footprint and ease of use form factor of an upright.

 

[carolinaguy1996]

I agree, the Felix is very versatile.

 

[n0oxy]

what he said about Miele is incorrect

All of the current Miele canisters use the same motor, in the United States it's a 1200 watt motor. Obviously this store person does not know what they are talking about. I have no uprights in my collection, I prefer canisters of all types, whether central vacuum, backpack or the kind you pull around, but if I had to have an upright, I would probably get the Felix. It uses the same power nozzle that the canisters use so the cleaning performance should be similar. And, you can actually remove the power nozzle and attach a hard floor brush. If you want a felix, I would just buy it from the Sebo web site, sebo.us
Mike

 

[eurekaprince]

In current Consumer Reports ratings of upright vacs, there are 2 Sebos which were tested: Felix Premium and the Automatic X5. The Felix scored better than the X5 in many areas: carpet cleaning, airflow thru the hose for tool use, pet hair removal, filtration and ease of use (it’s lighter and has a suction control). The Felix is a “recommended” upright but the X5 is not.

 

[pr-21]

I have had both at one time or the other and prefer the Sebo Felix. The automatic height adjustment on the X series worked, but didn't actually brush my carpet nap as well as the Felix manual height adjustment.


 


 


PR-21


Bud

 

[madaboutsebo]

SEBO Felix....

I’ve had mine just over 10 years without any issues and still performs as new! It’s very versatile which is one of the reason I went for it at the time over the X series! Variable power, brush roll on/off, adjustable handle height. I did miss not having an onboard wand but I got use to it as the main unit detaches from the Powerhead! The new synthetic bags are great, better airflow. I’ve got the older 1300w version (UK) but have tried the new 700w (UK) and it is just as if not it seems more powerful! The Powerhead ET-1 is amazing with it manual height control it does groom the carpets very well!

I have since to go with my Felix got 2 X4’s, X4 Extra and X4 Eco Pet Boost which I love using. The Boost button on the Pet version in my opinion as it lowers the head deeper into the carpet pile gives about the same performance as the Felix Powerhead.

I would buy another Felix without a doubt, you can’t go wrong with one! I believe SEBO brought the Felix out to be a lighter, more modern vacuum as an alternative to the X series and to appeal to a different market sector! Don’t let one person put you off!

 

[sharky]

You may want to try it out before purchasing. I have bought one for my collection, but I haven't even filled up an entire bag, because I hate it. It is SO heavy, for me it is bulky, cumbersome and a pain to use.

 

[tolivac]

I tried a Felix,too a few years ago-they are cumbersome as a "canister" vacuum.The neck that connects to the floor tool can break-esp if the machine is dropped.Like other types of vacuums better.Too me the Felix was a VERY expensive "broom" vacuum.I returned mine.

 

[honestjoe68]

@ocscott3085

I own all the brands you mentioned including the Felix and the X4 Automatic. I Love Sebo in general but I am very particular and expect for the money you pay for a Sebo to get a high quality, well built machine. I believe you do and I think the Felix is a great vacuum, well built, sturdy and easy to use. I have to politely disagree with those questioning the Felix performance or durability as I have had mine for over 2 years and it cleans my carpets and floors beautifully. Also, it is VERY durable.. I am super careful with my vacuums and take great care of all my collection (around 250 vacuums) making sure they are well taken care of but things happen. I accidentally sent my Felix flying down a full flight of steps when I tripped on my shoe string and it bounced all the way down my hardwood oak steps with carpet runner down the middle of the steps. I ran to the bottom and turned it off to find NOT one scratch and nothing was wrong with it. The Felix is FAR from a broom vacuum and anyone who owns one will tell you, they agitate well, suction is top notch and overall the Felix is one of my best vacuums. I remind people when I praise the Sebo Felix that in my collection I own many high end $800 to $1200 vacuums and I still love my Felix that I paid $500 for 2 years ago.

So if you’ve not gotten a vacuum yet, I would highly recommend the Felix.. but if you are still not sure or you don’t want to spend the money, I also own many Shark vacuums (see my latest post of the DuoClean XL I bought yesterday). Whatever you buy I would definitely make sure there is a return policy because not everyone is going to like the same vacuum or have the same opinion of them, obviously. BUT I do know the Felix is a great machine.

Best of Luck and thanks for sharing. If you have any specific questions.. let me know and I will try to help. This website is the best place to get help with vacuum cleaners, but you also get a LOT of opinions about specific brands. LOL. Its all good and all fun.

Thanks

 

[mike811]

Felix suction

I have Felix with the eco motor (only 700 watts). Suction isn't impressive, but the airflow is considering the motor size. Nearly 100 cfm from the hose end is very good.

 

[honestjoe68]

@mike811

That is why I’m SO glad I live in the USA, they don’t (yet) regulate any of that and we still get the powerful 1475 watt motor!

I only agree with the UK governing the decible level as I hate LOUD vacuums, but the other items I guess are to make the planet better. ;(

 

[mike811]

These EU regulations really hurt the performance. Felix is powerful enough with the 700 watt motor, but my K1 Airbelt canister with the same 700 watt motor is a bit underpowered.
So I ordered new 1200 watt motor to it from the Germany. I don't like the idea, that someone regulates how powerful vacuums we can have. Very annoying.

 

[hank]

Atleast they haven’t outlawed the motors yet. What is their whole reason for doing that?

 

[mike811]

EU energy label

Here is what they say:
"Vacuum cleaners are subject to EU energy labelling and ecodesign requirements. By switching to one of the most energy efficient vacuum cleaners, you can save €70 over the lifetime of the product. With more efficient vacuum cleaners, Europe as a whole can save up to 20 TWh of electricity per year by 2020. This is equivalent to the annual household electricity consumption of Belgium. It also means over 6 million tonnes of CO2 will not be emitted – about the annual emissions of eight medium-sized power plants."