The best above floor cleaner?

[baglessball]

What are your opinions guys?

I'm liking the idea of a filter queen as all the attachments seem to be of high quality.

I want to love Miele! I don't think i like the curved handle. And the tiny dust brush..

Anyway, please share your thoughts!

 

[djtaylor]

The Filter Queen is the better vacuum. It is of higher quality and more likely to last, but any vacuum will if properly cared for.
Just my opinion.
Justin

 

[alexhoovers94]

As people who know me probably already know...

An upright with clip on or on-board tools, never a cylinder, HATE them, bit dramatic, some are alright but they are very boring and take up too much room
A bit off topic there but yh, an upright with clip on or onboard tools for my above the floor tasks.

 

[spiraclean]

In the past I've owned two Filter Queens (the green Limited Edition ones) and it's true what has been said, the attachments are of very good quality. Do think carefully though about a few other points before taking the plunge however.

First of all, attachment storage. The "crown" on top of the machine holds everything in place, but there is a little overhang, especially with the bare floor brush. The machine can get hung up on door frames and furniture, and I spent forever nudging mine away from obstacles.

Secondly, the hose handle is of the "gas pump" design. Comfortable to hold, but it's quite large and can prove to be a hinderance if you're cleaning in areas where space is restricted. I noticed this most when cleaning out the car, particularly around and underneath the driver's seat.

Third, the hose does not swivel a full 360 degrees at the machine end (its rotation is restricted so as not to pull out the powerhead plug), and there is no swivel at all on the handle end. Unless you're very careful the hose can twist and kink in use.

Finally, think about how you'll be using the machine. Will you be switching back and forth between different surface types, and between floor and above-floor cleaning? If so, get used to plugging and unplugging the electrical connections every time you want to switch between the power nozzle, bare floor brush and above-floor tools.

Don't get me wrong, the FQ is a great machine and I enjoyed mine - but as the above points show, I found it quite difficult to live with as my main cleaner, hence why I never kept it around for too long.

As for Miele, the variable power and low noise level makes it great for extended sessions of above floor cleaning, but as you say, there is always the problem of the awkwardly shaped hose handle and the dinky little dusting brush. If you can get hold of the Car Clean Set Plus (see link below), this gives you an extra long hose with a short, straight handle end that is easier to use in confined areas. You also get a long crevice tool, which is better than the one already on the machine, and a mini turbo brush which many people would have bought separately anyway. To be honest mine never saw the inside of the car much, but it did make the Miele much more user friendly around the house.

They also make a couple of larger dusting brushes and a very nice extra wide upholstery nozzle too. Thing is, by the time you total up the cost of a Miele and all these optional extras, the whole package is starting to look a little pricey. But it's certainly something to think about if the only thing stopping you from getting on with a Miele is the design of the standard tools.

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/carcle...for-miele-cylinder-cleaners-07786984-pdt.html

 

[baglessball]

Thank you.

I really appreciate that info.

I have an upright for the deep cleaning of carpets, so another upright with tools seems to defeat the object a little.

I have a miele and love its power and quietness. So i may look into this kit.

Why cant they make one fantastic all round machine dammit!!?

 

[ultimatevacman]

I would recommend a Numatic Henry, they are reliable, have good suction and are built really well, they are rather cheap too, normally around £100.

- Joe

 

[dysondestijl]

Everyone will disagree with me, but for me, this is the best above floor cleaner & tool:

 

[dysondestijl]

Look how easy it is to use!

 

[dysondestijl]

The tool can swivel in any way you like...

 

[dysondestijl]

Can easily do a full flight of stairs!

 

[dysondestijl]

This often happens when I'm using my filter queen...

 

[cc]

Love

Filter Queens! They have excellent suction, will last Forever, are unique, great attachments - with new ones coming out I hear. Besides being expensive I only have one problem with them. They are probably the best filtering vacs on the market - better then hepa - but - you still have to empty them! If you are allergic to dust, well better get the neighbor to do it. If you can deal with a bagless vac I say go for the filter queen they are awesome.

 

[blackheart]

I'm shocked

That no one has mentioned compact canisters such as the portapower or buster B i find them to be the easiest to use for above floor cleaning just sling them over your shoulder and you're good to go.

Tristar style machines are usually good for it as well. As is my silver king due to it's long hose.

 

[suckolux]

I normally use my Silverado, decent hose and can stand on its butt to reach, or the Dyson dc18 slim, tools and reach.

 

[vintagerepairer]

Compact canisters

This could be because such cleaners are not readily available in the UK.

 

[eurekaprince]

I don't feel that any of the combo vacs are as easy to use as a separate upright to clean carpets, and a canister vac to clean everything else. You can buy 2 high performing, easy-to-use vacs for less money than many of the high performing combination cleaners.

The best performing cleaner for every task except deep cleaning carpets is the simple basic Miele S2120 Olympus (Contour in Canada). It is the easiest-to-use canister vac for the money (around $300) and performs well with great emissions control and noise control. Add the optional HomeCare tool kit with deluxe attachments ($150) and you've got a great lightweight system to easily remove dust and dirt from everything. For deep cleaning of carpets, add the high-performing, easy-to-use Hoover Platinum Lightweight Bagged upright (get the version that does not come with the companion PortaPower) or the Hoover T-series bagged upright for $180.

 

[sebo_fan]

Sorry but I beg to differ and it all comes down to actual knowledge of what you can put up with IF you OWN the machine in question and what you read from the specs.

Looking at Amazon.com reveals quite a few interesting things in terms of what Miele offer. Although the $299 Olympus is a basic spec Miele canister vacuum, the S2121 Titan would probably be a better bet given that it comes with a power brush nozzle compared to the suction floor head only on the base Miele you suggest. It is priced at $599 making it substantially a bit more expensive - but it does offer automatically that capability to fill in the "deep cleaning" aspect if the power nozzle is attached.

Also Miele's Super Air Clean filter does NOT hold back emissions. Oh yes you can see the videos online about the particulate air meter valves going to 0 when the emissions test clearly show the Active Air Clean or HEPA filter cartridge gets tested but I know from my own experience that the S2 or any Miele vacuum with its basic Super Air Clean filter on board is useless for keeping back odours regardless of other emissions we can't see but can certainly smell!

Also I own a Miele S2111 - similar to the U.S model you supply as an alternative - I don't find it to be quieter than an S5 and it has a useless 5.5 metre power cord length with a short hose. The suction only floor head has awful wheels that squeal along hard floors and the plastic quality is generally poor compared to the S6, S5 or newer S8.

For a general all rounder, its the Sebo Felix for me for carpets and hard floors or my Sebo X1/X1.1 dependent on choice at the time. Long cord, on/off power nozzle and ease of use generally for carpet and hard floors is all I require. If I need to use the short hose on board, I'll use it - If I need more stretch I'll use Sebo's extension hose to double up the length for above the floor areas. End of the day, neither Sebo upright takes up as much space as a canister with excess cable and even though the Sebo uprights can't store the extension hoses on board, neither can many canisters including Miele store half of the kit they supply as optional extras either.

IF I am in my rental flat when working away from home, I use my SEBO D2. I have a Miele S5 as many of you know (recent swap from a more compact Sebo K1 Komfort) which I really like - the curved handle is actually pretty comfortable and far lighter on the hand than the single Sebo copied handle that some Miele canisters provide. The only prob with the Miele is that it has a short cord and my large rental flat requires a lot longer cord to get around - the D2 handles that beautifully and though it lacks a power nozzle, my carpets don't tend to get a lot of dirt that requires a moving brush roll and from time to time I can use the air driven turbo brush if required.

Also the Miele is a far more compact unit than the Sebo D2 but the D2 offers more stretch and has a bigger bag capacity with lesser need to constantly check on it. Its a difficult compromise, but if you work a 12 hour shift like I do daily, the last thing you want is a machine that is compromised on stretch.

 

[suckolux]

I own the Titan you mention, not a deep cleaner with that powerhead.Short hose does have me at my wits at times. Ditto the cord.Quiet machine.

 

[mieles7]

I think the all in one upright or canister is more popular than an upright/ canister combo because it seems more convenient. With the upright/ canister, you have to go through the house twice, while with the all in one vacuums you can clean everything as soon as you see it.