The wife just doesn't understand...

[tseg]

What's wrong with this picture? Correct, nothing.

I have my ideal Miele C3 Alize setup now. The Airteq tool for floors and throw rugs + Electro hoze/wand and SEB236 for carpets at a 22% discount vs. the Brilliant. I have the non-electric hose/wand for the large duster, long crevice tool, mini turbo and regular turbo brushes... nice and light weight.

I really like the AirTeq for floors as the wheels make it much more controlled and to clean dust/hair off the bristles, put it in carpet mode and swipe on carpet back and forth once or twice and the bristles are clean like new. I will admit, I probably no longer need the full-sized turbo head even though for my house it was probably enough and I did not need the SEB 236. But that powerhead is just luscious to use on even short carpet. I guess I'm still debating whether the mini turbo with wand or Turbo Comfort directly on the handle makes for the ultimate carpeted stair sweeper?

Using the elongated dusting brush directly on the non-electric hose is just so lightweight and flexible my swifter wipes are practically collecting dust. Or put on the wand and adjust the duster's two inflection points and I can easily clean the tops of my ceiling fans.

The only thing the Alize does not have vs. the Brilliant is all the operation buttons on the grip, the docking LED lights, the real metal accents and the felt bumper, but since I use Auto with the power head the only functionality I'm really missing on the handle is the vacuum on/off. Of course the Alize has the Auto motor setting, Dyanamic drive castors and Hepa filter indicator like the Brilliant. And the non-electric lightweight hose is a bonus... and LED light on the non-electric handle. Also consider the Brilliant no longer has felt in the accessories tray. Never mind the ivory color is just awesome.

My house has never been so clean and my family's allergies have never been so minimized.

 

[alexhoovers94]

Mine...

 

[eurekaprince]

I have the Canadian version of the Alize, the FreshAir in white. It's a bit less fancy (no shock-absorbing wheels, no auto setting), but everything else is the same - including Miele's longest telescoping wand and one-touch cord rewind. I love the AirTeq carpet tool - much prefer its two large wheels over Miele's standard roller bar. And indeed! I attach my large Universal Dusting Brush and Mini Turbo nozzle directly onto the lightweight hose (it's easy to remove the SpotLight handle), which really makes them easy to use in tighter spaces like dresser drawers and car interiors.

It's a great companion to my Hoover Bagged Platinum upright.

 

[tseg]

Also forgot to mention the Alize has 'standby' in the docking slot, like the Brilliant. The other thing I just realized about the Brilliant is one does not actually turn the vacuum on and off from the handle... that must still be done from the foot pedal. One can only put the machine in standby mode from the handle with the Brilliant. Of course, the SEB 236 PH cannot be docked, so while the PN can be turned off from the handle with my setup, I still need to use the foot pedal to turn off the vacuum.

I'm a fan of the Dynamic Drive casters with shock absorbers and inflated tires... the vacuum is silent and smooth when being pulled across a tiled floor with deep grout lines.

The 9-layer filter bag is amazing... just installed my 4th one after 3/4 of a year. My bag compartment remains spotless and the bag is so easy and clean to change out. I know I can let the bags go longer than I have as suction really has never been reduced, but I just get too excited and have been changing them out at 3/4 capacity.

I can't believe I used a Dyson DC14 for the past 10+ years. What a dirty piece of equipment. My wife still loves her upright Panasonic Jet-Flo MC-6217 she has had since the mid-'90s. She won't touch the Miele... not sold on the canister idea and all the hoses and attachments.

 

[tseg]

BTW, Miele USA website has select C1 and C2 cannisters on sale for 20% off on there website currently. I had heard rumors they intended to minimize their lower end offering, at least in the US. Maybe they are clearing stuff out.

 

[vacerator]

Yes, got an add

in the mail yesterday. A black C 1 turbo team for $320 US. Air driven carpet brush for low pile and delicate rugs.
The US version of the blue Marin has a headlight.
Does the Alize and Brilliant in Europe, etc. still have sprung wheels? The US Brilliant only had them the first year.

 

[jumby75]

Can you add

a NON-ELECTRIC hose to either the Marin or Brilliant C3 models? I was considering those models and really like your setup. Mainly, I'd like to be able to have a lighter wand when using the attachments or floor tool.

 

[tseg]

Jumby75, yes, I'm almost certain a non-electric hose can be added to Marin/Brilliant... do either/both of those have the little electric socket cover? The Alize does and can easily be popped out and there is a little spot within the accessories compartment to store it. Nice touch.

The machine with non-electric combination is vastly lighter... great joy with dusting and hard floors. However non-electric hose/handle/wand will set you back ~ $220US + accessory costs.

 

[vacman117]

Here is my setup! I found my Marin open-box for $350 a few months ago. We only have one rug we use the power nozzle on, but the Parquet floor brush and AirTeq tool get used all the time! I'd like to eventually add a straight suction hose to mine as well. While I like the electric hose, it just feels too heavy when I'm not using the power nozzle. Luckily I held onto my straight suction wand from my old Solaris though, so that helps with the weight distribution a little when using the straight suction tools.

PS- Love the color of your Alize! I think I read that the new Alizes cannot be fitted with the electric hose, not sure if that's true though.

Chase

 

[drsnuggle]

And here is my Miele C3

Albeit just a Miele C3 Hepa Powerline with some tools from my Cat & Dog version. The handle is an additional extra. Only a turbobrush and non-electric hose and wand. The dual nozzle is an eco-teq which should be the same as an air-teq, I think. I should add that I love that light brownish(?) color.

 

[jumby75]

I guess a better question is

Can I fit a non electric wand on the electric hose that comes with the Marin or Brilliant? Chase's setup is perfect as well as Tsegs. Figure if all I need to add to the Marin or Brilliant is a non electric wand, that's less costly. I don't care if the hose is electric or not. The weight is fine for me.

Also, what is the deal with the advanced drive wheels on the Alice? Does the brilliant have them? What's the difference?

 

[jumby75]

Update to my last post...

Went to my dealer since I'm in the middle of getting a vacuum and had to return the Sebo D4 I had out on trial. I talked to him about the wands and he showed me a couple of things. First, the non electric wand is not that much lighter than the electric wands. They are both made of steel and the non-electric wand will fit with an electric equipped hose, so I solved that issue.

However, he did show me the aluminum extension wand that comes with the Miele uprights and it is super light. It doesn't extend as far as the other wands and I don't think you can attach a floor tool to it (at least I didn't try). But for me, it is perfect because it's just enough to reach where I need it to go when using some accessories, but it can also attach to the electric wand for an even greater reach without adding much weight.

Now to decide between Miele C3 Marin, Brilliant or HomeCare Plus!

 

[eurekaprince]

I'm pretty sure you can attach a floor brush to the upright's wand....here is a video demonstrating just that set-up:



http://https//youtu.be/uD3A-O7Vf-8

 

[jumby75]

Thank you EurekaPrince!

That's the wand and you're right, you can attach a floor tool to it. Honestly, I think it's a great add-on to have and it makes using attachments MUCH easier since it is so much lighter. Plus, you can attach the aluminum wand to the electrical or non-electrical wands for an even longer reach. It's not as long as the wand included with the canisters, but you can see from the video it extends long enough to put on a floor brush. This means I can pretty much keep the lighter wand on when I'm doing bare floors and dusting, etc with minimal changes.

Thanks for posting!

 

[eurekaprince]

You're welcome!