Thoughts on the Sebo Balance A1 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner?

[centralsweeper63]

I know it is probably flawed, however, a vacuum store in Dunedin told me they used a vorwerk vk150 and a Wertheim 7 series and used one than the other until one stopped picking up dirt. That seems more fair to me.

 

[herbicide]

Going inside the machine isn't necessary to minimise smells if a product hasn't been abused.
Pet and tobacco odors get past any filter to stink up the insides of a vacuum.

I wouldn't go as far as saying "mains-equivalent." Running a highly unscientific test, I ran the V15 2 full cycles, then the new "mains" (Sebo D4) uncovered quite a bit of stuff the V15 left behind
That is the trick every vacuum sales person uses to "prove" your existing vacuum is no where near as good as the vacuum being sold. Doesn't matter what vacuum you have, the vacuum that goes first always looses. Every time. Oldest con in the vacuum industry. Next time the Kirby or Rainbow or ??? sales person comes to your home, have them vacuum your rug with their demo machine, put a fresh bag in your existing vacuum or a nice shiny clean dust bin if it's bagless and show the sales person how much their expensive new vacuum missed. The new vacuum will lose to your machine. The machine that goes first always does.

I do get the 'diminishing returns' (reverse logarithmic) of pickup* but thing is the 2nd Dyson run didn't pick up much of anything; say half a bin where the first run picked up 4-5 bins worth. But remember it was running on auto so was seldom in max/high gear mode, where the canister was at full blast the entire time.

*Probably over explaining but say for example a vacuum picks up 50% of dirt each time its used, the 2nd pass will pick up half of what the first pass, then the 3rd pass will pick up 25% of what the first pass, etc.

 

[centralsweeper63]

The vacuum store also than ran the vk150 again after the Wertheim and it picked up nothing noticeable (using a dirt meter type thing) than the Wertheim picked up a considerable amount more dirt.

 

[cheesewonton]

None of us really know why SEBO has decided to go into the cordless domestic market in 2025.
For them to still in 2025 to be producing corded domestic and commercial machines in a market which is mostly cordless and selling them is quite remarkable. If bagless and cordless is so superior why are SEBO’s commercial uptight one of the best sellers in that market!
If anything SEBO has responded to customer feedback having spoken to many or read feedback online asking them for a cordless SEBO! Everyone is different in the world so if they want to buy a cordless vacuum to compliment their corded let them! That’s up to them what they want to do. In fact I know quite a few that have done that with other cordless brands but still own and use a corded machine. Not everyone is confident or convinced a cordless can do the job on its own and not own a corded machine. I even know some that don’t like cordless and will never buy one! Personal choice like anything at the end of the day.

When you say “The product they're copying off gets it right and you don't need a corded machine anymore for the most part” so there is a situation where a corded machine is needed?

I get that video and why they didn’t want a central vac system having used a Dyson cordless. Plus saving money etc…. I’d be the same not having one. But it was sponsored by Dyson and I’m never convinced by paid brand ads with influencers in them that are gifted something for free. Even though they purchased a previous model before. Having seem so many it’s all positive in the first video and no follow up videos on how the product is performing later on.

Yes I own a V10 and I use it but it’s not perfect!

Pretty simple. It's what people want to buy. The local vac shop is a Sebo dealer. He is also a Sanitaire and Oreck dealer who stocks some Cirrus and Carpet Pro vacuums. He tells me he has an endless stream of people coming in looking for something a lot less expensive than what he sells and they want something bagless. Until very recently he had to either sell them a refurbished used vacuum inexpensively ( but still over $200 ) or send them to the big box store for a bagless thing. A traditional Sebo, Oreck or Sanitaire upright is not something these customers are going to buy. His housecleaner and janitor base will buy them but not most homeowners. Now he is selling some Simplicity models, a bagless stick vac, a cordless upright and I can't remember the other. He has to have something that people want to buy if he wants to stay in business. We see Miele and Numatic selling cordless stick vacs. Lux International and Electrolux AB too. That's what people want, so Sebo had to join the party to keep themselves and their dealers in business.

 

[centralsweeper63]

It truly is a shame what the mainstream vacuum industry is doing and selling. ( at least in my opinion).

 

[herbicide]

Going inside the machine isn't necessary to minimise smells if a product hasn't been abused.
Pet and tobacco odors get past any filter to stink up the insides of a vacuum.

I wouldn't go as far as saying "mains-equivalent." Running a highly unscientific test, I ran the V15 2 full cycles, then the new "mains" (Sebo D4) uncovered quite a bit of stuff the V15 left behind
That is the trick every vacuum sales person uses to "prove" your existing vacuum is no where near as good as the vacuum being sold. Doesn't matter what vacuum you have, the vacuum that goes first always looses. Every time. Oldest con in the vacuum industry. Next time the Kirby or Rainbow or ??? sales person comes to your home, have them vacuum your rug with their demo machine, put a fresh bag in your existing vacuum or a nice shiny clean dust bin if it's bagless and show the sales person how much their expensive new vacuum missed. The new vacuum will lose to your machine. The machine that goes first always does.

To be (somewhat*) fair to the Dyson I ran it after a single cleaning with the Sebo. From ~1700 sq ft plus stairs here is what it picked up. Note a normal equivalent cleaning would take 4-5 Dyson canister dumps.

*the “equivalent” and also highly unscientific test I did two passes with the Dyson before using the Sebo, where the Dyson had a compatible amount of dirt in the bin on the 2nd pass: