Which Vacuum Would Be Best for my School?

[sebo_fan]

Yes but thats' already been suggested. Had you looked at Hi-Lo's list of vacuums offered, the closest SEBO is the X4 on offer as that is what he has.

We can keep going back and forwards moaning about the PP and the hoover DM - end of the day they're out of league as commercial vacuums. You can have one in your collection for 10 years where it might well suit you, but as has been said before consumers and collectors are two very different sorts.

If I was cleaning again with the company I used to work for and they came to me saying that their usual Henry vacs were away being serviced and instead of the SEBO and Nilco uprights not being available instead, AND where I was offered either a Dyson DC01 or a Hoover Purepower or Dustmanager - sorry but I'd take the Dyson DC01.

Why? Well, reason being that for most contract cleaners who are given a short amount of time to clean 20 rooms on two floors, time is of the essence - the DC01 may not deep clean but if it picks up the top viewable dust, the company are happy - what I don't require is something as heavy to push as the Hoover models, and even with the height adjustment sorted, the handles are hellish and I find them really uncomfortable. I'm pleased that Hoover improved the handle on the more modern Slalom - and on the basis that the PP & DM are really heavy to push PLUS has that uncomfortable handle AND all of its problems with plastics, noise and heat - the DC01 runs rings around those machines in my opinion.

 

[turbomaster1984]

Ryan is absolutely right with his last post.

However id personally rather not have the dc01 and prefer the purepower.

Purepower has the following advantages over the dyson over user ease of use.

Flat profile for getting under desks, chairs, under and around furniture.

Easy to use hose for poking into corners and around edges as and when needed. (dont see the dyson hose being easy to use and quickly for a contract cleaner)

The ability to tilt the cleaner bac to go over thresholds room to room,

same ability to angle suction over larger items of debris instead of pushing them around.

the tools wont fall off when passing against furniture like the chronically do on a dyson.

 

[sebo_fan]

In a lot of schools I used to clean in, uprights like SEBO's BS series and the older 370s just didn't have much time for the hose to be used. Thus a lot of the smaller cleaning tools were removed incase they would pop off in use or just get lost over time. The uprights were better for carpet cleaning, hence the Hoover Senior usage and from also using Nilco soft bag uprights. If you had a SEBO you would benefit from the automatic wand and hose alone.

This is where "we" cleaners had to use dusters and brooms to get up high and that was only a once in a blue moon scenario rather than the daily clean. I loved the job - not only did I get to use vacuums but get paid for it - but I rather liked the state I left the rooms in as well as a good work out having to suck the dust off window sills if there's a sink in the room - here is where Numatic's own hose and handle is supreme for quick and easy access.

Cleaners also hate bending down with vacuums, or so I've seen in the past. I know myself that the Dyson doesn't clean flat to the floor, but it can get under the kiddies seats easily, being more efficient just for quick sprint around and if the tools are taken off, well, there's really no need for them to be there in the first place. Purepower is great if you have all the time in the world.

As a result, presently a lot of Numatic Henry vacuums have badly dented or bruised plastic cuffs because they have been used as a crevice tool design all of their own. The bent handle also gets a lot of abuse as cleaners don't carry tools with them and given that the tools can't be stored on board anyway, there simply isn't the time to faff about with tools when you have to get all the carpets cleaned in the quickest time.

This is why quite often when buying 2nd hand Henry vacuums that have been used in schools that if, given the option you get the red storage fabric Henry bag and associated tools, you'd find that the bag itself and the tools are in mint condition - they're just not used in schools.