Flamenco II (S251i, S251)

Yeah great question, my Miele Flamenco II has been working great for over 25 years, without replacing a single part. It seems indestructible.

I have a Dyson Animal 2 and it’s the only vacuum from Dyson I have not hated. I would see if you can find any used on eBay or Facebook marketplace or somewhere like that. Its capacity is large enough you could clean the whole house without dumping. Suction is decent but as a heads up it’s pretty loud. As are most Dysons. Maybe see if you can find a used Miele canister vacuum that’s an older model within your price range. I have a flamenco 2 from Miele (budget early 2000s model) got it for $60 and that thing absolutely rips! It’s not bagless but the bags are fairly cheap and you don’t have to replace them as often as you might think. Not sure how old you are but I always think it’s worth mentioning: If you think you want a bagless vacuum because you’ve only had bagless as a adult and have memories of your parent(s) struggling changing messy hard to clip in bags that’s a way of the past. Bagged machines really aren’t more work compared to bagless and the suction / cleaning capacity will always be better. You have to change the bag every couple months on a quality machine not ever time you vacuum.

We have two Miele cylinder vacuum cleaners, one upstairs one down. The upstairs one was bought new in 1992 and still works faultlessly. The second is a much older design obtained for £0.00 from Freecycle (when that was a thing) about 15 years ago. Both perform powerfully and faultlessly*. The older one has a powered sweeper head which works well on both carpet and hard floors. I got it from a posh lady who said she was embarrassed when friends came around for coffee and saw her “ancient” vacuum cleaner. She had replaced it with a new Miele to save her blushes. Both are 1500W and extremely powerful. *The cable retractor on the upstairs one made a squeaking noise when operated. My first wife told me to fix it so I sprayed it with some WD40. It stopped the squeak but the retraction process has since needed human intervention. 🙄 -oo-

I second the Miele S2 best vac I ever owned. And it’s very lightweight. Easy to carry upstairs.

Second the Melie. Best vacuum I’ve ever had. The Shark Navigator was way too heavy/bulky for me.

I have one of the cheapest ($400ish). It’s the S2, I believe. It’s best for hard flooring and very low pile carpet/rugs. If you have thicker pile carpet to deal with I would recommend going up to the mid range priced Mieles that can handle the thicker carpeting. I personally don’t think the highest priced Pet branded range is worth the cost. I’ve had up to 15 cats home at times, and found the lowest priced Miele to be more effective on fur and litter than any of the high priced Pet Vacs I’ve tried. All Mieles have the exact same suction power across all lines, which is the most important factor in a vac’s effectiveness. Also, the bags last a long time, so I don’t find the cost of bags to be an issue. Edit to add: the Miele is one of the lightest weight and quietest I’ve used as well.

Worth every penny and they last forever. These things just don’t break! Many people get a good 20-25 years out of their Mieles. And if repairs are needed they are usually fairly easy and inexpensive. I’ve had mine 7 years and nothing has broken/no loss of suction whatsoever. Love this thing!

No. Overpriced, too heavy/bulky, not ergonomic, breakdown easily. I’d rather use a cheap Shark over a Dyson. Miele vacuums, however, are well worth their hefty price tags. Bags are an added cost, but don’t need to be replaced as often as you’d think, and their vacuums last forever. I’m a housekeeper and my Miele is the best vacuum I’ve ever used. I’ve tried nearly every brand and style out there. Can’t recommend them enough. Edited to add that I used Shark for a number of years until I could save up for a Miele. A Shark is a decent vacuum and MUCH cheaper to replace than a Dyson.

Prices in Europe are more reasonable for Miele, Sebo and the Henry. Miele S series, Sebo K series and Henry would be the models I'ld be looking at.

Miele is consistently rated as the best among impartial, professional reviewers & can be bought for $300-$500 depending on the model They last a long time as well. Personally I use a Samsung Bespoke Jet, mostly for the convenience factor of having a dust station & no long cables to deal with. We also have an old Miele S series that does a good job after almost a decade (motor overheats a tad though).