Miele - S314 Red Star Power Team

I'd go for either the red Miele or the Felix.

The white one is 25 years old and not suitable for carpeting. The red one is the far better choice.

It’s an S300, they haven’t sold them since about 2005. That model has the entrance cover too, which wasn’t used into the 2000s afaik.

holy shit god bless you for this lol this is so inside baseball but so great to have omg. have an organization I’m working with trying to figure out a vacuum situation and they’re so sold on the gm80 (obvi great and what I trained with but $$$$ I think someone else sold them on it… rightfully so but it’s just so pricy) but the cost of the museum/rheostat models is obviously so steep it makes me insane. i get sooo frustrated w/ the state of info on this sort of thing– have genuinely always suspected that there’s a lot of opportunity for DIYing this particular aspect (there’s enough crossover with like, dust extractors&some aspects of cnc routing vac/dust remover things that people have had to diy) but obviously the field is so small & “quiet” that it’s been hard to find resources. for OP- i *have* used variable speed Miele vacs with HEPA filters on the “curtains”/drapery settings on some pretty delicate stuff w/ cheesecloth and muslin to dampen and it’s worked fine. also hear decent things about HEPA filter variable speed dust extractors by Festool– they are very well respected/truly Loved in non museum contexts & i know some conservators that use them!! but haven’t been able to personally try them out yet

i would recommend the miele vacuums, which have HEPA FILTERS and a speed dial to control the suction force. they are around $700, depending on the model but even the basic ones are great. we have had some for 10 years of intense use and they are still working perfectly fine. considering their usefulness and life span, they are totally worth it

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.

Used Miele S series are also really good value and reliable, plus repairs are super easy too.

If you’re spending 800 on a Dyson just spend that on a Sebo or Miele and you’re good for 10+ years lol

Pretty much either Miele or Sebo with a powerhead. Any of them. If you really do have wall to wall carpets, a second hand Kirby with a HEPA bag is decent lol

This is what I came to say. I didn't realize that I actually like vacuuming until I got a vacuum that worked well. Came from a Dyson and there is no comparison, Miele blows it out of the water!

Any Sebo Machine, or any of the Miele machines that have a power brush head would be a good bet. The Dyson machines are not at all bifl, they are cheaply built disposable vacuums, not recommended at all 

My Miele canister HEPA vacuum has lasted me thru 3 Labs so far and it is still running great. Yea it is expensive but this is "last forever" kind of vacuum. If you have rugs get the rug attachment head that is motorized (as opposed to the rug attachment where the brush spins based solely on suction). I have had this vacuum now for 18 yrs.

Even if you pay more for the stick, still buy the Miele. :-) I have a Miele HEPA canister and a Dyson V12, with a total cost of about $1000 (on sale). They are more than worth it.

I too vote for having both. My housecleaner uses my Miele HEPA canister to do a deeper clean of all the floors and to vacuum upholstery, baseboards, etc. I use a Dyson V12 ($450 on sale) for quick cleanups on my hard surface floors in between house cleaner visits - basically, what you would use a broom for in the old days. Plus, I use it as a hand vac. Tbh, I also have a second cordless I use for quick vacuums of my carpeted bedrooms in between housecleaner visits. And, a shop vac for the unfinished basement and screened in porch. It might seem extravagant to have paid almost $1500 for this four-vacuum collection. But, I expect them to last me many years, and they keep my house a lot cleaner with less work! Plus, I save money on housecleaning as these vacuums allow me to go longer between cleaning visits. Four less housecleaner visits a year saves $900, so they have already paid for themselves.

Bagged vacuums are needed if you have significant allergies. Once I’ve removed something from my home, I don’t want to have to breath it again when I empty the vacuum canister. I actually have three - a bagged, corded canister (Miele), for deeper cleaning; a bagged cordless (Hoover OnePower) for quick pickups on carpet; and a bagless cordless (Dyson V12) for quick pickups on hard surfaces. This seems to keep my house the cleanest. IMO the Dyson doesn’t have enough suction power for carpet even for quick pickups.

I would say that anyone whose allergies are significant enough that they are concerned about them would benefit from a bagged vacuum with good sealing and a HEPA filter, that also does well at deep cleaning not only floors but upholstery, curtains etc. That’s why I have my Miele. If they are not concerned, they can use whatever vacuum they want. I’ve had people on this sub say they think allergens don’t go into the air when you empty out a bagless vacuum. If someone like that has allergies but prefers a bagless that doesn’t do a good job on carpet, it’s their life.