There's no "consensus" because it's marketing and competition and the two best companies don't market (they don't have to) so the zeitgeist is full of noise.
Our current economic system disincentives industries rallying around gold standard practices, ya know. It should but it currently doesn't.
At your price point, you'll want the Kenmore bagged elite canisters.
Basically all of the same nominal features as the Sebo or Miele, with some perks like the let powermate, crossover tool, and lights everywhere.
But they're louder, worse built, and weaker than sebos. And even more so than Mieles, but the price is fair for what's offered. With care these Kenmore can easily last over a decade.
Mieles, the vacuums, are the best. Sebo, the company that makes these products, is also the best.
Miele is currently reacting to market demands and has changed the way their company has operated in the last 2 decades. Sebo is off responding as well, but not as harshly as Miele. Equally, they're diametrically opposite brands. Miele is a lifestyle luxury brand that ~happens to have the best or one of the best offerings in every category they compete in. Sebo is an industrial cleaning company, and it shows.
It's frankly no competition and it's why Dyson and shark don't compete on numbers (other than price & sales numbers) because they cannot compete with Miele/Sebo on sustained suction/airflow, loudness, weight, or extended performance tests.
Miele and Sebo and have factories of robots testing their products. Every Miele product made in their German factories are tested by people and computers before being packaged and delivered. On TOP of the 20 year stress tests they conduct on their machines. Dyson & shark hire marketing firms and Malaysian sweatshops, very different.
Also Mieles Chinese build quality is impeccable, much like everything else of value made in China (DJI, Roborock, apple, etc).
It frankly should be concerning Dysons aren't made in China, the country with the globally superior production capacity.
Also how you know Miele and Sebo are the best: they make one flagship product that works for everyone, no matter the use. They certainly iterate, but in the scale of decades, not quarters.
There is certainly consensus on who makes the best vacuums, and the only answers are Miele, Sebo, and Nacecare and between those it's mostly preference and fandom (and henry is adorable!) and let's be honest the best vacuum company is Sebo. Sorry Miele, xoxo, love you, but facts are facts.
Edit: frankly I didn't read what your use case was because it's irrelevant to the answer. A bagged electro canister is always the best, no questions asked.
Look around for used Miele (or Sebo, rarer) deals on marketplace. Vacuum stores sell them lower than their MSRP. Miele is currently having somewhat of a blowout sale before their new machine and we're about to never have Mieles with lights or fingertip controls 😭😭 scoop up somebody's used brilliant if you're really lucky.
Or again, buy the Kenmore new.
I got my Miele s8 uniq on marketplace for $300($1800msrp). Now I'm gonna make sure it lasts until I die because of the fingertip controls, lights, and (I know this is dumb) the velvet.
A shark apex was the first vacuum I bought myself as an adult. I grew up with a miele canister.
After a year ish I immediately bought a miele canister on marketplace and ofc it was much better for slightly cheaper (a miele UniQ!).
I cleaned up and gave that shark to my bestie's family who still use it (and know how to maintain it well).
I bought my brother and Apex for his housewarming (before I got my uniq) and it's a great vacuum for them too but they're not very meticulous users (and have a German shepherd) so it died in under 4 years.
As a vacuum nut who acquires new/user vacuums for fun for my loved ones, sharks best stuff does work better than 90% of the crap that's out there... But knowing what I know now after a decade+ of vacuum nuttery, things like a miele/Sebo noticeably and materially outperform a shark, no contest. The economics of shark ownership are really not there in my experience.... ESPECIALLY compared to a Kenmore...
Also being a canister vacuum nuts makes me resent shark a little. Though I got my cousin to buy the shark canister and it's great but they're also not meticulous users so I should've found them a miele 🤷🏾
Sharks aren't bad~ but they're always worse... So why not get the better performer (Germans) or the better value (Kenmore)?
This is also ignoring the consumerist plague that is the sharkninja company... Their products always mostly work but are also almost always mostly outlcassed by their peers.
Overall, it's a "why bother" from me. But get off the cross buddy, you're not a Dyson owner 😂
I do actually have to corroborate this because I do see people complaining (which is their experience) but in my many warranty requests with shark, they were pretty easy to work with, a the most I did was a little video call with a representative but tbh thts kinds nice because it's a person who's talking to you and affirming you're about to receive xyz products in the mail for free and here are the links to using it installing them.
Sure the warranty is 4years maybe on their most premium vac (what's it today y'all?) and they will die eventually afterwards without parts. But hey the company is mostly upfront about their marketing first, wowing upfront performance and shorter life cycles (implicitly) and honor their contracts easily.
A shark apex was the first vacuum I bought myself as an adult. I grew up with a miele canister.
After a year ish I immediately bought a miele canister on marketplace and ofc it was much better for slightly cheaper (a miele UniQ!).
I cleaned up and gave that shark to my bestie's family who still use it (and know how to maintain it well).
I bought my brother and Apex for his housewarming (before I got my uniq) and it's a great vacuum for them too but they're not very meticulous users (and have a German shepherd) so it died in under 4 years.
As a vacuum nut who acquires new/user vacuums for fun for my loved ones, sharks best stuff does work better than 90% of the crap that's out there... But knowing what I know now after a decade+ of vacuum nuttery, things like a miele/Sebo noticeably and materially outperform a shark, no contest. The economics of shark ownership are really not there in my experience.... ESPECIALLY compared to a Kenmore...
Also being a canister vacuum nuts makes me resent shark a little. Though I got my cousin to buy the shark canister and it's great but they're also not meticulous users so I should've found them a miele 🤷🏾
Sharks aren't bad~ but they're always worse... So why not get the better performer (Germans) or the better value (Kenmore)?
This is also ignoring the consumerist plague that is the sharkninja company... Their products always mostly work but are also almost always mostly outlcassed by their peers.
Overall, it's a "why bother" from me. But get off the cross buddy, you're not a Dyson owner 😂
Yes they still do and it's been the same vaccums: corded bagged machines.
Even a corded bagged Bissell/Hoover can put in some work for a while with care.
A Kenmore bagged vacuum is better.
Miele and sebo are the best and can last 30 years with a bit of maintenance.
Never expect any bagless or battery powered vacuum to survive daily service with shedding animals.
I wouldn't bother with the Kenmore because of the excess of hair. Get a miele with the seb228 or 236, not the seb217 (the skinnier shaft makes wraps more common, like with the Sebo ET1).
What's your budget and timeline for the machine because I'm pretty gung ho about buying used and self servicing... But I recognize that's not for everyone and not everyone has a flexible budget.
The Kenmore will work for years with care and you can service them decently easily.
A miele will be a tank and feel better to use every moment you use it. The value of that price difference (let's say $400 vs $950 new) is up to you.
A used like new Kenmore 600 series canister for ~$250 is an excellent price point for getting something that works and it can't be forgotten because of how inexpensive it is.
The simple existence of a bag in a vacuum changes a lot of dynamics of how vacuums work. Ultimately they're cleaner and easier to maintain and allow the machine to live longer.
Bagless machines need to be emptied per room, and washed monthly to retain performance and live towards a decade.
Bagged machines need a bag swap every few months and s filter swap yearly (or less frequently for a smaller or less active home).
Having something "capture" the dust is better than having something to "hold" the dust, if that makes sense.
It's not even a competition and it's just the fluid dynamics of the machines. Bagless machines were invented as a compromise (and the technology has not panned out in the way James Dyson originally envisioned, a la the failure of their "Cinetic" cyclones).
And in that time bags have gotten better and cheaper to produce.
So today, there's really no use for a bagless machine as a primary vacuum for a home.
All 3 are excellent. You really can’t do wrong between the 3. Personally I’d place more weight on the price, warranty etc between the two brands.
It’s splitting hairs (see what I did there?) but I’d rank them 236, et-1, 228 in the order of cleaning performance alone. Like I said, they’re all great I don’t think there is a “right” or wrong answer here.
The removable brush is a huge plus for Sebo. But IMO the Miele cleans better. However the Miele’s are not user serviceable. Also know that while I think the 236 cleans the best (by a narrow margin) it does have this awkward belt placement where it leaves a path of uncleaned carpet about 3/4 off to the side. I use that as a guide on how much to overlap but some people find it annoying.
Check out r/vacuumcleaners
As mentioned Miele and Sebo are top brands. You can safely ignore any shark or Dyson recs. They’re garbage. As is anything bagless.
Vacuum wars is a paid shark shill and not to be trusted. Hell Chris even appeared in a shark commercial.
BIFL vacuums absolutely exist. They’re corded and bagged made by brands like Miele and Sebo.
S8s are super, super easy to repair. What broke?
The C3 is still available in some stores, even from Miele directly. I tried many other vacs and couldn’t find one that had the power and comfort and the S8/C3. The Guard L1 models are slightly less powerful, but still very good vacs.
Alternatively, the Sebo E3 is probably the closest thing. It doesn’t have as much power, and it isn’t available with HEPA-13 (or HEPA at all), nor is it as comfortable to use but they are very durable and well-engineered. People that don’t like them tend to not like them because of the hose, which is also a common complaint with the D4. Overall, the C3 is significantly more comfortable to use, more power, superior filtration, more aggressive carpet performance, more suitable for residential applications. If it is the motor in your S8 that died, the motors can be replaced in 2 - 5 mins. Very easy, not expensive. $130!USD is what I see that listed at.
Superturtle1166
