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Reddit Reviews
Well,I did it. I walked into a vacuum cleaner store and repair shop just to see this Sebo upright people refer to. I had already ordered a Kenmore BU4050 based on reviews although I have never seen one. I've been through every vacuum type imaginable in the last - ahem - 40 years. Starting with Electrolux canister on glider rails, a family hand-me-down. Dirt Devil tiny little canister. Hoover upright, Sanitaire commercial upright, Miele stick vac with removable handheld dustbuster thing, Miele canister. Had a Dyson V5 for when the canister was too heavy to pull out. Shark Navigator Pet upright - nimble, easy to use, went under bed - I liked it for a long time but slider for floor type change got stuck and it all those plastic parts got a little rickety. I learned: While cordless is quick and easy, it's also weak suction. Sanitair upright cleaned well on carpet but no accessories. Dysons are pretty colored plastic but all marketing, hurts my wrist, went through 2 batteries, just top heavy, and poor suction. Miele corded stick vacuum had very strong suction but was too heavy and center of mass is midway up so awkward unless you are very strong and was not self standing. Miele canister is great but all those accessories take up a lot of space and I'm over moving canisters around and banging the wall. Bagless was good as a novelty but so messy - the vacuum itself attracted dust and emptying always led to some dust on me. So I wanted a bagged, corded, self-standing, upright that had a low center of gravity, was nimble, no too heavy, and could go under the bed. Even though the sales guy was enthusiastic and informative but not pushy, the Sebo Felix sold itself. I bought the Sebo Felix even though I wasn't going there to buy, just see it. It does every thing I want and is much quieter. 10 year warranty, locally serviced by "Onyx" dealer \[that's what they call official dealers\], give loaner vacs if it takes more than 3 days. The store has been there 26 years, first the father and now the son owns it. They repair every brand of vacuum but only sell Sebo, Miele, and some in-the-wall systems. When I think of all the money I've spend on vacuums .... The good ones were Electrolux, Miele, Sanitaire, and for a while the Shark impressed me. Now I hope the Sebo will be my last vacuum. $700 US, price goes up $200 on September 25 due to tariffs. Dealer said he's sold 17 of them this month from special orders I will return the Kenmore BU4050 unopened when it arrives.
If you’re open to used and can deal with a cord - check fb market place for a Miele H1 Swing (aka quickstep) would suit your needs.
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.
*Cordless* Vacuums are disposable. **Corded and bagged** vacuums like a Miele or Sebo will last you 2 decades or longer. Ask r/vacuumcleaners
Miele, Sebo or Lindhaus. Check out r/vacuumcleaners
This is the answer! You can still get a Miele for only hard flooring.
Agree with J3ttf! The Miele is a worthy splurge!
Miele, Sebo, Henry, Lindhaus. Shark and Dyson are garbage. Check out r/vacuumcleaners
You want to ask r/vacuumcleaners. Miele or Sebo is the correct answer. Corded and bagged. Safely ignore any shark or Dyson recs. Find a local dealer and take a few Miele’s and sebos for a test drive. Specifically the Sebo dart if it’s mostly for carpet.
You are correct, corded bagged stick vacuums are basically extinct. At least if you're trying to buy new. If you can find a miele quickstep with a power nozzle, that would be an excellent choice. Great suction, performance, filtration, and bagged. Compatible with most miele floorheads so you have a wide selection of floor brushes and other tools to suit whatever floor surface. The quickstep is a little on the big side for a stick vac but they work! If you're open to trying cordless, unfortunately there aren't many bagged options in or near your budget either. If you're ok with it only being suitable for hard floors the Makita XLC10 might be worth a look. It's suction only, but does clean hard floors well. It accepts paper bags. And with the machine plus battery and charger it should be right at your budget or only a little over. The Henry quick is a good option but it's $600+. The only other possible solution could be something like the samsung bespoke jet. It's cordless and bagless, but has an empty station which suctions out the contents of the stick into a bag. So it saves frequent messy disposal, but you're still left needing to clean out the bin and filters occasionally. So that isn't a full solution IMO. And really that's about all unfortunately. The lack of bagged stick vacuum choices is a real downer.
The airstorm, while good, is no better than a miele or sebo. I wouldn't pay the premium. Mieles and sebos are also sealed to trap dust. They are also more modern in design and easier to use (they have cord rewind while the air storm does not). There's nothing really bespoke about the airstorm. Underneath the top shell, the power nozzle is the same as ones avaliable for Miele models. The hose and other tools are generic off-the-shelf supplies etc. While it would probably last you a long time and do a good job, you might resent using it. I'd strongly suggest you try one in person before choosing, and frankly I'd save money and go with a nicer to use miele/sebo.
Sebo or miele if you want something high quality which will actually last 15+ years and be repairable should a part wear out. They have high performance and filtration standards. The shark is fine for 3 to 5 years with decent performance. The dyson, being cordless, you should only expect 2-4 years. And it won't have the performance of the others unless used on it's highest but shortest runtime mode. Kinda comparing apples to oranges here. If you need something immediately the shark is probably ok, but if you want something to last definitley go check out miele and sebo.
I adore my miele quick step, but they no longer making parts. Any new one u find will be over prices. Bags are also a bit small.
Cordless stick vacuums are all more or less disposable, even the expensive ones. The designs are updated frequently and are not made to be repaired, even if you’re able to find parts. I have a Makita cordless which should last a while for quick jobs, but it’s not very powerful. My home vacuum is a 15 year old Miele Swing H1 stick vacuum. It’s corded, but light and powerful, and the bags make everything so much cleaner and more convenient. Personally, I find the cord less annoying than charging. My parents’ heavily used Sebo Airbelt D1 canister vacuum is around 20 years old. Both work perfectly. If I were in the market for a new vacuum, I would buy a Sebo as they are super durable, easily repaired, and very well designed. If I were on a budget, I’d purchase a used Miele. If you want something older, vintage Electrolux vacuums are great once the inevitable deferred maintenance is taken care of. We have a canister vacuum from the seventies at one house and an upright from the nineties at another, both of which are going strong, and both of which have bags and many spare parts readily available.
I have that vacuum in red. It’s my favorite. It’s versatile and one of the best vacuums in my opinion; however, that one looks beat to hell and I wouldn’t buy it. It looks like it needs a new hose, and Miele parts can be pricey. That hose has to work well for the entire machine operate properly. Just curious, what are they asking? What kind of floors do you have? Mostly carpet, mostly hard floor, a mix?
I have a few vacuums, one being a Sebo E3 and another is a Miele. I also have a Dyson V8 Absolute and I *absolutely* love it. I’ve had this one for a few years and use it almost daily around the kitchen. I recommend that one. It doesn’t have the digital screen, it’s not super heavy on the wrist, and it cleans well. If it were to break or stop working, I’d buy another one. Worth it.
I have an old Miele bagged upright and still going strong after 15+years. Love it so much! Strongly advocate for the Miele, and *maybe* a stick upright for quick mess cleanup.
I'm running into this with my Miele upright vacuum because they decided to stop making uprights. It's impossible to find parts.
Rankings by Use Case
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