BS 360

I love my Sebo 360. I've had it for a good few years. It's been knocked about a bit, but it works just as good as the day it was made. Easy to maintain and has never let me down. Can't go wrong.

With the Miele C3, the most frustrating thing is the top of the metal electric wand - it has a plastic rim that somehow breaks. It’s extremely common. I bought a $1500 C3 Brilliant that this happened to within a year or so, which really pissed me off. So, I bought a Sebo D4 based on reviews and techs praising the bullet-proof from head to toe with quality. I absolutely hated it. I sold I within 3 months, and tried the E3. Again, same story. I decided that the Miele C3’s benefits outweighed those of the D4 and E3, so I kept my Brilliant. The lesson I learned is that there isn’t a perfect vacuum. You can spend $4,000 on a Rainbow or Hyla and have the same issues, very easily. Why? It’s just the nature of mass-produced products. There will always be a set of drawbacks / cons you have to accept as part of the package deal. The better question is, which set of drawbacks are you more comfortable with? For me, I valued cleaning performance, comfort, ease-of-use, filtration, wanted the best-the-best that had each of those things at industry-leading levels, the number 1, and so that was Miele C3. I can say I have owned it for 5 years now, going on 6, and used it every single day for an hour for the first 3 years. No mechanical issues that have affected performance or overall function. The top of the wand is a cosmetic issue, and will not prevent the handle from staying locked into the wand. The SEB 236 has a recline lever inside of it that tends to quit working so well after some time, but again, that isn’t a big deal to me, and is the C3 is still worth owning many times over despite that. Those are really the only two flaws I can find. I have found flaws and drawbacks with every single machine I’ve owned, and I’ve owned/ repaired many of them from all price points. Overall, they really are incredibly well engineered, but Miele places priority on the motor unit, critical functions, and tolerances, and that’s where you find the Miele-level precision. They are simply tools at the end of the day, useful machines. There is one or maybe two things I’d change, but overall, I can’t find one with more power, a better power nozzle, better filtration, and is easier to use, and all of that in one package.

Start with a good template. A vacuum that is engineered from the ground up to last for decades. Then, create a lifespan-oriented criteria. I’ll list some brands below if you want the longest lifespan, but premium vacuums are divided into 2 lifespans. Brand Categories by Lifespan: - Disposable (3 months - 2 years) - Semi-disposable (1 year - 5 years) - Semi-Premium (4 years - 10 years) - Premium (10 - 25 years) - Super premium (30 - 50 years) * Note that 99.99% premium long-lasting vacs are either bagged, filter with water, etc. CRITERIA: - Premium to Super Premium - All individual parts replaceable - Parts replaceable for decades (35 - 50 years) - Part Availability is High - Part Accessibility is good - Easy to repair and service DIY - Fits your needs - Cleans well - Filters really well BRANDS: Kirby The first brand that comes to mind for the longest possible ownership is Kirby. These are much more like your grandma’s old Hoover Convertible. Built like a tank, and built to super-clean carpet better than anything else. And they do. There are Kirby vacs that are 30 - 50 years old still in service, and you can also get them factory remanufactured by the Kirby company no matter how old they are. If you are the original owner, they will do this for a very low cost. You can easily have one for 15 years without breaking it and they’re so easy to repair that when something does need attention, you can fix it yourself. There are factory videos on YouTube showing how to complete disassemble one and put one back together, how to service them for maintenance (if desired), how to diagnose problems, etc. Rainbow Rainbow is like Kirby in that they too last can last for 30 - 50 years and all parts are replaceable, accessible, and easy to repair with so many YouTube videos showing how to repair everything on them. My Mom has owned Rainbow for many years, since 2009, and I can definitely testify to their longevity. They really hold up well, and are very easy to service. They are canisters that filter primarily with water and an air-water separator, and use an H11 HEPA filter in the exhaust to catch super small particulate (e.g., 0.1 micron particles, vapor). Electrolux - Aerus Again, another American brand known for lasting decades. The classic Electrolux canister, sold as the Aerus Classic today, can easily last for 30 - 50 years due to how simple they are and because their motors are very robust. They also sell uprights. Other notable brands that can last for 30 - 50 years include Filter Queen, and Tristar. Sebo is one brand that might be able to last for 30 - 50 years, but like Miele, the brand focuses on validating them for 20 years of use. That is still a very long time, and with both Miele and Sebo, all parts are replaceable. I think you can get a better ownership experience with Sebo or Miele if you can accept a 15 - 30 year lifespan instead of 30 - 50 years. They’re easier to use and overall more well-rounded. I go for Sebo or Kirby for an upright, and Miele or Rainbow (E2B) for a canister.

They all have the same motor, the difference is mainly in the heads/attachments. If you have wall to wall carpets that are medium to high pile seb 228 and seb 236 will do really well. If you have mostly hard floors then pure suction machines can work. There newest pure suction, guard L1 all floor has a new head that can work on low pile carpets from what ive seen, but in my opinion itll be harder to push on the max setting when on carpet. If you can find a good deal on a c1/c3 you can save a little since the new generation is m1/s1/L1.

Its not a bad machine, the plastics can be delicate. The miele and sebo are both good long term machines. I like miele but for carpets you need a power nozzle.

Mostly Sebo - Karcher - Windsor Sensor I'd say are the best commercial upright vacuums on the market. Sebo is top tier in terms of warranties. I've heard mix things with how Karcher does business. Riccar is a pretty solid vacuum. Not all of them are made in the US though. Vacuum repair shops won't hate you for bringing them in for repair. I'm not sure how well Riccar is these days for holding up to their warranties; especially commercially. I think this is a big issue in the US right now. For backpack vacuums, I like Hoover's Commercial battery powered line. And Karcher's new battery line - very light weight.

I went sebo (E3) over miele due to: cheaper, better warranty, cheaper parts and repair, and sebo does one thing (make vacuums)... suprised theres no sebo dealer nearby, I recommend trying to fine one even if its a drive. Think of SEBO like volkswagen, and MIELE like BMW. the variety of responses here are proof positive of TRY BEFORE BUY I tried miele, sebo uprights, sebo felix, sebo canister. disliked the felix immediately upon trying, despite my mind leaning felix during the online research phase! I'm a total convert from upright to canister (or at least sebos version of it) but you need to assess if you can handle the quirks of a canister. downsides of a canister: 1) one more thing to keep track of (I got used to it fast, I just kick it around or pull it by the hose) 2) harder to store (pending a good solution to this...) 3) heavier to take up the stairs (but easier to actually vacuum said stairs) Upsides of the canister: 1) lighter IN HAND (the weight of the vacuum is supported by the floor, not your hand, in use). 2) cord rewind (wrapping up cords after a upright vacuum session sucks, the SEBO you just unplug and step on the retract button. 3) much easier to do top to bottom detail vacuuming (fans, vents, dusting, cabinets, walls, pictures, shelves, dusting), wand/hose mode reaches many more high places and without tipping over the upright. 4) easier to maneuver the power head. yes you gotta maneuver the canister into position, but once you do you can get that powerhead into alot more difficult to reach places (under beds, couches, rugs, tables). Easier to maneuver the canister than moving furniture. I'm over cordless due to wall to wall carpet, the time limit (good for quick pickups only), and I really dislike the cleaning/washing/emptying of bagless machines (which most cordless are). The whole reason I vacuum is to GET RID of dust, dirt and nastiness... why do I wanna go touching and breathing it later... in concentrated form, bathing in a big ol dust cloud?!