Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Just wondering if anyone knows if Miele are stopping their S7 production? I've heard an industry rumour that they are to stop making the S7.

Hello Venson, vaclov, vacmanuk:

I have to join the ranks behind Venson.  MIELE picked a bad time for its upright launch.  I suspect it may have to cull/abey the line until times are better.  THe 20 percent fall off in high end retail sales in 2008 over 2007 is actually a pretty good number.  It's been more like 40 percent and more. 

Carmine D.

I like the S7 but I think it is too big for it's own good, I found it a real struggle to keep hopping on the pedal to get it over rugs on existing carpets and its neck wasn't as light as I had hoped. Of course I know Americans will love it generally as even the UK struggles with the size of the Kirby machines. It wouldn't surprise me if Miele were redesigning the S7 however as it hasn't received the best reception in the UK.

vacmanuk wrote:
Hi vacumanuk,

I have carpeting from heavy to light to deal with but have not had the same problem. The S7's 20-pound weight has not been an issue for me either. There are lots of heavier vacs on the market. Besides which, I remember old Hoovers I used that weighed as much as five pounds more that would be pressed to match up. More for posterity's sake than use, I own a Royal PowerCast -- a "bright idea" from about four or five years back. It's a good cleaner that unfortunately weighs in at 30 pounds. That to me is heavy.

As well, the size of the S7 is about the same as better upright models sold here by Hoover, Bissell, Kenmore and any number of other manufacturers.

The good thing about Kirby is that you could probably own one for the next fifty years and only end of getting rid of it out of boredom. That I think that is what still sells them though they are far from ruling the market. However, Kirby's problem is not only size but inconvenient and old-fashioned conversion for attachment use. Albeit about the best rug cleaner there is and easy enough to push due to its transmission for self-propulsion, it is not of contemporary design. Thus you have to systemize your manner of cleaning -- above the floor duty first and floor cleaning last just as back in the day of just the broom and dust cloth.

In any event, I've become so comfortable with my Tango upright that I use the Capricorn canister I have less -- even for stairs and above the floor. I think its nice idea come at the wrong time and, in business, timing is everything.

Venson

I was looking around and saw a blog -- http://www.bestvacuum.com/blog/page/2/ -- stating that Bosch has dicontinued vacuum sales in the USA.

Naturally I called and spoke with a Bosch rep who apparently was not at all aware of the situation herself and had to put me hold while she went to make inquiries.

Upon her return, her answer was affirmative but I was assured, per law, that parts bags and filters would be available for the next seven years.

Then came the ultimate question. "Why did Bosch decide to discontinue its vacuum sales here."

The young woman I spoke being just a phone rep could not of course give a straight forward answer but, as best she could, did inform me that when sales or profits were not up to snuff the usual practice was to discontinue the item(s) in question. She also made mention that despite quality aspects higher pricing may also discourage a willingness to buy.

Venson

For the record, I spoke with Jim at Miele today. (Remember him, Sally, the Cat Lady and the mangled test model?) He claims that the S7 series is not going to be discontinued. Jim also claimed that sales are going well. Fact or fiction? I dunno . . .

Venson

Hello Venson:

Thanks for the reports on MIELE and BOSCH.  Good detective work Sherlock Holmes. 

WRT BOSCH vacuums no longer being sold in the USA:  Not the main product for BOSCH so easiest to cut costs and expenses by divesting itself of vacuum sales in the USA.  Appropriate time also.  Bad economy, exchange rate matters, falling off sales all in concert to dictate cutting overhead.  Least profitable markets and products are usually the first to go.

Carmine D.

Venson wrote:

Hello Venson:

WRT management speaking the truth:  Here's a non-vacuum related story of recent and similar note.

I posted about it and will add the results here.  The latest Casino/hotel to open in Las Vegas is within walking distance of us.  Opened Nov 11, 2008.  In June 2008, the CFO [Chief Financial Officer] appeared before a panel of reps from the the banks, gaming commission, gaming regulators and several big time stockholders.  It was a session for questions and answers.  The property costs over $600 MILLION.  Of which 450 MILLION was financed.  Best of everything.  Marble and chandeliers imported from Italy.  Absolutely gorgeous.  THe biggest screens for movies and entertainment in all Las Vegas.  The question was finally posed to the CFO:  Will the projected and anticipated gaming and hotel revenue from the property pay off the debt financing?  He answered:  We don't know. 

I stored that in the back of my mind.  On the soft opening of the property, several days before Nov 11, my dear Wife, her best friend [a hot shot NJ lawyer] and I were exiting the Casino and were met on the elevator by a muckety muck from Personnel.  We chatted briefly and I posed the question:  How long before the new property declares bankruptcy?  She looked at me and laughed.  Her retort: No way.  Not this property.  Perhaps others in LV but not this one.  Sure about that I asked.  Absolutely she said.  Okay I said.  And stored it in my memory.

I posted here at that time that despite her reply I thought by the spring-summer of 2009 it would go into bankruptcy.  Management declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy/reorganization last week after missing 3 months or so of bond debt payments. 

Carmine D.

Venson wrote:

Hello Venson:

A hard learned lesson for many of the best and brightest!  Whether vacuum makers, financial moguls, and/or gaming giants.

Carmine D.

I agree, thanks for all the detective work. However I've just been to Miele's site in Germany and the S7 still hasn't appeared on their pages.

A Miele spokeswoman phoned me this morning to say that the S7 is still in production and Miele have no intention of stopping it but she will email me later to find out why it is not listed on their home German website. However this wouldn't be the first time Miele have lied to me; they promised me a trial way back in July 2008 when the first models came and by November 2008 I just cancelled the whole trial programme thing. I'm also have concerns with their new HyClean bags (my review of it appears online) as the bags I've had for my S4 and S571 don't appear to close upon removal. Miele want me to send in the bags so you can imagine what I'll be remembering to do each time a bag gets full. I can't understand why they went with this silly inner seal flap; mine gets stuck on the dirt so that when you pull out the bag the dirt hampers the seal opening. IF anyone also suffers from the same problem please let me know.

I miss the IntensiveClean bags to be honest - the pull flap was so much easier and Miele could learn a trick or two from Sebo with their fold over caps on their Felix/Dart uprights.

vacmanuk wrote:
Hi vacumanuk,

The niftiest self-sealing disposable bag remains the one that Aerus/Electrolux. A cardboard seal is automatically broken when you close the bag chamber's lid and a rubber membrane close around the cardboard tab to seal off the bag's contents upon removal. I suppose there's a patent that keeps others from using the idea and that Miele looked for the next best way to go.

Miele self-sealing device looks a ittle elaborate but it works well for me. The HyClean bags have been working wonderfully too. Self-sealing mechanisms may be better for the more sensitive among us. I've been shaking out cloth bags, changing disposable bags of all types for years with never so much as tickle in my snout. Nonetheless, for people like nette who have very real issues with dust sensitity maybe self-sealing makes a real difference.

As for filtering effectiveness, I have seen I don't know how many throw-away bags and heard uncountable numbers of claims regarding dust capture. Despite how much I scream about expense, Miele's high-filtration bags so far are the only only that look like the real deal. The inner wall of the bag chamber in either of mine stays clean. That's best indication that the bags up to snuff. The only cleaner that I've seen offer comparable filtering ability is Filter Queen. Unfortunately FQ, due to design, requires extra care by dust sensitive users when emptying.

Venson