Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

It's been a while since I've been on Abby's Guide.  I wanted some opinions.  I found a Miele Red Star on Craigslist for $15.00.  I felt like I couldn't get their fast enough to snag it up.  The cover over the bag was damaged so I dropped it off at my local Vac Shop for a replacement.  The cost will be around $120.00.  The Vac Shop guys said that other than the damaged cover this Red Star is in excellent condition and even the power brush looks brand new.  It came from a pet free home so it will definitely be put to the test in my home. 

Was this a good find and is it worth the $120.00 to fix it?  Even though the Red Star is an older model is it one of their good ones?  Any thoughts on how it will hold up to lots of pet hair?  My S7 still works great, but sadly it has gotten that "pet odor" even with the HEPA filter.  Ugh.

Thanks.

Melanie

Venson wrote:

Have tried the borax-bkg soda....never the crystals....of the 3  whats the the better product at keeping those strong pet smells at bay. or do they each have their own strong points over the other.

turtle

I use soda crystals - they keep the neutral smells out better than Borax which has bleach in it. HOWEVER if Miele vacuum (or even SEBO) stinks of pet hair smells, its time to clean the pipes and hose.

retardturtle1 wrote:

Hiya turtle,

It's not so much what's the better thing.  They each will help and help far better than more fancy stuff.  Vac shops in my area carry a tablet that you can drop in the bag but they have a heavy odor that reminds me of every funeral parlor I've had occasion to visit.  However, some people may not like the smell of moth crystals even though due to the small amount used there should be no strong aroma from the cleaner's exhaust.  Personally,  I like borax best.  It has a pleasant but not overpowering scent.

In any event, moth crystals may not be all that easy to come across these days.  The world has changed.  I remember when most well known vacuums came with demothing attachments and readily available crystals.  Kirby, Filter Queen, Royal and Electrolux long abandoned them.

Also a lot has do with other factors.  Melanie, I'm proud to say, does animal rescue and has many cats and dogs about the house.  That's a different story from just having to deal with a single pet.

Venson

vacmanuk wrote:

Thanks..ill try to track some down at lowes...worth a shot.

turtle

Venson wrote:

Hi Venson

Ive seen that drop in tab...dont like it either. Never seen the crystals....but couldnt you just crush up a single moth ball  and vac up?

Will go to lowes and see what i find.....just to see...and yes a vacuum from a shelter/rescue home is a whole different level of use....this ive learned first hand from all the vacs ive serviced from the county shelter....but will say that most of them are bagless and on their last leg in under a year....so it seems as if the s7 she has is quite the high quality vacuum.....high end top quality...if the canister is as good as the s7 then she got a great deal and find.

So how does the miele and sebos compare to the riccars in terms of quality and power/performance on both ups and cans...as i have limited knowledge of the first 2....and does the radiance compare well to the s7? 

turtle

Hello Catlady:

How many 4 legged furry friends are you making your home for these days? 

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

Hi Carmine. I still have my 4 dogs. They are all getting older and one is showing signs of liver failure in her senior profile blood work, but otherwise is still doing well. I was up to 17 cats, but luckily I had some adoptions (even a five year rescued cat!) and am down to 13 right now. I would like 3 more to be adopted, but I'm finding it hard to find homes for the solid black cats. Thanks for asking. Melanie

vacmanuk wrote:

Is that something I can do myself? Melanie

retardturtle1 wrote:

Hi turtle,

The Radiance doesn't necessarily compare with the S7 because we're talking two different machine designs.  A very interesting idea, the Radiance has two motors and two fan systems that work with single dust collection bag.  It has a direct-air set-up that can be boosted by switching in the clean -air system when doing carpeting and floors.  However, if my memory is correct CR had judged its tool suction not all that great.  There was also a post or two by a tech guy here regarding blowback.  I can only assume that the problem was corrected.

The Miele S7 is a standard clean air vac that also uses two motors but only one is responsible for suction delivery. The other only runs the brushroll.  I also own one and like it.  The "run you to the poor house disposable bags" cost a lot but do a great job.

Sebo excels by the way it is so very user manageable without call for special tools.  It is designed so that you can literally knock an upright all the way down and handle a lot of maintenance issues on your own without a trip to your local vac shop for anything other than parts.  The brushroll can be easily pulled out for cleaning or replacement without having to remove or replace a belt to do so.  I can't speak for Riccar but, though I love it,  Miele has made the S7 upright not very accessible to users for anything else than filter and bag changes.  There's a clean-out port at the back of the machine for taking care of clogging.

As for the mothball thing, we're basically talking about the same stuff used in mens rooms to combat odors.  The base product is clear crystals.  I've used them to deodorize some very smelly old vacs and they work.  They're worth a try but I do not advise use of more than a couple of teaspoons of para-dichlorobenzene in any form.

Venson

catlady wrote:

Bless your ever loving animal heart. 

Carmine D.