Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Today I fortuitously stopped at the local Oreck dealer. 

Mike, the owner of several Oreck franchises and a few multi-brand stores had brought his new Edge upright from home, as stock had not arrived yet.

It has a more powerful motor, with a true  floating head. LED lights, infinite speed control AND and on-board stretch hose with a permanently attached telescopic crevice tool that is automatically active when the handle is in the upright position.  It lacks the Pilot's pivot head and the Halo's germ killing light. A model incorporating all three features is under development.  It is still easy to push, although it weighs 10 lb and requires a bit more effort than previous models.

There is a commercial OBT upright made by Stein (Sebo) that is very nice at only 450.00.  Oreck WILL be offering a bagless upright, but dealer participation is optional.  The new canister is color matched to the Edge and designed to be leaned on as the user vacuums stairs. Odd looking bare floor/crevice tool, no swivel neck. The bristles fold in to form the crevice tool, and the wand is inserted into a neck that curves more than 60 and less than 90 degrees, much like the OLD bare floor tools made of wood with the metal neck screwed on. A turbo tool is included and a dusting brush.

A cute little bagless canister is available for 49.99  Oreck has increased market share and has 89% brand recognition as a vacuum cleaner. They have become #1in  air purifier sales. (Mike did not say if that was dollar volume, or units or both.

The price of the Edge and matching canister will be about 750.00

Oreck is still marketing, still developing product, and still building a loyal customer base.

vacmanuk wrote:

I summarize and conclude my findings with: The G/N bag type is the preferred MIELE cann bag in the USA due to the larger dirt capacity [4.8 qt] and improved suction with the bags.  Which gets back to the point that bag design and function are improving in dirt size, quality of filtering, improved air flow and therefore improved prolonged suction even with full dirt bags.

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

So what is the expected cost of bags and filters for a Miele canister for a typical household for say 5 years? 

Severus wrote:

Hello Severus:

The correct answer is "it depends on usage and living/cleaning space."  I calculate for any MIELE cann with usage every day in a house with 1700 sq feet and pet/children, the cost of the G/N bags at most with pre-motor filters would be about $40 per year or $200 for 5 years [high end estimates].  Less if bags and filters are made in bulk purchase.  Caveat is that this cost does not count the cost of the post motor filter.

Carmine D.

PS: Some related facts of interest to the above question/answer.  In the 1940's, 30 percent of Americans owned their own homes.  That percentage increased after WW2 to a high of 70 percent in 2004.  It has been dropping quickly ever since and the last current estimate was 62 percent of Americans with 11 percent in foreclosure and 17 percent in arrears on monthly mortgage payments.  I think it is safe to say that owning a home will no longer be THE American dream despite the rhetoric/lack thereof that comes out of Washington DC.  Also new home sizes/living spaces have been decreasing in recent years to keep new homes more affordable despite the recession and high unemployment rates nationwide.  I think that trend [smaller new home construction] will continue long into the forseeable future.

CarmineD wrote:

Carmine,

thanks for your estimate. 

I can't recall where I read it, but I read that in Canada the foreclosure rate is far less than 1%.  It was speculated that in Canada, the mortgage company can go after your belongings if you default, which provides an incentive to pay.    In the US, we have laws to protect people who are irresponsible.  In Canada if you don't make your house payment, and they foreclose - apparently they can take away your Miele vacuum and other possessions to make up a difference between what the house sale yields and what you owe. 

http://library.hsh.com/articles/government-programs/how-canada-avoided-the-foreclosure-crisis.html

Severus wrote:

Your welcome.  Interesting article.  I would add one more difference that I know US lenders have [and Canada may/may not].  Home foreclosure insurance.  Home lenders in the USA, probably in part knowing the bubble had to burst, always insured home mortgages.  In the event of default by home owners, lenders get their money for the defaulted loans.  No incentive for lenders to modify loans and work with the borrowers to keep them in their homes.  Slick!  Perhaps a scam.

The question is what is the result of the end of the American dream [home onwership] on the vacuum industry?  Big one to tackle.  While the vacuum industry in the USA has been hitting 20 Million sales every years for the last 10 years, the average price of a new vacuum has declined.  At some point will the 20 million sales fall and continue to do so to a new number?

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

Given that the current federal government has no respect for contract law, and sees no problem with negating and rewriting contracts, the lenders are wise to buy the insurance...

I'm not sure about the other brands, but I don't think Rainbow will do a demo in an apartment.

Severus wrote:

Hi,

Rainbow will demo and sell to anyone breathing -- anywhere.  First preference is payment via check, cash or credit card.  Here in New York the company will finance a 12-month payment plan at 15 percent.  Contrary to the past when all that mattered was the presence of a body behind a door, company financing is only available after a credit check.

That said, first price quote is about $2,500 not including sales tax.  I have never had them in the house to learn how much lower they were prepared to go.

Venson

CarmineD wrote:
Carmine - you've already given info regarding the S5 bag and how it is better than Miele's previous bags. However I dont know if Miele are thinking of stopping the S4; they may replace it with a newer model eventually but on account that financially money has already been spent on production of the bags and the tooling for the smaller S4 models, there's still a market for the compact vacuum. As for "improved suction," there's no improved suction on the GN bags than the FJM - same material, same type, same layers of filtration - only difference is that they are physically bigger than the S4 bags.

Severus wrote:
When Miele launched the S4 Gold Edition model, they promised buyers a "year's supply of dust bags." What did they get? One box of four bags when ONE bag is claimed to last three months. Miele also did a special offer on an S5 limited edition model with the same "free" one box of bags. Therefore it's easy to multiply the cost of one box of bags by 5 to work it out.

As for filters, its difficult to say - dependent on the model and the owner's choice. They either put up with the free Super Air clean filters they'd get with the bags anyway or have to replace the yearly cartridge type filters such as the HEPA or the Active Air Clean Charcoal type filter.

vacmanuk wrote:

I like MIELE, if you read the description of the G/N bag, humbly disagree with you.  If you can pick up 25 percent more dirt and still get the same suction you do with a smaller dirt bag, that's improved prolonged suction, IMHO and MIELE's.  Why?  The rule is that the more dirt you pick up [in this case almost a quart more] the less the suction power.

Carmine D.