Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Hi,

Which? magazine has just made a preliminary announcement re the Sebo D series vacuums.  Bags being my preference, I was pleased to read that the D series sports a 6-liter bag (about a gallon and a half).  The airbelt is a little wasted on me as I've never had problems with marring furniture.  However, if it will keep the machine itself from looking like it belongs in a second-hand shop for a few years I'm all for it.

Which? plans to test the D series soon.

The story is here: http://www.which.co.uk/news/2010/07/new-vacs-with-bumpers-to-protect-your-furniture-219804

Venson

I have had two experiences dealing with Sebo directly. Once 10 or so years ago and once for my D4. The first dealing was when I bought an Air-Storm vacuum with a Sebo power nozzle. The nozzle with the replaceable brush strip. I could not get one from Schoettler Enterprises, so I called Sebo direct. I explained my situation to whoever answered the phone and was transfered to a gentleman who listened to my story and told me that he was familiar with the power nozzle that Schoettler Enterprises used on their vacuums. He sold me a brush strip directly from Sebo and sent it to me within a few days. I think about that experience from time to time and it just amazes me that someone actually took the time to listen and get me the correct brush strip for my vacuum. I don't remember the price of the brush strip, but it was not expensive.

The second experience with Sebo was buying my D4. I ordered it from Achoo Allergy over a weekend and while I received an email thanking me for my purchase, I never received a tracking number. Then since I spent $900 plus on a vacuum from a website I had never dealt with, I started getting worried. The gentleman at Achoo Allergy promised to get the tracking number for me, but did not get it in a timely fashion. His excuse was they were out of stock and ordered directly from Sebo. Their website said they were in stock when I bought it. Anyway I decided to write Sebo customer service and make sure I was dealing with a legitimate Sebo Dealer and could they give me a tracking number. Other than my name and address information, I had nothing else to give them. I really did not expect to get a reply back with the little information I gave them. Well I received the Sebo a few days after that so the the tracking number was not important. The point to this story is this, I did get a reply from Sebo customer service with the assurance that I was dealing with a legitimate internet dealer and that I should have received my Sebo by now and if not to please call them. They furnished the tracking number as well. I will bet if I had tried that with another large vacuum manufacturer, I would still be waiting for a reply....

I think Sebo is here to stay and with their excellent website and customer service, they should be a very formadable player in the world of vacuums. I also agree that german engineering for vacuums is very impressive.

Bud Mattingly

Having just conversed with the MD of SEBO UK, the U.S have a new dealer and sales system in place which is probably the cause of the speculation. More details may follow.

CarmineD wrote:

Hello Carmine

Must agree...the germans know their stuff. Have worked on a few Sebos and the quality is excellent on the ones ive seen and used at  the shop. Their customer service

and parts dept are top notch....  many could learn from them.

turtle

For now, the D4 is rare around the Portland OR area. Our major vac chain, STARKS VACUUM, does not stock them because (supposedly) SEBO vacs are at present having trouble meeting UL specifications. Starks does not carry any Lindhaus vacs either, claiming parts are difficult to get. At present, I do not know of any other chain here carrying the D4 vacuum.

vacomatic wrote:

I don't believe SEBO will ever be more than a niche seller in the US market.  And ever so slight.  Despite the quality and high visibility of of famed and reputable buyers and users. Same is true of Lindhaus.  In part I believe the result of the huge influence of big box retailers and vacuum  brands which cater to their whims with disposable inexpensive vacuum products.  Rather than repair, just replace every few years with new.  Keeps the wheels of the big box retail economy humming.  ORECK is trying, IMHO, with its launch into BB retailers to do both markets.  Disposable and repair venue.  With its prices and products and net work of ORECK stores for repairs and parts, it just may very well succeed where others have not.

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

I agree. Even here in New York where you'd expect to find everything not a lot of vacuum specialists carry Sebo or Lindhaus. Most of the vac shops are pushing Riccar, Simplicity and Miele. Were I to have bought a Sebo I'd find myself making a trek into Manhattan most likely to get bags quickly. I'd been eying the C series canister for a long time but easy access to consumables was an issue that influenced me to pass on buying.

Venson

Doesn't SEBO US have a store though online? If I can't get to a stockist I usually order online or consider EBAY. The C series is a good canister vacuum but it is similar to the Miele S500 series on weight alone. It also lacks the longer cord that the new D series has.

vacmanuk wrote:

Hi,

Yes, I'm sure. However I don't always buy in advance and am prone to just run out to a shop to get bags. Access is not just a problem with foreign vacuums. Depending upon where you live, consumables for niche brands like Filter Queen, defunct AirWay, TriStar and even Kirby may require some looking around or travel to get if you can't or don't desire to shop online. Some shops may have substitutes but that may prove an issue for some.

I grew up in a rural area and remember people mailing away for even Electrolux disposable bags. Of course, back then there was no internet and some vac makers included a fresh order form in every shipment.

Venson

Venson wrote:
I grew up in a similar rural area and back now to the same place for cheaper living costs than the cities. None of the shops that sell vacuum consumables have the Miele or SEBO products I need. The "latest" Miele consumable they have are the brown paper bags for the 1970's model! That's as far as "modern" gets in the wee towns of Scotland! There's even a shop that is selling a brand new DeStijl Dyson DC01 for £300!! No one has touched it/bought it, which is probably why every year, it just continues to sit in the shop window looking very much like a dummy demo model when in actual fact it's the real thing.

The D4 was interesting in that it was the first SEBO I've seen using filterette bags, and a large one at that. 
Every SEBO I've used has trouble handling fine dust (removing/tapping sides/reinserting the paper bags restores most of the suction).
Also, their fit/finish was at times a little haphazard (their hoses leaked air, etc.).

USA Recession probably didn't help either Sebo or Lindhaus.  Miele just seems to keep rolling along, though.