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

vacmanuk wrote:
I have noted the same. As an aside, I have also noted that the Miele Capricorn casters are much for fluid than those found on the SEBO D4 Premium.

vacmanuk wrote:
I have experienced quite the opposite when comparing the Miele SBB300 Parquet Floor Brush vs. the SEBO Parquet Brush #6391DA. The action of the SBB300 swivel head is far smoother and much easier to manipulate than that of the #6391DA. This may not be the case with the SEBO Premium Parquet Brush #7200DG. Regardless, we noted that hair would tend to accumulate within the SBB300 and attributed such occurrences to the swivel design of the brush with its raised lip and potential snag points along the interior wall.

vacmanuk wrote:
I suppose our expectations for a 1K unit should be re-evaluated for one which actually sits in the 600 price range. Good point.

vacmanuk wrote:
Agreed. Though while the left and right bearing blocks can be replaced, the left block sits flush with the power head chassis. It is the marring of the chassis body and the ease with which it is scratched which concerns us. Be that as it may, the concern is minor though genuine if retaining factory aesthetics for an extended period of time is desired.

vacmanuk wrote:
See my previous comments regarding the pickup of ants. I should clarify that my comments on keeping the brush roll down is primarily directed towards an aggressive draw where the ET-1 has a tendency to lift off the floor surface. This issue is also evident in the Airbelt K demonstration videos on the SEBO America website. One workaround is to extend the telescopic handle a bit in order to retain a proper horizontal vacuuming plane.

vacmanuk wrote:
Excuse that random thought. What I meant to say was that I better appreciate how SEBO has approached the issue with the attached cap and how the Miele solution was not as effective as I had presumed. We noticed a layer of fine dust across the cap of every new Miele FMJ 7291640 filter bag after use and testing and attributed the cause to the poor seal at the hinge point pf the cap.

vacmanuk wrote:
A factory integrated look and feel of a complete and professional solution is what I am after. A system to be stored out in the open, accessories at the ready to tackle the chore of multiple surfaces. Among linear feet upon square feet of granite countertops and stainless appliances, our Ladybug TEKNO 2350 trolley accomplishes exactly that as it serves as the centerpiece appliance in the kitchen.

vacmanuk wrote:

We may be in the minority, but we feel a manually adjustable power head ought to give a clean as deep as uprights which feature automatically adjustable brush rolls. With the understanding that greater bristle and possibly carpet wear is incurred, we always set the brush head to 1 for all carpet types as this helps to offset the lower brush roll RPMs of power heads. Area rugs and mats are the only exception. We may decide to migrate to the more powerful ET-C to further close the perceived gap between uprights and canisters with power heads.

adamlau wrote:
You wouldn't get that with SEBO's D series. It is after all a domestic setting vacuum cleaner - not a commercial one. I'm sure in time SEBO could project a commercial based series based on their cylinder/canisters but so far they haven't stepped forward with that. I suppose the fact that Karcher in Germany is a neighbouring company that have their vacuum cleaners, which have used SEBO designs in the past - they would probably supply a trolley since their vacuums are built for rougher situations. The SEBO C series in particular would make a good commercially based vacuum, having the tools on the top as opposed to the back end on the D series. However, plainly speaking, one doesn't tend to get a trolley for domestic households. Maybe they have that in the U.S but an attachment trolley kind of adds complications to the design of the vacuum particularly in light of the facts that I've laid already that SEBO's main intent was to create a larger bagged cylinder vacuum on the market with lightweight attachments/ features.

So for example, in the UK especially, the commercial canister of choice is our happy smiling Numatic Henry. Here's what he looks like (there's even a female version in pink, which has been popular with lady buyers) in commercial mode - the wheels at the back are slightly bigger and he has a bigger bumper low down: The next version is the UK market domestic model which has bigger wheels, put plastic and rubber coated, slightly larger, fit flush but lacks the low bumper. Weight wise the commercial version weighs 9kg, the domestic version weighs 8kg and the trolley with Henry underneath is around 20kg. Now, put that into perspective - what would you rather have - heavy trolley with vacuum permanently bolted (carrying it up stairs would be a nightmare!) or the lightweight design as originally intended?









On the K series I prefer the lighter standard Straight T bar parquet brush and that's because the K series as you may know, is a lightweight baby vac. This, again is because we Brits - and most of Europe - prefer lighter canister vacuums with just as light attachments on the other end. On the other hand, for cleaning our marble floors I find the Deluxe brush tool just as effective, especially on the end of the Felix upright or the D series. I don't tend to use the Parquet Deluxe a lot when I use the Felix - just by turning off the brush bar on the ET-1 ensures a quick and rapid clean once the suction is increased.

When it comes to cleaning carpeted stairs, before I purchased the D2 Total, I was used to using the 1.8 metre hose on the K1 Premium - I have an older 1800 watt model compared to the 2100 watt model now on the UK market and the improved model also has a bigger/longer hose at 2.1 metres. When it comes to tackling stairs however, I used the existing hose from the K1 Premium and the X series extendable 3 metre hose tagged onto the handle piece. Then for carpeting stairs I always use the mini turbo brush or crevice tool. And to store all the attachments I carry the cloth bag with me if I know that I'm going to do a big cleaning session.

SEBO Parquet Brush #6391DA (Wessel-Werke D 300) vs. SEBO Premium Parquet Brush #7200DG...Initial impressions favor the #7200DG by a large margin. The wheels of the #6391DA would dislodge from their well tracks from time to time, the wider and partially shrouded wheels of the #7200DG prevent such annoyances. Additional advantages of the #7200DG over the #6391DA include softer bristles set within a spring loaded mechanism to provide for some degree of self-leveling across hard surfaces and a fully articulated swivel neck which virtually eliminates brush lift. Brush strip release tab for ease of maintenance. Lower brush profile of the #7200DG is more effective in repelling the accumulation of hair and debris within the bristles (reduced tendency for the bristle ends to splay). Superior edging. Brush strips are placed closer to the edges, particularly the rear strip. This is noticeable in and around corners. Greater bristle surface area, rear brush funneling action and a narrower debris channel which focuses suction all appear to provide for greater cleaning action. And unlike the #6391DA, the side wheels do not interfere with tool mobility as they are located rearwards of the brushes themselves.

Aside from our own personal experience, we also examined a number of #7200DG brushes set out as floor samples at our local retailer. Drawbacks of the #7200DG? Not nearly as lightweight, nimble, or agile as the #6391DA for use as a multi-surface duster. Though advertised as dark grey, the plastic shade of the tool is closer to that of middle gray. As such, it does not match the existing set of onboard accessories as well as the darker shade of grey found on the #6391DA. Screened imprints are prone to marring leading to the potential loss of aesthetic appeal. Not as effective with larger debris. The lower brush profile of the #7200D lends itself to pushing such items around. Workaround is a quick lift and drop. A flick of the wrist allows the #6391DA to engulf such particles with greater ease. The #7200DG cannot be parked upright. Where we had once envisioned using only one of the two brushes exclusively, we now see that the two are complementary. Both have their place in our home of engineered wood, marble, granite and porcelain tile flooring.

It was disappointing that SEBO America failed to offer the D4 Premium package with an ET-2. And now that we have had the opportunity to pit the two parquet offerings against one another, it is an even greater disappointment that the #7200DG was not included over the #6391DA. D4 Premium? Not quite. Sans ET-2 and #7200DG, the D4 Premium set is more akin to a D4 Deluxe.

The bristles on the standard brush however are longer than the Deluxe version. I take your point about the different brush heads. Lightweight is important to me though - one of the reasons to why I prefer cylinder vacuums over the upright types.

Updated observations...Versus the Miele Capricorn (parquet vs. parquet), we prefer the SEBO Premium Parquet Brush #7200DG to the Miele SBB300 Parquet Floor Brush. While the #7200DG is not nearly as spry and mobile as the SBB300, it does a much better job of picking up heavier particulates. Our testbed of debris included cut strands of 12 AWG wire and small pebbles of varying weights. Construction debris of such nature is the norm in our home and not the exception. YMMV, of course. The failure of the SB300 to match the #7200DG in pickup is likely attributed (at least in part) to the relatively deep and wide grooves of the SB300 brush strips. These open cutouts are sized to where the partial vacuum state at the head of the tool is reduced and volume flow is lessened. Larger, heavier debris is engulfed, but not picked up. Compounding this loss is the greater channel area between the front and rear brushes. The #7200DG has a much narrower debris channel which serves to better focus suction towards the nozzle opening. Bottom line is that the #7200DG succeeded with heavier particulates where the SB300 would often fail outright.

The dearth of media outlets detailing various SEBO accessories prompted me to cobble the following pictorial together...Radiator Brush #1496DG (Dark Gray) attached to Crevice Tool #8066GS. I consider Radiator Brush #1496DG an essential accessory as the onboard Dusting Brush #8146ER is overly stubby and obtuse to perform tasks where both vertical and horizontal space is limited (an all too common occurence in a typical household). Horsehair bristles are resilient, yet not excessively stiff. Recommended to use with caution on delicate items. Debros tends to lodge and accumulate between the brush and the crevice tool.

Hand-held Turbo Brush #6179DA (Dark Gray) profiles and internals. High-pitched, very high volume (i.e. loud) whine is accompanied by impressive brush rotation and suction. Compares favorably, if not superior to the Dyson Mini Turbine 915034-02 off a DC28 Animal. Simple, intuitive maintenance procedure, cogged belt drive, self-leveling head (great feature), nylon bristles shorter than I would have preferred. Brush roll and belt appear to be the primary wear items. Does anyone know what tools are required to remove the brush roll?

9-Foot Extension Hose #1495AM is slightly narrower than the D4 power hose (with its internal electrical cord) and is offered in a darker shade of grey. Standard friction fit on the accessory tool end, flexible rubber friction fit on the wand end provides for an excellent air seal and will also accommodate Miele wands without issue.

The ET-2 #9958AM (not yet listed on the SEBO America website) is what should have been offered with the D4 Premium. Not only does it perform the job faster than the ET-1, its longer extension allows it to cover additional area around obstacles. The ET-2 is also more stable when parked upright than its little brother. Heavier than its brethren, but then again, that is what the gym is for. That said, we leave the ET-2 upstairs to tackle carpeted hallway and bedroom chores while the ET-1 handles entry rugs and carpeted guest rooms downstairs. Offhand, we may decide to opt for an S7 Bolero in the near future (it handles beautifully) and relegate the ET-1 to an eBay sale.

Lets see now,

really nothing new. Same old junk attachments, cheap hose, handle grips that break off ,pigtail cords that short out, Telescopic wands that dont lock,

Sebo should stick to the X series uprights.

regards

MOLE

mole wrote:

While they look and feel sturdy enough, the SEBO attachments do not appear to be as refined in finish as those offered by others.

The inclusion of wire reinforcement and replaceable hose ends (particularly at the wand end) would be our only gripes at the moment.

Would this not also be the case for any protruding handle of injection molded plastic? Or is there a higher incidence of failure with SEBO handles?

Would you attribute this to wire insulation which readily abrades (owing to its exposure), poor soldering at connections, or both?

We have not yet experienced this and will be keeping an eye out for excessive detent wear. That said, what other canister alternatives would you recommend?

Since SEBO's new bag design in the D series, similar to the Felix, SEBO are bringing out better filtration bags. The new material bags are similar to the D series and will be available for the Felix and X series. They will be a bit more expensive than they are, so watch this space!

FOR 2012, there are a couple of new SEBO releases. Firstly, a commercial version of the D canister, called "Professional D" and comes with a manual cord. It is pretty similar to the standard D range with a few changes. In Germany there are two models with different floors, the D7 has a parquet brush, the D8 has the standard heavy duty 2 way suction only floor head. The bottom cord hook (metal hook) also pushes into a recess when not required and easily pulls out to accept the bottom part of the cord when putting/storing the vacuum away. SEBO have also installed better quality commercial grade castors compared to those featured on the domestic market D series.

The machine's radius of action of 15.5 metres gives greater manoeuvrability without the user having to find another socket closer to the area being cleaned, and the six litre filter bag (the machine offers high quality S class filtration) gives increased capacity and makes this unit more economical to use. Improved air channels and conical hose produce a higher suction power, the patented Airbelt protects furniture and walls, while the innovative cable winder facilitates fast and tidy storage. Other features include a movable twist and tip joint, ergonomic handle and smooth start-up for longer life and a 'cold-socket' solution that enables the connecting cable to be replaced quickly if needed.








Other release - The FELIX range of uprights receives a new similar Turbo fan motor from the D series, making it quieter. That's all I know folks, but as usual I'll keep you posted!