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:

Hey, I'm sorry but I'm keeping the Mieles. You're talking to a country boy.  Well maybe not the biggest and best -- they had to thaw me out with intravenously administered hot chocolate halfway through fall hayrides every now and then. But . . .

The pound or two of extra weight doesn't bother me -- it may turn me into George Atlas one day.  The extra weight on the wands lends to a feeling of confidence that there's at least one thing I won't be replacing after the first odd and unfortunate bang or clunk.

I'm also pleased that the complete control of the machine is all handily under thumb on the hose handle.

As for cord length, my biggest problem was the stairs and I solved that with merely a two-and-one-half-foot electrical extension.  Life is great.

The D Series bigger bag size is an excellent idea but I continue to do very well with Miele's.  As for filtration, at the front lines, the bag chambers in both mine remain very clean with the use of high-filtration bags and I'm happy.  Let's both agree that what matters most, after all, is happiness.

Venson

Venson wrote:
You keep your Miele's - you're entitled to it - and so am I. I have three Miele cylinders too, and none of them are the S5000 models because I've often been put off by the lack of long cord. Ive tried the extension mains power cord reel thing - not very practical when other members in the house hold trip over it. Fine if you're on your own. I'd leave mine out all day if I could get away with it. This is why I bought the Flexhose extender for the Miele hoses because of a lack of longer power cord.

Miele vacuums are generally excellent and I have no qualms in recommending either brand to people who ask me although its good and interesting to hear others thoughts on this. In terms of looking for a big vacuum which has lightweight tubes etc AND a long power cord, SEBO's D now fits my needs perfectly. Oh and my old Miele S571 has had TWO replacement extension pipes since the original ones were fantastic for the first five years until the highest setting I kept putting the tubes into started to become wonky. The original tube then started to get stiffer with age and even with WD40 sprayed, the button rendered itself useless. A call to Miele UK meant free extension tubes which was nice of them at the time. Ive never experienced similar with Sebo tubes though and are two inches shorter when fully extended.

Im led to believe that the D series has just landed in the U.S but it may take some time for it to appear on the Sebo U.S website

vacmanuk wrote:

When I saw the D4 model with power nozzle I felt pretty sure that model at least was meant to come our way.  However, I do have to make one amendment on my thought. It indeed may take time as Sebo dealers will have to move stock they already have on hand to make the acquisition of new models profitable.  My local Miele dealer is claiming the same.

Venson

A thought crossed my mind earlier this evening. Upon looking up SEBO in the U.S, the K3 Vulcano you guys have has a 1250 watt motor. There may well be a possibility that the new D series will also have this motor to comply with the U.S voltage.

vacmanuk wrote:

Hey vacmanuk,

How are you?  Quick question -- are you sure that the electrical draw is just the motor and not the combined draw by way of the vacuum and the power nozzle?  We have lots of inaccurate advertising here and few do little to make specifics clear when looking to sell.  The claim of a 1200 watt draw regarding a canister vac with P/N can often mean 1,000 watts or slightly under for the canister and about 200 for the power nozzle.  This would also apply to clean-air uprights with two-motor systems. 

However, I did buy and try out the 1200 watt straight suction Black & Decker VN1400P a couple of years ago.  I don't see it on the B&D website any longer but I think it's still up for sale.  The suction was wonderful but it used a pleated filter plus and other bright ideas were bungled.

Venson

I answered my own question.  Per the Sebo America website, the Airbelt K motor uses 1,250 watts and the ET-1 power nozzle draws 175 watts for total 1,425 watt draw.

Venson

Venson wrote:
Mes well Venson thanks for asking - hope you are well too et al!  Glad you managed to check it out yourself!

Right oh. SEBO's D is now available from http://www.achooallergy.com/sebo-airbelt-d4-canister-vacuum-cleaner.asp

There is also a review on there and the summary is pretty much the same as my thoughts:

"...As far as SEBO vacuum cleaners go, the price of the Airbelt D4 Premium is at the very upper end. But like top-of-the line vacuum cleaners of other manufacturers, these vacuums tend to far outlast cheaper vacuums while providing better filtration and more value added features. So while the initial cost may be high, when factoring in the length of service the SEBO D4 will provide, it is a little easier to justify. While I have to admit that I personally prefer upright vacuums over canisters, the SEBO Airbelt is likely the best SEBO that I have tested. The cleaning and edging was superior while the mobility and weight made the unit easy to move from surface to surface. Ease of use was a big bonus (that auto rewind is always something I miss while using an upright), and the look is, well, distinctive. With pricing being my largest complaint, for the money, this vacuum is in line with the high-end, value rich models offered by other top vacuum manufacturers..."

This company are stocking the flagship range although prices are fairly expensive from $989-00 to $1,089-00 and this company seem to only be stocking the D4 Premium European model under different colours and a choice of electronically powered floor head sizes. Yet to find the basic versions without the power controls on the handle, but I'm sure they will eventually be sold in the U.S

vacmanuk wrote:

Enjoyed your review posted here.  The differences in the motor watts here [US] and there [Europe} make the SEBO models hard to compare for us and UK.  Still no D series as yet on this side of the pond.

Carmine D.