Vacuum Cleaners Discussions |
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Venson
Joined: Jul 23, 2007
Points: 1900
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Sebo Airbelt D Series . . .
Original Message Jul 7, 2010 5:20 pm |
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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 |
Venson
Joined: Jul 23, 2007
Points: 1900
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Re: Sebo Airbelt D Series . . .
Reply #86 Dec 6, 2010 7:35 am |
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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. I'm all for new blood in the vacuum market but by comparison, Miele is way ahead in the import market. It's had its name out there on the U.S. market for many years and developed and still carries public belief in its level of quality for all appliances it makes. Also, its employed lots and lots of advertising to keep us aware that its here. Sebo and Lindhaus are moreso brands that the individual consumer "discovers" after happening into independent vac shops that carry them thus having to lean on word of mouth from satisfied owners and sellers to lift public awareness. "Buy-ahead" type consumers (who can afford Miele goods) looking for vacuums that will make the long run usually give Miele consideration. I'd think both Sebo and Lindhaus might be able to bring their name up a few rungs on the ladder if they advertised independently instead of relying on mention by way of vendor rosters. However, considering what national advertising campaigns must cost now that may not be a practical path for either to pursue. Yet manufacturers of way cheaper vacuums, Shark for one, don't seem to mind. Venson
This message was modified Dec 6, 2010 by Venson
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CarmineD
Joined: Dec 31, 2007
Points: 5894
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Re: Sebo Airbelt D Series . . .
Reply #87 Dec 6, 2010 8:20 am |
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I'm all for new blood in the vacuum market but by comparison, Miele is way ahead in the import market. It's had its name out there on the U.S. market for many years and developed and still carries public belief in its level of quality for all appliances it makes. Also, its employed lots and lots of advertising to keep us aware that its here.
Sebo and Lindhaus are moreso brands that the individual consumer "discovers" after happening into independent vac shops that carry them thus having to lean on word of mouth from satisfied owners and sellers to lift public awareness.
"Buy-ahead" type consumers (who can afford Miele goods) looking for vacuums that will make the long run usually give Miele consideration.
I'd think both Sebo and Lindhaus might be able to bring their name up a few rungs on the ladder if they advertised independently instead of relying on mention by way of vendor rosters. However, considering what national advertising campaigns must cost now that may not be a practical path for either to pursue. Yet manufacturers of way cheaper vacuums, Shark for one, don't seem to mind.
Venson
Hi Venson:
The good thing in bad economic times is that more American vacuum consumers frequent the indies for parts and repairs rather than buying new and throwing away. More foot traffic in the indies. More opportunities for the vacuum industry pros/store owners and operators to show off MIELE, SEBO and Lindhaus brands and models. More pitches, more sales. And brand loyal customers for life. Carmine D.
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Venson
Joined: Jul 23, 2007
Points: 1900
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Re: Sebo Airbelt D Series . . .
Reply #88 Dec 6, 2010 10:03 am |
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Hi Venson: The good thing in bad economic times is that more American vacuum consumers frequent the indies for parts and repairs rather than buying new and throwing away. More foot traffic in the indies. More opportunities for the vacuum industry pros/store owners and operators to show off MIELE, SEBO and Lindhaus brands and models. More pitches, more sales. And brand loyal customers for life. Carmine D. Hi Carmine, Things are getting a little scary in New York . . . . I was approached by a woman returning a vacuum she'd just bought. This woman wanted absolutely nothing to do with upright vacs or canisters with PNs or even turbo-tools. The lady had a bit of an accent so it took a moment or two of back and forth to get the gist of what she meant but it was easy to finally sort out. She owned expensive heirloom-quality silk and wool carpets. No pets, no kids, no heavy traffic, "Go to your local vacuum shop and ask for a good straight-suction canister," I said. Problem solved? No. It turned out she'd no knowledge of where her local vac sales and repair shop might be. I have met several other persons who are absolutely unaware of where a nearby independent vac shop may be. Instead, they run to a department store for solutions. A place where solutions are far less likely to be found other than buying another vacuum. I cannot say whether this is an indicator of the decline in New York vac shops but I do wonder. Venson
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CarmineD
Joined: Dec 31, 2007
Points: 5894
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Re: Sebo Airbelt D Series . . .
Reply #89 Dec 6, 2010 1:20 pm |
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Hi Carmine,
Things are getting a little scary in New York . . . .
I was approached by a woman returning a vacuum she'd just bought. This woman wanted absolutely nothing to do with upright vacs or canisters with PNs or even turbo-tools.
The lady had a bit of an accent so it took a moment or two of back and forth to get the gist of what she meant but it was easy to finally sort out. She owned expensive heirloom-quality silk and wool carpets. No pets, no kids, no heavy traffic, "Go to your local vacuum shop and ask for a good straight-suction canister," I said. Problem solved? No. It turned out she'd no knowledge of where her local vac sales and repair shop might be. I have met several other persons who are absolutely unaware of where a nearby independent vac shop may be. Instead, they run to a department store for solutions. A place where solutions are far less likely to be found other than buying another vacuum. I cannot say whether this is an indicator of the decline in New York vac shops but I do wonder.
Venson
Hi Venson:
Here too in Las Vegas. Must be contagious. Today, I bought a SEARS Kenmore upright play vacuum for one of the grands. $24.99 When I paid for it at the cashier register, the saleslady, a very lovely lady and a store manager, asked me if I would like to purchase a one year product replacement warranty. After I stopped and thought about what she asked, due to my bad hearing, I said to her: You're kidding me aren't you? She said No. Realizing she was serious, I asked how much. She said $2.99. Of course, I declined. Carmine D.
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adamlau
Location: Los Angeles
Joined: Mar 19, 2011
Points: 21
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Re: Sebo Airbelt D Series . . .
Reply #90 Mar 19, 2011 4:31 pm |
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Just picked up a SEBO D4 Premium (Onyx) after much thought, should be here in a week. Also picked up an Airbelt Cover #6047AM/01 (Dark Gray) to replace the original Airbelt Cover #6047AM/07 (Black/Silver) and an ET-2 #9958AM (Onyx) power head. I simply could not stand the pattern on the original bumper cover and have wide open expanses of carpet and engineered wood flooring. Will complement a Ladybug TEKNO 2350 and replaces a Dyson DC28 Animal (of which I have two). Will be comparing the D4 to a Miele Polaris (parquet vs. parquet). I also have a DC14 Animal from six years ago which sees virtually no use. Was seriously considering the Miele Capricorn, but the D4 won out by virtue of it being a newly released model. Only wished the SEBO filter bags were equipped with a spring-loaded seal ala Miele. Concerned that the gloss finish of the power brushes will show wear marks faster than if the finish were matte (Ladybug accessories look virtually brand new through extended use due in large part to their matte finish). What prompted me to look towards a new vac addition was the fact that both of my DC28 Animal units would light up Sharp KC-860U dust sensors while vacuuming. The sensor of a Blueair 650E would also note air quality degradation when a DC28 was in use nearby. This was simply unacceptable for me. Will see how the D4 fares against the four Plasmacluster and two Blueair sensor-equipped units I have scattered throughout the house and report back...
This message was modified Apr 2, 2011 by adamlau
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vacmanuk
Location: Scotland UK
Joined: May 31, 2009
Points: 1162
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Re: Sebo Airbelt D Series . . .
Reply #91 Mar 20, 2011 6:02 pm |
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Just picked up a D4 Premium Onyx after much thought, should be here in a week. Also picked up an Airbelt Cover #6047AM/01 (Dark Grey) to replace the original #6047AM/07 (Black/Silver) bumper cover and an ET-2 #9958AM (Onyx) power head. I simply could not stand the pattern on the original bumper cover and have wide open expanses of carpet and engineered wood flooring. Will complement a Ladybug TEKNO 2350 and replaces a DC28 Animal (of which I have two). Will be comparing the D4 to a Miele Polarion (parquet vs. parquet). I also have a DC14 Animal from six years ago which sees virtually no use. Was seriously considering the Miele Capricorn, but the D4 won out by virtue of it being a newly released model. Only wished the SEBO bags were equipped with a spring-loaded seal ala Miele. Concerned that the gloss finish of the power brushes will show wear marks faster than if the finish were matte (Ladybug accessories look virtually brand new through extended use due in large part to their matte finish). What prompted me to look towards a new vac addition was the fact that both of my DC28 Animal units would light up Sharp KC-860U Plasmacluster dust sensors while vacuuming. The sensor of a Blueair 650E would also note air quality degradation when a DC28 was in use nearby. This was simply unacceptable for me. Will see how the D4 fares against the four Plasmacluster and two Blueair sensor-equipped units I have scattered throughout the house and report back... One can often spot a collector from a mile off : ) As the owner of the D2 Total, the body on mine has sustained a few scratches already but it is still quite shiny. What a waste of money though just because you don't like the aesethetic value of the bumper - don't forget regardless of the design that the cleaner air is diffused out the sides from the Air Belt compared to the hot facial you get with a Miele. You'll find changing the bags on the SEBO easier - they simply need to be fitted over a spring and then the door down to lock and the bags have caps already on them which only means a matter of bending over and manually sealing them. If you can't wait to see what the D4 is like check out You Tube - you'll see from the following video that the manual suction control dial lights up faster as soon as the variable suction through the handle buttons is increased. Frankly I think that is a total waste of LEDs when it could have been put to better use on the floor heads. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXql1QIFYvo and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjmw-rFC2Ws
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adamlau
Location: Los Angeles
Joined: Mar 19, 2011
Points: 21
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Re: Sebo Airbelt D Series . . .
Reply #92 Mar 24, 2011 6:33 pm |
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First impressions... The SEBO D4 Premium was shipped with Airbelt Cover #6047AM/01 (Dark Gray), did need to replace it for our desired aesthetic. Unit was received direct from SEBO America as brand-new with light swirls and scratches along the body and the ET-1 power head. It goes without saying that I would have much preferred a unit in pristine shape. A single, unused filter bag was pre-installed. Accessories, filters, and hose appeared to have been unused as well. Aside from being more stable when parked, the ET-2 does a better job on smooth, level floors, brush roll turned off on both, setting 1 of 4. Whereas the ET-1 failed to pick up stray ants with consistency, the ET-2 had no issues. We attributes this to the additional weight of the ET-2, which keeps the power head down to the floor. Would also have preferred a setting below 1 in order deep clean low-pile, commercial berber loop. D4 Premium as an article of furniture, accessories as mild living room accents... 
The standard Parquet Brush #6391DA? It does a better job than the power heads for both wood and porcelain tile flooring. Overall, we found the parquet tool to be a bit lightweight, brush lift and loss of suction was a common complaint from household members. Perhaps the Premium Parquet Brush #7200DG with its additional footing and weight might help in this regard. In terms of raw suction and volume flow, the D4 falls short and simply cannot compare to the monster ability of the Dyson DC28 Animal. Relatively small diameter hose end (approximately 1-7/8" OD) of the D4 makes it slightly more tedious to perform tasks such as vacuuming the head after a good shearing. Changing accessories is straightforward, simple and fast. Bag changes are even faster. Cap, angle, lift and dispose. Align, drop in, pull back, done. Rotation of the hose end to canister neck transition not as fluid as I had expected. This tends to jostle the canister about when vacuuming aggressively, ball bearings would have been welcome. One workaround is to snap adjust the hose accordingly using the the off hand. This essentially turns aggressive vacuuming with the D4 into a two-handed affair. Had considered the light ring on the canister to be a gimmick at first, found its positive feedback to be rather useful over time. Noise quality (subjective) is very good. Canister does emit a high-pitched whine, though not quite as high as a Miele Polaris on max, or a Dyson DC28 Animal. Coupled with a power head, the D4 on max is not exactly silent.
This message was modified Apr 2, 2011 by adamlau
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adamlau
Location: Los Angeles
Joined: Mar 19, 2011
Points: 21
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Re: Sebo Airbelt D Series . . .
Reply #93 Mar 25, 2011 2:02 am |
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Additional observations...Versus the Miele Polaris (parquet vs. parquet), we may prefer the Miele SBB300 Parquet Floor Brush to the SEBO Parquet Brush #6391DA as the SBB300 is wider and deeper with a reduced tendency to lift. From the hose end alone sans attachment and with news bags installed in both units, the Polaris felt as if it had greater static suction. Additional gripe with the SEBO Parquet Brush #6391DA: Poor edge cleaning, brush strips are visibly recessed from the housing. This is less pronounced with the SBB300. One workaround is to tilt and run the front edge of the brush along requisite edges as the rubber wheels of the tool prevent quality edge suction. Bottom line: The Miele SBB300 Parquet Floor Brush appears to be superior for wide expanses of wood/grouted tile flooring whereas the SEBO Parquet Brush #6391DA is more nimble in getting around those ever present nooks and crannies (a boon for cluttered floors) and was preferred over its Miele counterpart for its handiness over an array of tabletops, sills and ledges. Gripe with the ET-1/ET-2: Lack of replaceable side bumpers. Certainly one could replace the bearing block on the left, but what of the other side? What of the chassis itself? Two days of testing and hard use across two large homes and the power heads are exhibiting signs of wear along both sides of the chassis. A tool which costs 1K ought to have additional means and measures with which to keep it looking as if it cost 1K. The crevice tool can only do so much along. I cannot say enough about the Airbelt Cover as it has proved itself worthy of praise every single time we vacuumed. As an aside, we are not as enamored of the Miele FJM 7291640 filter bag as we were in the past due to the hinges preventing a complete cap seal. Also, where is the SEBO attachments trolley? A mini push cart replete with attachment points would most certainly be welcome from the standpoint of owners with multiple tools for multiple floor and surface types... 
This message was modified Apr 2, 2011 by adamlau
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