Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

did anyone here buy/use an AXIS floor brush?  How good does it pick up dirt?  I hope it does as good as a Lux or Compact floor brush.

Trebor wrote:
You speak as if you have the actual floor head - even if you have copied some of the info from http://builtinvacuum.com/axis/?=featured

I don't have the floor head but I do have the "standard" hard floor brush that sells in the U.S under the "Parquet" name for SEBO X uprights aswell as wheeled versions. The X uprights don't have the strongest suction but the brush does clean up effectively - it also doesn't have wheels but lacks the added advantage of swivelling into corners. Sometimes the simplest of things work better - a lack of wheels to aid momentum is actually a better advantage and you don't need the strongest of suction to clean up effectively.

even if you have copied... COPIED?

Excuse me, but there is zero need for me to copy info from anyone. My comprehension of the fundamental principles of air pressure and air flow in general as well as my familiarity with vacuum cleaners in particular enable me to discern the Axis brush's extreme similarity to the Miele parquet brush.  The castle cut is not  a new innovation, but extending it all the way around the perimeter does negatively affect pickup unless the suction and airflow of the vacuum being used are at the high end of the scale, otherwise one could simply pop this tool onto any stick vac and have a great bare floor surface vacuum.  Bare floors are a separate rating category in Consumer Reports for a very good reason. Large objects that occupy most of the hose/wand diameter are easily picked up by even very weak vacuum cleaners. Small, light debris, like dust bunnies, are easily sucked up as well. The debris in between the two extremes is the problem.  It has to do with the surface area (more surface for the air to grab hold) to weight (amount of weight that can hoisted by the suction). The higher the airflow, and the higher the suction, the better the pickup. There is an optimum ratio. A castle cut bristle used with inadequate pickup power will perform less well than a bristle with fewer or no castle cuts, because the open cuts all the way around increase the airflow while decreasing the suction on the surface of the floor. Closing up some of the cuts begins to reduce the airflow and increase the suction. Therefore a central vac, or a powerful canister will give much better performance with a tool of this type than a less powerful vac. Sebo vacuums and tools were not part of the comparison, therefore were not impugned. No brand was impugned.  Miele was mentioned only because their tool is so like this one. I cannot be 100% certain, but believe the Axis was introduced after the Miele swivel parquet.  Electrolux introduced their castle cut bristle on the front only, and if the bag was partially full, the drop in bare floor pick up was noticeable. Just observations, nothing more.

It is my opinion, sir, that you might consider a refresher in your famous British manners...

Trebor

Trebor,

Speaking of Consumer Reports, I noticed your comment on another forum (of which I'm not a member and couldn't reply) about Consumer Reports.  You were commenting about CR's giving equal filtration scores to a Hoover and a Miele.   You may also notice that CR's filtration tests do not discriminate very well among machines - almost every vacuum gets a top score.  So yes, the two machines did score the same on a crude test.  However, that doesn't mean that they are truly equals.    It just means that CR needs to refine their tests.   Perhaps you should go to work and CR and give them some lessons. 

I like the floor tool on my Lux Ambassador III. 

Trebor wrote:
Well the information you supplied is ironically similar to that link I provided. One apologises...

There are a few fundamental facts though:

1. Not all vacuum cleaners have the same airflow, so its impossible to state categorically that all vacuum cleaners would perform the same way. Old Miele vacuums for example have a different amount of power compared to more modern ranges. Higher airflow doesn't guarantee higher pick up success - or for that matter higher suction power - but rather the design of the tool.
   
2. The "castle" style of brush clogs with dust on tiles - particularly tiles with grout lines. Other styles also clog with dust and when I say clog I mean the bristles collect the dirt and it stays there. Regardless of whatever power you have, it is the design of the floor tool which is at fault. I have only ever used a successful hard floor brush which had both the round perimeter of brushes and a raised central plastic partition where lint pickers get the dust and direct it into the main suction channel - closer than the open "wings" of the Miele Parquet XL, which only serves well to go around corners on hard floors. Miele also produce a 2 way floor tool where a microfibre cleaning cloth can additionally be added. It works well, giving better pick up of dust but ultimately you're left with having to deal with the mess of the cloth afterwards.
3. Ultimately there is no perfect hard floor tool on the market with castle cut that takes dust and directs it into the main dust channel - without having to pull off the dust afterwards from the bristles.

Also Miele have changed their castle cut upholstery round tool because it clogged. They now have finer bristles and no castle style.