I am not sure why this thread is brought up after a whole year, then you say "This will be my last post for a while". If I remember correctly, you have been on the side of "HEPA is a waste" while I have been on the side of "different amounts of filtration for different people".
There is a need for filtration, but we all will not need the same level. We need to step back and figure out how much of a problem we have. People have seen hoq I can recommend a Miele, but tell them they would do fine w/the regular filter and not have to pay a small fortune for the TOL filter. What we do not need to say is there is no need for HEPA filtration.
The problem is Mike, there are more additives and pollutants in the air than ever before and the brands we all love and loathe are cost cutting at every corner to make a fast buck rather than properly engineer the machines - the Miele S2 for example doesn't have a seal around its dust bag after you lift the door - and only on higher priced models do you get the "sealed" principle. You yourself may not need a HEPA filter in a vacuum - because up and until now, as consumers we are led to believe that the HEPA idea cleans the air cleaner than the air that goes into the machine. Since last year's Tsunami and volcano eruptions, Scotland & parts of the UK are being littered with volcanic ash and sand from Egypt being blown in. I see it mostly on my outside refuse bin, garden chairs and my car and I know my carpets get the sand as I've seen and felt it from the dirt produced in my Bissell upright carpet washer. Some people I know get eye infections because of the excess sand in the air and doctors/hospitals just recommend cleaning the home more often than not and vacuuming is the first key point in combat.
Although we don't necessarily need HEPA filters, their design in some machines are worthy of using, not just for keeping back odour. Certainly in a Miele canister in a home that does clean after pets, the dank odour from the third from the fourth dust bag out of the standard Miele box of 4, being used can usually be smelt when a Super Air Clean filter is fitted compared to the neutral smell that the AAC or HEPA filter keeps back. In terms of sand, well it comes in through the windows, onto the curtains, along the windows, into the carpet (where most of the damage will occur if its constantly ground in) but is odour-less. In this respect the AAC or HEPA filters keep back the sand from re-entering, unless you have a bag-less system that defeats the purpose and you empty the dust in your kitchen bin without much sealage when it hits the bin and dust flies back up and out. I don't see why I have to compromise on filtration in a vacuum cleaner if I want fresh air and can't open a window for fear of the wind blowing in sand. I don't see why I have to kit my machine with a more expensive filter - but if it does the job of holding back the majority of sand and dust in the air, I'll fit it.
It's not just an issue where we need to step back and figure how much of a problem we have - it really comes down to what you really need from a vacuum cleaner and what it will be put through in your home in terms of cleaning. Buyers after all have that option to consider between canister, cordless, mains power, upright or something in between. Filter options should therefore be an option too, instead of having to pay an extra price to have that filter alone when it would be cheaper to just buy the filter as a separate purchase.
