Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Hi all Just wondered if anyone knew of anything new on the horizon from SEBO? Will SEBO ever upgrade the X Series or replace it with a completely new model like the C Series canister was replaced by the D Series!? Thanks DC18

Hi DC
The current line up for 2012 in so far as new model launches was:

1. The Professional D commercial version of the D series cylinder vacuum.
2. The BS36 commercial upright which has improved ball bearings and a simpler controller floorhead fascia redesign.
   
3. The Sebo Felix Crystal (Germany only model which has Swarkovski crystals stitched into the main exhaust cover).
4. The Sebo Felix Royale (UK only model with the British Union Jack flag as the main exhaust cover.)
5. New colour/grey on the SEBO extension hose, spare part.
6. Full launch of the Felix/Dart charcoal filter for pet owners.
7. Full launch of synthetic disposable dust bags for Felix and K series.
   

Sebo are a private company, DC. Electrolux, Miele, Panasonic, Hoover et al - they all work to produce tons of vacs, often in different colours, under different umbrella companies all at once and then change over half way through the year to whatever one country got and reverse the launch process.(only exception is Miele who make all their own vacuums and don't sell a commercial line) They deal in both the commercial and domestic field, but also use other machines from other brands at times to make markets fuller depending on their ranges and their markets.

Sebo's main interest is really their commercial field. That's where they started before they eventually got into the domestic market. Sebo have recently updated their BS36 for 2012, with ball bearings on either side of the brush roll and a newer metal driven belt for longer life. The front hood fascia has also received a simpler design. The previous UK market G2 has been transferred to the U.S under the "Essential G" upright and Hoover's "new" U.S model, "Insight," is very much near to a Carbon, Chinese copy.

As for the X series, there is nothing yet on the horizon. I keep my ear to the ground with Sebo all the time as I'm fan as you know. The reason the X still sells is because it is a very popular machine and much cheaper than buying the commercial version under the Jeyes brand in the UK. Lots of hotels etc are now buying Sebo X uprights in their own livery as opposed to the cleaning contract companies who charge a fortune for the older Stealth, X1 Automatic based upright. I don't know if it is the same in the U.S for the Windsor brand versus SEBO U.S vacuums on pricing.

The Felix was launched as a separate upright vacuum with large hand held compatibility, very much in the same kind of design playing to Vorwerk. The bag is much smaller than that in the X series and gives consumers the opportunity to downside instead of having to buy the bigger X series. That is why both machines are still on the market; the Felix is no way a replacement for the X series.

As a private company you just have to wait. We'd all like Sebo at times to be like other companies where they constantly put out more designs than necessary but Sebo don't have the money for product launches - they're more interested in keeping what they have and trying to improve on existing components to make the design stretch - hence the X series will just keep going - and its a good seller, so there's no reason for it to stop production. Also Sebo want the X series to be as simple as possible - the design hasn't let them down, and yes, whilst it would be great to see a brush stop roll function and a variable suction control dial, like it is featured on the Felix, Sebo's data of their consumers' preferences lead the X series to be simpler and just do what its designed to do over the more complicated, lifestyle enthused Felix.

One aspect I adore about my X is that I find it faster to use than the Felix and it has that double thermal cut out function when something gets clogged, it shuts off automatically - the Felix and Dart don't have this feature.- but the Felix has the more modern features like the brush roll stopping if the hose is taken out by accident in floor cleaning use.

Despite the more modern feature, I've yet to come across any other full size vacuum I can push along with a single finger held under the grip handle on the X series.

Mike_W wrote:

Hi Mike_W Thanks for your reply, Thought I would ask if anyone knows any information in SEBO. I do love SEBO vacuums and find them effective at cleaning and easy to use and maintain. I've not seen the new Panasonic lightweight in person, but it has started to appear on UK websites like John Lewis, Comet etc... I think there is a few comments I've read about this model, one review not very good. The person says the hose is not long enough! There is another Panasonic model MC-UG614 another light weight upright see link below on John Lewis. http://www.johnlewis.com/231434182/Product.aspx Sure will be some competition for VAX and it Air range and the new Air Motion (not yet out!) DC18

vacmanuk wrote:

Hi vacmanuk Many thanks for you reply to my questions and updates on SEBO, most appreciated. Must get some of them synthetic dust bags for my felix (which I have had now for about 5 years, and still working like new). I certainly do, I'm becoming more and more of a fan of SEBO to, never thought I'd go back to a bag vacuum having used a well known bagless brand (Dyson!) for many years and would not use or try any other vacuum cleaner and thought they where the best (suppose they are for a bagless vacuum!) but SEBO has shown me another side. They are so effective at cleaning, the brush bars are so effective too groom the carpet pile. I'm just very interested and genuinely interested in what SEBO is doing and the new developments they have in the pipeline. It's nice to see they are a private run company (family run are they not?), just want more people to know about them and what excellent products they manufacture and produce. When I mention SEBO to people not many if any have heard of this brand. The people who have and the reviews you can read are always of a high regard for the vacuums. Before I got my SEBO Felix, the shop where I purchased the Felix from showed me both the X and the Felix. I nearly had the X but liked the variable suction and the function to power off the brush bar for hard floor etc...I should have gone with the X now I know more that it's just at home on carpet as well as hard flooring! Not that I regret having the Felix because I don't. They also showed me the bag in the X and how full and solid it gets as it fills (I was impressed) without really loosing performance! Like you say why change a simple and reliable and easy to use design like the X when it still sells very well. I want to get the X as I like the fact it has an instant wand which I miss having (I know I can get a wand for the Felix but it's the instant wand on the X I like). Plus I love the automatic height on the X to, it does look a fast vacuum to use compared to the Felix. I'm trying to convert people to SEBO and the benefits of having one and who they are as a brand! Thanks again for the info, let me know if you hear any new news from SEBO....I'd be very interested. DC18

Well, Sebo vacuums are used in large commercial venues, ships and clinics in the UK, as well as schools and hospitals. Says a lot really for the brand and they are getting more known now that they have updated their website. The American website for the brand have made fantastic videos showing off their products but the U.S are lucky to also have Windsor vacuums as well - our UK equivalent contract cleaning companies charge £500 for the X1 Automatic. If you don't require the use of a pet hair tool brush, get yourself a refurbished Sebo X1 Automatic - you're not really losing any real time performance if you choose the dark grey hood and light grey bodied X1 uprights that often appear on EBay UK,. The original white X1s have lower suction power with 850 watt motors compared to the 1000 watt motors on the grey/dark grey versions - and those ones last too. Older Sebo uprights are also pretty robust too.

How long has the D4 been out? Im thinking about ditching my riccar 1700 for the d4...

Thoughts?

The SEBO D4 came out in 2010.

Why do you want to "ditch" the Riccar 1700?

Well, if this link is anything to go by (http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/feed-resources/power-reviews/pwr/product-reviews/Canister-vacuum-cleaners/Riccar/p/681__99007304-1700.html) it shows that there is a common thread of complaint leading to the hose and then the power nozzle. The D4 is far better built even though Riccar go to the bother of suggesting that the belt they put in is Kevlar and lifetime. Seems to me that whilst Riccar (and I wish we had them in the UK as the uprights and canisters look wonderful) build good components, they're not good enough if these owners are suggesting breakages in 2 to 3 years.

vacmanuk wrote:
I was asking him why, because I wanted to hear his opinion.  He, being a vacuum enthusiast, probably just wants something new.  I know that this model is not even available in the UK and you admit it.  So, from your experience, how do you know about the Riccar 1700?  The 1700/1800 are very good canister vacuum cleaners.  There are going to be repairs needed for any vacuum cleaner.  Even SEBOs break down.  Are you telling me that there are only eight people, who have Riccar 1700 vacuum cleaners?

Again, I take peoples' reviews w/a grain of salt.  Notice how some say the machine is loud, quiet, hose short, cord too short, long cord, heavy, lightweight.  Hoses split, hoses didn't split, etc.

I love my 1700, but I wanna try something new... LOL I am always trading or swapping stuff just to get different things all the time and I am the same way with vacuums.. In all honesty, I'd probably keep my 1700 because its the first Riccar I've owned.. I usually always keep the firsts of something then swap the subsequent acquisitions...

With that said, I think the power nozzle is over kill for the rugs that I have. I'd enjoy the machine as it was intended more if I had wall to wall carpeting but I have 6 rugs and the rest of the flooring is ceramic, travertine or armstrong tiling. I wished the hose were longer, but that is because I vacuum my bedding because of my cats. I have a love hate relationship with the handle on the hose, so I wished the electrical connection to the hose wasn't integrated so I could put a non electrified hose on when I didn't need the wand/handle .. but that being said I love having the suction adjustments in my hand instead of the motor unit.

I guess I was used to my filter queen that had a custom 16 foot non electric hose... I guess I missed that setup because I rebuilt an older filter queen to add to my collection for that purpose.

What would satisfy me the most would be if the power nozzle was speed adjustable, or based upon the suction selected at the handle .. The brush roll is aggressive, and is perfect for installed carpeting... If it weren't for the cats, I wouldn't be so picky but I have to vacuum every day because of the hair and having the rugs get bound up in the power head is annoying... Especially when I am in a hurry.

jkbmmv wrote:
If you get yourself a Sebo D4 vacuum DEMO then you can try the vacuum for free - then you'd know if it is suitable - or any dealer near you who sells SEBO.. Alternatively, the Sebo Felix upright uses the same floor head as the D4 and K3 in the U.S. I'm not a rep but from what you're saying I don't think you should fork out so much money for a new vacuum - the D4 is pretty high in the U.S and it is a pity that the non-electrified versions are not on sale yet like the D1, or D2 we have in the UK (as well as the D4).

In so far as requiring a 4.8 metre hose (which roughly equates to your 16ft requirement). Sebo's canister vacuums have a length of 2.1 metres and I myself have used their 3 metre extension hose for cleaning out homes attached at the end of the existing hose. There is suction there but in my experience, having too much hose can be a bit of a downside as it is often clumpy, bulky and inclined to bang off doors and cause more damage than necessary.

I can't speak for Riccar as we don't have them in the UK - but the Sebo design is used in commercial fields, the brush roll isn't aggressive as you may like to think. Sebo also sell a delicate floor roller that can be swapped around for the harder bristle action, thus giving you more control and peace of mind for cleaning delicate flooring. However, I have ceramic tiles and mahogany floors and I use the ET-1 floor head with the standard brush roll and at times switch it off if I want - I haven't noticed any damage incurred in the last 6 or 7 years with the use of my Sebo. The beauty of Sebo though is that they also sell a motorised polisher head for delicate flooring, so in the future if you considered either the Sebo K3, Sebo Felix or Sebo D4, you could buy that polisher head as well and use it with any of those vacuums.

Sadly because of the brush roll and its power, rugs that are not fixed to the floor will clump up in any power head. I have yet to find any other vacuum on the market that can safely clean rugs with a moving brush roll - the only exception is the low powered cordless Gtech Sweeper where its brush roll isn't as fast and the bristles are soft. Generally suction only floor heads are better for portable rugs but even then you have to stand on them to make sure they stay down when cleaning.

Can't you buy a suction only floor head and just put it in lieu of the powered nozzle on your Riccar?