I got the feel-a for the Miele....the vacuums we sell....

[kenmore1978]

If it aint dishwasherable...

I totally agree. I follow the same philosophy with clothes, if I can't wesar it straight out of the dryer, it's not in my closet.

 

[tolivac]

I think Miele makes some very nice vacs-but as Air Way Charlie points out-The air Ways could easily win in the durability test-the Air-Way is ALL METAL-less plastic-and--the air Way is less expensive from most dealers.At one time Air-Ways were a DTD brand.Now they are carried by dealers.The air-Way bag cans still hold its own in the filtration dept.I talked to the air Way factory folks a few years ago and they pointed out that their special long fiber Air-Way bags are the only vacuum bag with a HEPA certification.Then you add the Air-Way filters in the machine-and yes their motors stay clean and last for decades.In all respect to Miele--Will a machine purchased say today---be still running and used 50 years from now?Plastic-Even ABS-suffers from "Age Cracking"plasticizers leach out of the plastic over the years rendering it brittle and prone to cracking.Miele does use a high quality ABS resin though-just wonder if it will last 50 years.
I do like the Miele SEB#236 powernozzle.The Red Velvet comes with it-at least in the dealer in my area.It does have some clever features-like the "Knife and scissor" channel along the roller brush allowing you to cut hairs,string,thread caught in it-also the "spool" end of the roller brush to prevent those things from getting caught in the brush roll bearings and tearing them up.Hair will esp tear them up because it is small in thickness and tough.The thing I don't like about the nozzle--is TOO much plastic.The polished floor shoes are better-more durable and easier to push.I think c anister powernozzles as a whole need more weight on them so they don't just skim over the floor.I still prefer an upright such as the Royals or Kirbys on my carpets-just use the powernozzles where thee uprights don't fit.The canister bags will fill too quickly for carpets.
when we speak of the "premium" vacuums,wether it be Kirbys,TriStars,Rainbows,Mieles,Air-Ways,Rainbows,Royals,ETC That is a small price to pay for the care of your home and contents-and even for the interior of your car.and the monhly payments on any of those is still far less than paying for a maid or cleaning service.And yes--the bags for the Mieles and Air-ways,etc are pretty reasonable in price.You just have to watch what the dealer is going to charge and remind them if they try to charge too much-I knew a Kirby dealer that would try to soak you on the price of bags.I would remind Her.she would say--"I'm sorry Mr Oliver-you are right"

 

[air-waycharlie]

More on Air-Way..........

Tolivac,

Thanks for your endorsement of Air-Way! I find it comical, on some level, at this point in my vacuum career, that you can buy an Air-Way for $625, (top model, my price), all metal bodied, hand assembled machine with HEPA filtration, crushproof hose, 12 amp motor, ergonomically designed handle with on/off switch, 30 foot cord, beater brush agitator, 25 year warranty on the motor, 4 height ajustment setting on the power nozzle, gear driven brush roll and 3 different types of bags for filtration compared to plastic molded injection vacuums, with limited features, made in Malaysia, limited warranties on every item, short cords, complicated tool attachments, poorly designed add-ons, etc. for over $1200!!

Does the American vacuum buying public ever do any homework? And if you are trusting consumer reports.............well, no comment. Well, folks out there buying $1400 Fisher and Pykel washer and dryers, $1200 Miele dishwashers, $2000 Sub-Zero refrigerators, $2000 Vulcun stoves and $150 Hoover Windtunnels!! Something is askew. (and really dumb), here!!

Typically, the most expensive "furnishing" in someone's one is is the carpeting and/or flooring and but people want to spend the LEAST amount of money on the upkeep of that item. It stymies me! You build a $400,000 dollar home, put in all the "kitchen jewelry", Berber carpet or Sisal carpet, all tile floors and then buy the most disposable, dust blowing vacuum that will probably last 5 years or less.

Okay, I give up!! Those buying a nice double wide, (trailer or modular), with builder basic carpet that would like to breathe clean air with no dust mites, pollen, animal dander, etc. that would like to spend $625 or less on an Air-Way with a 25 year warranty on the motors,(your grandchildren will use it like I am doing with my Grandmother Mark II 88), please let me know! 90 days same as cash for qualified buyers..............

Charlie

 

[hoover1060]

The vacuum has become disposable...

I don't know when exactly it happened, but the vacuum is no longer durable goods, like a washer/dryer/dishwasher/fridge is, and vacuuming is not glamourous no matter how fancy the apron you wear or how expensive the vacuum you use.
I don't own a Miele, but have had a chance to play with one an each Fred's house. They have some neat features, quiet, mobility, suction, filtration...
Their power nozzles are kinda funky. Much like Mr Dyson's cleaners, it looks like the Miele's are designed for Eurpoean homes and not for American ones.
I know several people who have bought Mieles too, never heard a bad review of one either.
Would I want one? The Miele to me is like some of the brands Charlie mentioned: Sub Zero, Vulcan, Fischer & Paykel...add Bosch too, a gourmet brand for the label conscious.
For a plastic vacuum, its too expensive.
As an aside, Fred N loaned me his Dyson for a bit and I have been using it.
Watch for a review coming soon...

 

[tolivac]

yes Air Way charlie-I noticed the same while trying to sell TriStars DTD.You would go into an expensive home-beautiful furnishings,expensive flooring,but they have a Dirt Devil,Dusty Hoover Bagless Windtunnel(Always in the homes of PET owners)-and yes I have found NICER vacuums in the doublewides and trailer homes.And these folks like the higher end machines-was a surprize.Found them with Kirbys,Filter Queens and Rainbows.But now--High end machines sell poorly here.Don't know how the Miele dealer will make out-time will tell-he opened in July.The only surviving high end dealers are Aeros and Rainbow-the others have closed.

 

[partscounterman]

Sorry Chad...

but I think Charlie just sold me an Airway!

Charlie- I had no idea that the Airway was so reasonably priced- I figured it was one of those over $1000 machines.

I don't care how fancy a vacuum is or what its price tag is, I cannot get excited about a plastic vacuum cleaner. They can tout plastic all day long-it all gets brittle and cracks after a while. Plastic vacuums, plastic washers-its all krusher food.

Of course, this doesnt solve Chads problem of how to sell more of the Miele machines. May I suggest you appeal to peoples vanity. Suggest that your fine customers deserve the best, quietest machine. It is funny how people will blow thier money in a casino, then get all penny pinching on a vacuum cleaner.

Oh, and by the way Chad, I'm happy to hear you are once again back in the vacuum industry that you love.

 

[tolivac]

Mieles,Kirbys,TriStar,RainbowsAir-Ways,Filter Queens,whatever--The dealers I spoke to said sales a down-and its not just my area.It seems folks go to Sears,Wall-Mart,K-Mart,Cosco,etc to buy their vacuums.they don't care if the Hi end machines will eprform better or last longer,or filter better.And its the "rich" folks that buy the cheapies too.Yes,to sell the hi-end machines -you have to show what it can do,and do it better,and how long they can last-At least the Mieles are made of a better quality plastic than some.Will check out the Sears Kn-Panasonic machine this weekend.Said to have the same quality HEPA filters as a Miele and Filtrete bags.Of all the Hi-end machine beleive the air-Way gives the most bang for the buck-Hepa quality filtration-metal body-equalized suction pressure on the bag(bag cage)The Signature model just may make a Miele shopper happy!

 

[programcomputer]

Thank you Everyone for the replies...

So,

I just got back my iBook after being down for awhile becasuie of cruddy technical difficulties. Anyhew..heres my end to this.

This is what I own to clean my house and it's a large three story thing built in yes folks 1894.

Lemme give you a insight into what I deal with when it comes to cleaning. It's on a pivitol main drag and cross street that was there before electricity and water. Becasue of this...even today i have to deal with road dust and grime coming thru the original single pane windows, and general air /dirt leaks of an old house. I also have two roomates and my new significant living with me. Plus my new dog Dukey.

I mean, Water wasnt even piped into Ypsilanti until 1898 and yes my house was one of the first to be plumbed for it considering that the original 1898 water tower is locatd at the top of the hill by Eastern Michigan University, on Washtenaw Ave. and yes is still working and supplies my water.

So, with that in mind, and the fact that my house diddn't get electricity until 1937, and that it has steam heat from YES a huge gas boiler being converted sometime in the 70's to gas from COAL, and their still being coal dust and crap in the Michigan basement... if that gives you at ALL a view into what I am into , you can't even begin to IMAGINE what I have to clean....

Anyway...when I moved into this house...it appeared that I had NOt been cleaned properly since 1978. I spent two days and countless amounts of cleaning products getting it into liveable shape. It had been recently converted back from being seperate apartments, to a single home. Thustly, I have three bedrooms and a rec room upstairs with a bathroom, all with hardwood bare floors. A first floor with all berber and partial hardwood in the kitchen and bathroom, complete iwth a nice water closet ( yeah my potty is IN A CLOSET). And a loft above our kitchen and bathroom that we have converted into a computer den. there is also a master bedroom on the first floor which is mine and my laundry is off that and the bathroom. So in all I have 10 rooms to celan or have get clean..so my good ol' Eureka empress wasn't gonna cut it.

Enter in Duke. That was all I could handle and i wasn't going to ruin the Eureka so I got the Royal PowerTank model 4650. It has the 10 foot hose, double brush powerhead, super filtration and a seperate wand for my bare floors. the attachments are well made and worthy of their seperate praises. In all for what I have had to clean now for almost two months i have filled one bag full of smut, and partial of another. I use the HEPA j stly Pony tank bas and the Micro fresh filter behind.

Becasue I'm an ARN like some, I WAS using my Hoover Convertible. But again being OLD, and in greast shape...I was again terrified of ruining yet again ANOTHER oldie of mine..so I went BACK to lansing and grabbed my 16 inch Sanataire Wide Track with the QuickClean fan chamber. I replaced the goofy VGI with a double brush VGII looking thing that uses two brushes instead of a beater bar. This arrangement pretty much allows the machine to propell itself. and I changed the bag over from it's original dump system to A paper bag conversion...WHY becasue no one should ever have to dum a filthy smut laden bag filled with dog hair and skin feces. No thanks. I also use Hepa F& G bags as well cutting down emissions fairly well.

Would I buy a Miele...well no not right now. I got an excellent deal on the Sanitaire years ago as a demo, and the Royal...well for what my boss told me I could have it for...I felt like I was stealing it. And you better believe before he could change his obviously confused mind...wrote him a check in toto and put that machine in the trunk of my Town Car never to be seen by him again.

Do I have an Air-Way..yep i do three of them. A straight suction upright , a 66 and an 88 Mark II. why do I choose not to use it...Well It's old in fairly good shape, has been restored to as near perfect and mint condition as I could possibly do...although I have never found the ABC powerhead that was originally supplied with the DirtMaster logo attached. And well I'm saving it for posterity.

And besides, that Powertank is an obvious copy of the Air-Way Sani-Clean, and in that I feel safe that I made a great choice....especially when he only asked for the price of the replacement parts that I wanted and AT cost. $89.75.

So that's it. In the future I hope to own a Miele and put it to the challenges that I face. Yet becasue I am searching as well for a home in my area to become a more permanent fixture...I may not have to deal with what I have written above.

That' All

Chad

 

[kenmore1978]

old house

No electricity unti NINETEEN THIRSTY-SEVEN?! Wow. All gas lighting in use till that time? IF so, do they still work?

 

[programcomputer]

No gas, only candles I suppose

So,

Appararantly, they used candles or something becasue there are no vestiges that there was another lighting source in this house.

Yeah the owners, really kinda know the history of this place, and basically you can tell where modifications were made as time went on. This house was extensivly remodeled sometime during 1956 to include a laundry...as the stairs going to the basement are clearly too narrow to allow placement of an automatic washer and dryer down there...as if you wanted to.

Anywho, I clearly decided early on with moving down here, that I need to look for soemthing more permanant. I like this area and the larger realm of people that are here, the better job market, and finally it just seems like this area is more in tune with the future.

In that, my house is okay, and I will be taking some pic's when Im not working which is only on Sunday's. I as of now am working over 48-55 hrs. a week, or whenever the boss says "wan't overtime".

so thtnks to everyone who replied. Im glad that there are still afew people who are willing to comment and talk about things that I like to bring to the table.

yours truly

Chad