Miele Vacuum...So Not Worth It (Capricorn Canister) RANT

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georgect

georgect

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 28, 2007
Messages
153
Location
Fairfield, CT
I just want to rant here.
This Miele vacuum (Miele S5981 Capricorn with SEB-236 Power brush) will be the last Miele product I'll ever buy.

What a huge let down...
I spent just over $1400.00 ($1,199.00 for the Capricorn/Power brush) and additional accessories (mini power brush, extra bags, extra HEPA filter).

First, the electrical cord is extremely way too short.
I have to use a thick extension cord to cover the ground I did with my Kenmore Progressive canister.

Second, the on board attachments are too tiny (dusting brush, crevice tool, upholstery tool). The upholstery tool doesn't even have horse hair, they use a felt type material. The dusting brush is ridiculously too small.

Third, you can't park the SEB-236 on the vacuum (on the two side slots or the rear on/off parking slot).

Forth, wheels on the SEB-236 are too small, no matter what setting you use for carpet thickness, the SEB-236 is hard to push on thick carpet (half inch thick carpet). The beater bar doesn't even pull the power head along, you have to push it with force.

Fifth, the wheels on bottom of the vacuum itself are too small, on floors they are great but on carpet they are not large enough and you have to drag the vacuum behind you. This makes the canister flip over all the time.

Sixth, the hose is too short, the canister is right there on you heals. The plastic material is too springy and bumps into things when you vacuum like walls, TV, furniture etc.

Seventh, one of the c-clips that hold the wheels on the SEB-236 came off on first use. I did find it and put it back on but it wasn't easy, it kept slipping off.

Eighth, mini turbo brush is air powered (air flowing through the nozzel makes brush spin) not powered by it's own motor, not very effective and stops very easily.

For the price you pay, you should get way more in terms of features and wouldn't recommend this canister vacuum, it's just not worth the money Miele demands.
 
I am sorry that

you are having such a bad experience.

I love my Miele Capricorn. However, I will admit that my place is relatively small, about 900/925 square feet. I have the SEB 228 power brush, and am well pleased with it.

The cord and hose are fine for my needs, and as an apartment dweller, the legendary quiet is welcome, especially on sleepless nights when I vacuum at 3:30.

I like the other tools quite well, the short crevice tool is great for my computer keyboard, and the upholstery nozzle keeps up nicely with my cat's fur. The parquet twister bare floor brush is a honey for my kitchen and bathroom floors.

Unlike my other vacuums, I never sneeze after vacuuming with my Capricorn, nor is there any unpleasant stale vacuum odor.

(Gentle tone of voice>) Run a damp cloth over it, put it up on Ebay, and get yourself one of those Kenmore canisters Consumer Reports rated so highly earlier this year.

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
I am sorry to hear you don't like the Miele! The cords are a little short on them. They are roughly the same length as our Electrolux Oxygen. However, I have found that the quality of the Miele outruns any other canister made today. Their turbo brush is the best, however Turbo brushes are never as good as power brushes, if you have thick carpet.

The casters on the Miele were designed for the best turning abilities, that is why they are so small. The vacuum was designed for mainly European markets, and that is why the cord is short, turbo brush is used, and the casters are small. Low pile carpets are far more popular over there.

The part you may find interesting about hose length is that the Miele has a standard hose length. Same as the Kenmores and many other machines at 7 feet.
 
did you buy it from a 'real' shop?

If bought online then ok.

If bought from a shop.....

With exception to your comments about the TurboBrush which is a point by all means, Did you not look at all the other issues before you bought the cleaner?

Surely the shop had a display model ??

Manufacturers make all kinds of products all with different features. Im surprised you didnt look at these more thouroughly whilst in the shop.

I cant see what you have to complain about if this is the case.

Would you go into a supermarket buy a box of Cornflakes after sampling them at a demo podium then complain that there was no Rice Krispies in the box when you get home?
 
Our house is nearly 3500 sq feet and I have no problems at all with our 5000 series Miele including the power head/light combination.

Quite frankly, if you bought it or any other product that cost that much without at least looking at the attachments, then you've nothing to complain about.

...and the power cord is at least 15 feet long.
 
Love my Kenmore canister

A friend recently bought a Miele and no way would I pay that much for a vacuum. I've bought cars that cost less than that. Got my Kenmore about 10 years ago and it is great. It has a tool or a setting for any kind of surface in my house. Works great in my car too.
 
For What It's Worth

Hoover, Eureka and other vacuums that cost less,much less than Miele most always top consumer reviews and choices.

The day I pay that much for a vacuum it better come with someone that does that actual work. *LOL*

My older Kenmore upright (built by Panasonic) does everything a friend's Miele version does including having a small army of various filters.
 
IMHO Miele vacuums are very overpriced in the USA. A vacuum from the 5000 series overhere would cost around $300 - $500. That is without a powerbrush. I have had a Miele vacuum for over 20 years and while it was a good performer, I was never very happy with the wheels. When I needed a new vacuum I decided to give Electrolux a try. I couldn't have made a better choice.
 
I wanted to believe in Miele...really...but

I thought I did do my homework.
I watched countless Youtube videos about Miele vacuums, from real world examples of it and of it against other brands.

No one ever talked of Miele's shortcomings, just praises. So I figured if your going to be paying $1199.00 for the TOP Of THE LINE vacuum...that is what you'll get. Long cords, big brushes, real horse hair, long hoses, motor powered mini brush etc.

Another thing is with that tiny dusting brush...when you use it on full power, the bristles collapse in on themselves and get sucked into the hole. They didn't use a long enough plastic guard to prevent the bristles from being sucked into the hose.

No, the place I bought it from didn't have any one the floor to demo. I went by what all the Youtube videos raved about. I guess It's hard to see how small the attachments really are in the real world.

Yeah that dusting brush is great on your keyboard but not your bathroom floor (it takes like forever). The Parquet brush is just too big for my bathroom floor so there is no happy medium.

Everyone and I mean everyone always raves about Miele but I think they only work best for who they are made for (Europeans)...and they are not designed for American type households (large homes).

Miele even abandoned it's Super Large capacity line of domestic washers...big is not Miele's forte. For some reason they haven't been able to expand to the "larger" or "Super Capacity" sized market.

I'm very willing to pay for the BEST (and I though I did) for almost anything and I was convinced that Miele WAS the best but really...I think it's the best for the European market not the American market.

That's my two cents...sorry but it's my opinion.
 
Saw A Miele "Nautrelle" Or Some Such

At local thrift, but as it was missing the power head/hose arrangement decided to pass. Stopped in a few weeks later and the thing was gone.

As one already has the Panasonic upright (use Miele "Z" bags that one got at a good price), plus two vintage Eureka hand vacs (one NIB), didn't really see the need for the Miele regardless of price. Besides most of my home is hardwood floors for which an upright suits better than hauling a canister around.
 
Hi George.
Are you able to take the vacuumn back and tell them you are very disappointed?

Its worth a try.
I hae always had an Electrolux (Aerus). That is the original company.

The ones you see around like Electrolux Oxygen are not the originals. You have to o o an Electrolux store. Always loved he machines. Every few years I take in for service, have the brush replaced on Power Nozzle and a tune up on vac.

My current one is over 10 years old.
 
If you have wall to wall carpet a European vacuum might not be your best bet. I have an ancient Kenmore canister and it has a power head for carpet, of which I don't have much.

What do people in Britain prefer, since that has more fitted carpet than other European countries, on average.
 
We've had a Miele Red "Dog & Cat" canister (S314) for about 9 years now. Nothing has ever gone wrong with it except for the bag design screw up earlier this year. But that has been rectified by Miele to our satisfaction.

The wheels have not fallen off yet, the case has not cracked, the cord is plenty long for our needs and the hose is actually longer than the one on our Rainbow.

Our Miele vac has been the only one to pass the "black sock dog hair test". With all the other vacs we have owned, you vacuum the room then walk through it while wearing black socks and see how much dog hair is on your socks. With the Miele there is none, not even on hair on the socks. And our carpet is very thick with 10lb padding.

Vacs owned before were Bissel, Fantom Fury, Hoover. None of them were as easy to use as the Miele is. We feel that in 9 years time we would have gone through about 3 other vacuums. So even though we paid $500.00 for the Miele I feel we actually saved money with it in the long run.

But I do have to agree that Miele really sticks it to the American consumer with the price. The Miele vacs are nowhere near as expensive in Germany.
 
It's the Mercedes Effect

Mercedes Benzes and BMW's are less expensive in Germany...still not cheap, but several thousand less than here.

Some lesser lines of Miele vacuums are sold in Germany at big box stores.

As for my purchasing experience, it could not have been any better. Local vacuum shop, you deal with the owner- and he does his own repairs, and very well at that....I had accidentally pulled out the bag retainer. He said that was a common thing, and showed me how to replace the bag retainer myself, on the spot. I have heard of such a thing as a Miele "Five Diamond" dealer. I don't know if he has that designation, but that's what his attitude and service to me has been. He also sells Simplicity and Royal, and Sanitaire. I feel like a valued customer.

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
MB & Europe

First time one went abroad was gobsmacked that MBs and even BMWs were used as taxicabs. Who knew?

*LOL*

As for the MB effect there is something else as well.

Once upon a time owning an "European" car like MB or BMW meant you had some serious money or excellent credit. Then both companies began diluting the brand with some "lower" priced offerings and or culling quality. If you believe Consumer Reports MB and BMW have some of the middling to worst reliablity rankings on average than some American brands. Indeed the joke around here is that it's a good thing both have free loaner programs because one is going to need a back-up.

Indeed many have switched to Asian luxury brands such as Infiniti or Lexus which while may not always offer the came cachet have proved very reliable and give value for money in terms of price and performace. Of the European cars Audi has moved up the rankings to even surpass MB and BMW in some areas.
 
I remember in the 80s it seemed like the "European cars are cheaper in Europe" was a huge selling point for people to go to Europe to pick the new car up. It seems to me that I even heard (and correct me if I'm wrong), but if one put enough miles on that car before coming back to the US, it came in with more favorable import duties since it was "used."
 
bought a Meile "Capricorn" a few years ago-like the machine-and the dealer threw in a larger dust brush and shelf brush with the purchase-and chopped the price on a power nozzle.Like the vacuum-but still my Kirby is best for the carpets-the Meile does the other jobs and goes where the Kirby Can't.Its one of the machines in my collection of vacuums.Do like the Sebo D4P better-has a longer cord-less plugging and unplugging-but don't like the WEIRD Sebo dust brush!the bag in the Sebo is a "bottomless pit" for dust!The machine can pack a lot of dirt into its HUGE Filtrete style bag.This machine is an improvement over the older "C" Sebo machines.
 
Miele canister (S500) and upright (S7) owner here

In 2002, a (wealthy) relative bought me a Monte Verde canister from the S5 series (uses FJM bags). This came with an SEB-217 powerhead (no headlight, no adjustability, their BOL powerhead), a hard floor brush, upholstery tool, dusting tool, crevice tool, and electric wand, for about $900 at that time. I was recovering from cancer surgery at the time and--in her opinion--using my Hoover upright was too strenuous, so she did what she thought might help: buy a quality canister (she simply went out and bought it and brought it home to me). It was not TOL, the TOL had a suction control on the handle. I have the model where you vary suction by tapping a + or - button with your foot, but you do not have to bend up to adjust a rotary dial. The current model with this feature set runs $900-1000 today.

The canister has given ten years of excellent service. House is half carpet, half tile, and carpet is low cut pile (which the 217 can handle fairly well). Over the years, I built up my attachments collection:

1. Micro cleaning set: two small crevice tools and a combination crevice tool/brush. Great for car detailing, cleaning computers (desktops, keyboards) and other tight spaces. I have a salt water aquarium and use the mini crevice tools to help tidy up the inevitable "salt creep".

2. Wide dusting brush: has the extra width that the OEM duster lacks. Swivel neck. Great for reaching under cabinets, ceiling fan blades, tops of bookcases, shelves, etc (with the wand, you can configure the brush to be at a 90--or less if needed-- degree angle relative to the wand)

3. Mini turbo brush: great for stairs, pets (dog loves being groomed with it), car upholstery).

4. More recently, added a wide upholstery brush (twice the width of the OEM) and what they bill as a "mattress attachment": a four inch wide hard plastic nozzle that looks like the nozzles on the vacuums at car washes. Really intensifies the suction, good for mattresses, car seats, etc. Also recently bought their flexible long crevice tool to clean under appliances, under lint filter in dryer, etc.

Only two things have broken on this vacuum. A few years ago, I pushed too hard on the attachments door when the tools were not properly seated and broke the hinge. $30 repair. More recently, I accidently backed into the vacuum (with the wand docked on the vacuum) while removing a bike from a rafter rack, knocking the vacuum over and breaking the tip of the electric wand. This was my fault and I don't blame Miele for the breakage. $110 part, but that's $900 + $30 + $110 or $1040 over TEN years, i.e. cost to own has been $100/year. I know people who buy Costco vacuums every two years and over time spend more than I spend. Properly maintained, a Miele should run 20+ years. I take my canister in for maintenance (I think they clean and lube the motor) every three years or so, costs about $40 at my local dealer.

I am thinking of upgrading my carpet to a low Berber type, and I don't think the 217 powerhead would perform that well. One option would be to upgrade to a SEB-236, but they cost $250. Yikes. After looking at options, I decided to buy the BOL Miele S7 upright (the blue one without a headlight or HEPA filter) for $429. It's solid as a tank, but HEAVY so I would not recommend it in a multi-story house, unless it stays on one floor all the time (example: as an upstairs vacuum where there is carpet upstairs and hard floors downstairs). It has a nice carrying handle on the back, but I wouldn't want to lug it up and down the stairs every day. The filter can be upgraded to HEPA for $40 later on.

All of the S7's use the same motor, the difference in price is in the attachments. Since I already own most of the attachments, the basic model was fine, and I don't vacuum in the dark so I don't need a headlight. The hose on the upright is non-electric, and can accept all non-electric attachments. For added reach, you can add a wand (electric or non-) and use any non-electric attachment. As a carpet vacuum it is the most powerful vacuum I have ever used, absolutely amazing. It even performs well as a hard floor vac in terms of suction, and its swivel feature makes it WAY more maneuverable than a regular upright, though not quite as nimble as a wand/hard floor brush. Suction control is via rotary dial, located on the handle and easy to use. The powerbrush can be turned on-off with a handle button (separate from the on-off power switch).

For $179 more than the cost of an SEB-236 power head, I have about the best carpet vac sold, plus a back up to the canister should it be in the shop, plus a potential replacement to the canister should it die (spending $1000 would be a LOT to pay). The downside is that the S7 is heavy...I have a one-story house so that is not an issue, but if I had a multistory home I'd want a canister. However, for those on a single story, the S7 does just about everything a canister can do (and better on carpet), plus allows one to use one's existing Miele attachments, for $429. If you don't want to push it around on hard floors, you could use the hose plus wand plus hard floor brush. The swivel feature makes it each to get around furniture on carpet, but might not afford the precision people want on hard floors.

I bought my parents an Electrolux cannister for their tiled downstairs. It's the green one from Lowes, I think it was $300. Nice tools and nice suction for 9 amps. The carpet head is air powered and doesn't do a good job on their Berber carpeted areas. However, their housekeeper has some sort of heavy duty upright, plus they have an old Hoover upright as a stand-by. Lowes sells a more expensive canister, about $500, with electric powerhead for carpet and I think a 12 amp motor. Never having used it, I can't evaluate how good a job it does on carpet. It would appear to be viable alternative to a $1000 Miele canister.
 
note:

I've read on-line reviews where veteran Miele owners had a canister that died and they bought TWO S7 uprights, one for each floor of the house. If you buy the BOL for $429, you get the same motor as the $800-900 model, just no headlight, HEPA, or attachments (but these people already owned all the attachments), two uprights for the cost of the TOL model and less than a replacement canister.
 
Give me an old electrolux tank!

For bare floor and carpet cleaning, I think there is nothing more dependable, than an old Lux tank! They are almost virtually indestructible. Although a little cumbersome, reliable, and fairly easy, and cheap to maintain. Can't argue about suction strength, if properly maintained.
Hugs,
David
 
First, the electrical cord is extremely way too short.

Could be a European thing - maybe Miele should make the cords longer on the US models for bigger US homes?

Second, the on board attachments are too tiny (dusting brush, crevice tool, upholstery tool). The upholstery tool doesn't even have horse hair, they use a felt type material. The dusting brush is ridiculously too small.

The material is velour. It's used on most upholstery tools in Europe. Horse hair is expensive to get hold of and just think of the poor horse it came from. Velour does the job just as well, is cheaper and kinder on the animals. 

Third, you can't park the SEB-236 on the vacuum (on the two side slots or the rear on/off parking slot).

This powerhead locks in the upright position, so you shouldn't need to park it on the machine to keep it upright anyway

Forth, wheels on the SEB-236 are too small, no matter what setting you use for carpet thickness, the SEB-236 is hard to push on thick carpet (half inch thick carpet). The beater bar doesn't even pull the power head along, you have to push it with force.

 

Never a problem I've experienced - cannot comment either way, though I imagine this would be a common problem with most powerheads.

Fifth, the wheels on bottom of the vacuum itself are too small, on floors they are great but on carpet they are not large enough and you have to drag the vacuum behind you. This makes the canister flip over all the time.

Again, never a problem I had with mine. Maybe you should run the lawn mower over you carpet?

Sixth, the hose is too short, the canister is right there on you heals. The plastic material is too springy and bumps into things when you vacuum like walls, TV, furniture etc.

Just be thankful it's bouncing off and not taking chunks of paint off the walls

Seventh, one of the c-clips that hold the wheels on the SEB-236 came off on first use. I did find it and put it back on but it wasn't easy, it kept slipping off.

Again, not had any experience with this so I can't comment. 

Eighth, mini turbo brush is air powered (air flowing through the nozzel makes brush spin) not powered by it's own motor, not very effective and stops very easily.

Aren't ALL mini turbo brushes air powered? I've never seen one that's motorised. Plus, a motorised mini power brush would be very heavy and awkward to use, which I imagine would be listed on your initial post if it were. 

 

No offence intended and I'm certainly not saying Miele are perfect, but isn't this all stuff you should've checked out before spending that kind of money?
 
Agree with AquaCycle. I don't have the SEB-236 but rather the SEB-217 (top of the line at the time I purchased my Miele). Performance is pretty good on medium pile carpet. Not as a good as an upright, but I felt it better to spend $420 on the S7 upright than $250 on the SEB-236, since my canister has ten years of use on it.

The 217 powerhead does dock on the canister....if the SEB-236 doesn't dock, perhaps that is the design intent (to be able to park it on the floor rather than hang on the canister. All hand held turbobrushes are air-powered. They do a great job on pets (the Chesapeake Bay Retriever loves the "massage"), upholstery, stairs, small rugs, etc.

My only point is that if you are this disappointed with your canister, you might have been happier with one of the S7 uprights. Suction is the same and hose accepts all Miele non-electric attachments and even wands (you can use an electric wand to connect a non-electric attachment, but there is no power in the S7 hose and thus no electrical connection to an electric wand.

Re: upholstery tool, velour is the standard material on nearly all makes now. The onboard tool is a bit narrow, but I bought a wide track upholstery brush for $25 or so from a Miele store. (If you've had a canister for a decade and now know which attachments work or don't work for you, an extra $25 is nothing).

Re: dusting brush...agree that the provided brush is too small for large areas: tops of bookcares/wardrobes, ceiling fan blades, etc. Miele makes a wider brush (about 8" long) with a double-swivel neck to reach any angle, and it's great for when you can't see the surface you are cleaning (top of a fan blade, top of a bookcase). However, the provided brush is good for tight spaces and for dusting objects (collectibles) that are best vacuumed clean rather than being exposed to water. I eventually bought the Micro set for cleaning keyboards, auto crevices, etc. and those brushes are smaller than the standard on-board brush.

Over the years have bought maybe $300 in Miele attachments (turbo minibrush, Micro Set, flexible crevice tool (cleans dryer under drum....), wide dusting and upholstery brush. Since these don't wear out, they are a useful investment. If you buy another Miele, as I did (S7 to supplement my canister), the investment can be re-used. If/when my hard floor brush ever wears out, there is a new hard floor brush with swivel neck which would be a great replacement, but for the cost I can't justify tossing out a perfectly good brush that I have now. There are also wider track hard floor brushes for those who prefer a wider sweep.
 
I would like to say I am sorry for the person who started this thread, but I certainly am not. In addition to being partially illiterate, his assessment of the vacuum is in error or misleading in several different ways:

- The Capricorn's cord is over 30' long.
- The dusting brush's bristles are hair and it's sized for...dusting.
- The dusting brush's bristles do not suck into the hose.
- The vacuum, by the way, has multiple suction settings (even one for dusting).
- Upholstery tools on every brand almost always have felt thread lifters.
- The slots on the sides of the vacuum are for the lesser floor attachments.
- You can park the SEB236 by itself with the wand attached and STANDING.
- The wheels are large enough for the deepest pile.
- The SEB236 is powerful enough to pull out of your hand if it is set low and the vacuum is on a high suction setting.
- Set correctly, you never have to push on carpet.
- One always has to drag a canister behind himself.
- The only reason the vacuum would flip is if it is being mishandled.
- I guess a hose that's "short" is something under 6'.
- I'm not sure what the "plastic material" is, but it might be the soft bumper.
- I have sold the SEB236 to hundreds of customers who have never had a wheel come off. This also sounds like an instance of misuse.
- The mini-turbo brush is, indeed, air powered, "turbo" indicating a turbine within.
- The mini-turbo stops when it "digs in", preventing damage to furniture, etc. It continues to spin freely and effectively when used properly and with finesse.

The Capricorn, which is now obsolete, also had the speed controls and on and off on the wand, which every Miele does/did not.

I have a feeling that this person is somewhat challenged with every complicated device he purchases--i.e.: any machine.
 

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