Thread Number: 20267
The best above floor cleaner?
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Post# 227067   4/6/2013 at 19:43 (4,008 days old) by baglessball ()        

What are your opinions guys?

I'm liking the idea of a filter queen as all the attachments seem to be of high quality.

I want to love Miele! I don't think i like the curved handle. And the tiny dust brush..

Anyway, please share your thoughts!


Post# 227068 , Reply# 1   4/6/2013 at 19:47 (4,008 days old) by djtaylor (Salt Lake City, Utah)        

djtaylor's profile picture
The Filter Queen is the better vacuum. It is of higher quality and more likely to last, but any vacuum will if properly cared for.
Just my opinion.
Justin


Post# 227069 , Reply# 2   4/6/2013 at 19:49 (4,008 days old) by AlexHoovers94 (Manchester UK)        
As people who know me probably already know...

alexhoovers94's profile picture
An upright with clip on or on-board tools, never a cylinder, HATE them, bit dramatic, some are alright but they are very boring and take up too much room :P
A bit off topic there but yh, an upright with clip on or onboard tools for my above the floor tasks. :)


Post# 227099 , Reply# 3   4/6/2013 at 22:45 (4,008 days old) by spiraclean (UK)        

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In the past I've owned two Filter Queens (the green Limited Edition ones) and it's true what has been said, the attachments are of very good quality. Do think carefully though about a few other points before taking the plunge however.

First of all, attachment storage. The "crown" on top of the machine holds everything in place, but there is a little overhang, especially with the bare floor brush. The machine can get hung up on door frames and furniture, and I spent forever nudging mine away from obstacles.

Secondly, the hose handle is of the "gas pump" design. Comfortable to hold, but it's quite large and can prove to be a hinderance if you're cleaning in areas where space is restricted. I noticed this most when cleaning out the car, particularly around and underneath the driver's seat.

Third, the hose does not swivel a full 360 degrees at the machine end (its rotation is restricted so as not to pull out the powerhead plug), and there is no swivel at all on the handle end. Unless you're very careful the hose can twist and kink in use.

Finally, think about how you'll be using the machine. Will you be switching back and forth between different surface types, and between floor and above-floor cleaning? If so, get used to plugging and unplugging the electrical connections every time you want to switch between the power nozzle, bare floor brush and above-floor tools.

Don't get me wrong, the FQ is a great machine and I enjoyed mine - but as the above points show, I found it quite difficult to live with as my main cleaner, hence why I never kept it around for too long.

As for Miele, the variable power and low noise level makes it great for extended sessions of above floor cleaning, but as you say, there is always the problem of the awkwardly shaped hose handle and the dinky little dusting brush. If you can get hold of the Car Clean Set Plus (see link below), this gives you an extra long hose with a short, straight handle end that is easier to use in confined areas. You also get a long crevice tool, which is better than the one already on the machine, and a mini turbo brush which many people would have bought separately anyway. To be honest mine never saw the inside of the car much, but it did make the Miele much more user friendly around the house.

They also make a couple of larger dusting brushes and a very nice extra wide upholstery nozzle too. Thing is, by the time you total up the cost of a Miele and all these optional extras, the whole package is starting to look a little pricey. But it's certainly something to think about if the only thing stopping you from getting on with a Miele is the design of the standard tools.


CLICK HERE TO GO TO spiraclean's LINK


Post# 227136 , Reply# 4   4/7/2013 at 03:39 (4,008 days old) by baglessball ()        

Thank you.

I really appreciate that info.

I have an upright for the deep cleaning of carpets, so another upright with tools seems to defeat the object a little.

I have a miele and love its power and quietness. So i may look into this kit.

Why cant they make one fantastic all round machine dammit!!?


Post# 227145 , Reply# 5   4/7/2013 at 04:27 (4,008 days old) by Ultimatevacman ( Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK)        

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I would recommend a Numatic Henry, they are reliable, have good suction and are built really well, they are rather cheap too, normally around £100.

- Joe


CLICK HERE TO GO TO Ultimatevacman's LINK


Post# 227155 , Reply# 6   4/7/2013 at 07:14 (4,008 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

Everyone will disagree with me, but for me, this is the best above floor cleaner & tool:

Post# 227156 , Reply# 7   4/7/2013 at 07:15 (4,008 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

Look how easy it is to use!

Post# 227157 , Reply# 8   4/7/2013 at 07:16 (4,008 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

The tool can swivel in any way you like...

Post# 227158 , Reply# 9   4/7/2013 at 07:18 (4,008 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

Can easily do a full flight of stairs!

Post# 227159 , Reply# 10   4/7/2013 at 07:24 (4,008 days old) by dysondestijl (east midlands, UK)        

This often happens when I'm using my filter queen...

Post# 227161 , Reply# 11   4/7/2013 at 07:50 (4,008 days old) by cc (louisiana)        
Love

Filter Queens! They have excellent suction, will last Forever, are unique, great attachments - with new ones coming out I hear. Besides being expensive I only have one problem with them. They are probably the best filtering vacs on the market - better then hepa - but - you still have to empty them! If you are allergic to dust, well better get the neighbor to do it. If you can deal with a bagless vac I say go for the filter queen they are awesome.

Post# 227164 , Reply# 12   4/7/2013 at 08:16 (4,008 days old) by Blackheart (North Dakota)        
I'm shocked

blackheart's profile picture
That no one has mentioned compact canisters such as the portapower or buster B i find them to be the easiest to use for above floor cleaning just sling them over your shoulder and you're good to go.

Tristar style machines are usually good for it as well. As is my silver king due to it's long hose.


Post# 227196 , Reply# 13   4/7/2013 at 11:01 (4,007 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)        

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I normally use my Silverado, decent hose and can stand on its butt to reach, or the Dyson dc18 slim, tools and reach.

Post# 227197 , Reply# 14   4/7/2013 at 11:01 (4,007 days old) by vintagerepairer (England)        
Compact canisters

This could be because such cleaners are not readily available in the UK.

Post# 227204 , Reply# 15   4/7/2013 at 11:24 (4,007 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)        

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I don't feel that any of the combo vacs are as easy to use as a separate upright to clean carpets, and a canister vac to clean everything else. You can buy 2 high performing, easy-to-use vacs for less money than many of the high performing combination cleaners.

The best performing cleaner for every task except deep cleaning carpets is the simple basic Miele S2120 Olympus (Contour in Canada). It is the easiest-to-use canister vac for the money (around $300) and performs well with great emissions control and noise control. Add the optional HomeCare tool kit with deluxe attachments ($150) and you've got a great lightweight system to easily remove dust and dirt from everything. For deep cleaning of carpets, add the high-performing, easy-to-use Hoover Platinum Lightweight Bagged upright (get the version that does not come with the companion PortaPower) or the Hoover T-series bagged upright for $180.


Post# 227212 , Reply# 16   4/7/2013 at 13:07 (4,007 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

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Sorry but I beg to differ and it all comes down to actual knowledge of what you can put up with IF you OWN the machine in question and what you read from the specs.

Looking at Amazon.com reveals quite a few interesting things in terms of what Miele offer. Although the $299 Olympus is a basic spec Miele canister vacuum, the S2121 Titan would probably be a better bet given that it comes with a power brush nozzle compared to the suction floor head only on the base Miele you suggest. It is priced at $599 making it substantially a bit more expensive - but it does offer automatically that capability to fill in the "deep cleaning" aspect if the power nozzle is attached.

Also Miele's Super Air Clean filter does NOT hold back emissions. Oh yes you can see the videos online about the particulate air meter valves going to 0 when the emissions test clearly show the Active Air Clean or HEPA filter cartridge gets tested but I know from my own experience that the S2 or any Miele vacuum with its basic Super Air Clean filter on board is useless for keeping back odours regardless of other emissions we can't see but can certainly smell!

Also I own a Miele S2111 - similar to the U.S model you supply as an alternative - I don't find it to be quieter than an S5 and it has a useless 5.5 metre power cord length with a short hose. The suction only floor head has awful wheels that squeal along hard floors and the plastic quality is generally poor compared to the S6, S5 or newer S8.

For a general all rounder, its the Sebo Felix for me for carpets and hard floors or my Sebo X1/X1.1 dependent on choice at the time. Long cord, on/off power nozzle and ease of use generally for carpet and hard floors is all I require. If I need to use the short hose on board, I'll use it - If I need more stretch I'll use Sebo's extension hose to double up the length for above the floor areas. End of the day, neither Sebo upright takes up as much space as a canister with excess cable and even though the Sebo uprights can't store the extension hoses on board, neither can many canisters including Miele store half of the kit they supply as optional extras either.

IF I am in my rental flat when working away from home, I use my SEBO D2. I have a Miele S5 as many of you know (recent swap from a more compact Sebo K1 Komfort) which I really like - the curved handle is actually pretty comfortable and far lighter on the hand than the single Sebo copied handle that some Miele canisters provide. The only prob with the Miele is that it has a short cord and my large rental flat requires a lot longer cord to get around - the D2 handles that beautifully and though it lacks a power nozzle, my carpets don't tend to get a lot of dirt that requires a moving brush roll and from time to time I can use the air driven turbo brush if required.

Also the Miele is a far more compact unit than the Sebo D2 but the D2 offers more stretch and has a bigger bag capacity with lesser need to constantly check on it. Its a difficult compromise, but if you work a 12 hour shift like I do daily, the last thing you want is a machine that is compromised on stretch.




Post# 227213 , Reply# 17   4/7/2013 at 13:11 (4,007 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)        

suckolux's profile picture
I own the Titan you mention, not a deep cleaner with that powerhead.Short hose does have me at my wits at times. Ditto the cord.Quiet machine.

Post# 227214 , Reply# 18   4/7/2013 at 13:13 (4,007 days old) by mieles7 (TX)        

mieles7's profile picture

I think the all in one upright or canister is more popular than an upright/ canister combo because it seems more convenient. With the upright/ canister, you have to go through the house twice, while with the all in one vacuums you can clean everything as soon as you see it.


Post# 227217 , Reply# 19   4/7/2013 at 13:22 (4,007 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

sebo_fan's profile picture
Baglessball - meant to say I have two dusting brushes from Miele - the generic round one you get with a 360 degree rotational axis and the bigger flatter one you can buy as an optional tool - similar to the Dyson one that Dysondestijl has shown - however Miele's one can't be stored on a machine's tool storer if you buy the Miele S2, S4 or S6 cylinders.

Its an alright brush but the standard round brush on the Miele is pretty good and there's a slight difference of plastic dependent on the machine you buy - Miele UK stock the basic round brushes with the S2 whereas the S6 and above get the same brush but with an additional silver look bumper around the perimeter designed to act as a mini bumper and inner dust channel separator due to the wavy nature. I haven't ever really noticed much of a difference but the tools do offer a bit more quality than the ones supplied on the S2.


Post# 227219 , Reply# 20   4/7/2013 at 13:36 (4,007 days old) by vintagerepairer (England)        

I think it all depends on how you clean. For a good deal of years my mother owned both an upright and cylinder cleaner. Her upright cleaner with tools was used downstairs where we had fitted carpets in all but the kitchen, and it was enough for a regular clean. Upstairs she had a cylinder as we only had bare floor boards and rugs. However, she often brought the cylinder downstairs to perform a deep clean of the whole house as she said the extra suction power was "much more useful".

In latter years I got her a Panasonic upright which she loved, but the one and only time she used the extending hose she hit herself in the face with cleaner as it fell towards her. She was 80 years old at the time and was very upset by it. By then I was doing most of the heavier housework tasks for her anyway, and I used to use the hose, but still I favoured a cylinder for all the times I wanted to reach deep down into places and under furniture. I very much dislike expanding hoses on vacuum cleaners as they tend to pull the user back to the cleaner, or in my mothers case, the cleaner to the user.


Post# 227229 , Reply# 21   4/7/2013 at 13:49 (4,007 days old) by suckolux (Yuba City, CA)        

suckolux's profile picture
That happened to my mother with her Hoover also, mom was 81? the cleaner did not survive mother being pissed off.Yes, she threw it across the room

Post# 227232 , Reply# 22   4/7/2013 at 13:56 (4,007 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

sebo_fan's profile picture
Kudos to mothers who get annoyed with vacuums. My mother was fairly abusive with a lot of our Hoover classic uprights, but at least they survived.

VR - the expanding hose issue - oh yes, its very much a design fault I often experience with Miele's extension hose attachment - brings me back to the original hose and the machine if I'm not careful or get stuck around corners!


Post# 227243 , Reply# 23   4/7/2013 at 14:38 (4,007 days old) by vac-o-matic (Saint Louis, Mo.)        
FQ Princess III

I use the above for all my bare floor and above floor/detail cleaning. I love the 10ft. hose and full size attachments, the filtration using the added charcoal filter, long cord, and how quiet it is. When it's time to empty, I put a kitchen size trash bag over it, and turn the bin upside down in the bag, then spray/wipe it with a disenfectant/sanitizer, and I'm good to go. A close second is my Oreck Dutchtech 1400, again with a long hose, cord, quiet, good filtration. One big feature on the Dutchtech I like is that I can turn it on/off at the hose handle, nice.

Post# 227285 , Reply# 24   4/7/2013 at 18:41 (4,007 days old) by AlexHoovers94 (Manchester UK)        

alexhoovers94's profile picture
I don't have a specific vacuum to use everyday, I just use whatever vacuum I feel like, I don't use the tools everytime I vacuum (everyday) anyway but normally I use the Turbopower 2 or the Turbopower Total System for my "allrounders" but again what vacuum I use depends on what I feel like using that day when I use the Total System for an "allrounder" the tool Suction is not quite as strong as on the turbopower 2 but it is certainly enough to get the dust out of crevices and get the hairs or crumbs of the sofa, so it does me.

I do however have an upstairs vac and that is the Contour.

Not really relevent but I use the Henry or the Purepower for the cars, usually the purepower as it has very strong suction and it has that nice slender crevice tool that can get right down the sides of the seats and usually fits in most tight spaces (that's what she said) around the car.


Post# 227315 , Reply# 25   4/7/2013 at 21:22 (4,007 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

sebo_fan's profile picture
As you know Alex, the beauty of the Hoover TP series and infact most of their vacs is that you can use any tools from other brands. Years ago, middle of the 1990s Argos used to sell a small range of "unbranded" Wessel werk type air driven turbo brushes - the mini, small kinds that Miele and Sebo use. I bought a couple of them from Argos primarily to be used on the vacs I had at that time that didn't ever come with those kinds of tools as standard - attached to the TP2 and TP3 kind of gave the vacs a bit more versatility as well as extended cleaning power.

Post# 227379 , Reply# 26   4/8/2013 at 06:14 (4,007 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

sebo_fan's profile picture
VR - I also agree with you that it does depend on the way you clean! Even after whatever I choose to use, I spied a cobweb in the corner of my kitchen today a couple of inches from my microwave which is located up on a work top. Whilst cleaning the kitchen with wet wipes and steam cleaner, grabbed the nearest gadget I have (Hoover cordless hand held dust buster) to remove offending cobweb and then went about all the worktops removing toast crumbs, coffee powder and loose dirt instead of the intention to wipe everything down with wet wipes.

There's an example then - clearly when I'd usually use a bigger vac to get around my worktops, on this occasion I chose to use a low powered hand held dust buster!


Post# 227466 , Reply# 27   4/8/2013 at 20:44 (4,006 days old) by floor-a-matic (somewhere)        

Electrolux because I can stand the canister on its rear end for vacing high places

 

Compact/TriStar or Filter Queen because of powerful suction

 

Rainbow for extra long hose (but I can use an extra long hose for most vacuums too)


Post# 227507 , Reply# 28   4/9/2013 at 02:52 (4,006 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

For above floor cleaning-with handtools-like my Sebo D4 Premium-but don't like its dust brush-use an adaptor with a Kirby dust brush.Same with the Meile.For real serious above floor work-the NSS M1 "Pig"esp with big cobwebs,the car,and so on.The Pigs LONG hose allows you to reach anywhere without lifting the machine.And I have a "Hi Up wand for it so I can reach really high places-no other vac can go.Another good hand tool machine is the older TriStar-the "Baby" pig.Yes-even used my M1 pig to slurp out a freinds fireplace-replaced the paper bag right afterwards and put it in his metal trash can.Wouldn't dare do that with any other canister vacuum I have.Another thing for the NSS pig---You can use it as a blower Kirby style--make sure the scrap trap is empty.Remove the bag and put the hose on the fan discharge-instant super blower-blew the driveway with that-better and quieter than garden ones.I can use the NSS blower to "Blow Dry" carpets after using the Kirby Foam carpet cleaner.More powerful air blast than the Kirby.Use an NSS wand on the hose without the floor tool attached.

Post# 227545 , Reply# 29   4/9/2013 at 13:21 (4,005 days old) by kenkart ()        
AirWay!!!

I use a 88 Airway sanitizer, the hose is 10 feet long and in the upright position you can reach anything, plus the tools are perfect.

Post# 227662 , Reply# 30   4/10/2013 at 02:58 (4,005 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

Forgot about the AirWay-another good above floor cleaning champ.And you can use most standard handtools with it.And the Filtrete bags improve the airflow!Oh yes-another similar vacuum is the Royal "Pony" type canisters.I have a lot of above ground machines-hard to name them all-and Rainbow!!Its fun to use too,how dirty can you get the water in the bin?

Post# 227741 , Reply# 31   4/10/2013 at 15:56 (4,004 days old) by parwaz786 ( )        

Dyson DC44 is the best, and The above the floor cleaner I like best is the Dyson DC04, actually I love it as for what it is!

Excellent tools
Quiet
Easy to use
LArge bin
Rarely clogs
Filters don't clog un-till you vacuum up something like plaster IMO
Fantastic at cleaning carpets
Lasts long
On clutched models, it has a LOVELY hose cuff which lets you have airflow by pressing the circle button, and that leaks some air which is nice :D
On non clutched models, it has a nice rubber cuff which don't crack
Durable
Well made
Not flimsy
better designed than the DC07 in a few ways
Long cable
The DC04's are very popular
Please excuse my language- (using that they dont get like that EG) etc- I am from Birmingham


Post# 227742 , Reply# 32   4/10/2013 at 15:56 (4,004 days old) by parwaz786 ( )        

IGNORE THE LAST BIT AS TO WHAT I SAID

Post# 227829 , Reply# 33   4/11/2013 at 08:47 (4,004 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        

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Dont know if its totally valid but I noticed Currys are doing a good trade in on almost all Dyson vacs. It is tempting knowing how average I've found my Panasonic upright to be but the main thing I dislike about Dyson is the central hose/wand release. Much prefer a more conventional one.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO sebo_fan's LINK


Post# 227832 , Reply# 34   4/11/2013 at 09:13 (4,004 days old) by parwaz786 ( )        

If I were to go to Currys, I would buy the DC33 Animal, I believe its the best Dyson there, DC41 is too "TECHY" My friend has the DC41 Animal and he loves it, but I dont, he says its better than his old Henry, and my neighbour has a DC40 multi floor which he loves, I dont.
DC33 is good, its the most similar Dyson to the DC04, DC07 or DC14 there, and the old Dysons are the best


Post# 232643 , Reply# 35   5/14/2013 at 08:23 (3,971 days old) by sebo_fan (Scotland, UK, member AKA ukvacfan, & Nar2)        
What about Shark Navigator Lift Around?

sebo_fan's profile picture
Has anyone seen this? Im sure it has been more popular in the U.S but Lakeland (as some of you may known) sell a lot of great vacuums and household cleaning products that I sometimes find myself going ga-ga over. They have been selling a few Shark products in the UK for some time and the "Lift Around" looks like a good design "for above the floor cleaning".

They also sell the cordless Navigator (£139-99).


CLICK HERE TO GO TO sebo_fan's LINK


Post# 232718 , Reply# 36   5/14/2013 at 20:44 (3,970 days old) by shopvacdude ()        

I use a 6 gallon wet/dry vacuum with a 12 foot hose for all the above ground stuff. It works great, and it's cheap. The only problem is the noise.
If filtration is an issue, better filters can usually be bought. If not, they can be improvised easily. Electrostatic HVAC filtration media works great for allergens and fine dust.



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