Thread Number: 34694  /  Tag: Brand New Vacuum Cleaners
my new Vorwerk VK200
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Post# 374737   6/30/2017 at 09:55 (2,463 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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Hi folks,

I recently got myself a lovely brand new Vorwerk VK200 and thought I'd give a bit of a review and some pics.

I had an in-home demo from 2 Vorwerk rep's, similar in style to Kirby and Rainbow demo's but not from door to door sales - it's all done on networking and by request only.

They were upfront about the price tag from the start - no sales tactics, no "I'll call my manager to get the price down" tricks, no bumping up the price for higher commission. They demo'd everything for me and answered all my questions (I am NOT an easy vacuum customer, as you can imagine). They also showed me some bits not included with the package like the handheld vac, purely for my interest rather than to sell it. At the end of the demo, they thanked me for my time, said goodbye and to call them if I was interested in making a purchase. A very refreshing change form the reputation that in-house sales and demo's have got in recent years.

After sleeping on it, I decided to get one. I chose a package based on cleaning needs in my own home. I didn't get the DuoClean head, which is an attachment that mops and vacuums hard floors at the same time. It's a great attachment but I don't have enough hard floors to get the best use out of it, so it wasn't worth the increased price of including it with my package.

Onto delivery - it was actually a day late because someone at Vorwerk missed part of my order, so they recalled it from DPD and added the missing part. Wasn't too happy about that but hey ho. Also, the lady who called me really needs to learn how to prounounce the Vorwerk. She kept saying it as it's spelt in a thick, cockney accent. I had stop stop myself from yelling "it's pronounced FOR-VERK".

Now, seriously, this thing comes with like 72,319 boxes. It's a nightmare to unpack, all the boxes FILLED the hallway. Way too much IMO. There were boxes inside other boxes with smaller boxes in them!! Madness.

Onto the cleaner itself. As an upright, it does a very good job, which sort of baffles me a bit. The brushroll is soft with rubber blades and the suction isn't that powerful - I had it on automode. It defies everything I believed in - high suction or powerful agitation. This has neither but still picks up hair, dust and grit equally as well as my Sebo Felix and Kirby G6. Compared with the Sebo, the Vorwerk is lighter, quieter and easier to maneuver, but the Sebo has on board tools and an easier to access brushroll, pros and cons to both.

Above floor is where this little bad boy comes into it's own. The tools are AMAZING. There is nothing you can't vacuum with it and coupled with the various power settings, it's amazing. The waterless window cleaning kit particularly impressed me. I haven't tried the mattress cleaner yet, but I will post my findings when I do. It's cut my cleaning time in half in that regard. I did think that the hose could be longer, but once I had the shoulder strap on, I was glad it wasn't - I'd be tripping over it and bumping into everything.

The bottom fill bags, I thought, were the dumbest thing I'd ever seen. Bottom fill bags!? What is this, 1974? But they work really well. Basically, if you imagine turning a Lux 345 on it's head, that's how it works - it creates a cyclone in the bag which forces the dust and dirt to the sides, keeping a clear air path through the middle of the bag. It also has a little cover which snaps shut when you turn the cleaner off to stop dirt falling out.

Having used the vacuum throughout the house, it has filled half a bag! Not bad going, considering I only vacuumed with the Sebo on Wednesday!

Overall, very pleased with my purchase and I would definitely recommend.


Post# 374738 , Reply# 1   6/30/2017 at 09:57 (2,463 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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Post# 374744 , Reply# 2   6/30/2017 at 13:56 (2,463 days old) by myles_v (Fredericksburg, VA)        

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The Vorwerk sounds like an amazing machine, it's a shame we don't have these here in the states.

How exactly does the waterless window cleaner work? More pictures would be amazing :)


Post# 374745 , Reply# 3   6/30/2017 at 15:16 (2,463 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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Hi Myles,

The waterless window system is very interesting. It's a liquid that you apply to windows and glass surfaces with a special microfibre cloth (provided). Let it dry and then vacuum off with a specially designed nozzle.

It works in a similar way to carpet cleaning powders - as it dries, it absorbs dirt and grease and once dry, it can be vacuumed up like dust.

I'll get some more pics over the weeekend for you :)

Chris


Post# 374763 , Reply# 4   7/1/2017 at 06:19 (2,462 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

If the Vorwerk was introduced into the US-would give Kirby some needed competition-the only other DTD upright currently being sold.Would love to see a demo of this vacuum cleaning system.

Post# 374765 , Reply# 5   7/1/2017 at 07:14 (2,462 days old) by kenkart ()        
They USED to be here

I have one from the 70s!

Post# 374843 , Reply# 6   7/3/2017 at 11:34 (2,460 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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Here is the cleaner in upright mode. The lights on the cleaner indicate when the bag needs changing and the lights on the powerhead indicate carpet or hard floor mode. The powerhead has an ultrasonic sensor that detects carpet or hard floor and adjusts according. This can also be manually over ridden if needs be.

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Post# 374845 , Reply# 7   7/3/2017 at 11:36 (2,460 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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power settings on the handle.
Soft is 50w, medium is 300w and max is 700w. Auto is between 100w and 400w depending on the floor type.


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Post# 374846 , Reply# 8   7/3/2017 at 11:38 (2,460 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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All set up for hose use. The hose is electronic, more in that later. There is a nifty handle on the body or you can use the shoulder strap. The suction unit of the cleaner is only 3kg so very light to use.

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Post# 374847 , Reply# 9   7/3/2017 at 11:39 (2,460 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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Onto the tools, first up, the crevice tool. This is multi use and has a rubber extension piece that bends and flexes where you need it. There's also an optional detachable brush for dusting.

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Post# 374848 , Reply# 10   7/3/2017 at 11:41 (2,460 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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This is the dusting brush and is fully adjustable using the green switch. It can be extended for very delicate cleaning or made tighter for smaller gaps.

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Post# 374849 , Reply# 11   7/3/2017 at 11:42 (2,460 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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The combination upholstery, wall and floor brush. This comes in 2 pieces and can be made larger for walls and floors, smaller for upholstery and also becomes a quick use crevice tool

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Post# 374850 , Reply# 12   7/3/2017 at 11:47 (2,460 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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This one is my favourite. The polsterboy motorised brush attachment for furniture & stairs. The brushes contrarotate so they don't get tangled up with hair and the suction can be diverted to the tip for cleaning crevices so you don't have to keep switching tools all the time.

The polsterboy comes with 3 attachments - the other 2 are for vacuuming mattresses and using both the Korbosan dry cleaning powder or Lavinia mattress and upholstery cleaning powder above floor.


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Post# 374851 , Reply# 13   7/3/2017 at 11:50 (2,460 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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the multi-use telescopic extension tube that fits all tools except the polsterboy

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Post# 374852 , Reply# 14   7/3/2017 at 11:52 (2,460 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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Here is the window cleaning kit, as described above.

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Post# 374853 , Reply# 15   7/3/2017 at 11:54 (2,460 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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Bag change is very easy. The bags come in little bundles that you don't need to unfasten. Just fit them as they are and the machine does the rest. I was a bit dubious about the bottom fill bags but they work really well

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Post# 374854 , Reply# 16   7/3/2017 at 12:06 (2,460 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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True all-round cleaning

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Post# 374855 , Reply# 17   7/3/2017 at 12:08 (2,460 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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All packed away...for now.
I did get the carpet freshener cleaning head too, but I haven't used it yet


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Post# 374857 , Reply# 18   7/3/2017 at 13:58 (2,460 days old) by cuffs054 (monticello, ga)        

That looks great. Very versatile.

Post# 374858 , Reply# 19   7/3/2017 at 14:11 (2,460 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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It really is a great all-round cleaner, I'm very impressed

Post# 374879 , Reply# 20   7/4/2017 at 03:01 (2,460 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

Interesting.Can the unit be worn like a backpack?For the bag guess after you put it in the vacuum it inflates as it fills with dust and dirt?

Post# 374880 , Reply# 21   7/4/2017 at 03:02 (2,460 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

Vorwerk from the 70's any pictures of this system?Would like to see it.

Post# 374883 , Reply# 22   7/4/2017 at 05:34 (2,459 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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Hi Rex, the unit comes with a shoulder strap but can't be word like a backpack. I wish it could, that's one of the few improvements that could be made.

The bag is interesting. It's bottom fill but has a flap that seals it shut. When you turn the machine on, an air-driven leaver forces the flap open. You can hear it pop open and snap shut as you turn the cleaner on and off.

When you fit a new bag, 2 prongs on the back door cut the tape that hold it together. Then the bag inflates when you turn the cleaner on.

Chris


Post# 374884 , Reply# 23   7/4/2017 at 06:21 (2,459 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

Another possibility for the "canister" unit a wheeled base or dolly to put it on so it can be used like a wheeled,floor mounted canister-good for folks with back problems or don't want to lug the unit around.The bag design is interesting.Would love to see that work.Does the machine have other filters or HEPA filters in it?

Post# 374885 , Reply# 24   7/4/2017 at 06:32 (2,459 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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The bag itself is HEPA13 so replacing the bag each time is the equivalent of a new bag and filter each time. There is a motor protection filter as a back up but this doesn't need to be replaced often. There is no exhaust filter as the cleaner has a brushless motor so no carbon dust.

Post# 374905 , Reply# 25   7/5/2017 at 00:28 (2,459 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

Unique-the Vorwerk has a brushless motor-is the speed variable?Good it has a "safety" filter in case the bag leaks or breaks.

Post# 374910 , Reply# 26   7/5/2017 at 02:30 (2,459 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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Yes, it has 4 settings - soft, medium, maximum & automatic

Post# 374914 , Reply# 27   7/5/2017 at 06:53 (2,458 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)        

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As beautiful and as versatile as this Vorwerk system is, I really wonder about the ability of its small brush roll to deep clean high pile carpet. It may be fine on low pile rugs and for getting surface litter, but removing ground-in dirt embedded deep in the pile requires a more robust revolving brush....like you get with a Kirby or Sanitaire or even the Miele S7/Dynamic upright. Would be interesting to do a comparative test of the Miele and the Vorwerk on deep pile carpeting.

Post# 374922 , Reply# 28   7/5/2017 at 10:39 (2,458 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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It would depend entirely on the nature of your home I suppose. No one vacuum will ever suit every user, every house and every floor type.

I've got a Kirby G6 and the Vorwerk still picks up dirt and hair after vacuuming with the Kirby. However I don't think that's an accurate test and never have. No vacuum removes 100% of the dust and dirt, you could keep going over and over with different vacuums and keep getting dirt out.

The Vorwerk and Kirby systems are so similar in some ways, but with different approaches to the same outcome. The Vorwerk is smaller and lighter than both the Miele and the Kirby and far better for frequently switching between different floor types whereas the Kirby is far better suited for larger areas of deeper, wall to wall carpets.


Post# 374928 , Reply# 29   7/5/2017 at 16:59 (2,458 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)        

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There is no doubt that converting the Kirby to bare floor cleaning mode is a far more cumbersome process than the simple flick of a switch on the Vorwerk and the Miele. The German vacs are probably far easier to use in general, though you can't beat the deep carpet cleaning provided by a heavy self-propelled Kirby.

Post# 374952 , Reply# 30   7/6/2017 at 02:39 (2,458 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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But that's only suitable if you have lots of thick, cut pile wall to wall carpets. If you've got a mixture of floor types, lower pile or Berber carpets, the Kirby is a waste of time.

There's no switch to change floortypes on the Vorwerk, it has an ultrasonic sensor underneath that detects the floor type & adjusts accordingly.


Post# 374967 , Reply# 31   7/6/2017 at 20:12 (2,457 days old) by myles_v (Fredericksburg, VA)        

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Very nice, I really wish we had the Vorwerk in the states. I can't see myself buying a Kirby Avalir new, there just isn't enough change from previous models. The Kobold seems to change frequently and looks very modern.

Post# 375447 , Reply# 32   7/16/2017 at 12:03 (2,447 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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I finally got around to doing some comparisons between my Kirby G6 and the Vorwerk.

Post# 375448 , Reply# 33   7/16/2017 at 12:10 (2,447 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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Both are great cleaners. The Kirby wins in the deep pile cleaning stakes and also for wider open spaces of carpet. However it's so god damn heavy and the rooms in our house are not that large, whist makes it very awkward to use. As we have 3 floors, above floor cleaning is important which is really where the Vorwerk comes into its own. The sonic sensor on the powerhead switches between carpet and hard floor settings without me doing anything.

In terms of dry vacuum cleaning, the Vorwerk offers so much more - waterless window/glass cleaning, the Lavinia mattress cleaning kit, motorised polsterboy for upholstery/stair cleaning.

I prefer the tool storage set up on the a Kirby. The hard case caddy is easier to carry around and the tools are more accessible and quicker. I also like that the Kirby fully becomes a cylinder/canister cleaner that can be pulled around on wheels - something Vorwerk could look at doing in the future with some sort of caddy like on the Shark uprights.


Post# 375510 , Reply# 34   7/17/2017 at 22:59 (2,446 days old) by eurekaprince (Montreal, Canada)        

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I imagine the bag in the Kirby is much larger than that in this new Vorwerk, which probably means less bag changes. Also, the top fill configuration probably maintains better airflow as the bag fills. I can't imagine the airflow being that great in the Vorwerk as the air has to fight its way through the collection of dirt in the bottom fill bag.

Post# 375520 , Reply# 35   7/18/2017 at 02:25 (2,446 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

Is the New Vorwerk a fan first-direct air machine like the early Vorwerk and Kirby?

Post# 375561 , Reply# 36   7/19/2017 at 04:38 (2,444 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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It's a clean air machine. The digital motor is in the top of the machine. If you read the first post, I explained the bag set up:

The bottom fill bags, I thought, were the dumbest thing I'd ever seen. Bottom fill bags!? What is this, 1974? But they work really well. Basically, if you imagine turning a Lux 345 on it's head, that's how it works - it creates a cyclone in the bag which forces the dust and dirt to the sides, keeping a clear air path through the middle of the bag. It also has a little cover which snaps shut when you turn the cleaner off to stop dirt falling out.

The bag is pretty full but there's been no suction loss as the dust is building up on the side of the bag.


Post# 375562 , Reply# 37   7/19/2017 at 06:23 (2,444 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

That is what I thought-a clean air machine.Since the bags appear to be cloth-it may not really matter if top or bottom fill-with the cyclone airflow.The Vorwerk would be an interesting vacuum to see-but don't think I will replace my Kirby with one.

Post# 375645 , Reply# 38   7/21/2017 at 05:15 (2,442 days old) by sebo4me (Cardiff)        

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Lush Vacuum cleaner. Was very tempted to buy one last month.

Hope you're enjoying it Chris :)


Post# 375662 , Reply# 39   7/21/2017 at 16:32 (2,442 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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Thanks Mark, I'm loving it!! I'm trying out the carpet freshener at my in laws tomorrow, I'll let you know how it does.

Totally off topic Mark, but the stubble suits you, keep it up. Just don't let it grow into a full blown dangling beard.


Post# 375685 , Reply# 40   7/21/2017 at 23:56 (2,442 days old) by Sebo4me (Cardiff)        

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Yes let me know. The range of accessories are the best i've seen. They are a bit on the expensive side but still a great investment.

Haha thanks Chris my electric shaver packed in :)


Post# 375694 , Reply# 41   7/22/2017 at 11:30 (2,441 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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That's exactly where I've found the Vorwerk to come into its own. As an upright, it's much lighter & quieter but doesn't pick up a whole lot more. Whereas above floor, nothing compares really

Post# 375695 , Reply# 42   7/22/2017 at 11:37 (2,441 days old) by Sebo4me (Cardiff)        

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I am going to get one sometime. It's just such a cool looking cleaner.

There's not much else around right now that interests me.

Hopefully that will change.


Post# 376260 , Reply# 43   8/2/2017 at 06:04 (2,430 days old) by DrSnuggle (Sweden Stockholm)        

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Hi!
Are you by any chance Sorcerer on youtube?
We have one thing in common, we both own a Kobold VK200.
I did a lot of videos with it, but I would like to see your take on it😀 live.

If you are sorcerer then you must have been like 10 years old when you started making videos 🙂.


Post# 376267 , Reply# 44   8/2/2017 at 08:34 (2,430 days old) by Sebo4me (Cardiff)        

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Chris is the Sorcerer 😊

Post# 376268 , Reply# 45   8/2/2017 at 08:36 (2,430 days old) by Sebo4me (Cardiff)        

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I'd like to see him make a video of his Vorwerk too. 👍

Post# 376281 , Reply# 46   8/2/2017 at 12:21 (2,430 days old) by myles_v (Fredericksburg, VA)        

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The Vorwerk just looks so practical and modern compared to the Kirby. Many people have an issue with using Kirby vacuums because of their complicated attachments, while the Vorwerk's attachments seem simpler to use while still being even more versatile.

I personally prefer dry compound carpet cleaning to dry foam, so the Kobosan attachment is neat.


Post# 376362 , Reply# 47   8/4/2017 at 05:23 (2,428 days old) by Turbo500 (West Yorkshire, UK)        

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Hej Jakob!

Yes, I'm sorcerer101567 on YouTube! I think my first video was in 2008 or so, so I would've been 18. I'm 27 now.

I'll try and do some videos when I can, things are fairly busy at the moment so I don't always get chance. I've got some holiday time booked off coming up so maybe then :).

Myles, you're absolutely right. In terms of dry vacuuming, the Kobold does everything that the Kirby does, but in a lighter, quieter and more convenient cleaner.



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