Thread Number: 43685  /  Tag: Brand New Vacuum Cleaners
Cirrus Unit Made By Tacony
[Down to Last]

Vacuumland's exclusive eBay Watch:
scroll >>> for more items --- [As an eBay Partner, eBay may compensate vacuumland.org if you make a purchase using any link to eBay on this page]
Post# 456097   8/22/2022 at 00:09 (584 days old) by repairman (Woodridge, IL)        

I noticed the new commercial model looks exactly like the Titan uprights and the part numbers on the diagrams from my vac supplier are showing up as Riccar part numbers? Does anyone have further details?

CLICK HERE TO GO TO repairman's LINK


  Photos...       <              >      Photo 1 of 2         View Full Size
Post# 456106 , Reply# 1   8/22/2022 at 14:46 (584 days old) by panasonicvac (Northern Utah)        

panasonicvac's profile picture
They're made by Tacony and the rest by ESSCO.

Post# 456121 , Reply# 2   8/22/2022 at 20:32 (583 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)        

huskyvacs's profile picture
The entire vacuum is a rebranded Carpet-Pro CPU-3QD. They are selling the same vacuum twice.

Going deeper than that - these vacuums are hodgepodge of recycled parts from older vacuums from past manufacturers that are assembled into one expensive overpriced package.

The base is from Riccar, the middle body is from Panasonic and the top handle and hose system is from a Carpet Pro.

The Bank, Cirrus, Carpet Pro, Titan, and others - all the same maker.


  View Full Size
Post# 456122 , Reply# 3   8/22/2022 at 20:33 (583 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)        

huskyvacs's profile picture
Oh and I forgot Fuller Brush as well.

  View Full Size
Post# 456130 , Reply# 4   8/22/2022 at 23:12 (583 days old) by repairman (Woodridge, IL)        

It seems the Titan units are sold through Steel City and the Carpet Pro through Essco. That just makes it easier for shops to get parts who aren't Tacony dealers. Didn't they kill off the Fuller Brush name?

Post# 456132 , Reply# 5   8/23/2022 at 06:28 (583 days old) by S2_82 (Ohio)        

@repairman yea I think Simplicity replaced Fuller Brush

Post# 456139 , Reply# 6   8/23/2022 at 10:12 (583 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

dysonman1's profile picture
Currently it's a Cirrus in gray, a Titan in black, a CleanMAX in green, and a Powr-Flite in blue. It WAS a CarpetPro in yellow and a Fuller Brush in red. It was also a TaskMaster as well as a Tornado branded upright in black and yellow.

Post# 456142 , Reply# 7   8/23/2022 at 17:01 (582 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)        

huskyvacs's profile picture
How come they sold them under so many names anyway? It reminds me how the Geo Tracker was sold as like 50 different names across the world. lol

Post# 456160 , Reply# 8   8/24/2022 at 14:29 (582 days old) by mark40511 (Lexington, KY)        

mark40511's profile picture
about 4 years ago when I bought my Cirrus CR79 (green) it was in the $350 dollar range in price. Now, that same vacuum is in the $500's..every year I check out of curiosity it goes up in price...It is confusing because I've seen so many vacuums that look almost identical except for a few minor things.

Post# 456189 , Reply# 9   8/25/2022 at 13:13 (581 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)        

kirbylux77's profile picture
Mark - I think the former ESSCO sourced commercial Cirrus upright was about $500 US Dollars as well as this Tacony rebadged Cirrus commercial upright. The ironic part of it was the TOL ESSCO residential Cirrus CR99 upright not only had more features, but a double stage Ametek motor whereas the commercial upright had only a single stage Ametek motor. One would think it would be the commercial upright with the better motor!

Tom - Here in Canada, Hibbert International is still carrying the Carpet Pro uprights on their website and showing it as active stock, not discontinued. Plus it's still showing up on a Google search on many websites.

I sure do hope that ESSCO doesn't discontinue these Cirrus uprights and replace them entirely with Tacony versions eventually. They were a really nice design - have some features not available on the other Panasonic-style copycats, like the variable speed control on the TOL residential CR99 upright - and I personally think the best built of the bunch. However, with these old school upright designs gradually losing favour with consumers in favour of more modern designs, like the Shark-style swivel upright for example, I think it's only a matter of time. They can't justify manufacturing one variant of this style forever when they can find cost efficiencies with the Tacony style upright that's similar enough and will likely appeal just as much to the same consumers.

Rob


Post# 456199 , Reply# 10   8/25/2022 at 21:36 (580 days old) by mark40511 (Lexington, KY)        

mark40511's profile picture
well I love my CR-79...never a hint of dust in the bag chamber thanks to the HEPA bags no matter how long I go without changing them...and the after market 14 foot extension hose with tools I can use it as a canister. I hate the tools that came with it I don't use them...I think they are made to be repaired if you take them to a vac shop so hopefully I'll have this one a long time. But I've never seen so many vacuums that look like it...from simplicity to fuller brush to panasonic...prolux... The one thing I do worry about is the handle...I never pick it up by the handle...but using it the vacuum still uses a lot of force pushing the weight back/forth...but so far so good.

Post# 456201 , Reply# 11   8/26/2022 at 01:16 (580 days old) by panasonicvac (Northern Utah)        

panasonicvac's profile picture
That is right Rob, the CR99 was around in the $500 range which I think is a fair price. I think what was really dumb of the manufacture was not only the prices went up but they've even cheapened the hose to where it is now clear. I hate clear hoses. At least though they've updated the warranty. I think the CR99 is an excellent upright, my buddy sold those along with the CR79 and a few others when he had his vacuum shop. And I agree with you Rob, I hope those uprights would still be around forever. In my opinion I like them more than the Air-Way versions or others that are similar to the Berninas. They were supposed to be discontinued in favor of the Cirrus line, I guess they decided to continue sticking with those older designs. But I don't think Tacony would replace all of their uprights, at least not the residential ones. Actually I think it's good Cirrus has a Tacony upright in their line. It uses a double stage motor despite the fact that it's 10 amps. The hose is not clear. And they're cheaper than the C-CR9100 especially since the wheels are plastic unlike the C-CPU4T where it's rubber. Honestly if I really wanted to buy a brand new metal bypass upright today, I would get a Tacony made model over the ESSCO ones. Preferably the CleanMax CMPS-QDZ.2 since it's got a lifetime belt and a hall sensor. The CR79 or even the CR99 doesn't offer any of those features and I don't really care about the clutch or the variable speed control. Also about Carpet Pro, from my understanding Carpet Pro isn't being made at this time. At least that's what a rep told me here. They were more focused on CleanMax and their other commercial brands or licensing brands since there's more of a market in the commercial business than there is on the residential side.

Post# 456202 , Reply# 12   8/26/2022 at 03:30 (580 days old) by mark40511 (Lexington, KY)        

mark40511's profile picture
Hey panasonicvac

that cleanmax looks nice but I'm confused. Would there being no clutch mean that the brushroll is ALWAYS running? Maybe I'm wrong but I thought that's what the clutch did...there is no way in hell I would want an upright with the brushroll always running with no way to turn it off. Surely I'm wrong. It looks like a nice vacuum


Post# 456203 , Reply# 13   8/26/2022 at 07:35 (580 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)        

kirbylux77's profile picture
Mark - Yes, that's right. No clutch = brushroll always running. Not really a issue when using tools since the brushroll gets raised off the ground enough so there's no damage to the carpet. The whole purpose of the clutch in this style of upright is that when you use the clutch, it takes the belt off the motor spindle pulley so the brushroll stops turning to clean bare floors. Don't confuse it with the "clutch" that the Dyson traditional wheeled uprights - like the DC07, DC14, and DC33 used - in the case of the Dyson's, not only does it allow you to shut off the brushroll, but it also acts as belt protection. The belts won't snap if something gets snagged in there - instead the clutch makes that ratchety sound and you stop and fix it.

Alex - I stand corrected on the Carpet Pro uprights. Guess what I saw on that supplier website and online must have been old leftover stock that simply hasn't been depleted yet. Funny thing is, I thought Carpet Pro WAS their commercial vacuum line, and Fuller Brush was the residential vacuum line! Fuller did have 1 or 2 commercial models, but not much.

As for the clear hoses on the Cirrus uprights, I agree with you, they look gross after dirt has built up in them after a few uses! And they look more in place on a $50 Bissell PowerForce from WalMart than a $500 upright. I think ESSCO must have been listening to their customer base and thought consumers would want it so they can see easily if their hose is clogged. As for the Bernina-style upright variants, agreed! I never have liked those uprights AT ALL! They look really cheaply built. And one BIG issue I have with the Prolux variant in particular is they put the pleated HEPA filter as the pre-motor filter - not the right place for it, that belongs on the exhaust!!! Pointless having it there if you have HEPA Cloth bags available to use. Get this - one vac shop guy on YouTube, House Of Vacuums - he won't even touch the Prolux uprights! He says there is too much difference between them and the others that he can't get parts for them. I would assume then that also applies to the Bernina and AirWay uprights then too. But certainly not a good thing if you have a vac shop brand upright that's supposed to be better quality, and here you have 1 vac shop saying they won't even look at them! That's gptta say something about the build quality of those machines. Also, go on Amazon and look at reviews for the Prolux uprights....they have a LOT of bad reviews, and the complaints made in them cite MAJOR issues, not just trivial stuff.

That's nice to know the Tacony commercial uprights have double stage motors, very impressive. Sounds like it's definitely better than the previous ESSCO built Cirrus commercial upright, and a better buy. I wouldn't agree with you though on the features of the Cirrus CR99 though - sure commercial users wouldn't want the variable speed and clutch for brushroll shutoff, and they would prefer the hall sensor and permanent belt, but residential users wouldn't - with the current style going towards hard floor and area rugs in homes, I think if a $500 upright didn't have that feature, it would most likely be a deal breaker to a lot of consumers. And no, I don't see how many would be so willing to have to whip out a hose, extend a wand, put a floor brush on and clean hard floors that way, I think most would say that method would be too awkward and inconvenient.

As for not discontinuing the Bernina style uprights in favour of the Cirrus style, I think ESSCO would have probably put a stop to that quick and not want their upright rebadged and just be another generic upright with a ton of names on it. Keep it as their own unique upright under their own name. Now, as for Tacony not making the residential Cirrus uprights, I still think it could happen. IF they were so willing to rebadge the Carpet Pro style under a ton of commercial upright names, I could totally see how they would sell themselves out to the residential market. And like I said above, this older style traditional upright is slowly but surely starting to grow out of favour with consumers as time passes on, I think ESSCO would do what they have to to make a good quality upright to sell, still make a decent profit, and I think consumers who were looking at it would still think it's a decent enough machine and acceptable enough to purchase if they were in the market for this style upright.

Have a great day Alex! Nice to know there's someone decent who works in the industry on here. :)

Rob


Post# 456219 , Reply# 14   8/26/2022 at 23:00 (579 days old) by mark40511 (Lexington, KY)        

mark40511's profile picture
Hey Kirbylux thanks...I didn't consider the fact that it would be raised..I was imagining the brushroll spinning into the carpet in the same place while vacuum is parked running...My current Cirrus raises off the ground probably identical to that one..and you're right...the brushroll doesn't touch anything...but on mine it goes off.

Post# 456221 , Reply# 15   8/27/2022 at 01:22 (579 days old) by panasonicvac (Northern Utah)        

panasonicvac's profile picture
Thanks Rob, same goes for you and hope that things are going well for you:) Thought I'd mention here that I technically no longer work at a vacuum store as I've moved on with my career, I now sit at an office, however occasionally I'd help out if any of my local vacuum stores are behind or just really busy. But my love of vacuums I know for certain will never go away. I'd still visit my vacuum shops whenever I'd need parts and also check out what they'd have on display. I've seen the new Air-Way uprights my closest dealer has, they're really just rebadged Bernina uprights. While I may not like them as much as the Cirrus versions, I'd still take them over any vacuum Walmart, Target, or Costco would have including Kenmore. I guess to clarify from my previous post, it's not that I don't really like the variable speed control or the clutch, it's just that I wouldn't really use it. Not to mention that they're extra parts I'd need to take apart if I were to completely clean out a Cirrus. But I'll admit that they're both really nice features, in fact I think Cirrus has the best clutch mechanism that I've ever used on a vacuum! However I really like the lifetime belt the CleanMaxx would offer me and the hall sensor that I'd find really useful. I have a relative who owns a Riccar Premium Vibrance R20P.2 and I've accidently vacuumed up bed covers that the hall sensor was luckily able to catch. I've only turned off the clutch maybe a few times on it but didn't really thought it was necessary to do. I don't really like cleaning barefloors with these type of vacuums since they're one sided suction machines. However, I can fit in an extension hose on the back port and I can just use the barefloor tool to easily vacuum the floors as if I would be using a central vac or a canister with a really long hose. I can also do that with a Cirrus as well, if the CR99 would cost similarly to the CleanMaxx CMPS-QDZ.2, then maybe I would consider buying the Cirrus instead. But if I could have a metal bypass upright that would still be made by any company today especially if Hoover was still selling their Dial-A-Matics or Kenmore still selling their Duo-Power, the Riccar Ultra Premium Vibrance R20UP or the Simplicity Ultra Premium Symmetry S20UP is what I'd want to have cause those are the overall best ones that I've ever used at least by far. I wished those two were still being made today.

  View Full Size
Post# 456224 , Reply# 16   8/27/2022 at 09:19 (579 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

dysonman1's profile picture
I remember how those Ultra Premiums would just SCREAM in the factory when they were testing each one before they were boxed. They used a bath towel nailed on one end to a board and sucked up the towel. God how I hate hall sensors. Those big two-fan motors scream when forced to stop instantly. Many belts broke on that initial stall of the brush, and that was on the assembly line. Probably 1/8 of all the hall sensors failed to stop the motor at all. They had so much trouble with those. The engineering department, bless their hearts, did really try with all the fixes (that's what the "dot" in a model number means - R20UP.2) and I got to see the testing firsthand. The Maytag M700 is the same as the R and S 20UP's. Just threw away three Maytag M700's last weekend. I see so many Tacony machines for service, since we are 8 miles from the factory and they dump machines into the community for free every year. Probably 1/3 of all people in our county are using Tacony machines.

Post# 456228 , Reply# 17   8/27/2022 at 09:49 (579 days old) by luxlife (Under a Pecan Tree)        
Ultra premiums……

I’ll be glad when another brand makes a lightweight upright that does everything my R10P was supposed to do. I don’t trust the other brands just yet.

Post# 456237 , Reply# 18   8/27/2022 at 13:37 (579 days old) by vacuumdevil (Vacuum Hell )        

vacuumdevil's profile picture
My understanding was that everybody was getting that vacuum from the same Taiwanese manufacturer that they had originally worked with. Really the only difference is who could sell it and what color with which name. I'm much prefer these vacuums to their current lineup of Riccar. But the quality is definitely not what it should be for the price most of these sell for.


Post# 456240 , Reply# 19   8/27/2022 at 15:05 (578 days old) by panasonicvac (Northern Utah)        

panasonicvac's profile picture
Tom, the Maytag M700 used a single stage 12 amp motor. I don't know if you were either mistaken or if the earlier ones in fact had a double stage motor (I would like to see pictures if so). But I know for certain the Maytags that I've sold and serviced before were in fact single stage. And that would've made more sense because double stage motors are more expensive than the single stage motors, Maytag or Whirlpool I should say since the original Maytag company has been gone since 2007, they would've wanted the cheaper route to go for since they weren't just only sold through vacuum stores. Like the M1200 is the same thing as the R30D/S30D, the M500 is the same thing as the R10S/S10S (Without the metal brushroll), and the M700 is the same thing as the R20P/S20P, none of which were Tacony's top of the line uprights.

Also regarding the lifetime belts and the hall sensor. I've never recalled ever having issues on both of those before, but that's just in my area. Also, my relative's R20P.2 has been going on for almost three years now and it's never had a problem yet, I've even tripped the hall sensor a few times without any issues. It'll be due for a free bag and filter change coming up shortly which is something no other company would offer. You'd not only get a warranty but you'd also get a VIP policy. That's about a $65 value! I'm sorry you haven't had a good experience with Tacony. But you outta give them credit for coming up with the lifetime belt and hall sensor idea. I really thought it was ingenious because not only occasionally I'd accidently vacuum up something that I shouldn't like the bed covers I've mentioned earlier but also I'm getting tired of changing out the rubber stretch belts, that was a complaint both my uncle and aunt had with their old Panasonic before they bought the Riccar. And I'm sure many consumers would agree as well. I love both the Riccar 8955 and the Simplicity 7850 but either one isn't what I'd want to have because they use a rubber belt and no hall sensor. Not to mention that I don't like bending over to grab the hose out, the handle grip wearing out on the 8955 or the plastic handle grips breaking on the 7850, and the handle release wearing out, the R20UP/S20UP were a nice upgrade for me.


Post# 456245 , Reply# 20   8/27/2022 at 17:35 (578 days old) by mark40511 (Lexington, KY)        
I think the Cirrus Vacuums are too expensive too

mark40511's profile picture
I feel like (at least the one I have) is a $350 vacuum and not a $500 vacuum...

The build quality is better than throw away vacuums for sure but it's not what I would call a premium built vacuum.. sort of falls between cheap and premium I suppose.

I'm trying to remember the last time I sucked something up and stopped the belt and at some point it's unavoidable no matter how careful you are. I've only done it a couple of times but it was the corner of a blanket hanging down...

I rarely ever use the clutch because all the hard floor/above floor cleaning I take the quick draw wand out and connect it to the aftermarket extension hose. I wouldn't like this vacuum for above floor or hard floor cleaning on its own...or any upright for that matter..In fact, I'm so used to using the extension hose and its tools I would probably use them with any canister vacuum for more reach. I do this with my Rainbow too and it's a canister

That port that opens on the back that you connect hoses to is a joke...the airflow is so bad through the hose using that port.. I just connect the aftermarket hose to the quick draw wand the airflow is so much stronger.


Post# 456270 , Reply# 21   8/28/2022 at 09:15 (578 days old) by Dysonman1 (the county)        

dysonman1's profile picture
I actually had a chance to see the failure rate on hall sensors with my own eyes. Not only the ones that were failing while being assembled into new machines on the assembly line, but the tremendous number of hall sensors that were returned under warranty. Along with circuit boards. I would never want to purposely sell a vacuum with a hall sensor.

Post# 456287 , Reply# 22   8/28/2022 at 16:57 (577 days old) by panasonicvac (Northern Utah)        

panasonicvac's profile picture
You mean you wouldn't want to purposely sell a Tacony vacuum with a hall sensor (at least brand new) anymore at your newer store, is that right? Again, I don't ever recall seeing an issue with the hall sensor when I was working at a few vacuum shops in my area but I couldn't say that I was speaking on behalf of the other areas including the plant. I know not every part is perfect (I've definitely seen circuit boards go bad on other vacuums, not just Tacony), but the hall sensor works and it has proven to be useful to me. And of course, there's always room for improvement. Tacony definitely does improve their machines to be better which is one of the reasons why I still like that company today. I'll admit that they aren't the same that they were 10 years ago but it's not stopping me from buying or recommending their products to anybody. Actually if I do build a house in the next year or so, the Riccar or Simplicity central vacs are on my short list of brands to consider installing in brand new for my own. The only change I'd do is swapping out the double row brushroll to a triple row brushroll on the powerhead.

Post# 456290 , Reply# 23   8/28/2022 at 20:40 (577 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)        
Tom

kirbylux77's profile picture
Ok, so you saw a issue with the hall sensor failing on the TOL Vibrance/Symmetry uprights. At least Tacony did do revisions and improve them as time went on. Plus, why would Tacony still have models....even commercial models at that....that use a lifetime belt and hall sensor to this day if they didn't work and they weren't reliable? Plus, they are even relying on a Chinese manufacturer for quality control and ensuring a good finished, reliable product.
'
Look, we all get that you had a bad experience working for Tacony and you certainly have reason to resent the company. But that's the past - you started your own successful vac shop again, and one with your OWN museum this time to boot. Isn't it about time we move on and quit bashing Tacony products and the company? I personally don't like seeing all the negativity about them....I think their products are great! I use my Simplicity canister all the time, and I am sure there are many others like myself and Alex that feel the same way.

Rob


Post# 456292 , Reply# 24   8/28/2022 at 21:41 (577 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)        
Mark

kirbylux77's profile picture
I think you actually got a pretty good deal on your Cirrus CR79, especially for the features you get for $350. Here in Canada, the Panasonic Performance Plus Platinum, their TOL models with the double stage motors, started at about $350 in most vac shops. And they did NOT have a sealed HEPA exhaust filter, or the ability to add one on for that price. You also had to spend about $450 to get a model with the brushroll on/off switch in that TOL range. The only advantage one of those Panasonic uprights would have had is the double stage Panasonic-made motor, and even then that's debatable whether they would be that much better than the single stage Ametek motor your Cirrus CR79 has.

Sure, the quality could be higher. But the problem right now is the high end upright market has some good machines with decent quality, but with some serious compromises. And then you have certain brands like Shark and Dyson that think they can charge those high end upright prices for TOL models that just aren't anywhere the build quality as the others and are a rip-off in comparison.

Lindhaus - high build quality, long lifespan, commercial grade machines. BUT, HEPA Cloth bags aren't widely available yet, on many models their sealed HEPA Filter is optional, and you only get a 1 row brushroll that has rather wimpy grooming action in comparison to other brands.

Sebo - Yes, they have great build quality, long lifespan, commercial grade. But, on the X series full size uprights you get only average suction through the hose, no brushroll on/off, and their S Class grade filtration that claims to be close to HEPA is seriously lacking. On the Felix, you have to put up with a machine with a really heavy upper body and that blows out lots of hot air to get a brushroll on/off switch, swivel steering, variable speed control and the option to use a floor brush or rug/floor nozzle.

Miele - The S7/Dynamic U1 uprights were nice, but unfortunately it was too fancy for it's own good and had many flaws and quality control issues, they learned the hard way to stick to canisters.

Aerus - They did have a good upright with the Guardian, but unfortunately that all ended when they replaced it with the Heavy Duty model recently.

The one brand that I see has some promise are the Riccar R25 models - yes, a bit pricy, especially for being made in China. But you get a LOT of features for those prices, and a really nice design. It's unfortunate to see how some dealers think they are slightly below Sebo in quality, but hopefully that's something they can improve on in the future. If I was looking at a high end upright for my home, I would only be looking at the Cirrus models, Riccar R25 uprights and the Tacony made uprights under the various names they are sold under. To me, these machines make the balance between providing a quality machine, with the features consumers want at reasonable prices.

Rob


Post# 456295 , Reply# 25   8/28/2022 at 23:11 (577 days old) by panasonicvac (Northern Utah)        

panasonicvac's profile picture
I remembered years ago that same buddy of mine from my old local vacuum store had some Panasonic Optiflow uprights that were TOL back then like the late 2000s'. I'll definitely share a thread more about them down below. The silver MC-UG775 had not only a double stage TriForce motor and a clutch but also it had a HEPA filter (not as good as the Cirrus but better than alot of other post motor filters back then), the switch was on the handle, it used the Optiflow design which I thought was neat, and the hose was SUPER long like one of the longest for an upright. However, I seemed to recall that at least here in the states it was like somewhere between $700-$800 which I thought was quite a bit much for an upright like that. I knew the green MC-UG787 was close to the $1,000 range. It was a bit much because I knew I could've gotten a red Performance Plus Platinum MC-UG589 with similar performance but for ALOT less like $400 or no more than $500 (of course you'd also lose some features that the Opitflow had) and the Cirrus CR99 was around in that same price range that I would've bought over the MC-UG589 cause it did offered me more than what Panasonic would've had in that price range. And also around the same price range as the silver Optiflow, the R20UP/S20UP also offered more than what Panasonic would've had to give me. Awesome upright in my humble opinion, one of if not the best Panasonic vacuums that I've ever used.

www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bi...






Post# 456296 , Reply# 26   8/28/2022 at 23:14 (577 days old) by panasonicvac (Northern Utah)        

panasonicvac's profile picture
Also thought I'd mention on here that I just bought a blue Panasonic Performance Plus Platinum MC-UG583 for $15 in REALLY good condition like that thing will look like brand new once I'm done refurbishing it:)

Post# 456299 , Reply# 27   8/29/2022 at 07:10 (577 days old) by S2_82 (Ohio)        

@Kirbylux77

Hey Rob.. I always wondered why the Felix blows out pretty hot air from it's exhaust myself when I tried one out at the store a few times, since I'm considering one.. Do you recommend it? I really do think it might be a good option though because there aren't too many machines like it except for the Lindhaus which still uses paper bags which have gone archaic in the industry, at least for residential use.


Post# 456302 , Reply# 28   8/29/2022 at 09:18 (577 days old) by mark40511 (Lexington, KY)        
the most impressive

mark40511's profile picture
thing to me is the fact that the HEPA bags are not that outrageously expensive...nor are the HEPA filters...and the bag chamber stays clean...the reason that's so impressive to me is over the years with any bagged vacuum I've had in the past...there was always some dust in the bag chamber...but then again, those weren't HEPA bags...My Kenmore progressive would always have dust in the bag chamber no matter if it was a HEPA bag or not...

I have an air purifier in my room that shows the level of pollution in the air (Now, keep in mind...I don't know how accurate it is) I do know that when I vape...it goes way up...it usually stays on around 4 to 8 (0 being best)..My point is that I cleaned my room where the air purifier is running on high speed and while vacuuming it stayed between 4 and 8 the entire time.


Post# 456307 , Reply# 29   8/29/2022 at 12:23 (577 days old) by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)        
Steve

kirbylux77's profile picture
I would say that for certain use cases, for some people a Sebo Felix would be a good choice. If you had a home with lots of area rugs and hard floors, or if you wanted to clean hard floors but you didn't want to use a stick vacuum or a canister, for instance. However, for most consumers, a Shark upright would be a better choice.

The Sebo does clean well, no complaints there. However, my Shark Navigator and Shark Rotator clean just as well....have just as much suction and airflow through the hose, and the powerhead grooms as nicely as the Sebo. However, I am not particularly impressed with the S Class filtration system that Sebo uses, you can definitely tell the air is cleaner, but not as clean as other vacuums. My Shark uprights filter better, and back years ago a air purifier website tested the Shark Navigator and found it released only 3,000 particles into the air during their tests. If you were looking at high end uprights, I would give the edge to Lindhaus over Sebo since they have optional HEPA Filters. As far as running costs go, one nitpick I have with the Felix is, unlike the Sebo X series, you can't find generic HEPA Cloth bags as easily.

As far as usability goes, It's a very top heavy upright....this would definitely not be a good vacuum for seniors, disabled people or who don't have much upper body strength. In my home, just living in a apartment and being used by a healthy strong male, it's ok, but I could see how someone who had a lot of carpeting to clean in a large family home would find it tiring and get annoyed after a while. The Felix also blows out a LOT of hot air through the exhaust filter, definitely takes some getting used to and some people would find annoying.

I was also not impressed that for a $700 dollar upright, the dusting brush and extension wand are optional. And the tool holder only holds the crevice and upholstery tools, you will be carrying the dusting brush in your pocket. Why they made the choice to not include a dusting brush or extension wand on a high end upright is beyond me, especially when they included a floor brush. If you want to use generic fit all tools, there are adapters available but they aren't as easy to find as adapters for other brands.

With regards to the floor brush and the rug/floor nozzle, when attached to the vacuum they will not allow the vacuum to stand up by itself without being leaned against something, that's REALLY ANNOYING they would design them like that. Also, online reviewers complain about the short hose and how tippy it is when using tools - you definitely need to hold onto the vacuum with one hand while using the tools with the other. If you use the hose a lot, I would definitely suggest getting the optional extension hose, especially if doing stairs or doing a lot of dusting.

Sure, the Sebo Felix is a great high end upright vacuum, and performs and filters well. However, I think most consumers looking for a new vacuum would be just as happy with a Shark. They clean just as well, filter better, and I think would be easier to live with on a daily basis. I also think most consumers would probably prefer a Shark with the DuoClean powerhead and soft front roller in the front to clean bare floors with, since they wouldn't have to stop and attach another attachment just to get the same results. Sure, the Shark wouldn't be the same quality as the Sebo, but when you consider that a Shark will last 7 to 8 years, costs 1/2 as much as the Sebo Felix, and you could buy 2 Shark uprights over the life of 1 Sebo, it's a dead heat. I will go as far to say that I wouldn't have bought my Sebo Felix if I hadn't gotten it for $100, if I had to pay more than $400 for it I would have passed.

Rob




Post# 456411 , Reply# 30   9/2/2022 at 07:14 (573 days old) by S2_82 (Ohio)        
@Kirbylux77

Thanks Rob,

I highly value your opinion as always and wanted to see what your thoughts were. Me personally, I like high end vacuums and that's pretty much all I use (I have 4 uprights) and also a Shark Rocket stick vacuum that I use mostly for quick pickup jobs around the house.

I don't have any canisters because I never really grew up using any and my parents never liked them either, so thats's why I figured the Felix would probablly be as close to a canister as possible all the while still being able to swap out floor heads (especially for bare floors) if that makes any sense.

You listed good points about the Felix. I definitely agree with everything you said; just like every vacuum, there are pros and cons to each one no matter how "perfect" it might seem. I also thought it blew really hot air after using it for a few minutes which I found to be odd, its probably the way it's designed and the way it redirects the air out of it's exhaust im not sure. The vacuum store guy even said it's completely normal.

Shark vacuums might be all that most consumers would ever want/need and fits many peoples'budgets but me personally I would never want one as a main vacuum to use. I already don't like dealing with messy/dirty filters and emptying out the dust container after every vacuuming as is. I would rather do a bag change every 2-3 months and be done with it. I also find their performance to be lacking but to each their own.

I don't understand how a bagless would filter better than a Sebo.. but yet then again I guess it's pretty obvious that S class definitely isn't nowhere near hepa standards. I was confused by that myself. My vacuum shop guy here told me that Sebo's filteration is "close" to Miele's.. but sounds like he isn't as informed as well as he thinks he is.

As far as the weight goes, I definitley found it more enjoyable to use and maneuver than the Miele U1 upright (remember that one?) which I found extremely cumbersome.


Thanks again for your insight!





Forum Index:       Other Forums:                      



Comes to the Rescue!

Woops, Time to Check the Bag!!!
Either you need to change your vacuum bag or you forgot to LOG-IN?

Discuss-O-MAT Log-In



New Members
Click Here To Sign Up.



                     


automaticwasher.org home
Discuss-o-Mat Forums
Vintage Brochures, Service and Owners Manuals
Fun Vintage Washer Ephemera
See It Wash!
Video Downloads
Audio Downloads
Picture of the Day
Patent of the Day
Photos of our Collections
The Old Aberdeen Farm
Vintage Service Manuals
Vintage washer/dryer/dishwasher to sell?
Technical/service questions?
Looking for Parts?
Website related questions?
Digital Millennium Copyright Act Policy
Our Privacy Policy