Customer Reviews

Miele S4210 Galaxy Canister Vacuum Cleaners

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

First, let me just say that prior to buying the Miele Antares, I owned a different ("low-end") Miele vacuum for 16 years. I ran it all the time, it was totally ahead of its time in terms of performance and style, and I never once serviced it.

However, after 16 years, it needed minor servicing, and though they told me at the shop that it still had some life left in it (the vacuum store told me that Miele motors are built to last for 20 years), I decided to trade in my old Miele and upgrade to the Antares. WOW! This unit is amazing. It's quiet, it's lighter, it has variable settings for suction power, and it's really powerful. I highly recommend investing in the add-on turbo brush ($100), especially if you have pets. (I hate to vacuum, but I do have pets, and the turbo brush literally scrubs the fur out of your carpet.)

But even if you own an old Miele, like my previous one, you could just buy the turbo brush and add it on--the Miele design is consistent enough that often the same components can be used for multiple models, covering a wide span of years (for example, the Antares uses exactly the same vacuum cleaner bags that my 16-year-old Miele used).

I recommend that you don't waste your time with vacuum cleaners that will only last 3-5 years. Read the user reviews online of other competing products that don't last nearly as long, and then buy a Miele.

It's not like me to write a rave about a vacuum cleaner, let alone actually use one (except when prompted to by partners or pangs of conscience). However, the minute I Miele'd the rugs, I knew I could never go back to the lackluster performance of cheaper machines. That's just how superior the Miele is, even this, one of the most affordable in their line. It's worth the extra $150 or so compared to top models from Eureka, Hoover, and other popular brands. There's so much going for this model that brevity demands I simply enumerate it's many advantages.

Power: There are six easily adjustable power levels. The highest is an incredible 1,200 watts--plenty to pick up old debris stubbornly clinging to home base. By attaching the long crevice tool you can wedge the wand between rug and wall and pick up generations of dirt--this is no time to get sentimental. The lower power setting are also useful, witht the duster attachment you can go over framed pictures, curtains, etc. without fear that the pictures will fall down or that the curtains or etc. will wind up sucked inside the hose. There's high power, but there's also non-gimmicky variable power.

Mobility: I'm a novice at using a canister vacuum, so I was surprised at how easily the unit followed me the room around like a low-tech robot. You may need to lift it when moving from one room to another, and the Miele is relatively light (compare it to the Dyson, for example) and well-balanced. The standard rectangular head also shows great angular mobility to vacuum hard-to-reach areas. It adds up to a greater effective cleaning area; you'll get closer to walls and curved objects. It's the large appliance equivalent of a close shave.

The Other Stuff: I won't repeat all the information in the product description above except to confirm that the components work (e.g., the filtering system) and the features aren't mere gimmicks. The bag changes more easily than in other vacuums, the useful tools attach to the telescoping steel wand, the electric cord retracts completely and semi-automatically, and is is much quieter than any other v.c. I've used. Yes, the cleaning head doubles as a combo rug/floor cleaner, but unlike the other reviewer, I found that the Miele performed superbly (even with dog fur) on both surfaces without needing rotating brushes. (The head adjusts to floors by retracting some stiff but fairly short non-rotating brushes.) If you need prefer however, you can buy a rotating brush head for about $100 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AMEKHW/ ref=pd_sim_k_2/103-7519344-0327817?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=284507). That costs approximately as much as a model that comes with the "power brush," so you could experiment without it first. If money is no object, then go ahead and get the other model, and send me one too...

Problems: Not many, although I've had it a very short time, and will update this review if it develops any. However, I wish the on/off button were located on the wand rather than on the trailing canister. Furthermore, you're supposed to control power by stepping on the canister's large metallic plate, but this proved somewhat clumsy and slippery when not wearing your shoes.

I'm so pleased with the Miele that I'm taking a break from my usual reviews of books and music to recommend it. A Miele can cost over $1,000, but I suspect that most people won't need these more expensive versions. However, one may want to compare models on the web to find right one for you. I'm actually looking forward to using it tomorrow...the fresher air, cleaner house, and wow factor are worth it.

After almost 24 years, my husband and I decided to rid ourselves of the vacuum cleaners we brought to the marrriage. Last year, I bought a huge upright vacuum for heavy cleaning and went through a string of cordless sweepers for day to day operations. None of the latter suited me for heavy cleaning, and they barely functioned on a daily basis after few days of work. Having had a stroke last year I am not as capable as I once was of man-handling a 25-lb or heavier gizmo, and my 76-year old husband, owns a back that "goes out" every time the house needs vacuuming. So, finding the various sweepers insufficient and the upright too heavy, I began to search in earnest for something light-weight that would also perform.

I love the Miele vacuum cleaner S 4000: 1/it weighs 11 lbs and I can manipulate it easily; it meets the standards set for vacuum cleaners by Canada and the EU.....environmentally friendly with a fine filtration system, so I don't spend the whole time sneezing; 3/ it is a low energy-usage instrument; 4/ the machine is so quiet, I caught my husband going out the front door while I was vacuuming, and I could hear my cell phone ring and answer it and speak with and hear the caller; 5/ the head is so flexible, it goes this way and that under bird cages and across floors and rugs (I have floor cloths and a few Persian scatter rugs). 6/ the wand snaps upright onto the canister for storage and resting while you stop.

Best of all this vacuum sucks like a big upright (it may be better!). I have 14 parrots, a flock of canaries and three poms..talk about feathers, food, and fur..and this little light-weight machine does the trick, however, and leaves the floor clean. It's so light-weight I will use it for "everyday".

I have owned this product for around 6 months now and have never had anything better! Background info: 3 dogs (Golden, Boxer, Catahoula Leopard Hound), 2 cats, 2 kids, bare floors in all but one room. I have owned everything from a cheapy $99 job (broke w/in 2 months)to a $1200 Kirby. NOTHING works better on pet hair, sand and bare floors (wood, tile) than this Miele! Even with other vacuums that had great suction, either the floor attachment or even the long tube at the end of the hose (not sure of the "technical" name for that part) would constantly get clogged with the animal fur. This little vacuum not only has fabulous suction, it has NEVER gotten clogged!

Other plusses: very lightweight, easy to maneuver, cord sucks up into the canister (no winding), quietest vacuum I've ever owned, small, cute (doesn't matter in the big picture but not a bad bonus)

Cons: (let me preface by saying the cons are so minor in light of the non-clogging that I am still giving the Miele 5 stars) the cord is not very long (though not really any shorter than most of my other vacuums) and the small bag fills up quickly (mostly because I am too lazy to go around and manually pick up the huge pet fur tumbleweeds before I vacuum), it is not overly easy to get at the roller brush on the turbo attachment (to clean it/pull the hair off).

Helpful hint: the difference between the models of Galaxy canister vacs is only the color of the canister and the attachments that come with it - nothing else. It took me a little time to figure that out. The turbo power attachment works great on mats and area rugs and does just fine on our one room with carpet. The bare floor attachment has never scratched anything and has a low enough profile to go underneath almost all of my furniture.

I have never written a review before (although I should have done so because I rely on them all the time) but just finished vacuuming in record time and with such ease that I felt compelled to sing the praises of this little Miele!

This canister vacuum is perfect for multitasking quickly and easily. I have carpeting, wood, and vinyl floors in my house and used two different vacuums for it. When I bought the Miele, I was able to get rid of the other two cleaners and use this one throughout.

It does an incredible job of getting up everything: pet hair, dust, crumbs, little bits of "stuff", those nasty dust bunnies and illusive corner cob webs which seem to appear overnight as if by magic (or maybe time to get new glasses!).

In one room during a Spring clean, I started at the top - literally! Went from the ceiling and the molding down to the walls - curtains - floors - lamp shades - and everything else in between. All I had to do was change the cleaning head and adjust the suction amount. All simply and quickly done.

The fact that it is also fairly quiet was a real bonus. I could actually vacuum while little one was taking his nap ... now THAT is a major plus for any appliance!

I know the price is high but you are paying for the quality of the vacuum - an investment if you will. It is very well made and will last for many, many years. I recommend this vacuum highly.

After coveting my sister's, my mother's and my sister-in-law's Meile, I received one for a gift. It has changed the way I approach cleaning! Not only is it extremely lightweight but it is very powerful and will clean anything! It comes with 3 extra attachments that are very useful and the bags/filters are very easy to replace. They redesigned my vacuum and took out the "unnecessary extras" as my mom would say. This makes it much more compact and even lighter than the previous models. They honestly did not forget anything on this model! The handle extends based on your height and can also be attached/placed in one of two positions when not in use. There is a little switch that makes the suction less intense if you are vacuuming throw rugs, etc. The brush has a bare floor and a carpet setting. It alerts you when the bag is full. What more can I say! It's worth every penny!

Well I spent 3 months researching all canister vaccums out on the market and kept going back to this miele. Yes it is very expensive (about twice the price of its competitors) but it definitely out performs them hands down.

My floors have never been so clean in the 16 years I have lived in my current home. I have mexican tile, pergo floors and carpet and the two attachments that come with the machine are incredible.

I have had machines break bits off themselves in the past because of my mexican tile (very uneven surface) and with the parquet floor head it is just a breeze to clean and it also does my concrete patio floor. Amazing and then the head can be washed and away you go again.

Your oriental rugs with fringe are no obsticle for this vaccum because you have so many controlled settings to clean with.

For the first time ever I was able to clean my valances without taking them down, what a huge time and energy saver.

My husband thought I was completely nuts spending this kind of money on a vaccum cleaner but I am here to tell you that I will have this one for years to come and the service I will get locally is wonderful too.

So treat yourself you won't be sorry, I know I'm not. I always hated vaccuming my house because I have a injured back but with this very lightweight model I do not have pain afterwards.

We decided to get this vacuum instead of a central vac system for our 3200 sq ft home. The logic was that you would still need to lug around a hose and wand with the central vac, plus we already owned an upright Dyson. Our plan was to use the Miele for the main level (100% hardwoods with oriental rugs) and the Dyson for the upstairs (50% hardwoods, 50% wall-to-wall carpet). Now, a year later, we're glad we bought this Miele. It works extremely well on the hardwoods and with a simple flip of the switch on the attachment, very good on the rugs. The variable motor speed was something I never thought we needed but is extremely useful. On high, it's on par with the Dyson but the sound level is so much less. The Dyson now reminds me of the shop vac in the garage. Another huge plus is the size and weight. It's so easy to take out and do a quick touch ups that using it daily, if needed, doesn't become a chore.

A few negatives. #1 The self winding cord is surprisingly short. I need to plug it into 4 outlets to do the entire 1st level (1400 sq ft). With the Dyson, I just need to plug it in twice. I guess the engineers could figure out how to make the cord longer and still self-retract reliably [shrug].

#2 The accessory wands attach to the wand which gets in the way when you vacuum under furniture, plus become added weight. I'd rather it attach to the canister somehow. So, we just leave the attachments in the closet.

#3 The canister has 2 wand holders. One on the side of the canister for when you store it upright in a closet and another one for when you need to rest it temporarily so you don't have to place the wand on the floor. This is a nice touch, but because this holder is in the back of the unit, it obstructs the power cord path when winding or unwinding. So in the course of vacuuming, I still need to place the wand on the floor twice. That's just a silly (oversight) design.

#4 The 2 buttons (power & cord rewind) on the canister are hard to shut off with your foot consistently because they are contoured with the canister's body lines. Sometimes you get it on the first try, other times nothing happens, or if you really catch it on the edge, the canister ends up moving away from you. Again, a little silly given how flawless other things were designed.


All in all, a very very good design. I just wish I had 5 minutes with the design team.

The light weight, compact design makes the Miele vacuum cleaner highly maneuverable. It can be easily picked up and moved up and down stairs. When you move about the room, you don't have to drag it around like a dead weight, a gentle tug and the main motor unit follows along effortlessly.

It doesn't have a motor-driven carpet brush. At first, I thought it would be a disadvantage, after all, that's a standard feature on most of the American vacuum cleaners. But now I see the logic behind it. The standard floor tool is lighter and easier to move around. Its joint swivels in two directions making it easier to get into corners and under furnitures. The hose also doesn't have embedded electrical cable making it more flexible. For our carpet, the standard floor tool works well enough. The manual does recommend getting the battery powered electro-brush if really deep pile carpet or rug neccesitates it.

The motor is powerful yet very quiet.

Overall, this is a excellent cleaning tool that makes vacuuming less of a chore.

I have been researching the Miele Antares Galaxy Canister vacuum. From my research, it appears that this unit and the miele brand is extremely well made (made in Germany) and should last much longer than other canister vacs. Despite the high price, you may go through several other vacuums for the life of this one and get better service as well.

The one negative review on this vacuum had nothing to do with the vacuum and had to do with them NOT including and attachment for rugs. Well that complaint has now been met by Miele. As of July 2006, this unit now comes with BOTH the TB 205-3 Turbo Nozzle & SBB300-3 Parquet Floor Brush. These will do both rugs and floors.

If you are looking for the best, then this is it. And it is a very attractive vacuum if that sort of thing is important to you.

If you are looking for an upright vacuum, then from the reviews I have seen, Dyson has gotten some pretty awsome ratings. Especially for Pet Hair removal. The Dyson Animal is the best for that.