Have my Miele for one year now and I am totally satisfied. It has worked without a hitch since the day I took it out of the box. Was the replacement of my former vertical Hoover, which had a strong suction power and was easy to use on floors, but was a pain to use for any other purposes. It was so poorly designed that it was useless for anything else but floor vacuum cleaning (and let me add a word about the poor plastic quality, that broke almost everytime I hit something).
Got my Miele with the SEB 217-3 Direct Connect Powerbrush. Very light and maneuverable powerbrush that has excellent suction power. I use it for carpet as well as tiles. What I like the most about this device is that it does not scatter the dust (like the cat litter on the floor) everywhere, as the powerbrush of my Hoover did. Now, I get no more litter specks on my feet when I clean the cat litter area.
As others said, the vacuum cleaner itself is light, very maneuverable (three 360' rotating wheels) and SO QUIET compare to my Hoover and yet, the suction power of the Miele is as good as the Hoover. Thanks to the HEPA filter, the air that comes out of the Miele is much, much cleaner than my Hoover. Dustbag is easy to change, the accessories compartment is easy to reach and the compartment lid stay closed when you clean (which was not the case on my Hoover!). The powercord unwinding and rewinding mechanism feels so strong that it seems almost unbreakable. Finally, the storage of the vacuum cleaner is made easy with three point holders (one on each side and one on the back). Easy to store the vacuum cleaner vertically or horizontally.
On the cons side:
- User guide is generic rather than model specific. Following instructions can become sometimes tricky. For example, the dust brush can be used at an angle or upright (because it rotates). This feature of the brush is written nowhere in the guide. Unless you find it by yourself, you will not know.
- For the price it sells, there is no power on/off switch for the vacuum cleaner on the handle. There is only one for the powerbrush. That should be a must have feature for the money Miele ask.
- The telescopic wand release buttons are on the detachable piece. Felt counterintuitive since the first day I got the vacuum cleaner and it still does a year later.
- Finally, the airflow indicator can be used only with a floor tool attachment to show if the dustbag must be changed.
Final word
After a year, my Miele S5281 feels like a solidly-built and lasting vacuum cleaner. It does a excellent job at vacuum cleaning carpet, tiles, furnitures, etc., and it does it with an ease of use and with an unmatched quietness. Despite the heavy price at the date of buying, if it last 20 to 25 years as I expect it to last, then it will not have been an expensive purchase after all.