Customer Reviews

Miele S5281 Callisto HEPA Canister Vacuum Cleaner w/ Electric Power Brush and Floor Brush!

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Miele cleaner was recommended to us. The wood floor attachment gets into every corner - it's incredible compared to the thing we had. The electric powered carpet head also works very well. Very pleased with the unit.

In trying to decide which model to buy. started at the Miele web site where they list features - such as the electric powered carpet head - included in certain models. However on the web I found different prices for the same model, and it seems that for any one model what different web sites include is not be the same - specifically for the model I bought, Callisto, there were several web sites advertizing that model but in the fine print they said it included the vacuum powered carpet head, not the far superior, and more expensive - electric powered head.

The unit we have is great - just be careful to check what some of the vendors are offering...

I've been married 17 years, this is my fifth vacuum cleaner purchase in that time! I have serious allergies plus a dog, cat and very active 13 year old in my home. My trusty Kenmore Progressive upright was my most recent & by far favorite vacuum purchase. It's ran great for 5+ years. However, the upright was not especially functional in our most recent home which has lots of wood/tile flooring and limited carpet. Plus I couldn't reach my ceilings.

Realized that cleaning would be much easier with a cansiter and set out to do my homework on which one to by. It was obvious with minimal research that a Miele would probably be my best option. And while I expected to pay $400-$600 for a quality vacuum, the prices on the Miele gave me considerable pause. I headed out to Sear's to test drive the Kenmore canisters- I had no complaints about my upright- and definitely preferred their prices. I was horrified by the quality I saw on display there.

Well, bit the bullet and grabbed the Miele Callisto from a local dealer today and managed to clean most all of my house in the time it would have taken me to do two rooms. It was obvious the Miele was doing a better job on both my carpets and hard floors. My wood passed the barefoot test for the first time without me scrubbing and making multiple vacuum passes. My 13 year old put the machine together without reading the instructions. I managed to easily figure out everything I needed too to get cleaning right away. Both my cat & dog weren't the least bit scared of the vacuum- my cat actually let us vacuum him and seemed to enjoy it!

My concerns about a learning curve going from canister to upright were pointless. The vacuum is super easy to move around, incredibly lightweight, and trailed me like a breeze! I did manage to suck up my cord one time- but thankfully the powerbrush shut itself off for easy retrieval! :)


It was alot of money for a vacuum- but the quality and thoughtful design is immediately evident. This was the first time I've vacuumed with out itchy eyes/sneezing!! I will update this review after using the cleaner more- but was confident and excited enough about my first impressions to post this one only hours after purchase!

Update on Dec 1:
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this vacuum!! My home has never been cleaner- and @Elle, the cat really does enjoy being vacuumed! (on low, of course) I have seriously reduced my dependence on daily allergy pills & I'm able to vacuum while talking on the telephone without a problem! Even on higher power settings! Everything looks cleaner with less time/noise/hassle!!

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.

This vacuum is like a porshe. It is small, makes little noise and has tremendous power. In fact, it has six settings for power. And I can pick it up to put it away. The attachments are the typical ones. I am very happy with it.

My initial review was that the item arrived on time and was as described.... two months into using this (we vacuum once a week and only have three rooms with carpet as we have mostly tile, so does not get the use most would expect...this should not matter though..even if it did, I spent a lot of money hoping it would be the "end all- be all" vacuum for me. Works pretty good....suction power not as good as my old Kenmore though it is an easier vacuum to maneuver and get around. I tried to see where I can contact and get the following repaired or replaced, but can not. The problem is that the power nozzle will just stop in the middle of vacuuming. I am slow and careful expecting it anytime. Sure enough it stops. The only way to get it running again is to power off the entire machine and restart, this usually does the trick, but I can not live like this. I am hoping to get a resolution, if I can find out how.

This is a great machine. We never knew our carpets were not clean until we used the Miele Callisto. It is small, light weight, easy to maneuver, quiet, and works well on stairs. The suction in the power-head is excellent and requires very little physical effort to run on carpets or wood floors.

Miele vacuums are quite expensive. We never intended to spend a king's ransom for a vacuum cleaner. We coughed up the extra money for this vacuum cleaner because American made products were rated so low. The quality we once expected from American made products just is not there anymore.

I spent a lot of time researching this vacuum and testing in sweeper shops. The simplicity was as close to this vacuum as i found. Dyson vacuums, Dont believe the hype they are a joke. The Miele is made of high quality plastic that is almost unbreakable. It also is the most manuverable I tested with very good edge suction. This thing is super quiet and hardwood floor friendly. I have had mine for 6 months now and still has good suction and the bag is about completely full. I wish they were a little bit less costly but I guess nothing good ever is. Oh mine came with the upgraded power brush with the LED light and I am very happy with it also.

I received my new Miele Callisto today. I must say it works better than any vaccuum I have ever had. My only problem is that after spending $900 on a vaccuum, I would think I could get a operating instruction booklet specific to my vaccuum. Not true. I was sent a generic booklet for the 5000 series. Most of the pictures and instructions do not match. In fact, if I had not already had a canister vaccuum of a different brand, I would not be able to figure out how to put this vaccuum together or use it. But, I gave it 5 stars because it's a really great vaccuum.

I purchased this vacuum today at a local dealer and returned it today! I got it home and immediately plugged it in only to find the power brush would not work. After 3 phone calls back and forth, we discovered the wand was defective.

I can say, it is a quiet well designed vacuum. But at $[...] + tax, I expect everything to be perfect! So back it went. I would tell anyone who wants this vacuum, make sure you try the one you will be buying, in the store, before you leave. Or be prepared to do some postal shipping and more waiting. I for one, decided it was too soon to be replacing parts, so I just became disillusioned and returned the whole thing.

To Miele I say, your quality control is no better than China, Taiwan, etc. I guess so called "German" craftsmanship is gone!