Customer Reviews

Miele S5281 Callisto Canister HEPA Vacuum Cleaner With Brand New SEB228 Heavy Duty Powerhead and SBB300-3 Floorbrush w/ Free Shipping!!

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Apparently 3rd in the hierarchy of 4 models in the new S5 series of Miele vacuum cleaners, the features, price, and accessories are not exactly linear in transition from lower to higher models, nor even across series. Many of the older series models have more features and a higher price than the newer ones. They have fancy names like Capricorn, Red Velvet, and Champagne, leading to much confusion and forcing you to compare each one similar to buying a car. If your browser has tabbed browsing (e.g., Firefox), the best way to figure out which model is best for you is to go to Miele's website and open a tab for each model you're interested in. Flip back and forth to see what text changes. Callisto is the cheapest no frills model of the newest series (newest technology motor?) that still comes with an electronically powered brush (the 4th Pisces model is turbo).

After 3 months of extensive use:

Pros:
Agility - The 10 ˝" wide SEB217-3 electric powerbrush comes standard, and one of the reasons I chose this model. For me, smaller is better. While other vacuums advertise large 13" power brushes to cover more area in a single swipe, I don't have much open carpet space. Coffee tables, chairs, weight benches, and computers, all need vacuuming around and under. The powerbrush swivels well to get around corners.

Brush duster - The most commonly used attachment (for me), the brush duster is also small (slightly larger in diameter than the hose) and the bristles are durable. It's angled by default, but even this plastic piece swivels to straighten out. This is not mentioned anywhere; you just have to figure this out for yourself. On low power, I was able to vacuum places that never got vacuumed before, like over the spider web of computer cables and telephone wires. I even vacuumed the telephone itself and other dust collecting objects on my desk.

Parquet floor brush - Initially, I wondered why Miele would include this accessory when the powerbrush was included, but this "wider brush duster" actually does a better job on hard tiled floors than the powerbrush. The powerbrush seems more designed to churn up stuff from carpets, but the paraquet brush gathers and collects dust stuck to hard surfaces better. On the negative side, you might have to vacuum the brush itself to unstuck the dust, and I wondered why they had to inconvenience the horse for "genuine horse bristles". There is no permanent storage on the vacuum cleaner for the parquet brush, so you have to figure out how to ensure the parts don't get separated for life (the powerbrush takes precedence).

Cord rewind - The mechanical rewind sucked in the entire length of cord every single time, something like 15 for 15 times! (The manual says to pull out the entire length of cord before use to help dissipate heat.)

Cons:
Price - After all, it's just a vacuum cleaner. There also seems to be price fixing in the newer S5 series, at least when I bought this. Everywhere I checked (maybe 10 websites), the price was exactly $799 or $799.95, with the only difference being no tax and/or free shipping. One website even advertised "The lowest price allowed!" What's a Diamond Dealer? Is this Amway?

Release buttons - The release buttons on the attachments and hose are counterintuitive, being on the part that "comes off" rather than on the part that "stays behind". Therefore, you must squeeze the button with the same hand you are pulling away with. The hose extension button is particularly confusing. It's an oval shaped rocker button that "rocks" very little. To extend the stainless steel hose, you have to remember which side of the button (top or bottom) to press. There is no distinction on which side to press, and it's always a matter of trial and error as I yank and tug at the hose while pressing top and bottom of the extension button.

Stiff no swivel hose - The hose rotates at the top (handle area), but does not swivel at the base where it connects to the machine. Instead of disconnecting and reconnecting to get rid of twists, I'd rather pick up the powerhead and spin it around to get out the twists. The flex hose diameter is larger than I'm used to, making the hose stiffer and difficult to store in the same closet where I used to store my old vacuum cleaner. Considering the price, an electrical slip ring would have been nice.

Bag full indicator - The mechanical bag full indicator is actually an indicator of how much the vacuum cleaner is straining to suck. Put your hand over the end to block suction and it will indicate bag full. Right out of the box on short carpet, it indicated bag full on high power. As I turned the power down, it indicated less full sequentially. You have to read the instructions about using the floor tool with the tool slightly off the floor to get an accurate reading from the indicator. Even at that, there are caveats about fine dust or pet hair that can fool the indicator.

Extra stuff? - The parquet brush comes attached with a short plastic extension that was difficult to plug directly into the stainless steel hose (button doesn't easily click into place). The extension isn't needed to connect the parquet brush, so you have to remove it and keep track of where you put it. To this day, I still haven't figured out what the extension is for, other than to connect other attachments that I might buy in the future. This is yet another piece with no place to store on the vacuum cleaner that I must ensure does not get separated for life (along with the parquet brush, "normal" filter cage, and replacement bags).

Symbol marking - The power symbol markings are not obvious at all, contrary to claims. Other than the symbols labels "Min" and "Max", you have to read the instructions to figure out what the other power symbols mean. At least the power seems to increase sequentially as you turn the dial clockwise. The Quite Mode is #4 of 6 settings (with 6 being the highest), and is therefore not actually the quietest but intended to be the "normal" operating mode. I think most people will consider "Max" the default mode.

Optional filter frame - This model comes with a HEPA filter, so you don't need the filter frame unless you're going to switch to the "normal" filters, but brand-new right out of the box the frame for the normal filters came with a broken cheap plastic handle, apparently due to the way it was shipped with the handle protruding out the cardboard wrapping. You don't even need the handle for the frame to function properly, but for the kind of money I paid, nothing should be broken out of the box. The vendor that I bought it from (Best Vacuum) replaced it for free.

So is it worth $800? It does a good job, but only time will tell...

I never in my life imagined I would spend $800 on a vac. Seriously.

Many of my online mom friends were bragging about their Dysons. In our new house we have laminate floors thru the whole house, a few rooms have area rugs. We have a labrador, 2 cats, and 2 preschool aged children. The upright vacs were horrible on the hard floors, would always kick kitty litter back at my feet. I **HATE** kitty litter being kicked back at my feet. And none of the uprights would fit under the furniture. I wanted a cannister. We went to Sears, tried them all. I was so bummed out that the Dyson cannister didn't do a very good job. But happy I didn't spend $400 on it.

I saw a bunch of reviews raving about Miele. I went to the company website and found a local dealer. Went there to check them out. The man that ran the shop was just one of those down to earth, good people. He asked what kind of floors we had, etc. He picked out a vac that he said was "mid-range", now that I've seen all the models, he actually picked out one of the lesser expensive models. It's rare these days when the sales people start you out at the low end, kwim? We must have asked him a zillion questions and he answered them all. And the best part was the carpet freshener he had, he sprinkled it out on the hardwood floor. It was just like the kitty litter at home. And not one single piece was left behind or kicked back at me. I was in heaven. LOL!

This guy was so nice, we decided to buy there rather than try to find the cheapest price on the net. I'm glad we did. He spent alot of time with us and spends his days repairing all brands of vacs. He threw in a box of replacement bags too. I love helping out the little guy, especially when they are good people. Turns out we paid the same price as most places are selling them anyway.

We came home, cleaned the whole house. And it was weird but the house actually seemed MUCH, MUCH cleaner than when I use my other vac. I am sold for LIFE on this brand.

It's **VERY** quiet, does its job the way it supposed to be done, comes with a power brush (that you can turn the beater bar off with a flick of the thumb switch) AND a hard floor non-powered head. The hard floor head is perfect for our house of laminate floors. I can do a few of the throw rugs with it too. It's EXCELLENT at getting all those darn little pieces that sit at the edge of the rug. Power brush is great on regular carpeting, and you can control the suction so you don't bunch up throw rugs when trying to vac them. YAY!

After driving my family insane shopping for vacuums I finally settled on the Miele. I purchased a Dyson DC21, but returned it in the first week due to its poor construction. I was close to buying a Sears cannister, but was concerned about the poor quality and I thought that it was noisy and heavy. I had heard that Miele was the best and quite honestly didn't want to spend upwards of $800 for a vacuum. But, after spending an hour at the local vacuum store (Mr. Sweeper in W. Roxbury, MA - -they rock!!) looking at various brands and talking with one of the sales people I finally settled on the Miele.
I have to admit -- it is a really great vacuum. It is extremely powerful and still very quiet. It rolls easily around the house and with the long hose and cord it has an incredible reach. The HEPA filtration is so good that I think the air is actually cleaner after I vacuum.
Other features that I like:
* It is solid! The plastic is the same material used to make motorcycle helmets and you can swing the unit by the cord it's so well attached.

* The exhaust is on the top so it doesn't spread dust around as you sweep.

If you can afford the cost, I highly recommend it.

First, let me say that I have horrendous allergies, including a near-severe dust/dust mite allergy. I also have mild to moderate asthma. Vacuuming is something that I have absolutely hated to do- not due to laziness; rather, I pay the price each and every time I use a vacuum.

I thought the answer to my woes was to purchase a Dyson DC17 "Asthma and Allergy" vacuum cleaner. It is endorsed by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation. Well, those at the foundation who made the decision to give it their blessing must have been high on some illegal substance. Less than a week after I purchased that beast, I returned it. During the time that I used it, I coughed, sneezed and wheezed. This lasted for hours afterward, too, since it emitted and kicked up so much dust- not to mention having to empty the canister and suffering some more. I reside in a nonsmoking home with only my husband, no children, no pets, and have as clean a house as you'll ever see! So I can't blame it on my home environment.

Desperate for a heavy-duty vacuum that I could use without becoming sick, I decided to give the Miele (rhymes with "Shiela") a whirl. Did I want to spend a king's ransom for a vacuum cleaner? NO!!!!! In my case, however, I thought of it more as a medical necessity. I also bargained with a local dealer who took one hundred dollars off of Miele's retail price. The dealers have to ADVERTISE retail price, but you do not have to PAY retail price.

Many other reviewers here and across the web have written about the pros and cons of owning a Miele. The biggest con is the price, and the pros are many. The FOUR vacuum cleaner repair persons with whom I spoke said two things for certain: 1.) Dysons are a piece of junk, and 2.) As a general rule, Mieles last for years and are worth the price. (Two of these repair people sold neither Miele nor Dyson).

The main idea that I would like for others to come away with after reading this review, is that I do not, under any circumstances, want anyone to go on believing that Dyson vacuum cleaners are good for allergies and asthma. I was miserable using that $500+ paperweight. The Miele on the other hand, is the first vacuum cleaner that I have used that does not have a terrible odor, and does not force me to vacuum with a tissue in one hand. During its first use a week ago, I vacuumed 4 rooms (carpeted, tile and hardwood), under beds and furniture, across blinds, over door frames, baseboards, and so forth. I did not cough or sneeze even ONCE. THAT is nothing short of a miracle for me. I also do not cough and sneeze for the next few hours AFTER vacuuming. I have replicated this by vacuuming at least 4 times since then with my Miele, with the same amazing results. ZERO dust particles escape from this sealed unit, as compared with the unsealed Dyson, Kenmore, etc. models, whose vacuums generally emit far more dust particles than they pick up. I absolutely no longer react negatively to vacuuming.

The quality of the Miele is superb. This canister is light, agile, and works like a dream. I have the SEB217 head for my minimal carpeting. In order to make this vacuum even more versatile, I purchased a long "Universal Brush" Miele #SUV 10), and I can 'dust' anything with it, including my baseboards- it's great!

If you can swing the cost, get the Miele...ESPECIALLY if you or your children have allergies or asthma.

I love, love, love this vacuum. I did lots of research before deciding on purchasing the Miele. I chose this model because it has all the features I needed from the higher priced models and the only difference I can see is that it has a dial control for the suction instead of an "automatic" suction control feature. I have mostly hardwood and tile flooring with some berber carpet and a few oriental carpets. I have the smaller 10 1/2 powerhead and that works really well for maneuvering around hard to reach places and gets into corners beautifully. It picks up pet hair like a dream (I have 3 Weimaraners and Persian cat). I love the parquet floor tool too - I can finally say goodbye to my swiffer.

I have vacuumed my entire house nearly everyday since I purchased it, mostly because it just makes the job so much easier than my old Oreck upright. My husband thinks I need a job as a Miele spokesperson.

My second Miele vacuum purchase.

My first was a canister which I spent about $500 or so on ten years ago. It was a fantastic vacuum - it would clean without leaving behind a vacuum "odor" like every other vacuum I had had. The motor and suction remained consistent, and the bags were easy to change. It lasted until I accidently pulled it down a flight of stairs and the hose snapped off. It was a model without an electric brush attachment - it just had the non-electric "turbo" brush.

My new Miele - this model - has the electric brush and what a difference it makes. The electric brush works great. The differrence is night and day compared to the old turbo brush on my carpets. Most of my home is wood flooring, but we have a few "persian-like" area carpets and the turbo brush just didn't cut it - even on such short "piling."

That is my simple two cents - if you can afford it, go for a machine such as this with the electric brush if you must vacuum capeting at all. Miele's are generally fantastic all around - little argument there. If you don't have carpeting, go for the cheapest Miele canister you can find. Howvever, if you need clean carpets, you really do need an electric brush and not just a non-electric turbo brush.

Ok, I know - it's just a vacuum, but if you're like me and have gone through 4 or 5 other vacuums and have always been disappointed - I guarantee you: the Miele will not let you down. You can see online demonstrations of it's sealed canister system at YouTube, which for allergy sufferers or others concerned about vacuums that just recirculate the dirt, is of utmost importance. But beyond that, this is just one beautiful little machine. If you've shelled out hundreds for a Dyson only to be disappointed by it's flimsy plastic construction, you will be impressed by the Miele. Every piece is solid - especially the wand which is so sturdy and well crafted it feels more like a precision built part for a fighter jet than a part for a vacuum. The only downside to this sturdy construction is that it does make the wand a bit heavy, but I will take that over flimsy construction any day. I have had vacuums so loud you couldn't hear the phone ring if it was right next to you - this one is so amazingly quiet you'll think that it can't possibly have good suction, but it does! Quiet, powerful, with a sealed container, true HEPA filtration and a cloth bag (not paper) which self seals when you remove it from the canister as well as unbelievable construction make this vacuum worth every penny!

This economy level Miele model, as all the same cleaning ability as the more expensive models, Aquarius, and Capricorn, just without the electronic controls. The machine comes packaged with their mid-size power nozzle, the 217-3. This nozzle is great for medium-low pile carpets, and cleaning bare floors. This nozzle is so versitale you won't have to switch cleaning head going from your rugs to your bare floor, just simply flip the switch on the hose. The only surface this nozzle struggles on is the thicker carpets. You will feel like you have just worked out in the gym for 30 minutes, if you have to vacuum thick carpet with this nozzle. If you have thick carpets, or substantial pet hair, you'll want to move into a machine that comes with the larger 236 power nozzle. We have sold Miele's for long time, and we don't hesitate to put our name behind them. The best canister money can buy! Expect 25+ years of use out of this vacuum.

I am thrilled with the Miele system. The bags caught most, if not all (hey I don't have a microscope) of my dust, dust mites and their and my blech. I live in Oregon, land of 24/7 365 moisture. So dust mites love it here. And I happen to live in a valley... grass grass pollen pollen. I also have a cat that loves to quite literally roll around in the dirt. After testing a Miele Aquarius on my entire carpeted apartment, it was a no brainer to get a Miele. The first night I had my loaner from a friend I thoroughly cleaned my bedroom and that night I slept better. In the morning instead of going through a dozen or more tissues I just needed one. I also did not have to blow my nose in the middle of the night. I already have an amazing non-toxic mattress that the mites can't live in so I knew the problem was carpet, dust and moisture related. I ended up with the Gemini Miele as I don't need the Automatic (extra function) of the Aquarius. I did want the backlit knob indicator which is why I went with the Gemini over the Callisto. I purchased through Witbecks and they have been amazing in service and I would definitely buy from them again.

ps People, if you have allergies... look at your laundry detergent too.... I am simply flabbergasted how many people say they have allergies and use scented detergent, fabric softener, and dryer sheets!!!!!! That synthetic fragrance is definitely exacerbating any allergies you may have. That includes any 'plug-ins' or the like. Those products are actually quite toxic over time, they damage your olfactory senses (nose) and pollute the air, not freshen it.

Unlike many of the other vacuums on the market which are made of cheap plastic and designed to last only a couple of years, this vacuum is very well engineered and put together. They use much better polymers in their parts and the whole thing is clearly well built. It's more expensive than others but worth every penny. I actually like vacuuming now! It's sooooo quiet compared to others I've heard and the sound it does make is much more pleasing that the high pitched noise usually heard. What an improvement from the $500 Electrolux we used to have. I can actually hear the stereo playing now when I work.

One of the best features of this vac is the head for hard floors. It has a ball joint on it that allows you to control the head as if it were your own hand at the end of the wand. You've really got to try it to believe it. Before you shell out money for any other vac, you've got to make it to a dealer and give it a try. I walked into the dealer thinking I wanted a Riccar or a Sebo or a Dyson, or maybe one of the better Hoovers, but was totally convinced after just 5 minutes with the Miele.

I negociated with a local dealer and was able to get the larger carpet head instead of the smaller one that usually comes with this model for the same price ($800). Some people may prefer the smaller head to get into smaller spaces, but I liked the bigger one as it's more substancial and covers more area in one pass.

Either way, you will ***LOVE*** this machine.