lyagushka's Full Review: Miele S251i Plus Bagged Canister Vacuum
My household has two cats in it. They shed. They shed a lot. Imagine the detritus they leave on the horizontal surfaces of my home. Last winter we moved to Europe and had to buy a new vacuum to work with European electrical standards. Imagine my delight when I heard about the Miele Cat & Dog Plus (S511) vacuum cleaner. Wow!," I thought. "Can I vacuum the cats themselves?!?" Imagine my disappointment when I learned there was no pet attachment included. Now try imagining the solution I jerry-rigged. Actually, strike that last one. I'm kidding. Really - I am.
In every other respect the Miele S511 has been great. The cats still run whenever I start vacuuming too close to where they're sleeping. But that's got absolutely nothing to do with post-traumatic stress, honest.
Performance
So let's get down to brass tacks, shall we? How well does this vacuum work? It works very well, managing to pack an amazing amount of sucking power into quite a small machine that is both quiet and lightweight.
There are several design features that make is very easy and convenient to use. The vacuum "cannister" is sleek and low to the floor. The front end, where the hose attaches, has a slightly tapered and narrowed shape. This helps me drag it easily through the house as I vacuum. If it bumps into a doorjamb or a piece of furniture I can usually just pull it gently around rather than having to go and move the cannister manually. That's a nice time and effort saver.
There are three wheels on the underside of the cannister that rotate 360 degrees. This allows the vacuum to move in any direction quite readily and I never have any problems maneuvering while I'm working. Also, there are a number of places in my house where the floors of adjacent rooms are at slightly different levels. The Miele never has any difficulty jumping up or down these small steps.
The three smaller attachments that come with the S511 Cat & Dog Plus - the crevice nozzle, upholstery nozzle and the dusting brush - all fit neatly inside a little compartment in the cannister. This makes it handy to switch attachments in the middle of the vacuuming, so long as I've remembered to put them back in there the last time I vacuumed.
There are two little notches that the floor or rug attachments can slip into when you finish vacuuming. The one on the side of the machine is oriented to be used when the cannister is standing upright. The hose and tube are then held upright by the notch and slot. But this configuration also makes it very easy to carry the entire machine with one hand; cannister, attachments, tube, hose and all. This is a real advantage for me since we have an extremely steep and narrow staircase; I like to keep one hand on the banister all the time, especially when I'm descending. With the hose stowed this way, I can easily port the whole kit and kaboodle in one trip.
Another thing I like about this vacuum is that it doesn't take up much space. Since it can stand on its butt end, it can fit into a closet without taking up all the floor space. The only problem is what to do with the other large attachment; the one that isn't already on the hose when it's in storage.
Features
This model (Miele S511) comes with a HEPA/charcoal filter, and other models in the S series come with a regular air filter which can be upgraded to a HEPA/charcoal. HEPA stands for High Efficiency Particle Air filter. These are especially useful for households with pets because they are able to remove particles of cat dander and to help control "pet odors." This type of filter can be very useful in reducing allergic reactions to pets. The HEPA/charcoal filter must be changed once a year.
One feature of the vacuum that I never have used is the venting system, which reduces the suction at the attachment end. Apparently this can be used for shag carpeting and other delicate surfaces. The vacuum can be vented at the handle at the top of the hose and on the rug attachment itself. I keep my vents closed all the time to maximize the suction. There is also a knob on the cannister which controls the overall amount of suction power. I always leave this at the highest setting.
Other nice design features concern the bag. There is an indicator panel on the surface of the cannister which shows you how full the bag is. I've found that I like to keep the bags no more than about 3/4 full, since the suction seems to diminish as the bag gets fuller. The bag is designed so that it seals itself automatically as you remove the full one. This is very handy since the opening for the hose in the bag is quite large and it would certainly make a mess otherwise. Because of this design, I've never had a problem with spillage.
Reliability
As for reliability, I must admit that I've had it for less than one year, so I can't discuss its performance over time. Thus far, my vacuum has only a few superficial scratches on the surface of the cannister and there is no visible wear or damage to the working parts of the vacuum, including the flexible hose. Miele is a German company and German engineering is notable for producing very durable and well-run machines. I've read that the average product lifetime for a Miele vacuum cleaner is about 20 years. From what I've seen, I don't doubt it.
Note about the voltage: I bought the Miele Cat & Dog Plus in Europe and obviously it is configured to run on 220 DC electrical supply. I do not know if this model is available in the US, for the US electrical system. One other thing I should mention is that when I bought this vacuum from the Miele dealer in my neighborhood, there were no owner's manuals available in English. However, the dealer offered to forward our address with a request for a manual in English to the company headquarters. About 10 days later our manual arrived in the mail. So Miele as a company gets extra points in my book.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I am very satisfied with all aspects of this vacuum. I love the fact that it is a quiet machine without the usual high pitched whine of most vacuum cleaners. I will have to sell this vacuum when I return to the States, but I will definitely look for a Miele again when it is time for me to buy my next vacuum.
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