Miele S2121 Delphi Canister Vacuum Cleaner
- Exceptionally lightweight
- Air Clean filter
- Dusting brush, upholstery tool and crevice nozzle on VarioClip
- 29.5-feet cleaning radius
- Electro Comfort electrobrush with floating head and swivel neck design for use on low to medium pile carpeting, rugs and smooth flooring
The Miele S2 Series Incorporating the quality and performance for which Miele vacuum cleaners are renowned, the S2 Series delivers exceptional cleaning power perfectly packaged in an agile, lightweight body. These versatile canisters gently care for all flooring in your home, from smooth, solid surfaces like tiles and hardwoods to plush rugs and deep-pile carpeting. With six distinct power settings — all clearly displayed on a front-mounted rotary dial — it’s easy to vary your vacuum cleaner’s suction power according to the carpet pile, flooring and fabrics you’re cleaning.
S2121 Delphi Miele’s S2 Delphi vacuum cleaner features an Electro Comfort electrobrush ideal for cleaning low to medium pile carpeting, rugs and
List Price: $ 549.00
Price: $ 499.00
Sweeper Non Electric
Terrific lower-priced additions to the Miele canister vacuum line,
The Miele S2 line of canister vacuums is new for 2009, offering the quality and many of Miele’s standard features at a lower price. There are four S2 models, all sharing the same 1200-watt base vacuum. The canister has six power settings and a standard air filter that catches 94% of particles down to 0.3 microns. The Olympus model is the lowest priced of the S2 line, and features a floor/carpet combo head (SBD350-3), non-electric hose and a telescoping wand. The Capri model substitutes the air-powered Turbobrush (STB205-3) for the floor/carpet combo head, and adds the Parquet Floor Brush (SBB-3). The Delphi model substitutes a power head (SEB217-3), electric hose (SES116) and electric telescoping wand (SET220) for the non-powered components of the Olympus. The Titan model retains the power components of the Delphi and adds the parquet floor brush (SBB-3) and active HEPA filter.
Note that all S2 models can support the power hose and brush, but only the Delphi and Titan include it as part of the package. Similarly, all S2 models support the active HEPA filter, but only the Titan includes it in its package. If you don’t currently need a power head you can buy the Olympus or Capri and add the power components later; you’ll pay more in the end, but you won’t have to buy power components now that you may not need for a few years. The non-electric combo head works well on smooth flooring, is usable on short-pile carpet, and is difficult to use on deeper-pile carpet.
Like all Miele vacuum cleaners, the S2 is well designed and manufactured in Germany. The vacuum has a range of 29.5 feet from the end of the self-retracting power cord to the tip of the brush. The unit is light (under 10 lbs), nicely balanced and moves easily in any direction on its casters. The top-exhaust design allows you to vacuum easily with the canister standing up, such as on steps. The motor is surprisingly quiet, particularly at the lower power levels. The six power levels allow you to switch from floors and carpets to shelves and tabletops without accidentally grabbing objects or papers instead of dirt or dust.
The S2 cleans very well and is a pleasure to use. The base has notches in which the hose can be parked, one for when the base is on its wheels, one for when the base is standing. This is a great touch, useful for temporarily standing the hose while you move a piece of furniture, and helpful for storing the vacuum in a closet without breaking down the hose and wand. Perhaps the only weakness of the S2 is the “varioclip” for tool storage, which rides somewhat uncomfortably on the hose rather than more naturally on the base. Changing the filter and bag are each a snap, and an indicator tells you when the bag is full.
Finally, what compromises does the S2 line make from the more expensive S4 and S5 lines? The most obvious changes are to external components: a few parts, such as the bumper strip that surrounds the canister, are made from hard plastic rather than softer rubber. The operating radius is a few feet shorter (due to a shorter power cord), and the accessory brushes use some lower-cost materials (nylon versus natural bristle brush, plastic instead of metal). Inside, the S2 canister uses Miele’s “CleanAir System” construction, while the S4 and S5 canister use its “Sealed System.” Miele doesn’t offer a detailed comparison of the two, but one might assume the latter system provides an extra measure of dust capture that may be more appropriate for those with allergic sensitivities.
The changes made to lower the price of the S2 line will make small differences in daily use, but shouldn’t compromise the vacuum’s core ability to clean. Those who are especially sensitive to dust should consider the HEPA-equipped Titan model, or stepping up to the S4 or S5; those with less stringent needs will find the S2 a terrific entry point to the Miele line of high quality vacuums. If budget is no issue, look at the S5 line, but if value-per-dollar is a major consideration, the S2 line will bring you Miele’s engineering and manufacturing prowess at a more affordable price. [©2009-2010 hyperbolium dot com]
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|First Miele Vacuum,
First of all let me state that this is my first Miele vacuum. I’ve not laid hands on a Sebo, Riccar, or Miele (except briefly in a store) before receiving the Miele Delphi. In the past I bought what was cheap and hoped for the best. Lately I’ve changed that philosophy and research everything diligently. Consider in my review that I don’t have experience with premium vacuums prior to this one (and even though it’s at the bottom end of the price range I think $500 is premium for a vacuum cleaner).
This vacuum replaces a Kenmore upright that lasted 10 years. We were never really satisfied with it though. It’s performance was mediocre and it always had belt problems. The beater was driven from the main motor by means of a cheap idler pulley arrangement (so that it could be disengaged for bare floors) which was a weak point. Like many uprights it was heavy and fell over easily when using attachments. Our house is 50/50 bare floors and low carpets. It did poorly on bare floors, particularly the tile in our bathrooms.
We use a vacuum to clean all the floors, upholstery, for dusting, and cleaning out the cars.
After a lot of research I decided on these priorities:
* Sealed system. Why clean if the dust is shooting out all over everything as you go?
* True power brush. Even though we have low carpets it was pretty clear that the combo tool would not cut it. Nor was I impressed with the turbo brush at the store. It’s very convenient to flip a switch and go from carpet to bare floors. I realize that there are specific brushes for bare floors, and we may get one eventually, but they seem very expensive for what you get.
* Quality construction. Means a lot for me and I’m willing to pay for it. I’m practically an expert appliance repairman from working on all the junk appliances we bought for our new house 10 years ago. First world construction AND assembly is not everything, but it goes a long ways.
* HEPA was not a necessity. We don’t have dust allergies. The ability to upgrade is a nice plus, but for now I just don’t think we need it.
So why did I choose the Delphi?
If you are confused about Miele’s model selection join the club. To sum the it up (canisters only):
S2 series, larger bags, powered and non-powered hose models tools mount on base of hose.
S4 series, smaller bags, non-powered hose models only, tools mount of base of hose.
S5 series, larger bags (same as S2), premium line, powered and non-powered hose models, tools mount inside.
Differences within the lines largely involve attachment packages and the type of controls on the vacuum itself.
Models with a non-powered hose cannot use power accessories. You cannot add a powered hose later. There are no provisions to power it. You are stuck with the turbo (air powered) brush heads only. As I said earlier I was not satisfied with the performance of those. All the new models with powered hoses have direct connect. That means when you connect the attachment the power plug is attached as well. There are no extra wires to connect. Some older models required extra wires which I would find inconvenient if you just wanted to change over the dusting brush for a quick second.
So on to the Miele Delphi:
The item arrived well packaged with clear documentation and only reasonable assembly required (~3 minutes, no tools). There are separate manuals for the power head and vacuum.
The included power head is the SEB 217-3. It is about 10 1/2″ wide with no light bar. It is a couple inches narrower than the power head on most vacuums. Miele has a larger one available that would work on this vacuum for around $250.00 (half the cost of the entire thing). Consider that the wider the power head the more your suction is dispersed. As the suction on the Miele is excellent I think it could certainly power a wider head just fine, but unless you have a very large home I think it would be unnecessary. Probably more important to that decision is the type of carpet. The 217-3 is designed for lower nap carpets. It has no height adjustment. I suspect it would be very hard to push on higher carpets. On high suction it can get tough to push on medium to low carpets, so consider that if you have deep carpeting. It does well on bare floors and I run it at the highest setting for this. You can actually see the dust being pulled under from a couple inches out front of the head.
The head has a swiveling attachment and as such it is very maneuverable. It also lays nearly flat, but not completely so, for getting under things. The head itself is very low profile so I can get under things I couldn’t before. The wand appears of very high quality stainless and the plastic latches for extension and connection appear of similar high quality and function.
The so called “deluxe” handle…
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