Canister Vacuums

Miele S4210 Vacuum Cleaner Review

Wednesday, 21 October 2009

After a number of comments asking us to review the likes of Miele, Lindhaus and Sebo we have undertaken our first Miele review. Were we impressed? Well, yes actually. We typically have reviewed some of the more moderately priced brands of vacuum cleaners and the three aforementioned can be a bit pricey, however the Miele S4210 (Carina version at least) can be found at some websites/stores for under 400 USD. Not cheap but then again not over the top for a machine with fantastic reviews and a 7 year motor warranty (yes – 7 years). [REF Miele Vacuum Cleaner Reviews 2009]

Consumer Ratings
This is a well-liked vacuum series - before poring over some of the materials below it is good to know this up-front. Consumer ratings from several quality sites can be seen in the table below:

Source	Consumer Rating	#Ratings
Amazon	4.6 stars out of 5	93
Epinions	4.63 stars out of 5	19
Ciao!	5 stars out of 5	2

The Different S4210 Models
Miele have been around since the late 1800’s and they produced their first vacuum cleaner in the 1920’s. So this is a company with a fairly long tradition of vacuum cleaner development. There are 4 different versions of the Miele S4210 and these are known collectively as the S4 Galaxy series. The versions are the S4210 Sirius, S4210 Antares, S4210 Carina, and S4210 Capella. All of the S4 Galaxy series vacuum cleaners use the same base canister unit and motor. The units only differ by color and the type of floor tools & accessories with which they ship. The naming convention and lack of description of version capabilities has been one of the major consumer complaints about this series of vacuums – folks find it hard to tell the versions apart and what version comes with what.

According to Miele the differences (besides the color) between the four models of the Miele S4210 are as follows:

S4210 Sirius
Floor Tools - SBB300-3 Parquet Floor Brush
Additional Accessories - Upholstery Nozzle

S4210 Antares
Floor Tools - STB205-2 Turbobrush, SBB300-3 Parquet Floor Brush
Additional Accessories - Upholstery Nozzle

S4210 Carina
Floor Tools - SBD450-3 Combination carpet/smooth floor tool
Additional Accessories - Crevice Nozzle, Dusting Brush and Upholstery Nozzle.

S4210 Capella
Floor Tools - SBB300-3 Parquet Floor Brush
Additional Accessories - Upholstery Nozzle

Confused? Apparently you are not the only one. The Capella is often quite a bit more expensive than the other versions of this vacuum (and it appears to have the same floor tools and accessories as the Sirius). Why? It seems the unit comes with (or used to come with) the “SAB 100-3 Accu Nova Electro Brush”, however this brush has been discontinued by Miele due to excessive problems with the batteries. It’s hard to find the Capella for sale these days. We have also seen mention that the “crevice nozzle, dusting brush and upholstery tool” are standard with ALL versions of this vacuum – this information seems to vary from place to place and we would recommend checking this with whatever group you intend to purchase this vacuum from.

A little research regarding the Floor tools has also revealed the following:

Carina: Miele SBD 450-3 Combination Rug/Smooth Floor Tool which is 56USD at Amazon.

Sirius: Miele SBB300-3 Parquet Floor Brush which is 69USD at Amazon.

Antares: Miele STB 205-3 Turbobrush which is 129USD at Amazon and the Miele SBB300-3 Parquet Floor Brush which is 69USD at Amazon

A simple way to tell these three vacuums apart (as some shops refer to them simply as the Miele S4210) is the color. The Carina is a very light yellow (“Melon Yellow”), the Sirius is bright blue (“Electric Blue”), the Antares is red (“Mango Red”), and the Capella is a navy blue (“Royal Blue”).

Vacuum Cleaner Features
All other aspects of the Galaxy series vacuums are the same. The S4210 is fairly lightweight at 14 lbs - without hose, wand and attachment(s) this vacuum weighs in at about 10.5 lbs. The S4210 has a 1200 watt high output motor that uses the Miele Vortex Suction Motor System. Miele Vortex suction uses a series of fan blades designed in such a way as to optimize airflow and increase motor efficiency. The motor also has lifetime lubricated ball-bearings and has a life expectancy of some 1200 hours – thus the 7 year motor warranty. Motor suction can also be controlled by a rotary dial located on the canister (from 200W to 1200W – via 6 speed stages). Additionally Miele have actually noise insulated the vacuum motor and many consumers have indeed indicated that this canister vacuum is quiet.

The Miele S4210 has a fairly sophisticated filtration system. A key component of this system is the Sealed System construction that ensures air does not leak prior to filtration. This is important and filtration is only effective if all the air passes through the filters – if air is allowed to bypass the filters then no matter how good your filters are you will not be getting the full benefits of proper filtration. The Miele uses multi-stage filtration: a Super-Air-Clean filter which traps almost 94% of particles down to 0.3 microns in size, and the 3.7 quart, Type FJM, HyClean dustbag, with spring-loaded, self-sealing collar (2 come with the vacuum). These two features alone provide reasonably clean air for those who do not need HEPA filtering for allergies. However the unit comes with the ability to add both an optional HEPA filter (removes over 99% of particles down to 0.3 microns) and an optional Active Air Clean filter for removal of odors. The Active Air Clean filter uses activated charcoal and is sometimes a good idea for pet owners.

The Miele S4210 is advertised as having a 29.5 foot operating radius. However some consumers complain that the cord is too short. “Operating radius” is not a common means of measuring “cord length” and it appears that the unit has a power cord length of 21 feet, which, in our opinion, is short. 30+ feet is best (again – in our opinion). The S4210 also comes with a number of other features including automatic cord rewind (via a convenient footpedal), a stainless steel telescoping wand, dustbag change indicator, a safety shutoff in case of overheating, park system and space saving storage bracket. The Miele S4210 has the following dimensions in inches (H x W x L) 8 x 7 x 17, and it comes with a 1 year limited warranty plus a 7 year limited motor warranty.

A detailed review of consumer comments and ratings yields the following common Miele S4210 consumer likes and dislikes:

PROS
- 7 year motor warranty!
- small
- quite quiet
- excellent suction power
- decent selection of attachments (many optional however)
- lightweight
- easily maneuverable
- great on bare floors

CONS
- expensive
- power cord too short
- certain tools must be purchased separately depending on the model of s4210 (If you have a lot of carpet consider an upgrade to the Antares or buy the additional turbobrush)

For those of you who wish to dig a little deeper you may want to check out the Miele S4210 Manual.

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Jennifer McRensol - My first Miele

| 218.186.10.249 | 2009-12-05 23:50:58

Miele vacuums are really very good. I used to have a Dyson and a Dirt Devil and finally graduated to the Miele S4212 which we had shipped by Fedex from Amazon. The vacuum has very good suction and is also very light. I am not very big and lugging an upright up the stairs was a pain. With the Miele it is easy. I know it is bagged and the bags are a little pricey but it removes all the headache of emptying messy canisters. It is also so quiet! Have yet to find out how long it will last but I hope to stick with this vacuum for a long time.