Miele Quartz Canister Vacuum
- Details
Avg. consumer rating = 92/100
Let's cut to the chase. The Miele S6270 Quartz is a great vacuum IF you have lots of bare floors to clean and a few area rugs or a small amount of low pile carpet. It is not the best machine for a home or apartment with lots of carpet - especially medium to high pile carpet. The floor tool has no brushbar which limits its performance on deeper carpet. Aside from this the Quartz is lightweight, very quiet and powerful. It also has effective filtration, variable suction and is well built.
A careful search found a total of 60 consumer ratings for the Miele Quartz canister vacuum. Ratings were almost all very good and when averaged generated a very healthy score of 91.7 out of a possible 100, indicating that the majority of those who purchased this vacuum were happy with their decision. The sources and ratings can be found in the table below.
| Source | Consumer Ratings | #Ratings |
| Amazon | 4.5 stars out of 5 | 46 |
| Mr Vac & Mrs Sew | 5 stars out of 5 | 8 |
| Abt | 4.5 stars out of 5 | 4 |
| Williams Sonoma | 5 stars out of 5 | 2 |
We track and collate all ratings data on the site and you may wish to view our comprehensive list of canister vacuum ratings or a table showing the ratings of all Miele vacuums. You can also view more Miele Quartz customer reviews
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A review of consumer comments provided the following vacuum likes and dislikes:
PROS
- Lightweight canister
- Expels clean air
- Very quiet
- Strong suction
- Canister moves and maneuvers easily
- Auto rewind power cord
- Excellent cleaning ability on bare floors
- Miele vacuums generally last a long time
CONS
- A bit expensive
- Combo floor tool could be better
- Not the best fit for a large home with lots of carpet
- Not great on carpet
Owners highlight that while the Quartz does work on carpet it really isnt the vacuums forte. The floor tool is something of a compromise as it has no brushbar and is designed for both bare floors and carpet. The machine does work well on bare floors however. Many of the people that rate it 5 stars out of 5 indicate that they have mostly bare floors to clean.
In addition, some consumers point out that using the Miele Parquet Twister smooth floor brush improves the units bare floor cleaning performance even more although this brush is not included with the vacuum. It needs to be purchased separately and it costs in the neighborhood of $70.
The Quartz is part of Mieles S6 series of canisters. The series includes the S6270 Topaz, the S6270 Onyx, the S6270 Red Velvet, the S6290 Jasper, and the S6290 HomeCare. These all share the same quality motor and differences are generally in the features. The Quartz is at the more affordable end of the scale typically just over $400.
The unit's 1200 watt vortex motor has 2 fans which provide better suction than the more typical 1 fan motors found on most machines. The motor is also housed in lightweight Duroplast which helps reduce the effects of temperature and also dampens vibrations. The motor has a life expectancy of 1200 hours and is warranted for a full 7-years.
A rotary dial on top of the canister has 6 different suction settings. These effectively provide different motor speeds from 300 to 1200 watts. The six settings can be used for diverse cleaning needs as follows:
1 Curtains / fabrics
2 Upholstery / cushions
3 Carpets / rugs
4 Lightly soiled carpets
5 Tiles / hard-floors
6 Light, energy-efficient vacuuming with minimal sound
The vacuum is quite lightweight and the canister weighs in at less than 10 lbs (9.8 lbs to be exact). The entire unit (canister, hose, wand, floor tool, etc) weighs somewhere in the neighbourhood of 17 lbs. The light weight makes it relatively easy to carry and it also comes with a built in handle.
The Quartz uses Miele AirClean filterbags (vacuum bags). These are known as Miele FJM bags. They are reinforced 9-layer bags that are puncture resistant and autosealing - the bags have a self-locking collar that ensures dust does not escape back into the air when the bag is removed. The FJM bags have a capacity of 3.7 quarts, the same as the S4 machines. A bag change indicator on the vacuum turns orange to let you know when it is time to change the bag. Most owners report that these bags last a fairly long time.
There are several levels of air filtration in this vacuum of which the FJM bags are only one. There is also a pre-motor filter and an AirClean filter. The AirClean filter is capable of filtering out 99.95 % of particles with a diameter of 0.5 microns or larger (or 94% of particles with a diameter of 0.3 microns or larger). This isnt quite HEPA level filtration. By comparison a HEPA filter removes 99.97% of particles with a diameter of 0.3 microns or larger. You can learn more about HEPA filtration in our article "About HEPA Filtration".
Both the AirClean filter and the pre-motor filter should generally be replaced with each new package of vacuum bags (4 per bag). Official Miele FJM bag packages actually come with a new pre-motor filter and AirClean filter. You can see pricing on Amazon at the right of this paragraph.
There are also 2 filtration options that can be purchased for the Quartz. An Active AirClean filter can be used and it includes active charcoal which absorbs odors. Also an Active HEPA filter that combines HEPA level filtration and active charcoal can be bought. Each filter has a lifetime of about 1 year.
In addition, the S6270 Quartz has sealed system construction. Vacuums that have a sealed system are constructed in such a manner as to ensure that ALL the air entering the vacuum is passed through the filter(s). Air does not bypass the filters nor does it leak out through cracks in the vacuum body or poor seals. Having a completely sealed system also helps improve suction by ensuring that all the air flowing through the motor is also pulled through the hose and attachments it is not drawn in through unsealed joints in the case, wand and attachments.
Like most full-size machine today the Quartz comes with a few tools:
- Dusting brush (with natural bristles)
- Crevice tool
- Upholstery tool
A device called a VarioClip (included) can be attached to the hose and will hold the tools so they are easily available when you are cleaning. The vacuum also comes with a stainless steel telescoping wand and a 70 inch crush-proof, flexible, non-electric hose. Some folks may wonder what a non-electric hose is. This kind of hose cannot transfer electricity to a power floor tool so even if you have a floor tool with a powered brushbar you cannot attach it to this hose. The floor tool included with the Quartz (described below) is not powered.
The floor cleaning tool provided with the Quartz is the SBD285-3 combination carpet and smooth floor tool. A rocker switch on top of the nozzle is foot operated and allows one to change between carpet and smooth floors mode. The hose and floor tool "click" and lock together no friction fitting. A latch releases the locking mechanism
The following video from Metrovacuums is worth a watch to see the floor tool in use. It also shows a number of other aspects of the machine.
Miele usually report cleaning reach as operating radius. The Quartz has an operating radius of 33 feet. The radius is determined by the length of the power cord, the hose, the wand and the floor tool. The power cord on this unit is 21 feet standard for most Miele canisters. The power cord is also auto-retract and it is engaged at the press of a button. This is a popular feature with many owners.
Castor wheels that rotate a full 360 degrees provide plenty of canister manevuerability. The wheels are mounted on strong steel axles and owners report that the unit is indeed quite nimble.
Additional features include a thermal cutoff switch that engages should the motor begin to overheat (perhaps from an obstruction), and a noise optimized motor fan (resulting in very quiet operation). The Quartz is designed to last for about 20 years of residential use. As mentioned, the motor carries a 7-year warranty while the vacuum itself has a 2-year parts and labor warranty.
One should be aware that these warranties are for residential use only. Should the vacuum be used for commercial purposes the 7-year and 2-year warranties are both reduced to 6 months.
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Nigel Russco has been writing for Vacuum Cleaner Advisor for years and has a background in business and engineering, as well as a keen interest in anything related to vacuum cleaners. Connect with Nigel on Google+ |
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