S5 Miele
- Details
Miele German-made canister vacuums are extremely well-liked and highly rated by consumers. Their top of the line canister vacuums are the S5s. So which S5 Miele canister vacuum is best for your needs? It seems like a simple question, but once you start doing a little investigating it quickly becomes confusing. Different models are recommended for different flooring, however several models get the same recommendation. The vacuums also have a wide range of features that vary model to model and optional attachments. In this article we have gathered and organized key vacuum information in such a way as to make your choice a little bit easier.
According to the Miele website there are a number of new S5 Miele Vacuums and a number of older yet still popular S5 Vacuums. The latest S5 series of vacuums includes the following models:
- S5981 Capricorn
- S5481 Earth
- S5381 Leo
- S5381 Gemini
- S5281 Libra
- S5281 Pisces
- S5281 Callisto (with SEB228)
- S5211 Ariel
Previous but still popular S5 models include:
- S5980 Capricorn
- S5580 Aquarius
- S5281 Jubilee
- S5281 Callisto
- S5280 Callisto
- S5280 Pisces
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S5 compared to S4 and S2
There are some general differences between the S5, S4 and S2 series of Miele canister vacuums. These can be summed up as follows:
- The S5 are larger canister models than the S2 and S4 series. The S5 series is described by Miele as a full size canister vacuum, the S4 as a mid-size canister vacuum, and the S2 as a compact canister vacuum .
- The S5s have larger bags than the S4 but the same size bags as the S2. The S5/S2 bag size is 4.76 quarts. The S4 bag size is 3.7 quarts.
- All S5s have three integrated tools that are all stored on-board under the ABS plastic casing. These are attached to the hose via a clip on the S2 and S4.
- HEPA filtration is standard on all S5 Miele models. It is not standard on the S2 and S4 series although some models in these series do have it.
- On average the S5s have more floor tools than the S2 and S4 vacuums. The top four vacuums of the S5 series come with 2 floor tools each.
If you want to see further comparisons of the S2 and S4 canister vacuums you will want to read our Miele S2/S4 comparison article
S5 Models
Probably the first thing a consumer wants to know is which S5 Miele canister is the best one for their needs. This usually starts with a flooring recommendation.
S5981 CAPRICORN
Recommended for medium to high-pile or plush carpeting, area rugs and all smooth flooring.
S5481 EARTH
Recommended for wall to wall, high pile, or dense carpet, and all smooth flooring.
S5381 LEO
Recommended for medium to high-pile or plush carpeting, area rugs and all smooth flooring.
S5281 LIBRA
Recommended for medium to high-pile carpeting, area rugs and all smooth flooring.
S5281 CALLISTO (with SEB228)
Recommended for medium to high-pile carpeting, area rugs and all smooth flooring.
S5281 PISCES
Recommended for low to medium pile carpeting and smooth flooring.
S5211 ARIEL
Recommended for low pile carpeting and smooth flooring.
S5381 GEMINI
Recommended for medium to high-pile or plush carpeting, area rugs and all smooth flooring.
Pricing for these units is hard to nail down as they often appear with different floor tool options and thus prices vary quite a bit. Also one will note that several of these are recommended for the same flooring use - but the vacuums have different features. S5 Miele features and other details are best shown in table format.
Feature
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Capricorn S5981
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Earth S5481
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Leo S5381
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Gemini S5381
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Color
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Luna Silver
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Marine Blue
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Saffron Yellow
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Java Green
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Dust/upholstery/ crevice tools
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Power
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1200 Watts
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1200 Watts
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1200 Watts
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1200 Watts
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Sealed system
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Operating radius
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33 feet
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33 feet
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33 feet
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33 feet
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Dustbag capacity
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4.76 quarts
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4.76 quarts
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4.76 quarts
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4.76 quarts
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Dustbag full indicator
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Silence insulation
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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HEPA filter
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Safety shutoff
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Warranty
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7-years on motor, 1-year on parts and labor
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7-years on motor, 1-year on parts and labor
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7-years on motor, 1-year on parts and labor
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7-years on motor, 1-year on parts and labor
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Handle
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Deluxe
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Deluxe
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Deluxe
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Deluxe
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Suction Control
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Touch controls on handle
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step-on button controls with eco friendly automatic
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step-on button controls
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step-on button controls
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Change filter indicator
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Yes
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Yes
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No
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No
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Thermal shutoff indicator
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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No
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Recommended for
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medium to high-pile or plush carpeting, area rugs and all smooth flooring
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wall to wall, high pile, or dense carpet, and all smooth flooring
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medium to high-pile or plush carpeting, area rugs and all smooth flooring
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medium to high-pile or plush carpeting, area rugs and all smooth flooring
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Hoses
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SES130 Electric Hose
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SES119 Electric Hose
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SES119 Electric Hose
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SES119 Electric Hose
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Floor tools
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SBB300-3 Parquet Twister Floor Brush
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SEB217-3 Powerbrush, SBB300-3 Parquet Twister Floor Brush
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SBB300-3 Parquet Twister
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SBB300-3 Parquet Twister
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Wands
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SET210 Electric, telescopic Wand
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SET210 Electric, telescopic Wand
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SET210 Electric, telescopic Wand
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SET210 Electric, telescopic Wand
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Optional floor tools
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SEB236 Powerbrush, SEB217-3 Powerbrush
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SEB 228 Mid-Size Powerbrush, SEB 236 Full-Size Powerbrush
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SEB217-3 Electro Comfort, SEB236 Electro premium
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SEB217-3 Electro Comfort, SEB236 Electro premium
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Feature
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Libra S5281
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Callisto* S5281
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Pisces S5281
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Ariel S5211
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Color
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Mango Red
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Deep Black
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Royal Blue
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Polar Ice
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Dust/upholstery/ crevice tools
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Power
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1200 Watts
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1200 Watts
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1200 Watts
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1200 Watts
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Sealed system
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Operating radius
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33 feet
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33 feet
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33 feet
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33 feet
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Dustbag capacity
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4.76 quarts
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4.76 quarts
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4.76 quarts
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4.76 quarts
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Dustbag full indicator
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Silence insulation
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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HEPA filter
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Safety shutoff
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Yes
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Warranty
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7-years on motor, 1-year on parts and labor
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7-years on motor, 1-year on parts and labor
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7-years on motor, 1-year on parts and labor
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7-years on motor, 1-year on parts and labor
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Handle
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Deluxe
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Standard
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Standard
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Deluxe
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Suction Control
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6 setting rotary dial
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6 setting rotary dial
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6 setting rotary dial
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6 setting rotary dial
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Change filter indicator
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No
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No
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No
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No
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Thermal shutoff indicator
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No
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No
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No
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No
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Recommended for
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medium to high-pile carpeting, area rugs and all smooth flooring
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medium to high-pile carpeting, area rugs and all smooth flooring
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low to medium pile carpeting and smooth flooring
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low pile carpeting and smooth flooring
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Hoses
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SES119 Electric Hose
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SES119 Electric Hose
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Non-electric Hose
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Non-electric Hose
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Floor tools
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SEB217-3 Electro Comfort, SBB300-3 Parquet Twister
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SBB300-3 Parquet Twister, SEB228 ElectroPlus
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STB205-3 Turbobrush, SBB300-3 Parquet Twister Floor Brush
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SBD550-3 Combination carpet /smooth floor tool
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Wands
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Stainless steel, telescopic wand
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SET210 Electric, telescopic Wand
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Stainless steel, telescopic wand
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Stainless steel, telescopic wand
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Optional floor tools
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SEB 228 Mid-Size Powerbrush, SEB 236 Full-Size Powerbrush
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SEB 217 Mid-Size Powerbrush, SEB 236 Full-Size Powerbrush
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None
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None
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* This is the latest version of the callisto which comes with the SEB228, older S5281versions have different floor tools and a different wand.
Descriptions of Miele floor tool capabilities:
SEB217-3 Electro Comfort - electrically-driven carpet tool with a 10½"-wide brush roll with floating head and swivel neck design.
SEB236 Electro premium - electrically-driven carpet tool with a 13 3/8"-wide brush roll and 5 height adjustments for a variety of carpet densities. Also has a swivel neck for maneuverability, an integrated, light and all-around bumper strip to protect your furniture and an automatic shut-off when in the parked position.
SEB236 Powerbrush same as SEB236 Electro premium.
SBB300-3 Parquet Twister - floor brush for tile, wood and other smooth surfaces. It has a 90° rotation.
STB205-3 Turbobrush - has a rotating roller brush that is activated by the air that is drawn through the head.
SEB228 ElectroPlus - electrically-driven carpet tool with a 14"-wide brush roll. Equipped with a swivel neck and five level height adjustment.
SBD550-3 Combination carpet/smooth floor tool - universal tool for all smooth flooring and very low pile carpeting. A rocker switch allows you to go from smooth floors to carpeted surfaces.