Miele S2121 Delphi Canister Vacuum Cleaner (Old Model)

I own both the Miele S7280 Jazz Upright and the Miele S2121 Delphi Canister. This is what I think.SUCTION POWER:Very important obviously, both are superb. For how super quiet both are, they suck things in incredibly well. I don't have a dyson for comparison, but a few old canister models and Eureka and Hoover uprights. Both the Miele upright and canister blew them away. There is a Miele commercial online where a person is vacuuming and suddenly the cat is gone. Maybe not so impressive, but it does suck dirt and particles into the head that are just adjacent to it. Suction power is adjustable using an analog dial which I like. I use it mostly on high power always as it remains pretty darn quiet at that setting.Only issue is that the brushhead on the canister is not as vigorous on the carpet as the upright, thus I prefer the Miele upright for my thick carpets.SOUND:I've heard dysons that my friends have. I have hoover and eureka and others. this is by far the quietest model i've ever owned. both of them are very quiet. almost pleasing to listen to as it's mostly large moving air currents. no high pitched sounds. no annoying sounds. just a strong moving air sound. can definitely vacuum with the kids asleep. my cat still freaks out though and runs for cover.FILTERING AND STUFF:Canister doesn't come with a HEPA filter but can be upgraded to one later if you wish. I don't mind at all as it filters well with the bag and regular air filter it comes with. air smells fresh coming out. I can't find a reason to upgrade to HEPA right now.Upright comes with a HEPA filter. air moves well through it and again the air is fresh coming out without trouble. HEPA probably overkill unless you are extremely sensitive to dust and other particles.BAG:both come with filtering bags. these are very high quality when you feel them and have a snap closure device so when you remove it, dust doesn't poof out everywhere. trouble is they are very expensive. i've moved to buying generics for the canister which work pretty darn good (cardboard instead of plastic opening piece), but still filter decently and hold the same amt.Canister holds less than the upright by about 30% or so. More generic options for bags it seems. Both are very easy to change.ACCESSORIES:both come with a decent selection. Both have a flexible wand that you can use to reach high up or into crevices. The canister is easier for this as the canister part is lighter to hand carry as you are vacuuming and the head pops off quickly. For the upright you are stuck still lugging the base around.HARDWOOD VS CARPET:upright is better for carpet. better brushhead for that. both are solid on hardwood and clean well. Both maneuver well in any environment.Note for the canister version on high suction and thick carpet it can feel hard to move the head around as it is sucking the carpet so firmly. similar on a rug it may uproot it if you aren't careful. one option is to lower the suction power. the upright is fine even at high suction.upright maneuvers very well and gets flatter than I would have expected.POWER CORD:longer on the upright. I love the retractability of the canister.DURABILITY:they both have 7 year warranties. jesus this is better than my honda car. only thing in my house with such a warranty is the Vitamix blender I have which also seems to be built solid and going already on 5+ years. i trust these to last forever. Sure you can buy a cheap vacuum at costco or sams club that is powerful, but i've gone thru a few of those already because they start out great then break quickly or lose suction power over time.I've had the Miele canister for over 4+ years now and still going strong and still amazing suction. no maintenance. no problems. I just got the upright this year and expect similar.SUMMARY:Either works great as a vacuum. Just consider the formfactor and weight. Some people like a one unit deal, some people like the lightweight of the canister despite having to drag around the canister independently. The canister certainly is much lighter. The upright will give you a workout carrying it around but is a solid upright.Miele is my goto now. I recommend them to all my friends and family. I keep wondering if one day I will buy a dyson, but I like the bag systems way too much. to me they seem cleaner and are very powerful already.(by the way, I love my vacuums and if you want some advice, get the Miele's for power use, Hoover steam vac for carpet messes, Dyson handheld DC44 for everyday use. You will be set for 10+ years. Consider the iRoomba's and similar types if you can keep your floor clutter free and have a decent layout for it. They do work really great but not with kids. I am trying the mint plus (now irobot braava 380t) for my kitchen hardwood soon.)

I have had this vacuum for a couple of weeks now. It replaces a Kenmore canister I bought about twenty-some odd years ago that, if parts were still available, I would have fixed rather than make this purchase (nothing against this product), as I really liked the Kenmore. So this product rating will be more of a compare and contrast against the Kenmore.First, this product was spendy, and I wasn't sure that a vacuum was worth the $$$, but other reviewers seemed to like it, so I decided to give it a try. It arrived within a couple of business days, well packed/packaged, and as advertised.Pros:- It is small, light, and much quieter that the Kenmore.-The carpet motor on the head can be activated from the handle to easily transition from say, hardwoods to carpet, on the fly.- The unit has three filters: the bag, the motor filter, and the exhaust HEPA filter, so the air being exhausted from the vacuum is clean.-The motor speed is variable; that is, you may select various suction levels depending on what you are doing. For example deep carpet cleaning vs. hardwood dusting.- The attachment wand telescopes, so one may adjust the length according to reach, comfort, etc.- This unit has an airflow indicator on the canister, indicating when a dust bag change is required. Good to know, as overfilling them may cause a bag to burst (as was the case many a time with the Kenmore).- It simply works; the objective is to clean floors, etc., and it seems to do that well...to my surprise and satisfaction, better than my old Kenmore.Cons:- It tips with little provocation; the three wheels seem to be spaced such that a tug on the hose from the side (as when pulling the vacuum around a corner) causes the canister to tip. Minor flaw.- The attachment caddy rests on the canister end of the hose, rather than being integrated into the top of the canister, as was the case with the Kenmore; thus the fit and finish is not as nice as it could be, but again, a minor point.-The transition from the wand to the floor head attachment has a fixed positive angle to it, which makes it a bit difficult to lay the handle/wand flat as one is cleaning under couches, beds, etc. To get the wand/handle flat (and keep the head flat on the floor), the handle it must be rotated to one side of the head or the other. A bit of a pain, but not a deal breaker.- Bags/filters are a bit spendy when compared to other brands.Over all I am happy with my purchase, and in fact happy that I could not repair my old vacuum, as this one is growing more and more to my liking. Money well spent. 4.5 stars.Update: Have owned this vacuum for nearly a year and I am very pleased with it's performance. Have recently changed the bag and was impressed with the way the bag seals itself when the hose is removed, so as the bag is removed from the canister, even if squeezed, no dust or debris escapes from the bag's hose port. The inside of the canister was clean, indicating the HEPA beg was functioning properly (old vac always seemed to leak in this area). I would purchase again.

I bought this vacuum cleaner about a year and a half ago. It is without a doubt the worst vacuum I have ever owned.My carpet is somewhere between low and medium pile and I have two indoor dogs, a husky and a pug. I am not exaggerating when I say it requires at least ten passes to get a single section of my carpet clean. It seems to refuse to pick up even clumps of dog hair. I actually get angry while vacuuming because of this thing. This is even after putting in a fresh bag and filter, and making sure the electric brush part is clear.I have owned three vacuums before this thing, all much cheaper. Two were Bissells and one was a Hoover. None of them had any problem with the exact same carpet and pets. They would pick everything up in one or two passes and the only reason I replaced them was that because of their cheaper construction they would only last a couple years before breaking.When I decided to buy this vacuum I did a lot of research and many people on the internet recommended Miele. It was three times the price of any vacuum I bought before, but I figured I would get what I paid for. I did not. It was terrible from day one and don't think it's due to something working incorrectly. The vacuum itself has a strong pull through the hose and the brush spins strong and fast. I think it's just a bad design. The only time it seems to work well is on my tile, but that is a job that can be handled by a ten dollar broom.After buying it I stupidly though I'd stick with it and give it a chance rather than returning it right away. It cost so much, and everyone spoke so highly of it. By the time I realized I hated it my window to return it was gone, and I spent so much on it I couldn't justify buying another vacuum right away.