The Super Vast Vac For A Small Flat! (Miele S2110)

Member Name: Nar2

Product:	Miele S2110
Date:	16/06/09 (433 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Big bag, quiet, smooth easy to use design, lightweight, powerful, eco friendly motor, good quality

Disadvantages: Expensive prices, short power cord.

Out of the many vacuums I own not to mention the classic ones that have been restored and never see the light of day, I'm often asked what my "daily driver," is and in terms of living at my home which is a big house, there are two models in question which I use all the time. One of them is Sebo's Felix and another German, my old Miele S571 cylinder vacuum. Although no longer made (replaced in 2006 by the current S5 range) the S571 is by far one of the best Miele cylinder vacuums I've bought, even though it is around 7 kg, this vacuum has been a god send largely because it is very quiet, has all the tools I need hidden in a flap on the main body, a long hose, a long power cord, has great quality and parts/spares are relatively easy to get. In short, it's difficult to find a cylinder vacuum cleaner that can better it; even Sebo's older C series is heavier. Using Miele's F/J/M 4 litre bags (currently used by the new S4/S4000 range) the S571 still has a lot of life left to give.


However despite the S571's great advantages, my S4 model (given to my mum because it is lighter) is a fantastic all rounder, although it has a smaller bag capacity and doesn't get around so well due to its short power cord in a big home. The new S2110 however has a larger bag capacity and on the basis that I've moved back to Edinburgh, the S2110 has taken up the place of my old Sebo K model that has now been sold and was previously the vacuum of choice for a small to medium sized 2 bedroom flat.


Confusingly despite the model name, Miele's new S2110 basic cylinder vacuum weighs 4.5 kg that is 1kg lighter than the older but much more compact S4; a finger on the handle can still suspend both! Price wise the cost of the S2 comes in at £144-00 although I managed to buy one off EBay in May at £119 and £15 on top for postage and packaging. The retail price for the S2 however is around £144-00 making the EBay purchase that somewhat cheaper. When buying the HyClean bags (costing £6-95 to £8-95) you'll get replacement basic filters to change over and fitment is as easy to install and take out. Naturally this is also mirrored with taking out or putting in Miele's new 7 layered filtration HyClean dust bags of which one is already fitted to the S2110 when taken out of the box.


Despite using the same G/N bag like the current S5000 series, the S2110 has a few surprising details that make the purchase of this vacuum questionable. For a start you'll still get the Miele standard of three smaller cleaning tools such as short crevice tool, flat upholstery brush and the round 360 ° brush. But unlike the S5000 series and indeed upon my own older S571, the tools sit on a hose clip known as the "Vario Clip." This clip was re-designed recently for the later S4 series which means the clip can be mounted and locked onto the main hose that connects to the main body of the vacuum cleaner or anywhere on the telescopic brushed metal extension pipes. In theory this versatile clip should be versatile and it should be able to keep the tools on board. However some of my carpets have bolted frames on the entrances to the rooms meaning the slightest knock from the wheels underneath has meant one or two tools falling off in use when the clip has been added to the pipes. This is a problem which my mum's old S4210 has without the Vario clip idea to the hose (and just uses Miele's old tube clip park idea) and Miele have been stingy here in not providing a proper hiding place for the tools to store into on the vacuum cleaner. Lock it onto the hose and it means that no tools fall off but there should be a partition on the holder itself to ensure tools can be locked in without fear of falling off.


Quality is as usual the Miele standard and for the price you pay you get thick quality plastic on the S2110 with a closer arrangement of pedals to whip the cord back in and the power up pedal. Like the S4 range, there is a variable suction control dial and in a stepped manner gives you precise speed settings to lower or increase the suction power you need at the time of cleaning. As with my older S4 model its clear to see where Miele have been studying design and durability; whilst the painted red body is easy to keep clean, the underside mirrors the Bosch range of cylinder vacuums in providing a smooth, grainy grey underside and protection is given to the all round bumper that slightly protrudes from its organic, soft design. Three soft rubber coated castors on the underside allow great 360° manoeuvrability, which is ideal for small flats in confined spaces.


Miele however have done things a little differently to what has gone on before however! This isn't just a cut price S5000 in another body despite the fact that it uses the same larger dust bag. Given that most of their ranges start off with a minimum of 1800 watts, the S2 has a minimum of 1400 watts, which steadily increases to 1600 watts thus coveting the "Eco friendly," aspirations that other manufacturers have gone to. Clearly Miele have been looking at the older Sebo K series in this respect where power and emissions are concerned.


The performance however is outstanding for a lower powered model and as usual the noise of which most Miele vacuums exude is mirrored exactly in the S2110; at the highest speed I can still maintain a conversation with friends without shouting! When I clean in the early hours of morning I'm not worried about interrupting anyone else in the flat I'm in. Despite the lower power fitted, Miele have also re-designed the standard suction only floor head. It is slightly longer than the one fitted to the S4 but its new fiberglass construction means that it is lighter to move over carpet surfaces whilst on floors the new head flies around very easily and steadily grabbing in dirt at the sides and front with better ease. I welcome that as someone who likes to clean in the fastest way possible! Thanks to its all-plastic design despite its pedal to put down brushes on hard flooring, I find that the new floor head minimizes scratching both to itself and to the floors I clean with. Despite not having a turbo head brush though I find the S2110 covers dirt efficiently in most dust pick up situations. The biggest surprise is the weight of the machine as I pull it behind me; just as lightweight as the S4 compared to the older beast like S571 and since it has the same lock on the tubes and hose handle, the S2110 can be used with any existing Miele spare part such as turbo brushes or any other floor head you may need.


There are a couple of downsides to all this weight saving however. For travel, the Miele S2110 has a short power cord; an instant aspect I noticed over my bigger S571 but the hose copes well in use, flexible and coil free, it is (like all Miele hoses) infinitely crush proof and I find it just as easy to keep one hand on the handle and another on the hose to travel around with. An accessory that comes as standard with the S2 however is the more recently reviewed Flexhose extension (SFS10) that locks onto the existing hose and the back of the handle. This then gives another 1.5 metres onto the existing hose for optimum reach, which is a great accessory to include because the power cord on this model is short at 5 metres. It does however add weight to the back of the handle and in my mind doesn't justify extra reach when a longer power cord would be simpler.


For filtration the S2110 comes with Miele starter "Super Air Clean" filters; in use they cope well with the thicker filtration HyClean dust bags. This means less cost in the long run given that they last after four bags have been used and two come free in a box of Miele bags. Since owning the S2110 for a month so far, the bag is hardly heavy given its larger capacity and I'm confident given its bigger capacity that the bag will last for around three months. This makes the S2110 an ideal money saver as well as being relatively healthier than other vacuums on the market. On the basis that it can be fitted with a higher filtration cost optional cartridge such as the "Active Air Clean" charcoal filter or HEPA filter (£9 or £15) once again like all Miele cylinder vacuums, you can custom build your Miele S2110 in any way you need.


So if you live in a small home or a flat and you don't need that much room to get around, the S2 is a great vacuum cleaner to consider. Bearing in mind that it doesn't have a turbo brush added and uses suction only, the biggest saving alone is the bigger disposable dust bags the S2 uses and its lower powered motor. As a replacement for my compact Sebo K2 cylinder vacuum however, the Miele S2 couldn't be a better replacement model for a small flat. Thanks for reading ©Nar2 2009

www.miele.co.uk

Summary: The best pull along/cylinder vacuum on the market for small flats

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