The Truth Behind the Sebo X1.1 (Sebo X 1.1)

Member Name: Nar2

Product:	Sebo X 1.1
Date:	07/11/09 (129 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Well made, robust, top value, very easy to use, lightweight, excellent suction & carpet pick up.

Disadvantages: Colours a bit staid; needs a little updating, expensive prices but worth it.

Despite Dyson's best efforts to become the best well known brand for vacuums through product design and court infringements, I was shocked to find recently that from latest findings from a rival consumer review website company that the most preferred vacuums on the market all take disposable bags with the Sebo X1.1 at number one and two other X models in the top ten*. Naturally after so many years of not owning a Sebo X1 Automatic and selling my X4 Pet to a friend, I jumped at the chance of purchasing the X1.1 immediately; it has always been the model I've recommended to others over the pricier X4 models. I've had Hoover Purepower uprights, Panasonic bagged uprights and Miele's S7 through my hands, but despite old versus new, the Sebo X range is still far more compact and better thought out. The latter models are too heavy to push, Hoover and Miele too heavy to lift, Hoover and Panasonic hoses on the back have a knack of being ever so short coupled with heavy noisy motors that always makes my ears cringe at the thought; some products aren't worth the £70 asking price and if you have ever owned a Dustmanager which is effectively the bagless Hoover version you'll know what I mean about noise and weight! The Sebo X1.1 may be the "starter" priced Sebo X upright vacuum at £175 to £199 and it may lack extension tools that the X4 come with - but it is no less efficient or incapable of proving why it is number one and most popular since it replaced the old X1 Automatic. Miele's basic S7 starts at £249 so it is easy to see who the cheaper German is! ** This is a long review based on actual usage **


Form and function is very apparent with the Sebo X1.1 dressed in several matt colours (blue/grey or white/yellow or white/grey or red/grey if purchased from Euronics) rather than flashy chrome or painted black plastics. It doesn't whistle, or ring out acting as a secondary piece of stylistic furniture that blends in with your home unless you are a fan of Cubism. Like its predecessor, the X1.1 mimics the automatic functions and block look of the old X1 Automatic and it is good that Sebo haven't messed about with the basic premise. This effectively means a wonderfully welcomed 50% reduction of its 7kg total weight when pushing and pulling the upright across carpets due to the Sebo's electronically adjustable (and hydraulic assisted) floor head as well as a simple but effective 3 metre added hose that fits into an additional straight plastic wand complete with grab handle at the back for quick removal. Add in a long 10 metre power cord, lifetime fitted drive belt and a slim line flat to the floor cleaning design and it is not hard to see why in the United States particularly, the Sebo uprights are by far the most preferred for commercial upright vacuuming or large domestic homes. Infact there isn't another upright I've used where I only need to use the tips of my fingers on the handle to glide across different carpet textures.


For environmentalists, the X1.1 should appeal because there's only 1150 watts total power, deep fill high filtration dust bags with individual seals and if the dust gets missed (it seldom does) then the slide in/slide out on board S Class/HEPA identifiable allergy filter gets the last of it. That is one of the primary reasons to why all Sebo vacuums have won numerous awards such as GHI/Which? and an award/approval from the British Allergy Foundation. Sebo bags are just that, only they offer 3 layers of filtration on top of their hospital grade and recognized micro filter and S Class/HEPA sealed system that puts out cleaner dust free air. The X4, X4 Pet and X5 are not very different save from uprated power and a bigger 14" floorhead on the X5 compared to 12 inches like most standard compact upright vacs on the UK market.


The performance of the X1.1 is particularly apt for most carpet cleaning needs; the brush roll grooms and lifts dirt out of carpets effortlessly. Downsides however consist of the speed in which the electronic sensor adjusts to the carpet and if you're patient you need to give the X a couple of seconds before it can sense the carpet it is required to clean. If you can't be bothered to wait then the vacuum will still sense the carpet and adjust the height accordingly but don't expect it to pick up the dirt the first time you lower the handle and run it over dirty carpet without giving it a couple of seconds to adjust. Normally it will pick up instantly once it has sensed the height of the carpet nap and performance is largely excellent that seems to give carpets a better appearance than uprights with a fixed height setting. Just like the entire X family the electronic guidance system also tells the owner what the vacuum is doing through four different lights: when the floor head is moving onto carpet, when it is rising changing the height of the brush roll automatically to prolong the brush roll and when cleaning hard floors and with its two symmetrical LED colours, two red lights act as warnings; bag full/clog and a brush roll fault respectively. Do you really need to know when the floor head is rising to cope with different floor/carpet nap heights? Not really but the X1.1 benefits the consumer who can feel the slightest change when pushing and pulling this vacuum across the changing floor surfaces and then wonder why, all of a sudden the upright has become lighter when transferring from carpet to hard floor.


Another downside is that due to its electronics and the fact that it has a lifetime belt fitted, one side of the floor head will not clean as well to the edge as the other side. I don't mind this at all since the very lightweight 0.5kg hose and wand is lightweight enough to pull out and use to scoop up dirt without bending for corners. For the price you expect both sides to clean up edges but here's the vital difference between more modern brands; whereas you'll undoubtedly get twin edge cleaning sides, you won't find another upright vacuum cleaner that doesn't need screws to undo the sole plate to get into the brush roll should it get caught up with tight hairs and threads. Because of the Sebo's easy maintenance, a compromise has to be made here and the X1.1 has the same brush roll release button that pops out and the entire brush roll can be removed. Just above the main hood the only other maintenance function is to remove the carbon filter that protects the motor and also prevents carbon dust from entering into the room. Avoid going online if you can to buy the filter as Ebay and other stockists are known to over charge for this simple plastic foam grid and the foam isn't washable. Cost of replacement filter from John Lewis will only set you back £2-55! As for the drive belt; it's an internal lifetime toothed belt that should never need changing.


Have precious wool loop carpet? You can buy a separate brush roll that deals specifically with this kind of carpet and has softer bristles as a result to Sebo's standard brush roll. Then all you do is pull the brush off, clean it and install back in and fit the side door on. No screwdrivers, no impatience and no sweating or swearing. I'm prepared to put up with that than moan about no proper twin edge cleaning aspects! In the X's defence though there are edges built in on the front that seem to pull dirt in when made to go against skirting boards and the base boards underneath kitchen cupboards.


The hose and wand can appear to be clunky particularly if you consider the extension hose for more reach (3 metres) because the standard hose isn't long enough to do a complete flight of say, seven steps. However the whole design element of the hose and wand is spot on, super easy to use and very quick to access. Additional practical design stems from the fact that if I just need the hose, I can simply pull it out of the top part wand. There's also a button release on the wand itself where the hose normally sits inside anyway. There is no need to unwind a hose around a hook and get a slight bruise for accessing tools either. On the X1.1 model, a long noise free crevice tool is supplied and a T shaped upholstery tool with a stiff line of small brushes that can be used quite universally for many cleaning needs. Both pop out at the bottom and top half at the back of the X1.1 whilst the T shaped tool has a removable brush and is ideal for cleaning velour sofas or curtains whilst the brushes when added is great for general shelf dust pick up without fear of scratching due to its design. Naturally the quality of these tools mirrors the quality of build here and although not as organically smooth as the latest Miele S7, the X1.1 has soft feel plastics, metal mixes here and there that withstand scrapes and general abuse. You certainly get your money's worth with the German built engineering that surrounds the X1.1 even though it may not look it!


So what good is the suction on board? In real "layman's," terms, as the bags progressively fill with dust, suction on the Sebo X1.1 doesn't start to weaken unless the dirt has been heavy and towards the end of the bag this is when I find suction starts to weaken but not to the point that suction is completely cut out like other bagged uprights on the market where bags clog. Sebo get around this because the bags and the filter system are electrostatic which maintains suction. I've often checked the heavy dust bag in my X1.1 only to realise that it can still take dirt when the red warning light doesn't show and certainly if there is still space at the top of the bag, it's better to let the Sebo just get on with it.


Now where consumables are concerned, the Sebo X is a good value vacuum cleaner and here is why! This is primarily down to Sebo's "bonus" boxes of bags and filters. The 'Service' box of bags containing 5.5 litre 10 bags and replaceable filters make the Sebo X longer lasting than any other upright vacuum on the market and when I've owned one box of bags, it generally lasts me a year and a half on the basis that their three stage filter paper bag (complete with seals) last me three to five months dependent on the nature of dirt pick up. The Service box costs between £15-95 to £18-95 whilst a box of bags singularly (7) costs £8-95 and single "kitchen roll" S/Class or Microfilter costs £9-99 and £16-95 respectively for the added Charcoal element. That's the prices for genuine parts; you can pick up cheap copy paper bags but I find they don't seal in the odours as well and never come with seal caps. However I find that if the main filter gets dirty it can actually just be brushed clean before installed back in. Effectively then the only cost you'll give yourself is the carbon filter and the bags. All of these prices come from John Lewis where most Sebo consumables are sold but Sebo do sell models both at Comet, Curry's and Euronics. Ebay sellers also sell old stock parts such as bags and filters and you can often get a half price bargain if you scrutinize! Generally if you're fed up ingesting your home dust and dirt every time you reach to empty out a bagless canister or have to clean the filters, Sebo's X upright range does away with cleaning filters when they have to be replaced each time a new box of bags are bought, or when the un-washable filters themselves are looking extremely dirty. Both the bags and filters are easy to fit or take out too.


In terms of why you would buy a Sebo X1.1 it's all down to the fact of whether you want something that will just do the job or have something where you are constantly trying to nurture your vacuum to do something it should do better by its very design.


If there is a clog for example, the Sebo X1.1 will automatically switch off after a couple of seconds. Removing clogs are relatively easy due to a trapdoor on the floor head or by taking off the entire hose and wand for inspection. There aren't any air way inspection tubes to take off here like Dyson and none of the 45 to an hour waiting time for "cooling" the motor down. The Sebo X is double insulated with a protection system built in, so if you do vacuum up a sock and gets caught in the brush roll, the system will shut down immediately to risk damage to the life time belt. Remove the clog and the X1.1 can be switched back on immediately - not bad for a 23 year old design! Even when building or putting it together, the X1.1 has an ingenious build and lock design; the floor head unit comes away from the main dust bin via a main lock whilst the power on button fitted handle and spine also comes off independently from the bin area. Not exactly helpful to anyone unless they are constantly in transit with their vacuum, the assembly instructions also act as procedures for further unclogging.


Improvements have also been made to the actual motor on the Sebo X1.1. Over my X1 Automatic and despite the power increase I find the X1.1 is quieter to use and at just 63 decibels I can hear the phone ring or the door bell! More importantly the X1.1 now has a stepped geared motor that allows the use of the pet hair turbo brush. On the X1 Automatic model the suction was so strong that when the turbo brush was attached, the bag full light would often come on sensing a reduction of suction and switch itself off. On the X1.1 however, Sebo have improved this detection; so whenever I use my pet hair mini brush, the X1.1 just keeps the power going which is a welcome surprise and up to jet engine like sounds, the turbo brush makes more noise than the actual vacuum cleaner.


As with the good, there is often the bad but in the X's case more positives than negatives where I'm concerned. Due to its easy to access top release wand and hose if both are pulled from behind the Sebo can fall over but if you put it flat against a wall, the hose and wand can still be used. Sebo need to consider a stabliser that could in theory stop the X from falling over. Also although the X can clean a hard floor, the brush roll cannot be switched off which could in theory support more of an idea for brush-free hard floor cleaning. Sebo could develop a switch off function like they have done with their smaller Felix uprights. Because the X range is primarily for carpet cleaning only, the X does struggle to clean on unlevel floors or sealed tiled floor, particularly because the central wheel gets confused with the imperfections on the floor - yes it is that sensitive to floor undulations. Other downsides consist of where to put additional tools like a pet hair turbo brush or any other tool you may consider later on such as Sebo's excellent longhaired upholstery triangle brush. Although a clip is available, Sebo would do better to offer the slideable tool mount that is available for the Sebo Felix where two other tools can be stored on the main metal strip just below the handle and can be slid upwards or downwards according to need. You can purchase fixed clips that can be used on the front and back of the main metal strip just below the handle but a slideable tool storer would be so much easier here. Lastly, the hose is short and can only reach to some stairs - for extra length it is better to consider the extra long 3 metre extension hose. It can be fitted to the standard hose for 6 metres total length or slip it into the handle-fitted plastic extension wand for more control without bending. Another downside is that no further straight extension hose is equipped which could effectively add more versatility to the hose and wand. Sebo may well argue that the wand is enough to act as an extension tube but for the price here it wouldn't hurt Sebo to offer another extension pipe for increased reach, particularly given that the top hose and wand with fitted handle is great at getting cobwebs down when sited near to the upright vacuum itself.


Despite some downsides the Sebo X1.1 is an ideal upright vacuum cleaner for a large home or a small flat where carpet care is paramount. Over the price of more expensive uprights on the market, Sebo also offer a 5 years and 2 years additional parts and labour guarantee and with the hose removed, the X1.1 can be turned into a dry cleaning upright with their excellent dry cleaning powder. Their user manuals are also free to download from the company website and are well detailed with good diagrams. Even though it may well be priced £100 more than other "budget" uprights on the market, the Sebo X1.1 isn't a budget vacuum cleaner but it is well worth a look for its simplicity and function - after all, it's only a vacuum cleaner but one that has been designed to be largely trouble free in use with automatic decisions on board without the owner having to be stressed out. Our X1 Automatic lasted more than ten years and I have every confidence that the X1.1 will do exactly the same with little damage. Thanks for reading. ©Nar2 2009

www.sebo.co.uk

* www.your-story.org/british-vacuum-cleaner-
manufacturer-numatic-leaves-dyson-for-dust-accord ing-to-
genuine-shopper-reviews-4944

See a visual demo/user guide to the older X1 Automatic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikhtNFEKpeg

Summary: Miele copied it, Electrolux tried but the 23 year old Sebo upright vac is well worth it.

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