Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I had never spent this much on a vacuum before, and I thought good and hard before making the purchase. As you can tell by the five stars, I'm very happy with my decision. Most important to me, the vacuum is incredibly quiet. The dog actually stays in the room while I'm vacuuming!!! It turns out that the reason I hated vacuuming before was the noise. I actually enjoy (yes ENJOY) vacuuming with my new, super quiet Miele! Not only is it quiet, it works great, is adjustable (I can lower the suction when I'm vacuuming throw rugs or furniture), and is very easy to store in the same space where my upright used to rest. The cord is so long I can vacuum my entire 1500 sq foot apartment without having to change outlets. As others have noted, there is no "vacuum smell" while I'm using the machine. I was initially confused by all the different Miele canister models, and the company website is not very helpful. Fortunately, I found a few merchant websites that did a good job of explaining the Miele canister lines. Basically, there are only three types of Miele canister vacuums: C-1, C-2, and C-3. They are all similarly powered in terms of wattage. The C-2 and C-3 are a little quieter than the C-1 and also utilize a higher quality plastic for the body. There are some other small differences between the C-1 and the other two lines, including the lengths of the electric cords and the hose nozzles. Because I wanted the quietest vacuum I could get, I decided I would get a C-2 or C-3. Initially, I thought the differences between the C-2 and C-3 models were pretty minor, given the significant price gap. That said, because this Limited Edition is so reasonably priced, I went for the C-3, and am really happy I did. In return for a little more $$, I have a larger dust bag than with the C-2, which means buying fewer bags over the years. I also have a special compartment inside the canister to store the small nozzles. I love this compartment, as the nozzles don't fall off the machine while I'm working. Finally, the C-3 has rubber bumpers on the canister. I didn't think I cared about the rubber bumpers, but I'm really glad I have them, as I bang the canister into my kitchen island at least three times a week. To me, the other differences, such as being able to push some adjustment buttons with my toe rather than bending over, aren't that important, since it turns out my toes are not very coordinated. :) Once you have decided C-1, C-2, or C-3, you decide what floor tool you want. Since I have hardwoods and Persian carpets, I just needed the basic rug and floor tool, which comes with the Limited Edition. The Limited Edition also comes with a wood floor tool, but I'm so happy with the all purpose tool, I haven't used the hardwood tool yet. Here is the one other important decision you must make before you decide on a vacuum: do you need a power brush tool? The power brushes work like rotary brushes on an upright. If you plan to use your canister vacuum on medium thick carpets or on shag, you should consider purchasing a machine with a power brush. These brushes require a special, electrified hose that comes with the models equipped with power brushes. What that means is you can't just add a power brush later if you don't already have the right hose. I suspect that replacing the hose with an electrified one is pricey. Once you know which floor tool you need, you look on the Miele website and see which models (colors) come equipped with your floor tool. And that's how you decide what vacuum to buy! Fortunately for me, the Limited Edition fit the bill. Finally, the Limited Edition I ordered did not come with a Hepa filter, but you can purchase a filter separately and replace the standard filter with the one you purchased. I note that most of the other C-3's come with the Hepa filter as standard. That's it. Good luck with your vacuum shopping!