I was researching on the Vacuum Cleaners subreddit and came across a post that mirrors my situation. Unfortunately, as of writing, their post hasn't received any comments. So, I decided to post the question here to get more answers, especially from fellow Aussies. In my case, I have a C1, not a C3, and I'm giving it to my brother as he has always had cheaper cleaners that break every few years. Like the person in the other post, I've searched the Australian market and watched YT videos. I've come across Sebo, Henry, and Lindhaus, as well as other brands I'm not familiar with. I don't own a cordless vacuum but I'm considering buying a Dyson for spot cleaning and messes. My house is about 60% carpet and 40% tiles; the carpet is somewhat thick but not quite high pile. My wife has had multiple bad experiences with Miele reps at stores/outlets so she is really hesitant to support the company even though they have good products.
Here's the post I copied. Does anyone have information on the best value high-end vacuum cleaner that will last 10-15 years and can compete with Miele in our market?
Our household has been using a Miele C3 (model number: SGME0) for about 10 years now, and it has been great to use but annoying to maintain when it's time (hairs clogging turbo brush). The person who owns the C3 is leaving the house and is taking their machine with them, so I am in the market to buy a vacuum cleaner. I do not care if the machine is a barrel or upright, just as long as I can use it for tiles and medium-thickness carpet. Living areas minus loungeroom are all tiled, 5 bedrooms carpeted. (The air-powered Miele head on our carpet makes the machine on auto mode lower the suction, and you can hear the head spinning slowly). A few months ago, someone bought a Dyson V8 with the multipurpose brush head and the fluffy roller on sale, and that has been great for pickups and quick cleans, but I don't think it is suitable for a full clean from reading on this sub. I don't have a budget, but ideally, I would like to spend under $1000 AUD; the best bang for buck, the better.
I have done a ton of searching on this sub for Australian-related questions and have realized that for some reason, in our market, we barely have any powered carpet heads; everything is air-driven carpet heads (including the C3 we have been using). Due to this, powerheads aren't a requirement due to the low availability and the expensive prices.
Sebo I have heard is a great brand, but their machines are quite expensive and are only sold by Sebo directly or a cleaning wholesale warehouse catered for commercial customers; hence, they are never on sale. Prices range from $850 to $1600. I know their $1400 and $1600 models have a powered head, but that is way more than I would like to spend.
Miele seems to have changed the design of the heads since our C3 was purchased, but I am pretty sure that the C3 cleaners are still the same, so there wouldn't be an upgrade if I bought another C3. I know I could do that, but I'd like to try out a different company/ better machine if possible because why not.
Henry seems to have a great reputation as well, but their machines are very cheap compared to Miele and Sebo, like half the price. I know price isn't everything, but normally the more a machine is designed and does a better job, the more the price is. Due to this, I am hesitant to buy one as it may be a downgrade from the Miele C3.
Lindhaus, specifically the Hf6 Pro. I have seen this mentioned a few times on here. I personally haven't heard of Lindhaus until this recent research on this sub. The machine costs about $750 and can be upgraded to use a powered head for approx $500, which brings it up to the high-end Sebo prices.
Looking forward to any advice on the brands listed or even any others I am not aware of to upgrade/compete with the Miele C3. I know that Australia has brands that I have never heard of either that seem to be reputable/mainstream in the market too.
Hoover