S4 Miele Compact Canister Series
The Miele S4000 canister series is made of small yet powerful compact canister vacuum cleaners. They are designed for consumers who have small to mid sized home with low pile or very little carpet. They share a lot of features with some of the more expensive Miele canister vacuum cleaners. They are very powerful for their size a weight a few pounds less than full sized Miele vacuum canisters. If you have a pet that does not shed much hair, a low traffic home, small children or an astham or allergy sufferer in the home than there might be a Miele compact canister model that would be a good fit for you. They are very easy to navigate during operation as opposed to so many other canister vacuum cleaners that need to be tugged into place and they have as much suction if not more than most other vacuum brand canister models. There are only a few Miele S4000 models available so distinguishing which model has the features you require is a bit easier when compared to researching the S5 Miele vacuum series.
The Miele Neptune S4212 canister is the most popular choice in the S4 family. If you know anybody with a Miele Antares then you know somebody with a Neptune because they are the same vacuum cleaner. The Neptune has a different name and color but it is essentially a rebranded Antares. The Antares was a well made and very powerful compact canister so that is a good thing. The Miele Neptune has an air driven powerbrush. Air driven brushes are generally not strong enough to clean carpets with a lot of pet hair. If you have a pet than you need to compare canister vacuums with electric powerbrushes. If you do not have a pet hair issue and your home is made of of low pile carpet and hard surface floors than the Neptune is an outstanding choice. It has the same high level filtration abilities of more expensive Miele vacuums. It comes with a HEPA filter and a floor brush for hardwood and smooth surface floors and onboard accessories. The castor wheels on the bottom of this vacuum make it extremly easy to navigate. It even has a rotary dial which will allow the user to reduce suction to clean lighter non secured rugs. Like all of the S4 vacuums it features a 1200 watt motor and uses vacuum bags that have a 3.76 quart capacity.
The Miele Polaris shares the S 4212 model number with the Miele Neptune. They both use the same canister part of the vacuum but the Polaris is a different color. The differnce is that the Neptune comes with better floor cleaning tools which is why it cost 100 dollars more. If you are looking for a compact canister vacuum to clean a small residence that has hard floors and a few rugs than the Polaris would be the more cost effective choice. It comes with an Miele clean air filter which can be upgraded to a HEPA filter is you choose down the road. Even with the regular filter the Polaris will still provide you with better filtration than 90 percent of other canister vacuums because it features the Miele Sealed filtration system. The rug floor tool is a combination tool that has a switch on it that you can adjust for the appropriate surface. The combo tool is works well on most smooth surface floors but you might want to upgrade to a natural hair floor brush if you have hardwood floors. The Polaris like the Neptune also has a rotary dial on the body of the canister to reduce suction for cleaning drapes and other lightweight items. The Polaris is the same exact vacuum as the older Miele Callisto so if you are familiar with the Callisto than you know the Polaris is the same vacuum with new name and new color.
The Miele Eclipse features a vacuum cleaner hose with an ergonomic handle, electronic suctions controls instead of a rotary dial and a HEPA filter. The Miele Eclipse is being retired but is still available online. It has a rug floor brush so it is basically an upgraded Polaris canister vacuum. The Miele Neptune is a better deal than the Eclipse so the fact that it is being retired really should not phase anybody.
The Miele Neptune is really the best Miele compact canister available. It will clean low pile carpet and hard surface floors, provide superior filtration due to the fact it utilizes Miele multi phase filtraton and is a sealed unit. The castor wheels make it easier to pull around your home than anything Kenmore or most other vacuum brands even make. It has tools onboard and is small enough to provide convenient storage. This model like most Miele canister vacuums is very durable and you should expect it to last you a long time. The fact that it does not utilize an electric hose and electric powerbrush means there is less power if you had a pet but there is also less to go wrong with this canister as it gets older and used over the years.