I don't quite understand why you need another vacuum.

I have a Miele canister and bagged Hoover Windtunnel Self-Propelled (among others). I got the Hoover for superior suction for cleaning deep-pile wall-to-wall carpet, and because I was tired of dragging the canister around. The Hoover has MUCH greater suction than the Miele for the carpet, but it's too much for small area rugs. Pulled some fibers right out of a wool/silk runner, for example. And small rugs it pulls right off the ground. So unless you have very large, deep-pile rugs that are practically glued to the ground, you CAN'T use powerful suction to vacuum them like you can with wall-to-wall.

Have you checked to make sure you are using the most suction available on the Miele when vacuuming the rugs? Mine has an adjuster with a little picture indicator that is counter-intuitive; when I thought I had it set to MORE suction, it was actually less. My husband showed me the error of my ways. :) Also, there are a couple ways to reduce the suction on different models, very handy for hard floors, drapes, etc., but if you inadvertently reduce it, it won't clean rugs as well. And, check the turbo brush for hair or string wrapped around, which will easily stop the brush roll from turning.

andersons: I will certainly check out the suction adjustments on my Meile to see if that will help. My area rugs are heavy orientals and I have been using an old Hoover Wind Tunnel to clean them, but it has seen better days, so was going to replace it.

You should never use a power brush on any "hand knotted", wool rugs. I can't see why the Miele would not do a great job on your rugs?

I have a central vac and use a special attachment made for higher quality rugs (like my Persian) that functions on suction only (no brush action).

I am also the new owner of a Miele S7 - which I purchased mainly to do the broadloom on my second floor (so I didn't have to lug out 35 feet of hose). I have used it on the main floor as well but when I vacuumed the Persian and wool sisals I did not use the power bar (just suction).

My central vac has very strong suction but I've learned (through the S7) that great suction doesn't a good vacuum make. The S7 does a much nicer job on my broadloom - not sure if it's the power bar or a combination of things but it looks great. I think too much suction can be as bad as not enough.

I think the Miele has very good suction and great suction control. I used it on the "curtain" setting with the upholstery attachment the other day to vacuum some silk drapes that really needed it. Worked beautifully.

As far as an upright goes - I cannot say enough good things about the S7. It is really a beautifully build machine that works very well. The details on this machine are a testament to the years it took to design.

My only complaint so far is the finish. I purchased the Marin (Swing in the US) in the silver blue metallic finish and it comes off. I accidentally ran the unit under a bathroom cabinet and it rubbed some of the colour off. Surprising for a vacuum that costs this much but the colour is beautiful so I wouldn't trade it for anything else. It's not for display it's for work so that's OK - I secretly admire the colour while using it :)

Here is a link that might be useful: Miele S7

What attachment are you using to clean the rugs? Miele's combo rug/floor tool for the canisters is quite good. It doesn't have a beater bar, which, as livebetter pointed out, you don't want for your type of rug. It's basically a very large upholstery tool on the rug setting. Just a thought.

As far as I'm concerned, there's no such thing as too much suction for cleaning broadloom. That's why I got the Hoover. The deep pile can trap a lot of dirt, and only a powered brush roll combined with strong suction has a chance of getting it out. I have used a LOT of different vacuums, including commercial ones when I worked for a cleaning company, and have never encountered better suction or broadloom cleaning than with the Hoover Windtunnel.

lizbeth, you say you are going to replace it, but you might want to reconsider. You'll spend all this extra money, but you won't get any better cleaning than you can get from the Hoover you already have. Vacuums are simple machines that need maintenance and are easily fixed. Mine needs a new belt for the powered brush roll. My husband has this thing for grabbing vacuums that people discard because they aren't working; then he cleans them out with his air compressor and fixes anything that's wrong like replacing belts and stuff. That's how I got my Miele that someone left by a dumpster in a state of not working at all. And that's why I have 8 vacuums including Electrolux Super J's from the 1970's, still working. :)

So I actually think that a Miele canister and a Hoover Windtunnel is a pretty nice combination for cleaning hard floors with area rugs. It's what I have. :) The Miele has good-enough suction for the area rugs, IF it's tuned up, cleaned, working properly. Also only if the expensive bags are not too full! I would not hesitate to use the turbo brush tool on the rugs; it's fine even on my delicate wool/silk runner that gets pulled by the more powerful Hoover. Or, you can try tools that others suggested for the rugs. Then, when/if you feel the rugs need a deeper cleaning, pull out the tuned-up Hoover, and you're good to go.

Having measured the suction of many vacuums I can say the Hoover and the Miele are pretty much the same (not accounting for slight variations on individual machines). The Hoover though has a very aggressive roller and uses belts that are stretched to the max. This intense action can be confused by consumers as being more powerful. Heck it even confuses Consumers Reports! Unfortunately though what really happens is what you perceive as a bag full of dirt... also contains your rug! More sophisticated machines GROOM your carpet and draw the dirt out without eating the fibers of your investment.

To the initial poster I wonder why they chose the Neptune with the Turbo over another Miele with the small powerhead?

My Hoover Windtunnel and Miele canister vacuums absolutely do not have the same suction. And my Hoover bags are full of dirt -- no carpet fibers whatsoever. My carpet looks newer and better than it did 8 years ago when I purchased the Hoover, because there's a lot less dirt in it now. There's no need to baby nylon-fiber broadloom carpet; it needs all the brushing and suction you can throw at it.

Just curious andersons ... are you an expert on broadloom and care? Those are strong statements if you're not.

I have a handknotted rug (I'm not sure the OP has this cuz she calls them simply area rugs) and I have tried the suction only and with a cat that sheds non-stop 365 days/year it didn't work. So every other week when the cleaning lady comes, she uses my central vac with the power brush with the beater bar turned ON. There is absolutely no choice if we want to get the hair off that rug. She is very careful and reduces the suction a bit but after almost 2 years, I have seen no damage to it.

I also have a Hoover cordless upright vac that I use between her cleanings and use the beater bar on that too. I dont see any rug fibers anymore (it will shed for many months at first) so I know this vacuum does not hurt my rug. I use this method more than the central vac power nozzle.

You really do need to know what kind of rug you have to know what you can safey use on it. It also depends on the quality of the rug. My rug cost me a bundle so it doesnt seem to be affected by a beater bar, but less quality or a different rug content or style might not withstand a revolving brush.

I'm back! Sorry for posting and leaving--got sidetracked with life and then this site has been really messed up lately. Am going to try to answer questions in general. I have 100% wool orientals that are hand tied and quite thick pile and were expensive rugs. After the conflicting answers, I called the dealer I bought the machine from and he said the turbo wasn't a problem on these rugs, because the speed of it was 1/2 the speed of other brand vacuums. I don't have any floor brushes except the turbo and the parquet twister, which wouldn't work on carpet or rugs. Maybe I can purchase an additional head; I didn't ask about that. I did use the turbo after talking to him and it seemed to do a good job and didn't seem to be pulling any more than I would expect from a vacuum. I will cut open the bag and see if there are rug fibers. Thanks for all of your time and information. Liz