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MD Manufacturing's SilentMaster S44 isn't much to look at. It won't win any beauty contests, or be the envy of your neighbors as they glance in your garage. It's mainly just a big cylinder. Don't let its appearance fool you, however; central vacuuming will completely change the way you look at vacuuming, and with good reason.
We quickly fell in love with the SilentMaster central vacuum for three main reasons: It's lightweight, it's quiet, and it's low maintenance.
Central vacuums, like the SilentMaster line, place the motor that creates all that vacuuming suction in an area away from your living spaces (typically a garage or basement). Tubing is then run through the walls of your home, providing wall-mounted ports into which you plug the vacuuming wand / power head (the part you push around like you're accustomed). Because the SilentMaster's motor is not carried on the part you're pushing about, it's super lightweight, making vacuuming seem much less like manual labor. In addition, all that vacuuming noise is largely outside your living spaces, making it significantly quieter than traditional vacuuming products.
We especially liked the fact that we could vacuum an entire home, and not have to fool with emptying out the vacuum any time soon. All the debris is carried out to the central vacuum (that big cylinder), which holds a whopping 12 gallons of vacuumed debris. It can take ages to fill it, and emptying it is a simple matter of opening it up, pulling out the bag, and tossing it in the garbage. The power head (which contains a beater brush, as you'd traditionally find for use on carpets) is typically powered through existing wall ports, so no additional power cord or plug-in is necessary.
Ultimately, the S44 proved to be exceedingly easy to use. We gave the SilentMaster S44 a not-quite-perfect score of 9.7, however, due to the fact that some might find dragging a lengthy hose around to be a bit tedious. It should be noted, though, that we did appreciate the convenient storage rack that's included for keeping the vacuum hose neatly out of your way.
Another factor that we especially appreciated was the S44's impact on dust. With the motor and debris typically outside your home, there's very little opportunity for dust to be tossed back into the air. This is great for families with allergies, or just anyone who'd like a little less work to do in the dusting department. On a related note, the SilentMaster has excellent suction, due to its relatively large motor and generously-sized hoses. We never encountered a significant blockage or loss of suction during our rigorous and frequent use. The SilentMaster S44 ablely slurps up virtually any dry mess we could throw at it, with power that rivals, if not exceeds, industrial shop-vacs.
Overall, we also found the S44 to be quite durable. Despite heavy use, we didn't experience any malfunctions or breakages. We can't testify to the unit's long-term (as in years) durability, but from what we can discern thus far, it looks likely to be a venerable old work horse for some time to come. The manufacturer's generous warranty (lifetime for the main unit, and 6 years for the vacuum head) is also a positive indicator of the unit's long and problem-free life.
Generally, we're very impressed with the SilentMaster. There are a couple of potential downsides, however, depending on your circumstances. Firstly, if your home has not been constructed to be 'central-vacuum ready', then you'll need to pay a contractor to retro-fit your house with the requisite tubing, etc. Depending on your home this could signficantly increase the total cost of ownership for the vacuum. Regardless of if you're central-vacuum ready or not, or are hiring someone to upgrade your home, the initial investment in the vacuum alone can be a bit daunting. The SilentMaster retails for around $750 for the main central vacuum unit, and you'll need to invest another several hundred or so (as of this writing) in a vacuum power head. That makes for a hefty initial price tag. Fortunately, we've seen every indication that this vacuum setup will last you significantly longer than most cheaper stand-alone vacuums. It also will add value to your home, making the initial sting hurt less. The SilentMaster S44 has the potential to be a tremendous value, but it's ultimate worth depends largely on your own unique set of circumstances.
