Basic Comparison of E Vs. E2 Series (Gold, Blue, & Black) Rainbow Vacuum 

Good to hear, came close to getting a E2 blue complete set for 35 bucks 2 days ago, but someone immediately went to get it and beat me. Amazing steal.

gpelite there’s a rainbow e2 on my local Facebook group for 50$ it’s got all the tools that attach to the front it has the power head and electric head and it has the non electric hose with the floor head it’s got dust all over the back but should I get it I rlly want it but it’s 40 minutes away

Evil vacuum man, that isn't true sadly. The airflow design doesn't work in that direction. I've previously debated this point with others and the HEPA is the filter to stop any dust.

Yeah I got a power nozzle video coming soon, it was the WORST upkept part of my 2 rainbows. Really surprised the motors in those were even functioning with the debris. Stay tuned.

Cool cant wait to see the video than.

Thanks for the contribution. Seems Rexair was using up the inventory during transition if that is indeed the case. The bases are interchangeable so that would make fiscal sense.

gpelite The plastic is actually a bit darker on the E2 machine, and I also forgot to mention, the filter surrounding the motor in the E is actually to catch carbon dust, on the E2, the lack of carbon brushes made it no longer necessary. I love these machines, of all the vacuums in my collection I think I prefer the Rainbow when it comes to performance. They deep clean very very well.

The strange thing about the E series is that it seems like they made the visual changes very gradually. The E2 I have had all the same decals as an E when I got it, I replaced the side decals with the style you have, I think they look nicer. I could list most of the various and subtle changes, but I doubt anyone but another collector would find all of that too interesting.

compactc9 I notice no color change in my 2 units, but plastic will change from batch to batch as well as sun lifting some of the color over time. If you go over dulled plastic with a heat gun briefly it sometimes reactivates the plastic underneath. RU-vid has some videos on it. As far as the filter being to catch carbon dust, I disagree. I've worked on tons of brushed motors and found no filters for most or the need for them. The carbon even at the end of life brushed motors I repair is not significant. I believe the filter was to catch anything drawn in to protect the motor. Carbon dust is minal and harmless in the top canister. Mine caught some hair and some dust from the inlets as the fan draws air to cool the brushed motor. The brush-less motor has no fan so it would make sense they deleted it. There isn't a negative airflow in the canister that needs to be filtered. You don't want to protect the motor and waste money to get beyond the warranty if it is not needed. As far as visual changes, I think it was all based on manufacturing and fiscal decisions. The overall unit doesn't change unless the company is forcing a change and they are aggressive in bottom line profit. That is what I have noticed anyway at seeing the year ranges of these things.

Interesting, my E is a much lighter gray than my E2, but my E is also one of the very first generation that also used the open sided HEPA filter, I haven't set a newer style E next to an E2 to compare, so maybe the color change occurred during the run of the E. Everything on mine from the machine to the attachments and even the shampooer are all the same shade, even the hoses from the 2 machines are different. The E went thru a few significant yet subtle changes, the different housings from the different variations don't all fit either, as it seems like some of the screws are placed differently.

Veronica Verde I almost picked up the aquamate, but I found it really pricey for the value. People toss them out and I have kept looking for one at sales when people have no idea what it is at thrift or something similar. Right now I just use a larger floor cleaner with a larger capacity to do the same job as well as my spot cleaner for small messes. I know I keep saying this, but videos will be coming. Winter if nothing else when I have more time indoors.

Heather Doty I will do a buyer's guide on finding your first Rainbow for sure, you are not the first to ask me. I can also do the cleaning video with some tips. As these two models clean the same, I will do it on my 2 speed as I had a buyer for my 1 speed pick it up. The only thing I can't show is the inspection of the carbon brushes on the 1 speed, which is very simple (until I find another to work on). I will also do a basic inspection for both buying and cleaning to show you things to look for so you know if the person is being honest and how they treat the machine. Expect 3 videos, a buyers guide, buyers inspection, and quick clean. As winter approaches I will be hammering out a lot of videos as I get back in the studio with footage and shoot new items and upgrades.

Thanks a bunch, we are in the market for a new vacuum but on a budget and could never consider a new one.

Enclosure parts are almost identical in a lot of cases so people tend to swap parts or if they have leftover pieces on the production line to finish out a batch they may have actually used the newer e2 shell of the same design. That is very interesting though, thanks for sharing that!

+brandy2374 Yours is the e2 Gold series ;) i got the same.

Looking for one to review at some point. Originally I was going to get one of those but no luck. I really like the clear view of E series tanks so I can change water out sooner. I hear the SEs are not as powerful as the E series, but do a good job for the time they came out. You might need to do another pass or two, so that is not overly bad. I love the wood grain and they get tossed to thrift and flea markets a lot, people have no idea what they are and they look ancient which means there are deals to be had out there :)

Going to argue with clean bag the Sentria from when I got to use it. Kirby has good agitation and heavy heads that get deeper in my opinion. Depending on your carpet, the SE might be more kind to delicate, area carpets, mats, and mid range carpets with less fiber losses. I specifically like rainbows for their wider range of usability on various carpet pile and more delicate designs but for anything commercial, heavy duty, or high traffic Kirby is a solid performer.

Frank Szulakiewicz. I have both....with a modern HEPA bag, the Sentria is very clean in its emissions ....great for deep cleaning, VERY durable and will outlast most out there. The Rainbow is super if you take care of it the way Rainbow instructs you to. One is an upright vacuum, one is a canister style, so different styles there...depends on your preference. Buying both used is the ideal way I'd say to clean your home... but, I bought Rainbow first and have had since 1998, only bought my Kirby this year but love it too