Vacuums Reviews

If you need to step down in the DC system, which is recommended, this works great. The ends are to size stated, the hose fit easily and the wire clamps put it all together snuggly. The fitting allows you to step down from a larger main line to smaller branch lines near the machine, thus increasing the air suction, where it's needed most, by the machine

This item is not shipped as depicted in the pciture/described in the description.

Spin Duster: This item does NOT ship with a spin duster. On the side of the box was a sticker reading:
"Bonus items including SpinDuster(TM) are NOT included in factory refurbished models. To order, please call 1-800-282-2886" The replacement parts lists has the SpinDuster attachment kit for 29.99.

Turbo Nozzle: I can not find it in the box. Probably a "bonus item" Replacement list is $15

There were no extra filters to be found in the box. Replacement filter is $20.

Plus $5.50 S&H from Eureka, You're looking at 70 bucks to obtain the missing items.

Bottom line, buy this because you are OK with it missing half the "goodies"

I have to agree with the other reviews, this is not one of the better steam cleaners. I had problems with the flex hose popping out of the tool caddy. It is very difficult to get the power cord and the flex hose wrapped around the tool caddy properly. I also noticed like others the dust bunnies being left behind. All in all, it did an alright job of cleaning the carpet ( I have only used it one time so far, so I'll have to keep my fingers crossed nothing goes wrong next time).

We have pets, to be specific, cats. Why, oh, why do we have these beasts that barf on the carpet, leave hair and do other atrocities that I am too delicate to mention here? Well, we love them despite it all. Our adopted kitties are rescue animals and not always so well-behaved when it comes to wall-to-wall carpet. So I bought the Bissel PowerSteamer Upright Vacuum to see if I could get my deranged beige carpets looking a bit cleaner.

Features

Upright vacuum
Long hose and hand tool
On board reservoir for diluted Bissel carpet solution
Removable reservoir for dirty water
Long (approx. 26 foot) power cord.

The hand tool is a small brush, like an upholstery brush, and it can be used on upholstery (check your manufacturer's instructions if you have a microfiber or special fabric on your chair or sofa.) The tool fits onto the long hose, a five-foot or so flexible hose that winds onto some clamps on the back of the upright. It is flexible and long enough to use in corners and places where the wide base cannot go, and on stairs as well.

The unit weighs about the same as an upright vacuum, maybe a bit heavier. The floor brush is wider and bulkier than most uprights. A middle-aged woman of average strength will have no trouble manipulating the unit but might have a bit of trouble to drag it up and down stairs, more due to the width and bulk of the base rather than the weight. An elderly person would most likely need help to move this unit up and down stairs but could operate it well, in my opinion.

How to get started
To put the Bissel PowerSteamer Upright together, you pull a handle out of the box, insert it into the vacuum body and secure it with a long Philips head screw that is taped to the instruction manual. Now the unit is ready to be filled with cleaning solution.

The cleaning solution and dirty water all go into a removable bucket that is cleverly designed with a bladder inside. The bladder insert is connected to the water inlet (a small hole on top.) To remove the bucket, push down on the foot lever which is the handle release, move the handle all the way down to the floor. Take out the bucket by the handle. Take this to the sink. Then fill the bucket first with about a half-cup of Bissel cleaner. A measuring cup is included for this. Then fill the bucket to the neck of the spout hole with hot tap water. Close the lid, bring the bucket back to the vacuum and insert. Press down the bucket handle to latch, bring up the vacuum handle and you are ready to clean.

Cleaning
You have a choice of pre-treating or deep-cleaning. Supposedly, the unit is to come with both a bottle of pre-treat and cleaner, but my unit only had the cleaner included. So I will cover cleaning only here.

First, you remove chairs, furniture, objects that can leave the room easily. Then you vacuum the carpet with your regular vacuum. This vital step removes pet hair, dirt, dust, and lint. Then it's time to use the Bissel. Plug it in, depress the spray button on the back of the handle, and the unit will spray warm cleaner into the carpet. A few passes is enough; you don't want to soak your carpet. Then you release the spray button and pass the unit over the treated area and watch the suction remove the cleaning water. When you see very little liquid sucked up into the unit, you have removed the dirty water and can go on to the next section. I did about a 3 foot swath at a time. Repeat this action, starting in back of the room and exiting the room at a convenient point--in other words, don't clean yourself into a corner or you will be walking over the wet, cleaned carpet. Let the carpet dry.

Results
FIRST: WARNING: YOU MUST VACUUM with a regular vacuum before you use the Bissell.

The unit does clean better than a vacuum; I got a bucket of dirty water from the carpet, a mid-gray color. However this is NOT steam clean; it's lukewarm water cleaning, and the brush is a standard spiral vacuum brush. Professional carpet cleaners use a rotary flat brush that hits all the sides of a carpet fiber--the best professional cleaning units have brushes that have 8 directional brushes as a carpet fiber is octagonal (8-sided) in cross-section. The spiral brush is by its very geometry, not going to hit all the sides of a carpet fiber unless you were to go over the same area in the 8 directions yourself. What does all this mean to you? It means that the Bissel PowerSteamer won't get your carpets as clean as the professional you might have hired in past. But it will wash down the fibers in a way that dry vacuuming cannot do. And the room does smell lovely and fresh when you are finished.

I had to refill the unit twice in a small living room (about 9X12.) The bucket was easy to empty; there is a pour spout-slit that allows you to dump the water away down the sink. For downstairs, the kitchen sink was easy to fill and empty ; upstairs, I had to refill it from the tub.


The Bissel folks claim that you can reduce allergens by using this cleaner. I suppose that can be true, because dry vacuuming, even with a HEPA filter, will leave some dust behind.

Summary
If you have light colored carpets and pets and want to freshen and clean your carpets oftener than you can afford a professional, you will most likely be very pleased with the Bissel PowerSteamer Upright Carpet Cleaner. But don't expect professional results or steam cleaning. For high traffic areas like hallways, home offices (which do seem to get dirtier) and stairs, this will keep your carpets clean and free of traffic streaks.

Very Good at cleaning. I like tha fact that it keeps the water hot. It did a great job of cleaning Coke out of a powder blue rug. It is very easy to use.

We've used the JDS products in our Delta for over a year and they work great. Quite a savings!!!

Don't try to economize by purchasing a standar filter elsewhere. Unfortunately you need this exact one as the standard size is about 1.4" too big.

This vaccuum is useless: it looks like a toy, and is not powerful at all. Avoid it.

This is an example of "you get what you pay for". I find that, for my purposes, this vacuum is only bearly functional. The hose from the vacuum seems a bit short. The capacity of the canister seems rather inadequate. The weight of the canister is such that if you need to reach a higher area, it tips up on its exhaust end. There are few attachments. It does an o.k. job if you don't need much.

We have purchased this canister vacuum about a year ago and I can't stress enough how convenient and efficient it is! The handle is thin and flexible enough to vacuum tight spaces, like under beds and distant corners, and it is also light enough for anyone to lift and carry. It picks up even the smallest dust particles with just one swipe and it is very quiet compared to most vacuum cleaners. We absolutely love the bag-free feature, which is not only a money-saver, but also environment-friendly; just dump the dirt in the trash and clean the canister with anti-static for a crisp, quick clean up.

I only wish it had the carpet cleaning option as well, since I recently decided to get rugs for some rooms. Although, it does a decent vacuuming job on thin polypropylene rugs.

An excellent vacuum overall, would not change it for another one - especially for the price!

The website upgraded my order to 2 orders without my approval. When I called the company, they put me on hold for 30 minutes to tell me that my order had already been shipped out but that it would take 4 weeks to arrive. I live an hour from where the warehouse is and it takes 4 weeks to ship?! I doubt the order was shipped, they just didn't want to refund my money.

Do not be fooled by the ads concerning this product. Only 1 of 5 bags maintained a seal enough to keep the air out and maintain a seal. In 1 day, all the other bags no longer has any signs of a vacuum seal.

I just got a couple of the sets yesterday, and already i now have a closet. example i put a queen comforter, 4 throw pillow, 3 curtain panels, a queen duvet set all in one of the jumbo bags and still had a little room, and when i got threw sucking the air with the vaccuum, it was as thick as one throw blanket folded. its awesome. also i tore one earlier and put some tape over it and it still worked. these are so great i am getting more to do all the baby clothes. its great.