Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Just a couple things kept this from being a five-star review. I'm really impressed with this vacuum. Just a month or so ago we bought a new Oreck commercial XL2100RHS and I thought it would be good to be able to contrast the two. Then the Bissell arrived and we ran it on the same carpets the Oreck had been run over at least four times and the Bissell had to be emptied ¾ of the way through the house. Giving the Oreck has a much higher capacity it's still done the carpets and bare floors in the house a minimum of four times and its bag is barely ¼ full. The Oreck definitely picked up dust and debris but hands down the Bissell tore dirt out of 'clean' carpets that the commercial vacuum just left there. That was dust, pollen and mites that were still around to be irritants. Discounting the cords as 99% of the time you'll be taking them completely off the vacuum before use the Bissell is a beast, it's heavy to carry around, so don't, it's got rear wheels so it can be pushed or pulled around the house. It doesn't feel that much heavier when vacuuming than the Oreck (but it is). It's very easy to control with a limited range ball swivel at the bottom. The handle is oddly shaped but very comfortable and easy to maintain your grip on. The hose has an incredible reach and is very flexible and soft, it doesn't pull or tip the vacuum until you've reached almost full extension. There are a couple tools that are available to attach to the hose; an extension tube to extend the reach, a crevice tool for tight spaces and a hand held, air powered, beater bar unit (Bissell calls this the Pet TurboEraser) which is reasonably handy for furniture and stairs. I would not want to do a flight of stairs with this vacuum even if I weren't disabled. . . or if we had stairs. All the tools mount securely to the vacuum. The vacuum has a separate power switch for the beater bar so you can turn it off when doing hard floors. It also automatically turns the beater bar off when the vacuum is fully upright so you can use the extension hose without having to remember to turn on/off the bars. No more holes dug in the carpet and it saves wear on the belt and bearings. Another feature I haven't seen elsewhere is the ability to change how much suction is being used via a small dial air inlet. This lets you clean delicate carpets and rugs with fringe or tassels hopefully without worry of damage. I don't have any such rugs so I can't test the ability. The unit I received came with a scented pre-motor Febreze which I immediately swapped in and kept the washable factory filter for when I need a replacement. It smells very nice and the scent lingered for at least a day. I can see myself buying the scented filter again. One of the places where I found this vacuum slightly lacking was the ability to get under things, the Oreck will lay completely flat to get under beds, chairs and couches, the Bissell because of the design just can't. So far it has been leak free. My last bagless put more dust in the air than in the collection cup. Speaking of collection cups, keep an eye on this one's. Both times it's been run I've had to use a screwdriver to gently get the dust bunny free that got trapped between the upper and lower chambers. Emptying isn't super hard but it is slightly awkward. I've found it's easier to rest it on the edge of the garbage can, slightly tilted, then hit the release button and then shake the majority of the dust free. Reassembly is a snap. The cord is 8 feet shorter than the Oreck's but we still have to 'two plug' to get the entire house (1,500 sq. ranch style) covered with either vacuum so it's 27 foot length is fine. It's also quiet! I mean you can't have a conversation while someone vacuums between you but being in the same room with it while it's being used isn't unpleasant at all. So. . . it picks up more dirt than a commercial model vacuum. Has usable attachments. Has a good long cord. Is quiet and easy to clean. The beater bar can be turned off separately and automatically turns off. Longevity seems to be the only thing to worry about and I'll update this review when or if anything arises. This is a very good vacuum.