Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I was skeptical of all the great reviews. It's hard not to be - they claim this carpet cleaner is the best out there, for several reasons. I have to say the reviews are telling the truth. I own (soon to be owned, because I'm selling it) a Hoover SteamVac. I bought it because of the great reviews it has on here. Slowly, I became frustrated with the machine because it wasn't cleaning as well as I anticipated. My house has a light colored carpet, and since it was installed (over 10 years ago), the carpet has been subjected to much abuse by our dogs and unscrupulous care without ever being properly cleaned. I bought the SteamVac to tackle the job, but it was incredibly inadequate. See the below picture: http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/permalink/moIZZ3Y26MK2V4/B00450U6CS/ref=cm_ciu_images_pl_link I had been eying the Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine for months, but I relinquished any idea of buying it because of the price. I tried to rent one, but the Lowes here still carry Rug Doctors. So I thought about renting a Rug Doctor. I nearly did, but the reviews on here deterred me. In searching the reviews on here for comparisons between the Rig Doctor and the Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine, I found that many of them said people had tried both and the Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine came out on top. A couple reviews even said that they had used the Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine right after using the Rug Doctor and recovered a significant amount of dirt that the Rug Doctor missed! Other negative aspects of the Rug Doctor that I've read about include: it wets the carpet far too much (as a consequence, the clean tank needs to be refilled often), it's cumbersome to use due to the one direction cleaning capability, and filling/cleaning the machine out is a chore due the clean water receptacle being attached to the unit. So I accomplished the mental feat of convincing myself to purchase the Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine by rationalizing the cost in various, sometimes nonsensical ways. I found the Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine at Frys for $399, and, with the soon expiring Bissell $20 rebate, the total cost after tax was about $410. Ultimately, that's still a lot of money, but it's quite a bit better than $469, which is the current going price on here. Don't get me wrong, I love Amazon, and it's usually the cheapest for many things, just not this time. So I bring the Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine home, unbox it, and get it ready for use. It's pretty much ready to go immediately - all I remember doing is taking some cardboard and a bottle of cleaner out of the dirty water tank. I filled the machine with hot water and cleaner and decided to unleash the machine in the dirtiest room in my house. I was 100% prepared to return the cleaner if it was anything short of amazing. Guess what? I haven't returned the cleaner. See the above picture again to see the result of my first test. I proceeded to clean my whole living room (the first picture being of a bedroom). See the below picture for reference of the Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine's ability: http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/permalink/mo2S8AT3BREGLNE/B00450U6CS/ref=cm_ciu_images_pl_link So, I am very pleased. The Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine does an exceptional job of cleaning. * The machine does seem very durable. The five year warranty is nice too. We'll see if I need it. * I was afraid that the brush, only spinning one way, would fail to clean the carpet well. I don't think this is a concern. If it becomes one, you can always clean an area from the opposite direction. I do wonder if another brush on the bottom spinning the other way may improve the cleaning capability of the machine. It already cleans very well, though. * The tanks are perfectly matched - the dirty tank seems to get full the same exact time that the clean tank empties. * The extractor really pulls the solution back out of the carpet. Not only does this make the carpet drier, but I actually noticed sediment in the dirty tank! I'd say that with this machine, the carpet dries about twice as fast in comparison to when I have used my SteamVac. * The handheld attachment works well. I like how easy it is to hook up. I used it to clean the edges of my carpet. I actually scrubbed with a household brush to loosen the dirt, then used the attachment to suck it up. The downsides of the Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine, as small as they are, in my opinion, include: * The machine is heavy and taxing to use. There's no getting around this because it comes with the territory of being a heavy duty cleaner. But, for what it's worth, I'm a fit male and using the cleaner tired me out. * The handheld attachment seems less durable than the rest of the machine. I might feel this way because the floor model I looked at in the store included a broken attachment. I think others feel this way, though. * The manual states that the warranty is void if you use anything other than Bissell cleaning solutions. I used the provided bottle, and it worked very well, as evidenced by the photos I provided. However, Bissell solution is VERY expensive. Generic brands available at Home Depot or Lowes are far cheaper. I'm not sure how Bissell can hold anyone accountable for using another brand of solution, but I think this is a concern. In summary, I HIGHLY recommend the Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine. I haven't used a Rug Doctor, but based on the reviews others have written, there's no reason to. This machine costs three times what my Hoover SteamVac did, but there's no question that the Big Green Deep Cleaning Machine is more than three times as better. Sorry for the super long review. I'll edit it as I remember new information. EDIT: I tried the machine in a family member's extremely dirty room. Check the below picture: http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/permalink/moHZM7QE6YH2CO/B00450U6CS/ref=cm_ciu_images_pl_link