Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I've had this spot cleaner for 11 months now. Up until a couple months ago I was thrilled -- suction was impressive, it cleaned really well. Yes, I read the reviews about the tank being inconvenient to fill because it won't stand on it's own when it's off the machine -- not that big a deal really, it's small enough to hold onto and fill and anyway it was a small price to pay for the performance of the machine. I also put up with one of the screws that hold the vibrating brush head in place breaking out because the place the screw attaches is a very weak plastic loop that cracks fairly soon after the suction head has much use (with the pressure and vibration it is exposed to). BUT... a couple months ago, the built-in sprayer started to fail. Pull the little lever to spray and nothing. No, it wasn't clogged, I got online and checked all the things for that -- it is the spray pump itself. I've cajoled it into kicking in and spraying a couple more times, but now it seems dead for good. I'm pretty good with machines and do my research, and short of tearing the whole machine apart, I've done all I can. Seems ridiculous to lose a major function of a fairly pricey machine in less than a year, despite careful use and meticulous cleaning, care, and maintenance. The return period was only a month, So if you take a chance on this machine, be prepared for it to live a short life, despite its price tag. I'm currently trying to contact the manufacturer, since it is supposed to have a 2-yr warranty. This will be the test of whether they stand behind their product or not (I'll update about that). Unfortunately I live in a small town and any service center will be nowhere nearby, but it would be better than nothing. In any case, what started out to be the anticipation of a good review has turned to disappointment. UPDATE (10/2018): The manufacturer 'sort of' stood behind the warranty on the above-reviewed machine (I'll call it Spot Cleaner #1) - they replaced it *after* I shipped the machine back to them at my own expense. The cost of shipping this fairly heavy machine was not much cheaper that buying a new one! Given this was equipment failure, not anything I had done, I don't find that acceptable. Nevertheless, that began this new chapter - Spot Cleaner #2: Right out of the box the sprayer had a problem. Yes, it sprayed, but afterward it continued to 'dribble,' leaking cleaning liquid when I didn't want it - when I was trying to use the suction. But at least it sprayed, and I wasn't about to go through the warranty process again, so I learned to keep one finger over the sprayer opening. It also seemed to leak from the joint where the main hose attached to the body of the cleaner, but I got used to putting a wad of paper towels under that spot after I'd cleaned out the machine following use. A few months ago, however, the sprayer stopped working, just like Spot Cleaner #1. I went through all the troubleshooting once again, no blockage - it had simply stopped taking in liquid from the cleaner reservoir. This time, with nothing to lose, I even tried to take the cleaner apart (the gray bottom and the red upper are separate parts), to see if there was a crimp or blockage in the 1/4" sprayer tubing somewhere inside. But - the way the cleaner is constructed, you can take out every single screw and still the unit won't open. Suspected culprits are 2 small recesses that probably contain hidden screws, but the possible screws are covered with a layer of something I can't get through or pull off. Also, the hose and spray tubing are both attached to connecting components with tiny zip-ties rather than removable hose clamps. This is a show-stopper with the main hose, as the zip tie is underneath a plastic cage-like bracket that then connects to the main body of the cleaner. No way to get to the zip tie, no way to get the other end out of the machine without being able to get the bottom off. This matters because the spray tubing runs *inside* the main hose (also would have been nice to find/fix the leakage problem at that location). I have spent enough time and frustration fighting with Spot Cleaner #2, and I can't pay a small fortune again to ship it back to Rug Doctor - it is going in the trash. I'm ordering a new spot cleaner that is NOT the Rug Doctor, and I would urge others to do the same. I wanted to like the Rug Doctor, really, but there are obviously some major problems with its construction, and the way the company handles the warranty makes it not worth the hassle. Learn from my pain...