Bissell PowerForce Turbo Bagless Upright Vacuum, Model 6585 3.5 5 24 26
Very good, if not amazing. We've had this vacuum for about a year, and so far, I'm very happy with it. It's not perfect, but I'm very satisfied with the overall performance. Here's how the pro's and con's break down:PROS1) POWER - at 12 amps, when the filters are clean and the main chamber isn't packed full, this vacuum has plenty of cleaning power for all our needs (2 adults, 1 9yr old, 2 cats, 2 hamsters, live near the beach). I haven't come across anything it can't handle.2) ATTACHMENTS - the crevice cleaner, extension tubes and upholstery brush all work well, though it's key to not push down too hard with the upholstery brush, as suction is what keeps the brush spinning, and if you push down too hard, it stops.3) CHORD - plenty long enough, doesn't seem to kink up easily.4) ACCESSING FILTERS - It's easy to get to all the filters by way of the various openings provided.CONS1) CLEANING FILTERS - There's nothing wrong with these filters, but cleaning them was a new experience for me. This is our first bag-less vacuum, and while I like the power and not having to buy bags, having to access and clean several filters is a bit annoying, especially if you don't have a 2nd vacuum with which to clean the filters. :) The filters are washable, and I do suggest washing them, when you have plenty of time to let them dry, because air cleaning the filters just fills the air around you with more dust than you can handle. I literally had an asthma attack when I made the mistake of air cleaning the filters on our porch on a calm day, with no wind to blow the dust away. I was surrounded by a huge cloud of dust. WASH them in water in a sink ... I've done that too, it works, and there's no mess. Just leave time for drying. If you don't want to mess with filter cleaning, get a bag model.2) BRUSH "GRAB" - On some of our rugs, moving the vacuum in one direction is not easy. It seems that when the brush is working against the grain of the carpet, it grabs and makes moving difficult. Turning around and going the opposite direction makes the problem disappear. Also, adjusting the cleaning height a notch or two HIGHER than you think you need also seems to help.Overall, this vacuum keeps our bare, carpeted and rugged floors clean, and we're happy with it. I suspect that some of the folks complaining about cleaning power haven't discovered all the filters you need to clean. I had this problem too, until I read the guide and realized there were places to clean I hadn't found yet. 03/06/2012
I love this vaccum cleaner did not know what I was missing until I vaccumed the first time with this.I have a dog and the dog hair disappeared from my carpet, but I found it in the vaccum cleaner. No other carpet cleaner has ever been able to do what this one has done for me and my carpets. 03/10/2012
GOOD BUT WON'T LAST I had this vacuum a little over a year. It was GREAT when I first bought it. Has actually done really well for the past year. We just tried to replace the broken belt for the first time. Put the new belt on and it BROKE RIGHT AWAY. Turns out the actual rotor that turns was jammed AND now not straight so even when we used WD-40 to unstick it, it wouldn't work correctly. This is where the "cheapness" of the parts comes in. The price for a new rotor is $22 ...the entire vacuum cost us $60! So we decided to upgrade to a better quality, BETTER WARRANTY vacuum.You get what you pay for...if you don't mind buying a new vacuum every year or couple years then go ahead for the price. 04/01/2012
Great buy for a great price My last vacuum was a Dirt Devil. It was a canister system much like this one. I paid three times as much for it and had it for 4 years, so when I saw this vacuum and how similar it was to my old vacuum I wanted it right away, however I was worried that it would be one of those 'you get what you pay for' type things and that with such a low price that it might show up and have cheap parts or break right away. I was willing to take the risk and I'm very glad I did. It is just as 'sturdy' as my old Dirt Devil and cleans very well. The cord is twice as long as I am used to which is awesome. I love that the hose is attached on the end that runs into the canister, it can come off if you need to clear a clog or something but it's so quick to just switch from floor cleaning to using the hose because it's already plugged in and ready to go. I love that the filters can be washed and it's not that difficult to do, only takes about 5 minutes to take them apart and give them a good thorough cleaning. The upholstery attachment gets my furniture clean in a quick swipe. Only time will tell if this vacuum will 'live' as long as my old Dirt Devil did, but for how much money I saved this time around and how well it works, I'd be thrilled just to get a year out of it. 04/13/2012