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Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program We have pets and children, so we've had a few Bissell "Spot Bots" and carpet shampooers in the past. We've also had opportunity to rent machines from retail stores and have used professional carpet cleaning services a few times. The "Spot Bot" and Bissell Pro-Heat that we've used most extensively, worked well, but we looked forward to the opportunity to try this system because something that combined the portability of Spot Bot, with the power of the Pro-Heat seemed ideal.
Our expectations were pretty high for this machine, and we weren't disappointed at all. Both as a portable machine and as a full blown carpet shampooer, it does an exceptional job. It cleans carpet and upholstery even better than the previous Bissell machines, and is easy to use. I really liked having the portable spot cleaner combined with the carpet cleaner both because of the space savings, but also because of simplicity. It is really nice to only have to keep one machine clean, which is sometimes a messy job depending on what you've been using it for.
I think that this is now the best home system on the market, especially at the sub-$300 price point. The Hoover systems were always very similar to the Bissell Pro-Heat, but the improvements in this "Lift-Off" model push Bissell ahead in our opinion. It is certainly better than the Rug Doctor rental systems that are nowhere near as good as even the Pro-Heat.
The things we really like about this system are:
Combined design makes for easy storage, use, and clean-up. We really like the fact that our days of having two separate systems are over.
Power and cleaning. This system does a great job on stains and on full floor cleaning. It is a noticeable improvement over the effectiveness of the Pro-Heat, and even that did a very good job.
Price. A good Spot Bot and a good Carpet Cleaner typically each cost what this machine is priced at separately. You really are getting two machines for the price of one.
Suction. I think that the reason this machine works so well is that they have really improved the suction. It sucks almost all of the dirt, solution, and water back into its tank, leaving the carpet almost dry just a few minutes after you finish.
I highly recommend that you consider this machine.
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FactorsI had an old Sears/Kenmore carpet cleaner based on a wet/dry vac and it was monstrously heavy and noisy. It did not have rotating brushes, but did remove dirt fairly well. When the water pump broke, I needed something else. The Amazon reviews for the Hoover models are better than any of the Bissells, but upon closer inspection there are a substantial number of Hoover owners who report shearing off the brush plastic drive-shaft after only a few uses. This is a $30 replacement! Consumer Reports (Oct 2010) says that all the larger Hoover and Bisssell cleaners clean equally well, but that Bissell models are somewhat quieter. They also report that Bissell vacuums are more reliable than Hoover (and I suppose carpet cleaners will be similar). Furthermore, Bissell has a 2 year warranty and Hoover has a one year warranty (although in some Amazon reviews, Hoover owners report only a 90 day warranty!). The Bissell Lift-off Deep Cleaner model 27F6 (red) was on sale at Target so I took a chance it would clean OK and be reliable.
NOTE: Bissell lists 4 model numbers for this unit (94Y2, 27F6,35K3 and 73H5). They appear to differ mostly in the attachments included. The Amazon model is 94Y2, but it appears identical to 27F6 except is green, but it does NOT appear to include the "deep reach tool" I so love (see below)!
The Manual
You would think that for the $$$$ I spent Bissell could have included a good manual, but no. The manual is spartan with murky illustrations. It took me longer than I would care to admit to figure out where to put in the 4 screws to assemble it. There are seemingly 4 obvious holes for the screws, but these are not correct. The actual holes are somewhat hidden even though they are "marked" with almost invisible arrows. The cleaner disassembles cleverly for cleaning and storage, but it is a challenge to figure out how to do this from the manual illustrations. The quick start guide has color pictures, but they are tiny, tiny. Larger more detailed color pictures would be very desirable. Come on how expensive could this be?
The Lift-off Portable Cleaner
The unit is made so the carpet cleaner section easily lifts off the base (by pressing a pedal) to convert into a portable spot cleaner. I thought that this was just a gimmick, but I was wrong! It is the best part of the Bissell cleaner. The lift off cleaner with its 6 ft flexible hose fits PERFECTLY ON STAIR TREADS and it is light and easy to move. THIS IS GREAT! Start at the top of the stairs and slowly work your way down a stair at a time using the included "deep reach tool" (may not be included in the Amazon unit). Remember to keep the tool pressed firmly against the rug when releasing cleaning solution or it will spray all over your pants!! The results on my hard to clean carpeted stairs with somewhat matted carpeting were remarkably good. The "deep reach tool" has a brush plus hard plastic prongs to dig into matted carpet and raise the pile. I'll admit that I only did the matted down parts of the stairs, and now these formerly dirty parts have a noticeably higher pile (about 1/4 inch)! It looks almost new (almost) and the result has so far lasted a day with light traffic. So I now may have to do the rest of the stairs so that the "clean" parts will look as good as the formerly matted parts. The "deep reach tool" itself is not easy to clean out.
UPDATE 11/8/11: Stair treads still look good after 1 week. The carpet has not yet returned to its formerly crushed/matted state after 1 week of use.
Water Removal
Water removal really depends on the carpet type. Deep pile carpets retain more water than others. With a ceiling fan my deep pile carpets took 2-3 hours to dry, but in areas without the fan the carpets took 8-10 hours. I can't blame Bissell since even a potent high hp wet/dry vac was not able to get out any more water. It is not clearly indicated in the manual, but the Bissell has a overflow preventer that shuts off the vacuum suction if the dirty water level becomes too high or if the cleaning solution is empty (or close to empty kind of annoying). If so, you will have to correct the problem and then turn the vacuum on again. All carpet cleaners (especially rentals) dribble a bit of cleaning solution (from solution left in the tubing) when shut off. The Bissell is somewhat better in this regard.
Carpet Cleaning
Consumer Reports says that all the larger Hoover and Bisssell cleaners clean equally well and I am satisfied with the results from the Bissell. If my carpets were dirtier, the results would have been more dramatic, but the dirty water was indeed dirty. Some carpet cleaners have one water tank for the dirty water with the clean water placed in a bladder located inside the dirty water tank. The Bissell Lift-off Deep Cleaner has two removable tanks which I think is better. The dirty water tank is easy to remove and dump. The clean/soapy water tank is easy to fill (although harder to dry out for storage) and contains 3 quarts (6 lbs). I did not use the included bottle of Bissell cleaner solution since I used up an older bottle of carpet cleaner I had sitting around (it seemed to work well). The tanks have to be emptied often, but if Bissell had made these tanks bigger then the unit would (of course) weigh more and be harder to move. I feel the current size is a good compromise.
Cleaning Solution Usage
You will go through the cleaner solution in a hurry! Some people are concerned about the amount of solution a carpet cleaner uses. Actually, more is better. Remember that a small amount of water will always remain on the carpet (no matter how good the carpet cleaner is). Now look at your dirty water tank some of THAT muddy water is remaining on the carpet! The more solution that is used in cleaning, the more dilute the dirty water should become, and thus less dirt will remain on the carpet. Also keep in mind that the slower you go (and the more thoroughly the cleaner cleans) the more cleaning solution will be used. People who report they only use a little solution are probably going too fast. When your carpets are relatively clean, you can go faster and use less solution. If you are worried about cost, just use a cheaper carpet cleaner solution (they probably work all the same anyway). Bissell recommends 2 oz of their 2X concentrated cleaning solution per tank.
Rinse Cycle
Many carpet cleaner models from Hoover and Bissell have a switch to change from cleaning to rinse. The Bissell Lift-off Deep Cleaner does not have this so if you want to rinse you will have to clean the carpet first and then change to water to rinse the carpet. Doing so will probably be faster than to rinse after every pass anyway. Bissell does not recommend rinsing. Also consider that most modern cleaning solutions contain ingredients designed to protect the carpet that you may not wish to rinse off (such as ScotchGuard protection). When used as directed and after the carpet is dry it is impossible to tell if you have rinsed (no discernible residue). I don't rinse.
Weight is NOT a problem
Some other Amazon reviewers here have suggested that this Bissell is heavy. No. I would say instead that it is very light! Here's why. All Hoover and Bissell cleaners are fairly heavy/bulky and difficult to carry. This cleaner is very easy to move because you merely lift off the portable cleaner from the base. Now you have two easy to carry parts (base = 12 lbs; portable cleaner = 13.5 lbs). Carry the base and portable cleaner separately upstairs, then press to click back together (make sure both sides click) and fill the tank with cleaning solution (6 lbs). Easy!
Fiber Bunnies (balls)
All carpet cleaners (both Bissell and Hoover) with active spinning brushes liberate a few fibers from your carpet and roll them into fiber balls. Assuming you don't clean your carpets daily, this should not contribute to carpet wear. Be aware that the rotating brushes on your vacuum cleaner also do the same, but you never see the bunnies because the vacuum cleaner immediately picks them up. Carpet cleaners have a vacuum slit too small to pick up the bunnies so you will see them scattered over the floor. If this will greatly distress you, do not get get a cleaner with rotating brushes (but of course the rotating brushes improve cleaning performance).
Durability and Maintenance
To be determined. As mentioned above, the cleaner disassembles cleverly for cleaning and storage, but the "deep reach tool" does not seem easy to clean out. I will try to update.
Etc.
Another reviewer here got her unit through Amazon's Vine program. You may notice that I am also sometimes a Vine reviewer, but I bought this unit ($$$$) and this review is not a part of the Vine program. As the other reviewer explained, Amazon does not pressure Vine reviewers to write good reviews.
Best Deals on BISSELL Lift-Off Full Sized Carpet Cleaner, 94Y2
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I have never owned my own carpet cleaner, to be honest. When we've felt the need to shampoo carpets in the past we've always rented the machine from our local grocery store (what a beast!) but this Bissell deep cleaner is one fine machine!Upon opening the box I was a little overwhelmed (it's a large box and a complicated looking device), but I was quickly put to ease by the actual simplicity of operating this cleaner. Assembling was simple: take a screw driver and screw on the handle. Took me just a couple minutes (and I am NOT a "handy" type, but the husband wasn't home and I was too anxious to wait). There were two instruction booklets, one was a quick start type with pictures and just a couple pages, the other was a full several page manual. I appreciated both. In reality, it was easy to get this cleaner up and running. Once you get to know it and learn the basics, it's a snap.
In the box was a little bottle of Bissell's cleaner, which I appreciated since I didn't have any on hand but I wanted to try this sucker out right away. Filling the tank is pretty easy, as well as emptying the dirty water. When I first started running the machine I was concerned that the water wouldn't last long, and this machine would guzzle the water & cleaner. That was not the case! It seemed to push a lot of water out into the carpet, but the tank still lasted quite a while so it is well designed in that area as well.
First I tried out the spot cleaner. Can I just say I adore this cleaner's 2 in 1 capabilities! LOVE that I can spot clean an area rug, the upholstery, and the car with ease! And YES, I've done all three such things already all went off without a hitch. I'm especially impressed with how clean it got my grandparents old Ethan Allen upholstered chairs from the 1960s. It took intimidating spots out of my area rug without any hesitation, and the ability to shampoo my car out without a handful of quarters at some overpriced car wash is NICE.
I was also very pleased with the upright-style cleaning job it did. At first I was concerned it got my carpet overly wet, but when it dried fairly quickly (within an hour or two, with a ceiling fan on) I was happy. With the hand-held nozzle on the spot cleaning portion the top is clear plastic, so you can literally SEE all the dirt coming up out of your carpet. You fill the tank up with clean water, plus a couple ounces of the Bissell carpet cleaning solution, but when you're done cleaning you can SEE the filthy water. I'll be honest, I'm a little shocked at how dirty our carpets were, but also makes me feel SO good about seeing all that dirt come right out. This machine has some powerful suction, too.
I have to say, you need to be physically capable of running this machine in order to get the best use of it. Most adults can handle it just fine, I'm sure, but it is like a large vacuum. Also, in order to use the spot cleaner on rugs and carpets, you should be able to get down on your knees and be able to scrub with the spot cleaning device. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this machine for a weak elderly person or someone who is not completely physically able.
Overall, while I think this carpet cleaner looked large and intimidating to start, it's practically my new best friend. I'm serious I have a toddler and a baby who just learned to crawl. I'm loving being able to go through my house and scrub that dirt out from our carpets. Unlike the grocery store rentable cleaners, I was surprised to find that the Bissell doesn't seem to cause that awful "just cleaned the carpets" smell, either. I can smell a little bit of that scent, but it's just seeming more fresh than it ever has in the past with those other machines.
This is absolutely a product I would recommend to someone looking for a versatile carpet cleaner. I feel like you just get the best of both worlds with this 2 in 1 style. The spot cleaning portion is brilliant, but the upright style also gets the job done. We're very happy with this machine!
Post-edit: Since posting this review a few fellow Amazon customers have asked questions about this cleaner, please see the comments section on my review for ever more information. And feel free to ask additional questions, also!
Honest reviews on BISSELL Lift-Off Full Sized Carpet Cleaner, 94Y2
I have a lot of experience with steam cleaners. My mom, an avid cleaner, owned no fewer than six machines during the time I was old enough to use them (around 12) until the time I moved out of the house ten years later. I've used both Hoovers and Bissells and a Spot Bot (not included in the machine count above). When it was time to buy a steam cleaner of my own, I gravitated to the lift-off because I wishfully thought that this machine could be both an upright and hand-held steam cleaner, but unfortunately, the compromise of mobility makes this a bad upright machine.The machine's biggest draw back is its very small tank capacity. The tank is tiny and if you have a room with any real dirt or size, you are going to be refilling it often. I refilled it three times for one very dirty 12x12 room. The dynamics of the machine is also a little weird since all the weight is at the bottom of the machine. You have to push it a little harder to get it going and it's a little difficult to see how the brushes are spinning/how much water is being sucked up because of the shape of the lift off unit.
Refilling the machine is easy, removing and lowering the portable unit is easy and I'm sure it's great as an upholstery cleaner. But if you are looking for an upright machine first and a spot cleaner second, then buy two machines, because the Lift-Off is definitely a compromise for large spaces.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for BISSELL Lift-Off Full Sized Carpet Cleaner, 94Y2
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I have owned a Hoover brand carpet cleaner, rented Rug Doctor carpet cleaners and had my carpets professionally cleaned. I own 3 dogs who occasionally have `accidents' inside, a pre-teen daughter prone to spills, and a husband who thinks the house is self-cleaning. Berber carpets in the living, hall and dining areas, as well as a home gym. The bedrooms have an older shag carpet. I've never used a machine spot cleaner before, and love the idea of a machine that gives you two cleaners for the price of one.Enter Bissell's Lift-Off Deep Cleaner...
The Machine:
It's a heavy one 30+ pounds. Moves remarkably well though, despite its heft. The Lift-Off portable section is about 15 pounds by itself. The directions are somewhat sparse but by looking at the labeled diagrams and reading the short `how to's' you can figure it out.
No diagram for the Lift-Off specifically is in either guide and the directions for portable spot cleaning mode are somewhat poor. I could get the Lift-Off portion off, but found reseating it to be a bit of a struggle, with the directions offering no help. Eventually I ended up at the Bissell site watching videos for guidance. That did help, and I'd recommend checking it out prior to using this Bissell product.
A Quick Start Guide and a Bissell User's Guide are included in the package, along with the deep cleaner and a starter 8 ounce bottle of Bissell's 2x Professional Deep Cleaning Formula.
The portable Lift-Off is where the dirty water container and the water/solution tank is housed. It sits on top of the rolling base with the brushes. A foot pedal on the left (as you face the machine) releases the Lift-Off for use. The cord containment is wrapped around the Lift-Off portion, and the hose for the Lift-Off is wrapped around the opposite side of the Lift-Off from the cord. The place where you attach one of two attachments to the Lift-Off hose is upright towards the right back (facing machine) of the Bissell. Overall, it is a very efficient design.
The on/off switch is on the Lift-Off and operates the entire Bissell Deep Cleaner. You need to depress it and let the machine sit running for one minute prior to using it after you add the water/solution tank when it's filled and ready to go. NOTE: The Bissell is noisy sort of like a small jet engine, so you may want to wear ear protection if using this machine for a long time.
The `trigger' is on the handle. You have to install the handle prior to using the Bissell. This takes 4 Phillips head screws (included) and a long-handled Phillips head screwdriver (not included). Patience is key when doing this one. The screw holes are not visible, but the holes are marked with arrows on the black plastic handle. You have to feel your way until the screws seat and start to work their way in. A mildly frustrating endeavor, but it worked eventually and the handle is securely fastened to the unit once these screws are in place.
The Bissell Formula:
Bissell recommends you use only their formulas in this machine. The current Bissell formulas are 2x's as concentrated as before leaving you to believe you'd need less to do the same job. Honestly, I'm not sure if that's the case, but the formulas are 2x's the price of non-concentrated formulas!
I managed to find a 64 ounce bottle for the 50 ounce price at my local store. I had planned on buying the solution from Amazon with the buy 3 get one free (4 for 3) promotion, but even with that promotion, it was cheaper to buy it locally. So check solution prices before you buy. I also got a Bissell Pretreat spray for over 50% less than it was on Amazon at a local store.
Several Bissell formula choices are available: Bissell 2X Professional Deep Cleaning Formula, 48 ounces, 78H63, Bissell 2X Fiber Cleansing Advanced Formula, 24 Ounces, 62E5, Bissell 2X Pet Stain and Odor Advanced Formula, 24 Ounces, 99K5, Bissell 2X Multi-Allergen Advanced Formula, 24 Ounces, 89Q5, Bissell 2X Natural Orange Extract Advanced Formula, 24 Ounces, 83P3, and Bissell 2X Lavender Essence Advanced Formula, 24 Ounces, 34B5. I suggest if you plan on cleaning a larger than 500 sq' area, you pick up more solution than the starter 8 ounce that came with the Bissell Lift-Off Deep Cleaner.
The Bissell 2x Professional Deep Cleaning Formula smells very fresh. Strong while cleaning your carpets, but that softens as the carpets dry. By the time it dried completely, it was barely there for me, but a faint clean scent remained. If you are highly sensitive to scents, you may want to avoid it though, and try the Allergen formula.
Warning: regarding Professional Deep Cleaning Formula strength if you don't want your hands to get chaffed, don't let your skin touch the solution or solution/water mixture. I'd suggest wearing rubber gloves while emptying and filling tanks I didn't and my hands paid the price.
Carpet Deep Cleaning:
I chose to test drive this model in our home gym. Daily use in this room, but not heavy traffic. I vacuumed well with a Dyson DC28 Animal vacuum first. Some spots and high traffic areas were visible on the carpet, and were sprayed with Bissell Tough Stain PreCleaner, 22 ounces, 4001 5 minutes prior to deep cleaning.
To begin you use 2 ounces (1/4 cup) per tank full of Bissell Formula solution (your choice) into hot tap water to the line on the water/solution tank. I suggest using a funnel not included) for this task, and putting the water in first, as if you put the solution first you will get a lot of foam. Swirl to mix. Place tank into spot on machine. Turn on the machine to pre-heat for one minute prior to deep cleaning or spot cleaning.
Solution will be dispensed quickly if you follow the directions of pulling the trigger and holding it as you move the Bissell forward and back, and then releasing the trigger and going back and forth to extract the solution.
Some carpets may only need you to hold the trigger down going one way, as on the Berber it was easy to see the carpet got a good dose of water and solution the first time this would have saved on solution and multiple tank refills too. Bottom line: this thing really sucks down the juice so be prepared to fill the water/solution tanks many times for a large area!
For approximately every two water/solution refills, you need to empty the dirty water tank. At least that was the case for me. There is an audible change that indicates the unit is sucking air the dirty water tank may or may not be to the `full' line (mine wasn't there yet), but it's full and time to dump the dirty water. Grit may also be visible on the red filter as you lift off the tank, and you would want to wipe it off as it affects suction and performance of the machine.
Grit and carpet fibers tended to collect on the bottom of the machine behind the rollers as it cleaned even after a thorough Dyson vacuuming. I took this to mean that the `deep cleaning' was doing its job and pulling out the deeply embedded gunk.
Deep Cleaning Results:
Almost immediately the room you're cleaning smells better. Amazing how much odors are picked up in carpets even with daily vacuuming
Most pre-treated spots (dog vomit old stains) seemed to disappear after cleaning the spot 2x's with 5-6 slow passes over the stain in several directions. Larger traffic areas that were pre-treated and received the same treatment still showed a slight discoloration, but were much lighter right after cleaning. The water was black with dirt, so I wasn't surprised.
As the spots dried, they were lighter, but still visible. Bissell suggests on their website that if this occurs, you use the Pretreat spray again and let it sit overnight before trying the Lift-Off spot cleaner. I will update my review after trying that one, but for now suffice to say that older spots may or may not come off the carpet, even with a pretreatment. You should see a positive difference if not elimination of new spots however.
Spot Cleaning with Lift-Off:
I tried the Lift-Off spot cleaner on heavily stained spots on Berber inside my home, inside my car, and on my couch's upholstery. I must say I was more impressed with this part of the unit, than the deep cleaner.
Carpet spots in house: These were all dog vomit (mainly bile, some with blood old Lab is sweet, but at 12 she's got a fussy tummy) spots, which have previously been cleaned with both OxyClean and Spot Shot. Neither worked well.
Carpet and Upholstery in car: coffee spills, chocolate stains, general dirt. About 8 years worth of general grime.
Couch Upholstery: general dirt and home odors no visible spots or stains.
I pre-treated all spots on the carpets for 20 hours with Bissell's Pet Stain and Odor pre-treater (found locally, but not on Amazon). Vacuumed the area to be cleaned and then mixed the Bissell Professional Deep Cleaning Formula with hot water. I pre-heated the machine for 1 minute and then spot cleaned three spots on the carpet.
Because the brush on the attachment head seemed a bit wimpy for the stains (it's good, but these are 'ugh' stains...), I used a cleaning brush I have at home to scrub the area after putting the water/solution mix on to the area, then extracted the water via the Bissell portable. The power of extraction was GREAT you have to tip the head of the attachment down, but it's easy to get the feel for it. Several passes in several directions left the area dry in 3 hours.
One tip while using the Lift-Off tilt the head down and over the area to be cleaned and hover about 2" over the area as you pull the trigger to dispense the solution. This covers a pretty wide path, and then you simply release the trigger, drag the attachment head securely over the stain to extract it. You do have to apply medium pressure to the head of the attachment and angle the head to get the maximum extraction of water and solution.
The stains in the carpet? Well, they are still there, but like the stains in the gym that were cleaned with the upright they are more faint. A huge improvement and I would have to credit the pretreatment, the Bissell Professional solution and the pull of the portable for this result. I intend to be more vigilant about immediate accident clean-ups now that I have this portable unit, and would imagine that if found in quickly and pre-treated with Bissell's Pet products, new stains will be eliminated.
The car upholstery and carpet looked great. Brightened up my light gray interior on my 4Runner and smells nice too. Very quick and easy to use in the car. No more worries about muddy feet mucking up the carpet!
The hands-down winner in the portable testing was the couch. I didn't think it was really dirty, but it had a cooking and pets smell to it. That's completely gone and the navy blue fabric with threads of lighter colors, is now brighter and fresh looking. The muddy gunk I got out of it was amazing, and the Bissell was so easy to use, I'm actually looking forward to using it on all my furniture before and after the holidays.
Overall Rating for the Bissell Lift-Off Deep Cleaner: 4 out of 5
The deep cleaned carpet looked fresher, brighter and smelled great. I think it did `deep clean' by comparison to the Hoover branded home cleaner and the Rug Doctor machines which just swirled things around on the top of the carpet and left a lot more water behind, for longer drying times.
The heat, the Bissell solution and great water extraction from Berber carpets, all left behind a good result. As good as a professional cleaning? No, but better than most home cleaning units and rentals I've tried, and you have the convenience of two machines for a lot of different jobs, and it all works well.
Really loved the Lift-Off portable though. It's a 5 out of 5 in my opinion and a surprise. I will use it a lot and because it doesn't suck down the solution and water quickly at all, it will save me a ton money in spray-on carpet and upholstery cleaners that never worked well anyway.
If this Bissell had been able to eliminate old stains on my carpets, had better directions and a bigger water/solution tank it would have been a 5 star machine overall. Can any machine do that? I'm not sure, but I'll continue to look for it!
The Bissell Lift-Off Deep Cleaner is a great home unit for people with new carpets and furniture that they want to keep clean with semi-annual cleansing and spot clean-ups.
For those of us with older homes, less time for carpet cleaning, messy families, pets and old stains, it's good, but not great in terms of a carpet cleaner. A solid, quality product with much to offer, it's not a magic elixir to what is ailing your old carpets. While I had high hopes that stains would disappear with just a bit of extra effort as seen in the Bissell promo video, I've not found that to be true.
As for upholstery and fast clean ups of new messes, and cleaning your car...the portable Lift-Off cleaner is fantastic. A bit heavy, but you don't have to hold it while it does its job.
Suggestions for Bissell:
1. Bigger Water/Solution Tank: the small tank of water/solution mix is quickly depleted while deep cleaning. I could only get a strip of carpet about 4'x6' completed and then I'd have to refill the tank. That seemed far too frequently to be running to the sink, but probably not all that unusual for most home cleaning units.
2. Incorporate Videos: include a DVD of the helpful videos from the Bissell website, or improve the Lift-Off Deep Cleaner User's Guide.
3. Easier Handle Attachment: figure out how to have the handle attached before it ships to the consumer. A tricky assembly, even with only 4 screws.
Is it worth the price? That depends upon the consumer. If you want an awesome spot cleaner and a good deep cleaner for sure it's a deal. Particularly if you have a newer home with kids and pets.
If you only really see yourself using a deep cleaner, you may want to consider other Bissell Deep Cleaners which also have heat, but are less expensive. Like this one: Bissell ProHeat Upright Deep Cleaner, 25A3.
Take a look at the photos I've posted to see product photos, and before and after shots of carpet deep cleaning.
UPDATE: 10/8/13
Still using this cleaner and loving it! Durable, powerful, and well made.
