12 out of 12 people found this review helpful.
Decent vacuum... for a couple of years
Date of Review: Apr 4, 2008
The Bottom Line: Would not buy another upright at this time... they just don't last!
One thing I continually read in vacuum cleaner reviews... "It only lasted for 2 years." I have experienced the same thing. This is my 3rd vacuum in 7 years! Anyone ever stop to consider that the manufacturers "design" them to break every few years? Of course they don't want your vacuum to last 20 years... they want you to spend money on a new one!
We bought our Bissell Lift-off in March of '05. I was highly impressed with the suction and how well it picked up dirt. The lift-off feature was also a nice addition and came in handy at times. Overall I was very pleased with this vacuum... for about a year...
One major down-side (as others have mentioned) was the fact that we constantly pulled it over due to the short hose. After the vacuum was pulled over a couple of times, the hose became even shorter as it kinked so badly that I had to cut a small portion off and put it back together in order to get it to suck again.
The dirt cut constantly needs emptying (at least once per cleaning). The filters get dirty WAY too fast. It always amazes me how much better this thing sucks when the filters are clean though. It is also a nasty mess to empty and clean this thing. Dust and dirt always end up covering the outside of the canister when taking it off (static). There is also dirt and animal hair covering the machine after every cleaning. This machine must generate tons of static!
After about 1-1/2 years, the suction motor started overheating and shutting itself off after 20 minutes of vacuuming. You would have to wait about an hour for it to cool off so it would turn back on. Royal pain... especially if company was on their way over. :)
Here is a list of a few other complaints...
Had to replace the belt 3-4 times in the last 3 years (still WAY better than my old Hoover where I had to replace the belt every other cleaning). I have had to replace the beater brush once and noticed the other day that it needs to be replaced again (cracking, the bristles are way worn down and the plastic caps on the end are cracked/melted). I also had a really bad whistle coming from the rear hepa filter. The cover seems to "weaken" after a couple of years.
About a week ago I went to use it and the beater will not rotate. Not sure if it the motor, switch, etc... I took the beater brush out and the motor shaft does not spin at all. I was thinking about taking it in for repairs, but I have had enough. It's time for a new one.
All in all it was a WAY better vacuum than my last Hoover, but I probably would not buy it again. It's time to try something new. Going to try a canister this time around.
If the next one breaks, I guess I will just start putting "New vacuum" in the budget every couple of years!
