pinkskittle's Full Review: Bissell 3760-1 Lift-Off Revolution Turbo Bagless U...
UPDATE
The turbo brush died today! I've owned the vacuum for 5 months now. I emailed Bissell and they're sending me a new one! Awesome service!!!
UPDATE #2
My new turbo brush came today! Turns out it wasn't the brush that died, because when I attached the new one, it still didn't work. Turns out the filter was completely clogged up on the entire vacuum, but the filter cleaning indicator wasn't showing red like it was supposed to.
I cleaned the filters as instructed in the manual and everything works great now! I don't know why I didn't think of cleaning the filters before! Ooops!
onto the review...
Ok so not a very original title for my review, but whatever :)
Our older vacuum was just not cutting it anymore. I don't even know how old it was. We have 2 cats and a new baby. We keep finding cat hair on our baby and we were worried about the effect the amount of dust in our carpets was having on him. The main thing I was looking for in a vacuum was the ability to remove cat hair.
There are 4 models (3760, 4220, 6850, and 6860). Mine is the deluxe from Sears (3760). Most of the features are the same across all models (except for color and cord length; the deluxe model includes extra tools and replacement filters).
Features:
- 1 year warranty.
- 12 Amps of power (pretty much all vacs come with this amount).
- Can be used on bare floor (the beater brush can be turned off).
- Can adjust the vacuum for different carpet lengths (7 settings).
- Most tools can be stored on the vacuum itself (one can't).
- Doesn't use bags, just dump out the dirt container.
- Detachable canister with carrying handle (this is where the "lift-off" part of the product name comes into play). I absolutely love this feature. The canister and hose pop off for easier cleaning of stairs, vehicle interiors, or other hard-to-reach areas where you don't want to lug the whole vacuum. The canister is quite light, but the deluxe model comes with a shoulder strap to use, which makes cleaning with it even easier.
- Clean Filter Indicator (select models). The green dot will turn red when you need to clean or replace the filters.
- 30-foot power cord wraps onto one side of the canister. I hate power cords that retract into the machine because they always break. That's why I like this one. The Sears Deluxe model (3760V) has a 35-foot cord.
- Wide cleaning path (15 inches) with light.
Maintenance
Maintenance seems easy; you just pop out the filters (2 of them) and rinse them off. There is a HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filter. It assists the filtration system by returning clean air to the room. A HEPA filter (theoretically) can remove from the air at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 micrometres. For more info on HEPA, see this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HEPA. This filter must be replaced when it gets dirty.
The instruction manual includes maintenance for the rotating brush, drive belt, light bulb, and TurboBrush. It instructs you on how to clear clogs, what to do when the thermal protector is activated (when the cleaner overheats, the main motor stops), and other troubleshooting tips.
The Tools
I was drawn to the Bissell Lift-Off Revolution Turbo Upright Vacuum because of all of the tools it came with.
Vacuum Hose: All the special tools are attached to this flexible 80 inch hose.
Combo Dusting/Upholstery Brush: One side of this triangular tool has a brush on it to be used for dusting furniture, baseboards, etc. I recommend attaching it to the telescoping pole (see below) to do your baseboards to save your back. The other side of this tool has flat teeth on it to clean curtains, upholstery, cushions. Both tools worked quite well.
Crevice Tool: Long plastic tube with a narrow end to get into tight spaces.
Telescoping Extension Wand: Attach this to the hose, then attach another tool to reach high spots or low spots without needing to bend. I find it doesn't really extend long enough, if I'm using it with the bare floor attachment (see stair-cleaning tool below), I still find myself needing to bend slightly, which is hard on the back. It's great for reaching high spots (cobwebs, curtains, etc). update: I've found that the telescoping extension wand doesn't lock very well when it's fully extended. I'd be using it and all of a sudden it would start shortening.
Stair Cleaning Tool/Deluxe Stair Cleaning Tool: Depending on the model, you'll either get the normal tool or the deluxe one. I have the deluxe one. The difference is that the deluxe on has a swivel head. It can be used on stairs, bare floor, area rugs, and small-carpeted areas. This tool seems flimsy and I get the impression it would break easily after it was dropped a few times. I've used it on my carpeted stairs and it does a decent job on them, but I still need the crevice tool (or the hose on its own) to go around the stair edges. I'm sure it would perform much better on uncarpeted stairs. It's great on bare floor as it is thin, it gets under furniture and in tricky areas well (the vacuum can be used on bare floor without needing the hose/stair cleaning tool attachments, but I would only recommend doing it that way if you have a large open-space bare floor). This tool cannot be stored on board, but all the others are.
TurboBrush: This small attachment is a rotating brush to use on small areas like stairs and upholstery. As I mentioned earlier, I wanted something good on cat hair. I took this tool to my cat tree (upholstered cathouse) which was covered in hair. I was amazed at how much hair was in the canister when I was done. With my old vacuum, I had to pull off the clumps of cat hair by hand and feed it to the vac. It almost looks new again and I spent maybe 2 minutes on it!
I haven't tried it on my carpeted stairs yet, but I plan to. It just seems like it would take a while considering the brush is small.
All these tools can be purchased through Bissell (as well as light bulbs, filters, and drive belt).
Overall, I'm satisfied with this vacuum. I might sound lame saying this, but it's exciting to see how much hair and dust is in the dirt container after each use! Also, I can really feel the difference in the carpet after it's been cleaned using this vac compared to how it felt after using my older one.
I was a little concerned about the price ($260 Canadian or $225 US) since we don't have that much carpet, but considering we could use it on bare floor, how versatile it is, the HEPA filter, and its ability to remove cat hair, the money was well worth it.
Use the BISSELL Lift-Off Revolution Turbo Bagless Upright Vacuum and start asking people to take their shoes off in your home again. This high-tech ho...More at HSN
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