BISSELL PowerClean Multi Cyclonic Bagless Upright Vacuum

This Bissell Powerclean Multi Cyclonic has a lot going for it but one thing it really struggles with is accommodating carpets and rugs of varying types. The wheels that control the ride height of the brush head are too small, the roller brush has short, very stiff bristles and is driven by a separate motor that bogs down easily. All this combines to make the Powerclean very sensitive to the density and pile height of the carpet. If your home has several carpet types or rugs you need to vacuum then don't buy this model unless you enjoy constantly reaching down to adjust the carpet height setting.

Ergonomics and handling aren't great either. It's a bit hefty, the rubber rear wheels are a hindrance on carpet and the handle has to be lowered almost all the way to the floor to lift up the front end.

On the plus side the dual stage cyclone system seems to do a good job capturing fine particles and dust which should keep HEPA filter changes to a minimum. Overall build quality seems pretty good, the dirt canister assembly appears to stay well sealed. The accessory hose and power cord are fairly long but not so long as to be a nuisance. The ability to turn off the roller brush is nice bit it appears to come at a price.

A word about "suction". This model can develop relatively high vacuum pressure at zero flow. That's good for lifting bowling balls (Oreck commercial) and seems impressive when you stick the accessory hose against your hand, but it's not what cleans carpets. To pull the dirt from the floor and into the vacuum cleaner you need air flow and the more air you move the harder it is to maintain vacuum pressure. Without going into an overly detailed explanation of how vacuum cleaners work, it should suffice to say that under typical operating conditions, this Bissell has about as much "suction" as my old $70 Hoover with a fresh bag. It's adequate, but not astonishing. To be fair I should note that my old Hoover doesn't provide anything near the level of filtration that the Bissell does.

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