This Bissell Doesn't Fizzle, It Almost Sizzles
Written: Jul 11 '07 (Updated Dec 20 '08)
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Pros: Price. Suction, Maneuverability. It's a vacuum cleaner. Stylish color.
Cons: It's bagless. Doesn't empty itself. 18 foot cord.
Died an early death.
The Bottom Line: The Spuds give this new member of the family two thumbs up. If it only had a bag...
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| nagels's Full Review: Bissell 3108 EasyVac Powerbrush Upright Vacuum |
The mission
Find a vacuum to replace the two battery operated tykes that have lost their battery regenerative properties and power. Trying to vacuum as fast as possible in one minute with the Red Devil before switching to the little battery deficient Bissell is just getting too stressful for Mrs. Spudman and the husband who witnesses this almost daily madness.
His assignment is to find within the week a new, replacement vac, small, lightweight, efficient, inexpensive and easily operable. This new vacuum must be light enough for Mrs. Spudman (she with the chronic back pain) but powerful enough to handle her short spurts of maintenance vacuuming. The task proves to be more difficult than he had anticipated.
The Search
There are plenty of cheap vacuums out there, cheap meaning 50 dollars and under. Small economy vacs are made by Dirt Devil, Shark, Bissell, Eureka, Sears, Hoover, and a few others. I checked out the choices in BJ’s, K Mart, Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, Home Depot, and online venues, Amazon in particular because of its helpful customer ratings and reviews. A few models piqued my interest but none were sure buys.
What’s available
An Electrolux Pronto at BJ’s intrigued me though it was over 20 dollars more than my fifty-dollar target. It’s an attractive machine, and the Electrolux name has always been synonymous with vacuum cleaners to me. Once I had it in hand, I decided I didn’t like its design or very small dust cup and dismissed it as a possibility.
Some of the Shark models ( UV610 and Shark Professional V1730) are actually highly rated by Consumer Reports. These flimsy machines, however, scream cheap to me, and we really didn’t want to go cordless this time. Hoover Flair and Eureka Optima were possibilities with mixed but mostly positive reviews. I also considered a fifty-dollar Dirt Devil model from Wal-Mart, corded, bagless and equipped with headlight.
The twenty-dollar price of the Bissell Featherweight tempted me, but it was just too small. Bissell’s Perfect Sweep, on sale during my search, is rated a best buy by Consumer Reports, but it’s cordless and its brush can’t be turned off for bare floor vacuuming.
What to do. What to do.
The Purchase
While in Boscov’s with business in the first level optical section, I wandered over to the vacuum department two floors above since it was on the way. The Bissell Easy Vac caught my eye very quickly. It was corded, attractively, and sleekly designed, and seemed the right size and weight. Though it was sixty dollars, my search was dragging on too long, and the sales person, a former student of mine, found a ten percent discount coupon for me to ease the pain of parting with my money. He suggested I consider the Hoover Flair for ten dollars less, but none were on the floor and I had read some buyer reviews complaining about an overheating problem. I went with the Bissell Easy Vac.
What It Is
Features-
Lightweight – less than nine pounds
Cleans hard floors, upholstery and carpet
Two motor system – separate brush control
Bagless with washable filter
Detachable handle
Cord hook
Quick release cord wrap
Rotating brush on off switch
5-foot stretch hose for on board crevice tool
Canister handle
18-foot power cord
Converts to a canister
Dual edge cleaning
Non-marring wheels
One-year warranty
MADE IN CHINA
Specs-
6 amps
9 inch cleaning path
Rotating brush
Color – java bean/berry
Polarized plug
48 inches high from floor to tip of handle
Weighs just fewer than nine pounds
Assembly and Performance
The hardest part of the assembly was getting the vacuum out of the box. The handle snaps on, as does the floor nozzle with powerbrush. An attached powerBrush cord is plugged into the back of the canister. Attach the crevice tool to its clip and you’re done in a matter of minutes. Even this dimwitted potato brain completed the assembly in about five minutes by my approximate, optimistic estimation.
This Bissell model is but one of our stable of vacuums and plays a supporting role to its big brother Eureka Boss. It’s used mostly by Mrs. Spudman to spot vacuum around the doors and sliders (picking up what the dogs bring I) and around the table where the parakeets reside. The Easy Vac is easy to push and easy to maneuver. We like that the rotating brush can be turned off for bare floors with the switch of a perfectly placed button. For a diminutive machine it more than adequately inhales dust and debris from carpeting and hardwood alike. The dual edge feature works well and is no false claim. As most vacuums do, this one makes its presence known with its loud, shrill voice, vacillating in pitch and resonance like a teenager’s changing voice.
The translucent, plastic dust cup, generously sized, fills quickly and generally should be emptied after each use. It’s not difficult to remove the cup and its filter, but it can be a messy and dusty job. Weather permitting we do the deed outside, yours truly banging the filter on a nearby tree to shake out the dust.
And Last
We’re both very pleased with our latest acquisition. This little vac more than earns its keep with its superb pickup and ability to reach under and around. The crevice tool and hose is a handy and pleasant bonus feature not originally sought. The Easy Vac is an ancillary tool, not designed to be one’s principal vacuum unless one is an elf or SHLEP.
I’ve always liked the Bissell website. Its smart design enables easy navigation and access to whatever vacuum information an owner or prospective owner might seek. The FAQ section has already been particularly helpful to me. Readers may be interested in subscribing to the The Bissell e-newsletter, a worthwhile and interesting publication.
I’d’ve preferred a dirt capturing bag design, but one can’t have everything. This Easy Vac is appropriately named.
By The Way
It has been weighing on my mind exactly what “less than nine pounds” means.
Again Bissell’s statement is quite truthful and accurate. According to the scale in Spudman Laboratories, this little vac weighs exactly 8.6 pounds.
THANKS FOR READING THIS VACUUM REVIEW.
UPDATE: 12/20/08 This vacuum is now deceased. The vacuum's head broke off at the neck and can't be repaired. It had also grown progressively louder lately. the high pitched squeal had grown so annoying that the vacuum's demise doesn't sadden me in the least.
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Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 54
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