tean94's Full Review: Bissell Velocity Bagless Upright Cyclonic Vacuum
I have to admit that I wasn't expecting on doing research for a new vacuum. Our old one was a Dirt Devil bagless vacuum, and worked pretty well. We had it for 3 years, but my wife mentioned the fact that she hated how heavy it was. Of course, me being a guy took that as the go ahead to buy a new vacuum, or at least look into it. The funny thing is, when I brought before my wife the pages of different vacuums I'd researched and told her the ones I was interested in, she asked me why in the world I was looking for one anyways. I told her because she thought ours was too heavy. She then stated that she had made that comment months ago, once, and barely remembered making it. Nonetheless, I was not to be dissuaded from my vacuum search! I have been a fan of Bissell ever since buying the Bissell SpotBot. So I finally decided on the Bissell Velocity Bagless Vacuum.
I hounded my wife for weeks to let my buy it and one day she finally gave in. Well that is when I told her I was at Lowes and was putting the Bissell Velocity Vacuum in the cart. She was at work at the time as well, so not much she could do. Then I told her we should be able to get a few dollars out of our old Dirt Devil at our next yard sale. She said, "Fine.", let out a sigh of surrender, as I bought the vacuum. Doesn't she know I do it all for her??? Well anyways, on with the review.
Now to be honest, this is a girly looking vacuum. It looks kinda purplish and two toned at that, in fact, Bissell calls it a Dark Cherry Fiz color. However, my wife liked the color, so that was a selling point for her. It also weighs considerably less than the Dirt Devil did, which was also a major selling point for both my wife and myself. (Yes, I do vacuum when nagged enough!)
So I brought it home, took it out of the box, and after 3 screws and 15 minutes later, the vacuum was put together. I found the assembly very easy to do, and the instructions quite straight forward.
Observations:
Right away I turned on the vacuum and found it very easy to maneuver. The adjustments for the floor height were easy to turn and it actually quieter than my Dirt Devil. All good things to me. Of course my wife and I took off the hose and tested the suction strength on each other, like the cheek, arm, and hair. Very impressive suction strength! Then my 2 yr. old son got upset because he thought that the vacuum was hurting us, so we stopped laughing and put the vacuum hose back.
I then vacuumed up a small patch of carpet in our spare bedroom, which I only use for my office, but right away my wife yelled at me to turn it off. She pointed out the amount of dust spiralling around the canister, which looked really cool! The cyclonic feature really works! There was a good amount of dust and debris already in the canister. We were both amazed at home much this vacuum had picked up, especially when this room had been vacuumed with the Dirt Devil just last week. Also, the carpet seemed to be fluffier. The 12 amps of power and extra wide 15 inch brush are very effective at cleaning our carpets.
I was also impressed with the fact that there are 2 filters on this vacuum. One just beneath the canister and a HEPA filter on the side of the vacuum where the air is returned to the room. Also both of these filters are very easy to find, remove, and replace. The canister also is very easy to remove, clean, and replace. A simple locking arm swings to one side to release the canister, then slides back to lock it in place.
There is also an indicator which changes colors based on the quality of air flow. If it is green, then things are well and air is moving freely. If it turns red then the airflow has become reduced, and if it turns black then there is something blocking the airflow completely. It is very easy to remove the entire hose, you just simply turn the hose on the back of the vacuum until it releases the hose, then you can clear away any blockages that might be in the way.
The hose is 14 feet long. However, I have not needed to use this feature as of yet, but it is very flexible and stretches easily. The Bissell Velocity Vacuum also comes complete with the dusting brush, TurboBrush, Curved Hose Wand, Extension Wand, and Crevice Tool. The power chord is extremely long at 35 feet, but can be a hassle when you only need a small amount of it for a smaller room. However, it is great when vacuuming a large room, or multiple rooms close to each other!
The TurboBrush also works great. I used it to vacuum off the stairs and my car. Again the 12 amps of suction strength is evident when the brush gets up to full speed. It really spins fast! I can even press it fairly strong into the carpet and it still spins.
There was mention that this vacuum seemed to tip over easily, and that is true. I tested this out on both carpet and bare floor. A good nudge or bump anywhere above the Turbo brush will send it falling backwards. Locking wheels would probably have helped in keeping this from happening. If you are going to be pulling on the hose to bring the vacuum closer to you, it is best to do this if the hose is attached to the handle at the bottom of the vacuum. However, I would not recommend this type of action.
Some people had issues with the power switch being on the front of the vacuum. This is not an issue for me. It is near enough the handle that it takes nothing to reach down and flip it off.
Conclusion
There isn't much about this vacuum that I don't like. It is lightweight, powerful, and easy to use. It is a little back heavy and can tip over fairly easily, and the power chord can be a nuisance because of its length, but those are minor problems.
For the money, you really can't go wrong with this vacuum. It will leave your carpets clean, fluffed, and your air filtered. What more can you ask for?
Additionally, if you become a member of Bissell's Rewards Program, and register this vacuum, you will be given enough points to be considered a Platinum member, which gives you 10% off accessories (like new filters and belts) and you'll get free shipping. Copy and paste the following website into a new browser for more information.
Clean your floors with ease using a Bissell Velocity Dual Cyclonic vacuum Upright vacuum features an Easy Empty dirt container without messy filters F...More at Overstock.com
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