Design flaw keeps if from being really great
Written: Dec 29 '07
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Pros: Great suction, long cord, low price, no bags to empty
Cons: Gets clogged way to easy and requires partial disassembly to clean it.
The Bottom Line: Awesome vacuum cleaner for dirt, not very good at all for pet hair or fibrous materials.
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| fnash's Full Review: Bissell Velocity Bagless Upright Cyclonic Vacuum |
As of the writing of this review, my wife and I have been in our new house for about 10 months. The house we had previously had very little carpet so we didn't need a great vacuum. The house we have now has almost 3200 square feet of carpet. That much carpet kind of requires a really nice vacuum. The light duty stuff we had just didn't get the job done very well. So, after reading the reviews, and being the cost conscious person that I am, I decided to get the Bissell Velocity Upright Bagless. I had owned bagless before and really liked them a lot. I found the Bissell in pre-holiday ads available for $120 after discounts and sales prices were applied, and decided you just couldn't beat that price for something that had gotten such high marks. So, off I went to Target to get a new vacuum.
Out of Box
Taking the vacuum out of the box and assembling it was no problem. There were only a couple of parts to connect to the main body of the vacuum which did require a phillips screwdriver. Total time of assembly was probably no more than about 15 minutes. I took another 2 minutes to skim the instructions and see what the various levers and things did, then preceded to give it a try.
Looks/Design
This vacuum looks kind of a mix of retro and space age. The curves and shape kind of reminds you of the art-deco movement a few decades back, but the color and couple of angular spots that you can find make it look futuristic as well. It kind of makes you think of a redesign of something classic, kind of like the new Mustangs sort of resemble the old classics. It's designed very well. The handle is comfortable and everything seems to be in a pretty good spot, if not perfect. The only thing I take issue to here is the button to push with your foot to get the head to "lay down" or release from the locked position so that you can begin vacuuming. The button is rather small and tight to the body of the unit and requires a conscious thought to put your toe in just the right spot to push it. I forgave that little flaw because the headlight on the vacuum more than made up for it. In this price range I would not have expected a light, and I found quickly that I really love that light.
Weight/size
Weight and size for this vacuum cleaner is nothing out of the ordinary. You expect a good vacuum cleaner to have a little weight and this one does, but it's nowhere near what you could call heavy. It's not problem taking up and down stairs and is easy to push around. Actually, the 15 inch wide beater brush grabs the carpet pretty well and wants to pull the vacuum cleaner along and makes it really easy to use. Speaking of that wide 15 inch brush, it makes short work cleaning the carpet. That wide path covers a lot of carpet quickly. The front is high enough so that it can't get all the way under the edge of the cabinets or couch easily, but any good vacuum cleaner I have ever used is the same way so no big deal. Just grab the hose and one of the attachments and use that.
Tools/Cord
The Bissell comes with the average assortment of tools you would expect, plush a turbo brush. The crevice tool and dusting brush are standard and work as expected. The hose and extension work well and stow away easily. The real bonus here is the turbo tool. It ROCKS! It's one of the only non-powered rotating brush powered tools I've seen that works as it should and has a very powerful beater brush. It works GREAT in cleaning your car too. I use it on my shop-vac to make it a little easier to get into the car. The power cord and hose are both long and stow away easily. The power cord winds around winding points and it's long 35 foot reach lets you plug into a central location and get almost the whole house, or at least that floor. Did I mention I love the turbo brush?
Filters and Bagless Parts
The Bissell Velocity is a bagless vacuum cleaner that uses a collection cup for the dirt, hair, etc. The cup is ample size and can collect a good amount of dirt. I don't know the actual dimensions but I'm guessing somewhere close to half a gallon capacity. It's easy to take out and empty. There is a lever under it you simply slide to the right to release it, pull the cup out and empty it, slide it back in, and slide the lever back to the other side. It also has a post-motor HEPA filter that I have not had to replace yet, but I saw the filters in the store for about $13. The pre-motor filter sits just under the collection cup and slides out. It is simply a grey, open cell foam piece about 4x4 inches and maybe 3/4 inch thick. It's easy to wash out in the sink. If you're vacuuming up just dirt this setup works very well. If it pulls any carpet fibers or other fibers, or if you have pets, it doesn't work all that well. As soon as you get any amount of fibers or hair in the collection cup, they try to jump above the cup into the air chamber above and get caught around a slotted grill at the top of the air chamber and clog the whole apparatus, thereby reducing suction. The fibers also get sucked thru the grill and collect in the pre-motor filter in the bottom. Not a bad thing, unless you get a huge mass of stuff collecting in there like I do, once again reducing suction, and generally making a big mess when you pull out the filter. Oh, at least you'll know it when any of these conditions happen (if you happen to be paying attention, which I don't). There is a filter change/suction indicator on the front that turns from green to red as the suction goes down. Only problem is the indicator is positioned more to the front of the vacuum so that you almost have to bend over it to look at it. It should have been placed in a position where it is easily seen while you're actually vacuuming.
Suck Power!
Suction power (when it's not clogged) is AWESOME!!! Much more than I would have expected from such an inexpensive vacuum cleaner. It got so much stuff out of my carpet the first time I used it that my old vacuum cleaners couldn't get out. Edge suction is very good as well. I also own a Dyson DC14 (that I got when I was so unhappy with the Bissell getting clogged all the time) and the suction is really about the same. Suction from the hose on the Bissell is actually much stronger then the hose suction on the Dyson.
Overall Impression
If you have maybe less than 2000 square foot of carpet that is not prone to shedding, and have no pets, then this is probably the best vacuum for the price I've ever seen, and I've owned everything from cheap stuff ($30-$50), to the Dyson I have now, to $1500 Kirbys. The suction and cleaning ability is absolutely top notch (and did I mention I love the turbo tool!). Ease of use is fantastic. If it weren't for the one big design flaw in the air path that makes it prone to clogging with hair or fibrous material, it would be the perfect vaccuum. That flaw is a major one though, and it's for that reason that I have to give it lower rating that it might otherwise deserve.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 120
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Epinions.com ID:
fnash
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Member: Floyd Nash
Location: Kalamazoo, MI
Reviews written: 25
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Detroit Red Wings hockey fan.
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