2000s Bagless Bissells (CleanView, PowerForce, Lift-Off, etc.)

[niclonnic]

Following another thread on 2000s bagless Hoovers, I've decided to make this post about bagless Bissells from the early to mid-2000s, specifically ones that are single-cyclonic.

The first ones that come to mind are the CleanView series, which include the CleanView II and CleanView Revolution vacuums.

Next is the PowerForce series, which include bagged and bagless versions.

Lastly, there is the Lift-Off Bagless series, which also came in a Revolution variant.

I used to have a Bissell CleanView, model 8975, which my dad bought brand new in early 2004. It was a very good machine for the price. However, the filtration was terrible, but in all fairness, this was a time when most bagless cleaners in the post-Fantom era were filter-based (single-cyclonic).

My Bissell had a primary filter concealed above the dirt container. While the container is easy to remove and empty, the upper filter traps all the fine dust, causing the vacuum to lose suction. There is also a pre-motor filter below the canister which protects the motor from dust particles. Lastly, there is either a washable post-motor filter or a replaceable HEPA filter on the exhaust.

Fortunately, all of these filters (except the vacuums with the HEPA filter, which are not washable and must be replaced) are washable, but doing so is a very dirty job, as it exposes the user to a large quantity of fine dust. Washing these filters will make the vacuum unusable for some time, as they'll need to air dry for at least 24 hours. But I'm used to dealing with dirty filters on a regular basis, so this doesn't bother me.

What are your thoughts and memories of these Bissells?

 

[hoover300]

I love these!

I had two powerforces and a cleanview powertrak. One of the powerforces was an original 2008 variant with headlight and 12 amp motor and the other was a 10 amp variant with no headlight. I used the 10 amp as my garage vac. One time, I was vacuumed up so much cut grass it filled to the very top of the top filter. It still had suction! The Powertrak I found at a Restore for $13, and other than a mountain of drywall dust, it was in great shape. It is probably my fanciest bissell, seeing as it has a swivel hose and a removable top filter.
~K

 

[superocd]

I had a 2012ish Bissell PowerForce bagged machine, 10 amps

It lasted me from college to about a year after I bought my first (current) house. It was still working when I dropped it off at Goodwill on the day that FedEx delivered my brand-new SC886 Sanitaire in 2016. I have to say that these left me with the impression that they were decent performers by today's standards (for bypass vacuums, anyway) and quite durable. They very well could be the spiritual successor to the Hoover Convertible 30 years from now: millions were sold, they weren't all that expensive, they lasted long and they performed decently.

I am kind of curious how the newer style Powerforce bagged vacuum compares. They're only $50 at Walmart, but I'd like to think that I'm holding off that $50 for something I really want, like another vintage Kirby, Royal, Hoover or Eureka. My assessment based on seeing these in the aisles at Walmart is that they feel cheaper than the original PowerForces, yet (to me) still seems to feel sturdier than most current Dyson models, imagine that.

 

[madman]

I have two of the Clean Views. One was a trash pick from 10 or more years ago. Used it infrequently as a shop vac for construction debris. The other I 'inhereted' from my granddad (ie, he kicked the bucket and no one else wanted the vac). That one's very clean, and not used much. I let one of my sisters use it for her college apartment type place.

They clean well enough. No real complaints about usability, but they are a bit clunky. My only gripe is the filter, which is a cylindrical pleated paper filter. I don't *think* it's washable, but hey correct me if I'm wrong. Anyhow, the filter gets dirty very easily, even with ordinary household dust only. I clean them manually, by scraping the dirt out of each pleat and then air blowing the rest out. It's a laborious and filthy task. Any time I do it, I swear to myself I'm going to make my own filter out of open cell foam, so I can just wash it in the sink.

But then I forget about it, and I honestly haven't used either vac for some time, so...

 

[madman]

Actually, scratch the above post.

I totally confused my crap Eurekas with my mom's Bissel. Nevermind ^_^

 

[royalfan103]

I was the creator of the 2000's Bagless Hoovers thread.

I created that thread. I have I think a 2009 or 2010 Bissell Cleanview Helix. Tried to clean it up and repair it but I didn't get the parts I needed cause I didn't know if they would fit and they were also too expensive. I kinda liked it cause it had aggressive agitation. It was my family's main house vac until 2016 when I got a Eureka Airspeed one. The base on that broke and we used the Bissell again before replacing it with a cheap, but great Walmart Hoover Rewind bagless UH71012 that I got on Black Friday 2016. Boy, was that a great shopping day.

 

[crazykirbydude]

They are all dust spewing heaps of junk! I own a PowerForce 6594, and it's an awful vacuum. The bagged versions are a bit better.