Opinions Wanted: Rug Doctor vs. Bissell Big Green

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weltron

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This is probably a topic that has been beaten to death, but I can't find direct comparisons between the two, or at least anything conclusive.

What's the consensus on the old fashioned Rug Doctor vs. the Bissell Big Green (the one that you can rent in stores)? I own the Rug Doctor right now (in the pictures is the machine I have). How are the two on a quality and reliability standpoint? Serviceability? I know Bissell is crap otherwise but I've heard good things about the Big Green.

Thanks!

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Well

They are pretty much the same machine using an oscillating brushstrip. But, the Bissell has smaller tanks and a hose, while the rug doctor has bigger tanks and no hose. I also find the Bissell easier to use, but that is just personal preference. But if I were to buy an extractor, I would buy the simplest one at Walmart. No heat, one revolving brush and an overall simple machine. I have fixed extractors and when you get Bissell preheat 2x revolutions in that aren’t working, you basically have to tear apart the whole machine to find the issue. So go for simple.
 
I actually have the hose. I've used it a fair amount. It's just a royal pain to put on. I was just wondering if between the two machines one was better than the other or if they were about equal.
 
I've rented both and the Rug Doctor is slightly better. The Bissell's plastic felt much cheaper and like Kirboover said the tanks are smaller. The Rug Doctor's PSI is higher and really helps with cleaning furniture with the hose. The hose on the Bissell isn't any easier to put on if that helps any. I'm not sure about serviceability but that model of Rug Doctor has been out for about 20 years so I'm sure parts will be easier to find.

I am a huge fan of drying cleaning too. If you're thinking about buying a Big Green test out Host or the Oreck powder first. Those do just as well as the wet cleaners and much much easier to use, even if you have to do multiple applications.
 
i've had my rug dr wide track for 10yrs. works great. the upholstry did quit after a year...but i got a decent tool from pmf that's better, I also bought a small upright drag wand.. handy for going in closets or on stairs. I like too apply solutioin with a pump up sprayer then scrub with a oreck orbiter then extract with clear water..the rug dr soap foams too much.. Ive had good luck with commercial soap from janitor stores...
 
Big Green user

I have the Big Green machine and have been happy with it. It does a nice job and the hose is easily added/removed for stairs and spot cleaning. The machine's air paths are also easily accessible for cleaning.
I've used a rental Rug Doctor in the past, and was happy enough with the results, but I've never owned one.
 
While I've used both before

The Bissell I find does better at performance while the Rug Doctor on the other hand feels like it's more durable and reliable.
 
Bissell!

I've had this big green for I think 6-7 years now. I bought it used from Ebay. It's only needed one repair so far which was a solenoid replacement. It wasn't terribly hard to get to though they annoyingly put 1 security torx screw in two different plates.

I have used rug drs before. In the summer of 2019 when i was cleaning a relatives carpets the solenoid went bad and i ended up renting a rug dr to finish the job. It was then I realized how spoiled I am by the big green. You can push the big green forward rather than having to tilt it up, it uses much less water, leaves the carpets drier, and the removable clean water tank is much easier to deal with. I'd gladly take a big green over a rug dr!

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Pardon the slight gag as the words leave me mouth...

But I definitely prefer the Bissell. Since this ain’t one of those awful household ones the other side of Bissell sells, it’s actually quite good. I do own one of them, but I don’t have a Rug Doctor. Had planned on getting a Rug Doctor but decided, along with a lot of others, that this Bissell is the better machine.
 
They are certainly not the same machine.

The bissell uses a large rotating brush roll. The RD uses a sweeping, grooming action brush.

The bissell can be use backwards and forwards, the RD can’t.

The bissell uses less water and leaves the carpets considerably dryer, probably because it can be used forwards and backwards. It’s less labour intensive.

The bissell may not have as much suction as the RD but the suction channel on the floor is spring loaded, so it pushes down against the carpet which massively helps with extraction.

The bissell has a removable clean water tank, again, making it much more user friendly.

The bissell is well built but whether it’s as well built as the RD, I’m not too sure. Mine has held up incredibly well throughout the years and heavy use. The brush is still is good shape as are the water tanks. They haven’t even started to discolour.

I’ve had my big green for 8 years. It needed a PCB and a new agitator motor (think it was left in a pile of water in my garage at some point) both easily and cheaply sorted.

There are plenty of YouTube video comparing both machines, and the results speak for themselves.
 
I much prefer the Bissell Big Green. It's the best standalone upright carpet cleaner on the market.

The biggest drawback of the RD is that the clean water tank cannot be removed from the machine, so it's a huge hassle to wash the soap out, if you want to rinse the carpeting. I also think the Bissell Big Green holds more clean water than the Rug Doctor (having used both, I thought it held a lot more), but I could be wrong. The Big Green has LARGE tanks for a standalone cleaner. The dirty water tank is a lot cleaner to completely empty too (the Rug Doctor tank likes to leave small amounts of dirt behind).

I think they both clean well, and appear to be built to similar standards, but the Bissell cleans better, and is far more user-friendly. Nearly every aspect of the Bissell is in some way improved over the RD.
 
Oops

I thought the Bissell used an oscillating (back and forth) brush strip. But this forum teaches me so many things everyday from lots of people more knowledgeable than myself :)
 

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