Experience with a Bissell Powerforce Bagless

[fan-of-fans]

Over the weekend, I helped someone with cleaning, and they had a blue Bissell Powerforce bagless upright. This is the very basic one with no headlight, which I see around everywhere. From what I heard I figured the vacuum would not be any good, especially considering the price they sell for at Walmart. However, I found quite the opposite to be true. I actually liked it! It is very lightweight, so it was easy to carry and push, and very quiet as well. It also seemed to have good suction and did a good job grooming the carpet. The only thing was it doesn't seem to have the best filtration, although when I used it the machine was nearly full, and I didn't dump it until I was done.

For someone like me that really prefers a bagged canister, this "cheapie bagless" really impressed me. It was much easier to carry and much quieter than my Kenmore bagless upright that cost more.

 

[bagintheback]

They're nice cleaners, but once you have to clean the filters, your opinion will change immediately. They are just so nasty.

 

[durango159]

Yes these Bissells are extemely light weight, they have great suction and do a reasonable job cleaning carpets. Wal-Mart sells these new for about $42. The primary dirt cup dumps out ok, but the filter in the bottom section of the dirt cup will be messy. Some of the Bissells have a foam prefilter on top of the pleated filter, and the foam is washable, but still will be messy to clean. It is a better system from other baglesses where the filter is located inside the dirt cup. Hoover Twinchamber bagless systems are quite messy to deal with as well, and I love Hoovers.

Cyclonic bagless if you get bagless is the better way, the dirt cups empty about the same as the Bissell but the filter is in a different section and tends not to need cleaning after every use.

Bagless systems need emptying after every use they, they lose suction quickly as filters clog, and don't have the power to compact dirt in, so what looks like tons of dirt amounts to not nearly as much if it was in a bag. Bagged systems can compact the dirt in and that's why they only need changing about every month.

I am also a bagged canister fan. My favorites over the years are Hoover canisters. However we saw the bagged version of the bagless Bissell, which Wal-Mart sells for about $39. It works very the same as the bagless I spoke about above but uses a bag. So occasionally we use the Bissell bagged upright for quick pick ups or whatever else and I use my bagged canister vacuums for heavy duty work or I love canisters so much, there never a burden for me to take out. My mother in law bought the Bissell--see attached link.

I hope this helps. Let me/ the thread know what other questions you may have. I'm also curious what your preferred brand/ model of bagged canister is. I only buy canisters that have a power head. I love carpet, and I love the sound that the power nozzle motors make-- most of them. To me canisters with power nozzles are just so versatile for going under beds, chairs, tables, easy maneuverability, I rarely use uprights.

http://www.bissell.com/powerforce-vacuum/

 

[durango159]

Here's one of my Hoover canisters. Hoover Windtunnel Plus S3639. Works great.

 

[fan-of-fans]

For canisters, I prefer Kenmore. They just seem to work well and be straightforward to use. I've had front hose and top/swivel hose models through the years all with the Powermate. Just recently I bought a new top of the line red Kenmore Progressive, and it's the best one yet.

I do have a Eureka Mighty Mite canister, but don't use it much. Other than that no experience with Eurekas.

As far as Hoover, they have some neat canisters. Personally though, I always thought the attachment connection and wands were a bit cumbersome, and the canisters were a bit hard to manuever due to their wheel systems. The early ones like the Constellation, Slimline, and Portable were neat looking designs. The Spirit, Powermax, and Futura though I felt were Hoover kind of making their own version of a Kenmore/Panasonic, and I thought the Kenmores were better. Those Hoover models also seemed very loud. I think Hoover's strength has mainly been in upright vacuums.

Another thing is Kenmore seems to be pretty much the only 'common' brand of full size powerhead canister available anymore. I pretty much just see small straight suction machines from Eureka and Hoover these days, other than the Hoover Anniversary model.

What year is your Windtunnel canister from, Durango?

 

[durango159]

Hi Cole,

My Hoover Windtunnel was purchased in 2007 but manufactured in 2005 according to serial number. I grew up in Hoover household with Hoover Celebrity, Hoover Dimension 1000, then we switched over to a Panasonic and tried Eureka but resorted back to Hoover. So I guess the Hoover wand system never annoyed me. I love the Hoover upholstery nozzle with rubber fingers.

We tried a Kenmore Progressive 25513 for a few months and were not pleased with it. I found there newer set of attachments worthless. The crevice tool was too narrow, had to go over same area too much, upholstery nozzle too narrow and no bristles, litter picker etc. Power Mate Jr. was improvement over a 1996 model Kenmore that I had used cleaning someones house years ago. Otherwise the Kenmore tool set of the 1996 with the full size bristled upholstery nozzle and thicker designed crevice tool were better. Kenmore's bare floor brush hasn't changed its always been small, and I find not enough bristles, and the bristles are short. When you push the bare floor tool forward the front plastic scrapes the floor, Bristles along the side and taller bristles in general would help prevent this. Also don't like Cen-Tec nozzles, none of them have suction duct extending to the other area around the belt. I really didn't like their original powernozzle the CT14DX. I have nightmare of issues with that power nozzle on our central vacuum and it was so loud and obnoxious sounding. I'll attach a link of the power nozzle I'm talking about. The newer designed one is a little better but just seeing it and the history of the old, I'd never buy one.

The filtration is better on the Kenmore, system is better sealed and wheels had a rubber coating. So some things were definitely better on the Kenmore but cleaning performance and convenience I think the Hoover has it beat. We had Progressive sent off for warranty service to make sure everything was right. We then moved it down to South Carolina to use in a vacation home where I lived for a few years. I was unhappy with it there, so I sold it on Craigslist and bought the Hoover Windtuunel pictured on my profile. I love the Hoover Windtunnel. I love the sound of the motor on all Hoover power nozzles. From Quadraflex Powermatics, PowerMax power nozzles, and Windtunnel power nozzles, the sound of a Hoover Power nozzle just puts in awwwww!!! To me there quiet machines, but in reality they are louder than some other canisters. I figure as long as they're quieter and more maneuverable than most uprights, which they are, I'm fine with that. Bought our first Hoover PowerMax canister is September 1997 and it still runs and cleans great!

Eureka's website currently has no bagged power head canisters on it but you can find some on eBay, overall Eureka quality to me these days is highly questionable. Hoover only has the Windtunnel Anniversary in bagged, they have several bagless power head canisters. Royal has 2 bagged power head canisters one the Lexon SR20 is a terrific vacuum I think and definitely one of the best on the new market. Oreck has a Quest Pro power head canister which is nice. Same lousy hose though as the Hoover Anniversary. Panasonic and Kenmore have a few, Riccar, Simplicity, Miele, and Aerus. The new "Electrolux" brand has some but their bags are too small can't imagine them for a larger household or house cleaning business like I do. The Electrolux power nozzles look nice in store but I've heard horrors on repair for them. The canister market is hard because other than going to a vacuum store or online, the only big box store where you find bagged canister vacs is Sears and the selection is only Kenmore. Years ago Sears did carry Eureka and Hoover bagged canisters in store as well. I wish the canister market was better there is little on the market to choose from, 6 years ago it was much easier.

http://www.centeccommercialvacuums.com/commercial-cleaning-items/CT14DXQD

 

[fan-of-fans]

I don't have much experience with the Hoover canisters, so it sounds like they were a lot better than I thought.

I agree the attachments on more recent Kenmores aren't as good. My new red Progressive has the crevice tool and dusting brush attached to the handle. The crevice tool is shorter and for some reason has vents on each side that cause it to not have much suction at the narrow end. The dusting brush has shorter bristles that aren't as soft as earlier ones. There's also a slotted upholstery tool with rubber that fits in place of the bristled part.

The floorbrush now can swivel forward and back as well as side to side. The bristles are still the same as the one in your photo though. That brush originally came out in 1984 with the swivel hose models, and other three attachments. You can still buy the four at Sears, but they only fit the lime and orange canisters or the Intuition.

 

[director12]

I'm betting Miele also has power nozzles on canisters of their own.