Forgotten Bissell Products

[powerstarenergy]

Fun Fact: This thread was supposed to come before my Forgotten Oreck Products thread, but I had trouble finding some forgotten products from Bissell, but I found some, so hooray. This thread is about forgotten and rare Bissell products. Like always, I will start.
-The Powersteamer, this product appears to be made in the early 2000s, We can safely theorize this because Bissell products back then had the Big Logo, just like Dirt Devil then.
-The City Sweep: Up until only a few days ago, Bissell used to have a carpet sweeper line called the City sweep. They featured London and Chicago as designs. Remember when I said "Up until a few days ago?", well, that means that it was discontinued recently. Anyways, if you guys know of any forgotten Bissell products, then please feel free to share them.

 

[ge1970]

The Bissell “Clean Along”, which deserves to be forgotten. I love most vacuum cleaners, but I hate everything about this one. It’s clunky, clumsy, heavy, hard to maneuver, the hose is the worst hose I’ve ever used. I picked it up recently at a thrift store for $15, gave it a through cleaning and then tried to use it and like it, but I just can’t. This mess of a vacuum gives canisters a bad name.

 

[justjunque]

Grant,

That's a shame.
It's a beautiful shade of blue, and it looks like you did a fantastic job of cleaning it up!

 

[powerstarenergy]

Anna, by Bissell

here is another forgotten product. It is known as the Anna.

 

[panasonicvac]

There was a Bissell upright made by Ryobi that was basically a Singer/Kenmore Twin Fan.

 

[luxlife]

The Anna

It’s a wonderful machine. Probably would be the contemporary crown jewel of anyone’s collection.

 

[eureka1998]

Bissell Lift Off Bagged

I have only seen like one or two photos, but there is an ALL BLACK Bissell Lift Off bagged vacuum/Plus. Not with the white lift off unit. Think of like the all black PowerForce everyone is familiar with.

 

[panasonicvac]

I didn't know this one existed

A blue Bissell Powerglide Plus. I knew there was a green Powerglide, ivory Powerglide Ultra, and maroon Powerglide Platinum but never have I seen one of these before.

 

[eureka1998]

Pic provided by RegularRett69

This is the one I was referring to. A rare all black Bissell Plus Lift Off and I think this looks even better than the white and green and white and black. Only found out about this one not so long ago.

 

[cam2s]

I don’t know how forgotten it is but there’s not a lot of mention of the healthy home here.

 

[rainbowd4c]

The Healthy Home. I always liked that one. I was surprised it went away so quickly.

 

[royalfan103]

Bissell 1st Gen Quicksteamer?

There was a thread on this unit. Who thought using a Direct Air design for a Carpet Cleaner was a good Idea?

https://www.vacuumland.org/cgi-bin/TD/TD-VIEWTHREAD.cgi?38845

 

[amtraksebo1997]

Royalfan103

There's no way that it uses a direct-air design, right?...





RIGHT??!?!?!?

 

[royalfan103]

AmtrakSebo1997

These do use a Direct Air design according to one of the Replies in the Thread I linked to. The motor would slow down due to the Motor being weak and the water being too heavy for the Motor.

 

[evolutionclean1]

Maybe not forgotten

But these machines don't get the credit they deserve. The ever famous PowerForce. Of course the older models were built better with higher quality motors and materials, but the simple fact that they kept this style going for so long just proves how well they did sell! For under $100 you could get a halfway decent bagged machine that actually cleaned fairly well. I love that almost all of the parts are still available, easily accessible, and very affordable. Even a brand new brush roll is under $20! Can't complain. This one I picked up from a curb alert is probably right before they changed to the new style, which still sells for $60 and HEPA bags are available for better filtration. I will probably end up upgrading mine to a better hose and I'm going to find the pleated exhaust filter for an extra touch!
This has become my new buddy for daily allergy control, and it's ridiculously lightweight and cheap feeling but I love it!

 

[doratheexplorer]

Rare PowerForce models

There are several variants of the well known Powerforce line that are pretty rare and therefore mostly forgotten outside of those who still have them and fellow Bissell enthusiasts.

One particularly rare model is the Bissell "Bagless" 6579/6579-1 model. This model came out in early 2005 for a few months and it served as both a bridge from the original entry in the Powerforce Bagless line, the 6594 model, but also served as a prototype for the 6579-2 model that would come out in 2006. Being a prototype model, it doesn't bear the Powerforce name, but rather is just titled the "Bagless"despite obviously being a Powerforce Bagless that is debadged.

Besides that, differences include a handle sticker with green background versus the purple one and later on blue, plus green hood with all-white graphics instead of the dark blue hood with colored graphics that would become the common hood design on them for years to come.

Another model that is quite rare, is the Canadian Powerforce Bagged that is actually just a Powertrak/Powerglide Platinum in blue and with a plastic hose instead of the premium stretch hose. Unsure of the model number, and I only somewhat recently discovered its existence for the first time when I found this picture online. Here are pictures I found of both:

 

[royalfan103]

ThaT blue Powerglide...

Looks like a older Walmart Powerforce from the Late 2000's/Early 2010's.

 

[powerstarenergy]

What a sight.

I go to Vacuumland after not being on for a few days and see that my thread has been revived. Hooray. There are more forgotten Bissell products than I thought.

 

[doratheexplorer]

RoyalFan103

Yeah, sure does!

 

[durango159]

PowerTrak Revolution

I have always thought the color scheme of these was awesome!

 

[durango159]

PowerClean & PureAir Series

I would love to try one of these. I know they are supposed to be very loud just like Eureka Bravos but they look really neatt!

 

[kirbylux77]

PureAir & Powerclean

Rob, just a warning - if you do get your hands on one, immediately disassemble the vacuum and install a cord protector where the cord meets the body of the vacuum. Those vacuums had a recall on them from the CPSC in America for that very reason.

 

[amtraksebo1997]

Singer-made Bissells

I've always wanted to own one of these! More specifically, a Mircolock, or just any one of them that has tools.

 

[panasonicvac]

Those Bissells were actually made by Ryobi for Bissell and Singer. Probably the most expensive Bissells they've developed because they were hit by Hoover and had to pay them as a result. Nonetheless, that black 10 amp model I'd say is my all time favorite Bissell. At least for a non Bissell made machine. My favorite Bissell they made themselves would be the Amway ClearTrak.

 

[powerstarenergy]

No disrespect to people for liking these machines, but...

Aren't these machines known for being unnecessarily loud? I saw an Intellitech Studios video about one of these machines and he said something along the lines of the common complaint with these are that they are very loud.

 

[panasonicvac]

Yeah

I own a blue 8 amp model and it's definitely loud but not as loud as like the Bravos or Featherlites.

 

[powerstarenergy]

panasonicvac

Oh ok. I didn't know Featherlites were loud. I only knew that some early 2010s Dirt Devil Stick Vacs were loud. Same with the Bravos.

 

[amtraksebo1997]

PanasonicVac

Wait... So Hoover sued them for "copying" the Elites, when those style of machines were one of the most generic and frequently copied? If that's the case, then Oreck must've been sweating in their britches around this time, which by the way, when were these produced?

 

[panasonicvac]

Yup

Hoover had already filed a patent on their Elites that Bissell copied thinking they were going to get away with it. It didn't take long for them to notice so to answer your question, I'd say no earlier than 1996. In fact they even used the same bags and belts as the Elites. But between the two, at least with my Bissell, Hoovers were better made. Nonetheless the Bissells and Singers were overall decent machines, I mean I wouldn't have minded buying one back in the day. However after Hoover had won, Bissell was forced to discontinue them.

https://web.archive.org/web/19990221143259/http://www.hoovercompany.com/company/BisselSuit.htm