Bissell DeepClean Premier Pet Full Sized Carpet Cleaner, 17N4

READ BELOW FOR A 2024 (almost 10 years) UPDATE!I have now had this machine for slightly over three years and, as of last week, it works just as well today as it did the first time I used it way back then. I gotta say, I agree with most of the reviews I read were right on about this little baby's abilities. This thing can clean my light beige carpet to the 'nearly' brand new look it had at one time--and has again after I use the Bissell.I read one reviewer who said something about emptying the dirty water out and losing some of the clean water in the process. I don't know why anyone would do that. First of all, the two are in separate compartments so that your 'dirty' water never touches the clean. And, why would you need to empty the dirty water while there's still clean water, which contains the shampoo? It can't possibly overflow because the dirty water 'bladder' is larger than the space for clean water. Bissell obviously knows enough to take into account that there's going to be some dirt--and pet hair, since it's a pet-oriented model--and that said dirt will 'expand' the amount of water in the dirty water holding area. If you're only doing a small spot or area, why would anybody fill the clean water tank and waste shampoo in water that's going to get cold if stored in the machine--NOT a great idea anyway. Allowing water to sit in the machine could lead to premature failure of hoses--especially with the smaller tubing--and, if stored in an area that gets very hot or cold (another bad idea) the heat would cause expansion and the cold would lead to contraction, even freezing of the water. That, in turn, could crack some of the plastic components. And none of that would be covered under your 3-year guarantee. That guarantee, by the way, is just one more awesome thing about this machine, particularly for one in this price range.Now for the actual performance...It is honest to gosh better than ANY professional machine or service I have ever used. This baby will clean your carpet, then suck up the water mixed with the now loosened dirt, so that it's almost dry to the touch. Some folks stated a drying time of four or so hours. But I've found, time and again, that my carpets--wall to wall throughout-are clean and dry within no more than two hours...TOPS!!! No more waiting for the next day to do the other half of the room or doing one room each day. I can now do my whole house--a two bedroom condo that's about 1200 square feet--in a single day. Sometimes I'm done in half the day if I start early. And, I should mention, I'm in the Northeast and the weather here is extremel;y humid for more than hald the year. So a carpet drying in less than an hour is almost unbelievable (I'm not sure I belIeve me...).The ONLY things I can say I do not like about it are relatively trivial. The damned on-off switch is halfway down the side of the handle and I always have to lean over and hunt for it. Why can't they put that on the top; like most other carpet cleaners and vacuums? The other thing is the hose length. There is no way it reaches the tops of curtains or anything that is over three feet away without a) knocking over or pulling over the machine, b) knocking over or pulling over the person attempting to use the machine (that would be me, in this case), or c) the hose, and any attachments, getting pulled out of the user's hand (as she's knocked over trying to use the machine). Just be aware: the machine is very light weight and is easily flipped on its side.Put on a longer hose and move that on-off switch up higher, and the machine would be perfect. I can guarantee you will not find anything that works better in this price range anywhere else on earth. It's that good. And it works just as well today, after three years of routine use. Oh, did I mention I have eight cats?UPDATEI forgot to mention how awesome it is for picking up the cat hair that I can't even see. It's got this little red basket that's in it for that very reason, but it doesn't catch it all. Maybe it's designed more for fur from bigger dogs or something like that. But a lot of the hair from my now seven cats gets past it and winds up mixed in with the dirty water. A lot even gets trapped around the beater bar and other parts of the intake where the machine contacts the carpet. The cutest thing is that the bissell occasionally spits out a 'hairball' of cat hair onto the just-cleaned area of the carpet I happen to be on. But it's easy enough to clean. Sort of.I see that some people dumped the hair down the drain. I wouldn't advise that as hair is notorious for clogging drains. I just pull the hair off whatever parts it's made a home in, then toss them in the trash. The little that is left I rinse in the sink with a drain trap. Just make sure your drain trap is in place and that should catch most of it.I wanted to say how shocked I was at the AMOUNT of hair it pulls up. That, all by itself, tells you how powerful the suction on this baby is. I ALWAYS vacuum really well immediately before shampooing. Always! And I have pulled up the equivalent of three or four huge handfuls of cat hair! And I vacuum on a regular basis, about three times a week. Sometimes more, depending. This is hair that is not even visible and the Bissell is finding it. If you can't see the hair that means it's deep down in the carpet. Big Uncle Bissell sure manages to not just find it, somehow, but also rips it right up and out with no problem. (Uncle Bissell is what we call the shampooer. The Bissell vacuum is Auntie Bissell). And even near the end of the shampooing, the huge amount of hair that's in and around the machine has absolutely no effect on its performance. It runs just as strong near the last part of the rug as it does when I first click it on.I did mention that I didn't like the position of the on/off switch. It's hidden halfway down the side of the handle rather than on top where it would be easier to see.The other thing I don't like also has to do with the hose. Because it's too short for most jobs you'd use it for, the tendency is to pull on it. I'm 5'2" and about 130 lbs so I'm not talking about pulling it so hard I'd rip the hose off, but I noticed from the first few times I used it that it's getting thinner where it attaches to the machine. It hasn't gotten any worse since then, but that probably has more to do with my being careful than with it holding up. Just be careful, is all I'm saying.Other than that, I can't say enough good things about this Bissell shampooer. It truly is the best one I've EVER used. And I've been using rug shampooers for fifty-plus years now. What more can I say? You won't be sorry with this. Treat it right, follow the directions, and it will repay you a hundred times over. Have a great day!UPDATE: NOV., 2024I've had this wonderful machine for almost ten years now and she's till going strong! I use this carpet cleaner about two to three times a year (though sometimes I may miss a run...or two). Throughout the years I've had this Bissell, we've had anywhere from 4 to 8 cats in our two bedroom condo, so you KNOW there's hair and dirt and god only knows what (puke, occasional spray, and I don't even want to think about other unknown substances I've found--eewww!). And, get this, I have beige, wall-to-wall carpeting! (Now THAT'S funny!) Anyway, any one who's seen, known, or lived with a cat or cats knows all too well what I'm talking about. And throughout the past nine-plus years, this little Bissell has saved me and my sanity by keeping this carpeting (remember, beige AND wall-to-wall) from leaving the reality most of us accept. And after all that, the carpeting looks damned good, almost as goood as it did nine years ago! And it is only this Bissell rug cleaner I have to thank for that.I use it each year and it still works like it did the day I got it delivered from Amazon. What more can you ask of ANY machine or whatever you purchase--especially these days?Anyway, if you're thinking you need a carpet cleaner and you don't know where to start, I can say with years of experience and utter certainty that you should begin and end with Bissell. I don't know if they still make this one, but I'm sure their models are even better now. And, whenever you buy something from them, the company donates to pet charities. That just shows you it's an all-around win-win situation.Get a Bissell. You won't be sorry!(And NO, I do not work for them, nor does anyone I know.)Hope this helps. Have a great day!

This year we suddenly had to cope with a housebound invalid who was incontinent and who spilled food. That meant frequent (almost daily) carpet shampooing to remove "accidents", as well as frequent cleaning of chairs and periodically a memory foam mattress (protectors are not 100% effective). We also have four cats, so shed hair adds to the cleaning load . I tried coping using our old Bissell canister machine, but this one is far far better. The 13-year-old carpet looks like new and the chairs are spotless. The mattress is slightly stained, but there is absolutely no residual odor. This machine has enabled us to maintain a very clean room for our invalid, which is very important for her self-respect. It has helped keep me sane during a very difficult period, and I would recommend it without any hesitation.A few specific points:1. Yes, it's heavy - if you have to carry it up and down stairs. Remedy: take off the tank and carry that separately. Using it on one floor, as we generally do, I find it very easy to handle.2. Some reviewers complained that it left carpets damp, or even wet I think the secret is to move the machine slowly, to use repeated passes, and to end up pulling it backwards towards you. You can see dirty water streaming across the inside of the top of the tank; once this stops the carpet is as dry as it's going to get, which in my experience is barely damp. Without getting too clinical, I can assure you that it will remove urine out of a carpet even after it has had a chance to soak in (not using any shampoo beforehand; that comes later).3. Others have complained about lack of suction. I suspect that this may happen because the tank has not been seated properly: the tank has to be pushed backwards until it drops into place (the reviewer who was worried about the tank falling off clearly didn't have it properly located).4. Cleaning it thoroughly after each use is important. Dirt left to dry out is much harder to remove. Luckily the key components are easy to remove and clean, just by rinsing in the sink In addition, the underside of the machine needs to be cleaned off with a paper towel, which should also be used for various nooks and crannies around the roller assembly; this only takes a few moments. I find that almost all cat hair collects in the vacuum nozzle and doesn't make it to the special trap, and even after rinsing the nozzle always ends up with clumps of cat hair stuck inside it; I made a 3-inch long hook out of soft copper wire and clean them out in seconds. The trap intended to catch pet hair turned out to be most useful in trapping particles of spilled food that had been vacuumed up, preventing them from getting into the dirty water reservoir. There are one or two places in the tank lid that can trap compacted food; the easiest solution that I found was to use a Waterpik! All this sounds complicated and time-consuming but really isn't once you have developed a routine.5. I find that I need only half as much shampoo as recommended, which is quite a saving. On really persistent stains repeated passes, rather than stronger solution, seem to give the best results.6. I found the complaints about the shampoo bladder baffling. Firstly, if you are only cleaning a small area (e.g., a single chair) use half the usual amount of shampoo and only fill the bladder halfway. Then when you come to empty out the dirty water you won't spill any shampoo. In my experience, cleaning out the dirty water reservoir is easy provided that you use the correct (large) drain port both to drain it and to add clean water for rinsing. There is no need to remove the shampoo bladder, but if you feel you have to that's no big deal.I hope these comments help other people get the best out of this remarkable machine.