BISSELL Versus Bare-Floor Vacuum with Brushless V-Shape Technology, 76T8
by Bissell
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of BISSELL Versus Bare-Floor Vacuum with Brushless V-Shape Technology, 76T8
Customer Review: Bissell is spot gONe with Versus vacuum for bare floors.
Summary: 5 Stars
I got Bissell Versus for tile floor for two main reasons. First, I swear by Pledge Grab-it cloths which I still use with Swiffer stick. But I found that even this simple cloth system knocks dust into the air which must then settle on everything, wasting part of the effort. This made me question if ALL powered roller brushes knock dust into the air, even on vacuums designed with bare floors in mind. Bissell online customer service was then honest enough to confirm my suspicions about this drawback with powered roller brushes. This is why the non-roller brush V head design of the Versus got my attention. This leads to my second reason for getting Versus.
I had previously purchased the tea-green Bissell steam mop after studying various steam mops in same price range. I was totally impressed with Bissell's attention to detail with the mop and the "microwave oven" simplicity of cleaning the floor with it; excellent results. The mop isn't perfect but I'm not looking for perfection. The mop's instructions said to vacuum or sweep the floor before using the mop. So I looked for a vacuum to reduce the amount of Pledge Grab-its I'd otherwise use before using the steam mop.
The piano-black Versus, with its "horned" sweeping head, looks like something you'd see in a science fiction movie, but I didn't get it for its looks. And after playing with the Versus for awhile I'm as impressed with its power and design as I am with the steam mop.
As a side note, rechargeable vacuums simply can't deliver enough suction, in my opinion. In fact, you can definitely see and feel the kick of the 12-amp motor when the unit is turned on.
Also, while the Versus doesn't have a constant-suction cyclonic system, it has two washable filters. And remember, the powered roller brushes of the constant-suction systems sneak dust into the air which doesn't work for me.
Finally, I basically agree with everything that M. Perkins "Maggiperk" said about the Versus so I also gave it five stars. Note that I try to hold the unit at roughly 45 degrees to the floor so the motor exhaust blows upward, minimizing disturbing the dust on the floor, probably a design compromise with many vacuums.
My only reservation is that the vacuum's head design seems to be the first of its kind. So Bissell may eventually introduce an improved version. In the meanwhile, I'm very satisfied with my under $200 Bissell state-of-the-art dry / wet cleaning system for tile floor.
Added later (Mon, 1/26/2009). The Versus is being used in an office and the boss's clean-freak wife got hold of it to see what it could do; she said that it looks like a scorpion. The biggest surprise for me was the following. I hated the little rechargeable vacuum that we had been using in the office because you could smell the dust that this joke vacuum put into the air. This airborne dust was evidenced by the layer of dust that accumulated on the outside of the vacuum when it was used, likely because of static charges on the vacuum case. In fact, I would cover the computers with plastic garbage bags when the little vacuum was used; probably overkill.
So when the boss's wife finished vacuuming, I decided to do the following. I grabbed a clean Pledge Grab-it cloth and ran it over the outside of the Versus to find out how much escaped dust had accumulated on it. This is a merciless test because the Pledge Grab-it cloths can embarrass any "clean" surface, in my opinion. So I was pleasantly shocked that the Grab-it cloth showed no traces of dust on the outside of the Versus. In fact, the only smell in the area after 5-10 minutes of running the Versus was the faint smell of new plastic.
We have minor complaints about the vacuum, but none that haven't already been touched on in these write-ups. It could use a longer hose, for example, which we'll ask Bissell about anyway. But I'm still happy with the five stars that I gave it because the Versus has not only exceeded expectations but is well under $100.
Customer Review: Finally! I found it!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am so excited about this vacuum. I did a lot of reading trying to find the perfect way to vacuum my mostly ceramic tile house. The tile has mocked and taunted me ever since we moved in. I hate to sweep with a broom, since all it does it spread everything around and you never get it all up. I tried my upright vacuum, and all that did was slingshot and blow it all over the floor. What a mess. I bought a rechargeable stick vac, but after a while, the charge wasn't lasting long enough to get the job done, and then I'd have to start all over again. Then I bought a canister vacuum and that really seemed to work. Then we added something new to the mix. A chocolate lab puppy. Ugh. Good thing he is cute, because all this dog hair is driving me NUTS! We have 2 cats as well, and they are nothing compared to him. He's now 10 months and we have piles of dog fur tumbleweeds just popping out of nowhere. Don't even get me started about the hedge he's leaving around his crate every couple of days. And he sheds year round! Yikes.
Anyway, with the canister vac, it was great (it should be, it was $400), but even with the beater bar turned off, the fur was clogging up around it. I'd have to stop every few minutes, remove the head of the vacuum, turn it over and use the hose to suck it out. What used to be a 15 minute vacuuming job around the house every couple of days was becoming at least twice that pretty much daily. ICK.
I looked at the bissell versus when it first came out, but just couldn't bring myself to buy it after I bought my canister vacuum, and it was working. But now since the dog, and I had finally had enough. I read all the reviews and while some had issues, most of those with big dogs seemed really pleased. That was good enough for me. I'm pregnant with my 3rd child, and just the thought of a baby learning to crawl around getting dog hair caught in it's fingers and mouth just grossed me out, so I ordered it. I loved the free super saver shipping. Best part was it shipped from Dallas, so I got it the next day without paying for overnight. Love it!
3 pieces and a little phillips screw was all it took. Like others said, do not forget to take the little cardboard piece out of the head and the paper out of the container. It does take a little practice with the swiveling, but just a couple of minutes. Also, keep in mind that it only picks up as you push forward, not back. If you are experiencing blowing of the stuff it's because you are trying to use it in an almost upright position. Lean it back a little more, you don't need to bend over, it's not much. I love how it got under my cabinets and around the kitchen table and chairs. The only time it didn't do really great was when I got to an actual corner. (The kind where when you push the corner of the head towards the corner of the wall it makes a square shape) I could have used the hose, but I had a broom right there, so I just swept it out from the corner a bit. It's not perfect, but it is close enough for me. I like to use my canister vacuum once a week to go around the baseboards anyway.
I can't attest to the durability of this product yet, but if I can get the thing to last me a year, I will be ecstatic. It is all plastic, but so is everything else nowadays. Oh, I also want to mention that it does pick up more than dog hair. lol It easily tackled dog kibble, leaves that have found their way inside, food crumbs, even a penny that I don't see under a desk. It's not any louder than any other small vacuum. I think that the smaller vacuums are always louder.
Customer Review: Review from a Clean-Freak with 2 dogs..
Summary: 5 Stars
Okay..let me start by saying that I have 2 (SHEDDING) dogs who have a doggie door to the backyard and are in and out all day long tracking dirt/leaves inside constantly. Let me also say that I have all hardwood floors throughout, and have been called OCD on the cleanliness of my home. Before purchasing the Bissell Versus, I owned 1 standard (HEAVY) upright vac (Dirt Devil), 2 cordless vacs (one being a Shark), and 2 handheld vacs.
Always on a mission to find the perfect vacuum cleaner, I got sucked (pun intended) right into the infomercial on the Bissell Versus. After reading online reviews (some great, some bad), I decided what the heck..I'll give it a shot. Here is what I found after using it last night for the first time:
1) Hard to find in-stores, but finally found at a local Target on sale for $59. (Yay!)
2) Easy to put together. REALLY easy.
3) Worried about the reviews saying it was hard to maneuver, I found it quite easy (I'm puny)! I didn't find it to be too "top-heavy" at all. WAY lighter than my normal upright vac, and the "V" head makes vacuuming around tables/chairs/furniture so much easier.
4) Vacuumed all of my dog-hair-tumbleweeds without any problem at all, regardless of how big they were, including some larger leaves that had fallen from my houseplants, and one (LARGE) dead bug that appeared sometime while I was out buying this vacuum. I was also very happy with how much dust it picked up! I personally didn't have a problem with the expelled air blowing around hair/debris..the vac sucked it right up before it got too far away.
5) The many reviews complaining about how short the cord is, had me worried I'd spend half my time unplugging/replugging. Although it IS shorter than my normal upright vac, it wasn't AT ALL as bad as some said.
6) Reviews also had me worried about it not getting hair against the floor's baseboard due to the "V" shape - but I didn't have any problems at all. I thought I'd need to use the Crevice Tool/Hose to get against the walls, but thankfully found I didn't even need it (well, just once to get behind the fridge).
7) I LOVE the fact that it is bagless..and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the fact that it doesn't have a roller underneath to get hair/yarn/fuzz wrapped around! I hated trying to cut/unravel that nastiness from around my upright's roller. The Versus just has a big hole that everything gets sucked up! The most interaction I had with the underside, was to pull the fur off of the little "squeegee" thingy after I was done vacuuming my whole house..all of 2 seconds.
8) The only CON I could find, was that I tried to use it to vacuum the dog hair off of a couple floor mats, but it just wasn't doing the job. I'll still have to use my HEAVY one for that, or one of my handhelds.
So, needless to say..I highly recommend the Bissell Versus. :)
Customer Review: I love this vacuum!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am really picky about vacuum cleaners and haven't purchased a new vacuum in about 2 years, which is really unusual for me. I really haven't seen anything worth buying. I have mostly hardwood floors with a few area rugs and most vacuums are horrible on hardwood. You have to go over something about a million times and it usually just blows the dirt around and you have to eventually bring out the hose to get it all. Also, because I have 2 dogs and 2 parakeets, hair is a real problem. All the vacuums always get tons of hair stuck on the wheels and I have to literally play tug of war to get it out or resort to scissors and the dust cups are so dirty with the dust practically falling on the vacuum the minute you remove the cup.
I read the great review about not have wheels in front to catch the hair and I was sold. They finally figured out a perfect design to eliminate the hair problem. The wheels are behind the sweeper and the hair is sucked up before reaching the back. The v shape is so clever and really works well at getting corners and edges and around table and chair legs. It's plenty powerful too, 12 amps and not as noisy as the Dirt Devil that I had before. I don't find it clumsy or hard to handle. All you have to do to bring it out of it's upright mode is put one foot on the top of the sweeper part and pull down on the handle. What's the big deal? The dirt cup comes out of the vacuum amazingly clean. I just empty the cup and the interior doesn't drop dust and dirt when I remove it.
UPDATE: I recommended this vac to my friend who also has mostly hardwood floors and she absolutely loves it. She told me we have to tell all of our friends about it. Her only complaint was the cord length. That's easily remedied with any extension cord.
I'm planning on buying this vacuum as a present for each of my family. If you have hardwood floors, you've got to have this. Could have a longer cord, but I was so pleased with it, I really didn't mind unplugging it. I plan to get a good extension cord. I only need about 10 feet more to be perfect.
Customer Review: Bissell Versus Vs. Pet Hair on hardwood floor...Bissell for the win!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Although I didn't buy this product off Amazon, ( I got it around the holidays with a gift certificate at the local brick and mortar store) I wanted to leave a few impressions for anybody considering this product.
First off I must say that this is absolutely the best product I've seen/used for vaccuming hard wood,linoleum, or tile floors! If you have pets and are looking for the machine to get all the fur that accumulates and have the "smooth" floors your search is over.
I have used ALOT of vaccums cheap and expensive but none of them even are in the same league as this machine for smooth floors.
The suction power is tremendous and puts even the most powerful cordless vaccums designed for the smooth floors to shame. It will pull those accumulations right into the "V" from 10 inches away.
The shape will alow you to just push it along like mowing the lawn and just keep moving forward and everything gathers to the center and gets sucked up. It works best that way, just keep going forward, swivel against the wall and then go back right next to where you just went down won't miss a thing!
The outlet air does blow forward if the handle is straight up and down but only affects the dust if it is straight up! If handle angled like in a normal operating position, it blows up and won't blow the dust away like a few have complained. The outlet air blowing even helps when trying to get everything against a wall, it helps blow it down into the machine.
The debris cup and it's "strainer" type filter are fantastic for stopping most stuff from getting to the filter before the motor. (especially the aforementioned hair)
The cord could be a big longer but that looks to be a problem with just about every unit made today ( if the wire is too long with the thin wires they'll get hot).
Only wish is that the body "angled" a bit lower to make it easier to get under furniture etc.
All in all a product that actually does what it is designed to do and does it well.