Bissell Lift-Off 3760

Bought this vacuum about three years ago. I absolutely hate it! Emptying the canister is disgusting and having to handle those supposed filter and scrape off all the dust is even more so disgusting. Also,… this vacuum sucks in that it doesn't suck at all. I have to run over the same piece of carpet over and over to get it to pick up clearly visible dust, crumbs, whatever. Today I just bought a new Miele canister vacuum as I think three years gone by justifies me being able to finally kick this thing to the curb (which I have wanted to do from the start).

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We purchased this vacuum about 4 years ago and are actually still quite impressed with how well it cleans - when we aren't screwing around with fixing it! I'm going to skip the pros aside from pointing out… that it cleans reasonably well, picking up dog and cat hair as well as unfathomable amounts of dust from our carpets, but that's where the praise ends. CONS: - It falls over due to poor balance any time one detaches the hose and pulls to any degree. Be prepared to get hit in the back with the pointy part of the handle when it does! - It breaks when it falls over! Both the latch to keep it upright and one of the catches to keep the lift-off portion attached have broken completely. So now it falls over even more easily if we can get it to stand by itself at all. The primary handle has also broken and is now floppily secured with duct tape. Imagine getting duct tape glue on your hands every time you vacuum. Fun??? Bah! - The seal for the vacuum chamber has failed, allowing air to bypass the cleaning area and significantly reducing effectiveness. Twice, we have had to disassemble and reseal it with silicone. - The roller brush assembly flat out melted down. Seriously, as in liquified the holders that latch it into the housing, subsequently destroying a belt and requiring me to improvise on getting that to work again. - Cleaning the foam filters is a chore. (But it really isn't necessary to do every time one empties the bucket.) This vacuum is simply more made in China crap! DON'T BUY IT!

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I bought the Bissell Lift-Off about 3 months ago, and have to say that I am still in love with this vacuum cleaner! I have two cats (one with short hair, one with long) and I think the vacuum itself and the… attachments clean up the hair easily and fast. I live in an 1800 sq. ft. condo (one level) but I know the canister would be awesome for stairs. Pros: Suction - I think the suction and turbo brush are both really conducive to getting your carpet clean the first time, without having to go through the hassle of chasing little bits of fuzz around. I have a white carpet (which is a terrible with my dark-haired cat) but this vacuum really gets up everything. Canister - I don't use the canister too much, but with the attachments it makes getting into tight areas a lot easier. You don't have to drag the whole vacuum out of the closet if you just want to clean up a bit of hair off the couch, which I think is a huge time-saver. Filters & Dust Cup - I've read a lot of complaints about the filtration system and dust cup on this vac, but I have to disagree. I didn't bother reading the manual, but I could easily identify all the parts and can take the vacuum apart, clean the filters, and put them back in within 10 minutes. I just use a paper towel to squeeze the excess water out of the filter, and voila! With a little care, it's easy to dump the dust cup and not make a mess. You just have to be careful, and have a garbage can at the ready! Cons: Cord - I would've appreciated a retractable cord, as well as having the cord somewhere other than the bottom of the machine. It can be easy to run over the cord with your vacuum, but I think the cord hook near the handle eliminates this problem. The cord is quite long though, which is nice since I hate having to switch plug-ins all the time. Weight - The vacuum is a little heavy for me, but my boyfriend manages it very well. Once you get it going however, (especially with the brush on) it's almost like the vacuum is self-propelled. Area Rugs - This vac doesn't handle smaller rugs too well, especially ones with a fringe or tassels. I have a rug about 3.5 feet long and 2 feet wide in front of my door, and even with the brush off it seems like the vacuum is intent on eating the carpet. All in all, I'm really pleased with this vacuum cleaner and it's performance. It's perfect for my needs!

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