Bissell ProHeat 2X Healthy Home Upright Deep Cleaner, 66Q4
- 12 amp deep cleaner for carpets, stairs, upholstery, and more
- Dual brush rolls; 2-in-1 water tank; built-in water heater for optional heat
- Custom settings; heavy-duty spot cleaning; hot-air system for faster drying
- Includes tough-stain tool, spraying crevice tool, TurboBrush, cleansing formula, and more
- Measures 19 by 13 by 44 inches; 1-year limited warranty
PROheat 2X healthy home deep cleaning system. Revolutionary carpet cleaning system featuring microban antimicrobial product protection.
List Price: $ 299.99
Price: $ 249.00
Miele Libra Canister Vacuum Cleaner, S5281 Libra S5 – Mango Red
- Sealed HEPA Filtration includes AirClean Dustbag, HEPA Filter, & Pre-Motor Filter
- Rotary power selector includes six adjustable power levels for numerous cleaning applications
- Powerful yet quiet 1,200-watt motor system and includes 2 floor brush attachments
- Ergonomic Control Handle and telescopic extension wand, plus an Airflow Indicator
- Onboard Attachment Storage Includes Crevice Nozzle, Upholstery Nozzle, and Dusting Brush
Introducing the new Miele S5281 Libra vacuum cleaner! The Libra is a member of the Miele S5 series and has quickly become a favorite to many. It’s impressive as a mid-size canister vacuum cleaner. Purchase one yourself and experience the difference. The Libra are great for customers who wants a long lasting quality vacuum cleaner. It’s very quiet and does well with low-medium carpeting, area rugs and smooth flooring.Ultra quiet featuring a HEPA Sealed system with large AirClean filtering dust bags. Includes power brush and bare floor flush for medium pile carpets and smooth flooringMiele S5281 Libra Parquet Floor Brush SBB 300-3, Miela S5281 Libra brush is able to perform perfect 90° rotation for cleaning around obstacles such as table legs and in tight placesMiele S5281 Libra Deluxe handle, Miela S5281 Libra’s vacuum handle is ergonomic hand grip to reduce wrist strain. The handle fits well in your hand and isn’t clunky or heavy like comparable vacuum cleaners.
List Price: $ 899.00
Price: $ 849.00
Fantastic Vacuum.,
This is such a great vacuum. Very quiet. Considerably bigger and heavier than the less expensive Miele vacuum (but still light), but it works really well and the compartment for the attachments is a nice touch. I bought this vacuum to replace the Dyson canister vacuum I had. It was SO loud! My GOD. It was so obnoxious and heavy and awkward to carry. I hated that darned thing.
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|So this is how the other half lives!!,
Having struggled with vile super-heavy, badly-designed, dust-regurgitating Kenmore vacuum cleaners, esp. their upright model, I finally decided to spend money I haven’t got and get a really good vacuum cleaner that will attack the dust problem in my old house and protect my baby’s breathing.
So the Miele libra has entered my life as of today and it’s …well a revelation. I no longer have to get my husband to help me get the machine out of the closet, and cleaning the hallway carpet with it was like gliding on air…so easy and effortless. It fits nimbly under furniture, including old dressers and sideboards (that’s a big reason why I wanted this power brush, not just that it’s cheaper than the other two) which is so important for me; and is both light and powerful. And quiet. About choosing a power brush: I have just one thickish (old, and i’d like to get rid of it) carpet, and I find that this power brush does require some muscle work to move over it, but it is OK and sure picks up the stuff. It just doesn’t glide as effortlessly as over the other carpets. But I am glad I didn’t spend another 50 bucks getting a model with a power brush that might have handled just that one carpet easier because it just wdn’t have made sense. I also have some wood flooring, for which the nimble parquet swivel brush works very well.
Now I don’t have to go through the immense hassle of moving baby’s crib every time I want to vacuum under it! I don’t have to mess around with crappy little attachment brushes with no power just to tackle spaces narrower than a freeway. May Kenmore rot in a ditch!! Finally I will be able to clean my large, dust-prone home without misery and exhaustion! (Maybe i’ll be able to breathe again too….)
oh, and if you are totally bewildered by the big range of Miele v. cleaners, there is a website […] which has a great buying guide. But before buying via that website, do compare their prices with amazon, I saw that for some model they’re more expensive…and as for the ‘no tax’ thing, amazon.com didn’t charge me tax either (and I have ‘prime’ so I got 2-day shipping free).
I intend to update this review when I’ve had it longer…
UPDATE
OK, about 10 mths later…I just realized that I have to replace the exhaust filter; the machine was cutting out and over-heating and then I realized that was the problem. So I just ordered it. I’m still impressed with the machine; just want to warn you that you REALLY need to be careful when inserting a new vacuum cleaner bag – don’t let the sides get caught in the door as you close it. It happened to me once and the bag was wrecked. I also just had an experience where the bag got really full and I somehow didn’t notice, till I was using it and the indicator wasn’t showing anything at all. Well I knew that was fishy because the bag wasn’t new in there; I opened it up and it was SO full that the lid of the bag wasn’t properly closed, as it should be. So I am puzzled how this happened, but must have been my carelessness not noticing a ‘full’ indication and continuing to use it till it was simply bursting. When correctly used, the bags are pretty great, and don’t require a dust mask as the Kenmore ones do. I”ve also found that I had to replace the little filter inside the bag compartment more often than just ‘every time you open a new packet of bags’, as they say. But I have serious dust issues in my home and a messy toddler (which is how I justified springing for this deluxe machine in the first place…)
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|Great home machine,
This cleaner replaced a Hoover Steam Vac (my 3rd) that had lost suction. First impressions:
It was easy to put together. I didn’t need the instructions, but I did need a long Phillips screwdriver. My short-bit rechargeable was too short for some of the 4 screws.
There was good, secure storage for the various attachments, plus a bag for holding them. I don’t know what I am supposed to put in the bag, but I suppose it is useful for those that don’t want to push around the machine with all of the attachments. Although I never use them, I like to have them on the machine. The bag has an easily removable Bissell tag and once removed it is a nice, but not terribly high quality, mesh bag that will work well for the beach.
I like that there is a heater to increase the water temperature as hot water is supposed to help in cleaning the average carpet, but I also like that it can be shut off for fragile items. The heater will increase your water temperature by 25F degrees, with a max temperature of 190F.
I was surprised that there is a separate container for the cleaning solution. You add the water to one area, soap to another, then set the mix to the dirt level you are dealing with. I like that you don’t waste mixed solution or need to keep going over an area until you have used up what you have mixed. This machine came with a 16 oz. bottle of Bissell Multi Allergen cleaner (no pet cleaner, but I did get the lovely mesh beach bag!) The directions specify 5 oz. per gallon of hot water, which is the same as my bottle of Resolve cleaner.
I liked the separate shot of cleaning fluid that comes out the side on request. Great for hitting the spots of unknown origin.
There is also a setting for rinse, which does not add the soap from the separate section. Obviously this would not work if you pre-mixed the soap and water, but it is a feature I really like as I don’t like soap residue on my carpets.
The tanks for clean and dirty water are one unit. They don’t seem to hold as much as my old Hoover, but I also don’t have to worry about the dirty water slopping around when emptying it. I noticed the clean water tank had a few suds in it when I was done, so I think there is a little cross-contamination. The water tank is actually a bladder and it was impossible to empty completely when I was done cleaning.
This did not come with a hard floor attachment, but says one is available from Bissell. My Hoover one never picked up much of the water, so I doubt if I will bother with this Bissell (my Hoover attachment does not fit).
It is easier to move around than the Hoover, partially because it is a little smaller in size and part because there is a habdle on the front that can be used when you want to lift the machine over something (like a rug you don’t want to clean).
I appreciated the little spinninbg wheel that told me when I ran out of water or soap. It also clued me in when I put the water unit on incorrectly and so had no suction.
As far as cleaning, which is the big thing, it works about as well as my Hoover did before it started to lose suction. They may not be quite as good as a professional cleaning, but with multiple pets and lots of dirty feet, I don’t go without having a carpet cleaner on hand. I think this is a great home machine and I recommend it.
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|Not a professional steam clean, but nice nonetheless,
I had previously owned a Bissell ProHeat back in 2002 and felt that there was a lot of money invested in a cleaner that didn’t really show a lot of promise. When I moved across the country, I didn’t feel much of a loss when the moving company accidentally “misplaced” the ProHeat. When I saw the newer 66Q4, I wanted to test it out in order to see if Bissell had made any marked improvements over their previous lines, and alas, there’s not a whole lot of change.
For around $300, you’re paying for a couple of things. First off, you’re paying so that you can clean your carpet on your own time; no need to schedule a professional steam cleaning company to do it for you. You’re also paying for the clean that comes with “washing” the carpet instead of just vacuuming up the dust and dirt that’s accumulated between the fibers. Most professional steam cleaning companies charge around $100-200 for their services (obviously depending on the size of the house/apartment), so there is a lot to be said for just purchasing your own machine and cleaning when you need to. Unfortunately there has yet to be a single-unit device made that can match the power of the multi-thousand dollar units that the pro’s use. The ProHeat is no exception to that rule. So the question comes down to: Will the ProHeat work well enough that your calls to the professionals is lessened? The answer is: Yes, however you will still call them on occasion when you want your carpets “really” clean.
If you are new to carpet cleaners, there are some generic things you should know that apply to all carpet cleaners:
– They are heavy and cumbersome, even without the liquid
– They are messy, both to use and to clean up
– They will probably end up smelling (think vacuum funk)
– They take a long time to use (3-4x’s as long as a normal vacuum, not including dry time)
– The cleaners are expensive and get used up quickly, and arguably, unneeded
The unit itself worked as well as expected. The dual brushes do a good job of agitating the carpet fibers so that a significant portion of the dirt embedded gets dislodged. After cleaning the area was visually “brighter” than non-cleaned areas. However, unlike professional cleaners which have a huge suction pull behind their steaming process, the ProHeat does not do a good job of reaching into the carpet pad underneath. Therefore the ProHeat will do a good job of cleaning the surface stain, however it will not remove all traces of things like pet urine (after a good cleaning with the ProHeat, the black light will still glow). Using the spot cleaner along with a little bit of enzyme-based pet urine remover formula will help. Also, it should be noted that the brushes themselves are quite stiff, so if you are seeing a lot of carpet fiber ending up in the cleaning liquid, you may want to reconsider using a agitation-based cleaner (hypothetically you should already be seeing the same behavior with your vacuum).
All-in-all, the ProHeat isn’t a bad unit, however if you’re considering “upgrading” from a previous model, there’s not much new here; nor has the core functionality been improved. If you’ve never owned a carpet cleaner and just need something to do a good carpet shampooing twice a year, this is a good buy (I would consider this a bit too bulky for a day-to-day spot cleaner) and the unit itself works great as long as you understand that it is not on par with a professional steam cleaning service.
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|You wouldn’t believe the gunk it got out of my carpet,
My carpet is old and due for replacement. While this Bissell carpet cleaner couldn’t remove years of wear, it did remove a surprising volume of dirt. At first, I didn’t think it was really doing all that much. But once I emptied out the tank, my God, what a filthy carpet I was walking on! The used water was a very dark gray bordering on black. Yuck!
There’s a handy little spinning wheel icon on the base of the unit (aka the flow gauge) that tells you if everything’s going according to plan, or if you need to change the water, add cleaning fluid or some other issue. If it’s spinning, you’re in good shape. When it stops, you need to fill or empty the tank(s).
The cleaner has 4 different “custom clean” settings. I mostly used the “normal clean” setting and then switched to “heavy traffic” for the dirtiest regions. The “Dry Aire” feature sends hot air to your carpet to aid in drying. As I write this, my living room is somewhat humid and the floor is damp. I don’t think it will take long to dry though.
A small bottle of Bissell cleaning solution is included. Do yourself a favor and buy a larger bottle before this item arrives. You’ll go through it pretty quickly, so probably best to buy a decent sized refill in advance of delivery. Otherwise, you are flat-out going to run out of cleaning fluid before the job is done.
So what’s not to like? Well, it’s somewhat heavy and bulky. For someone small and weaker, it might be a bit hard to move around. Obviously, it rolls on the carpet fine, so that’s not an issue. But it’s a big unit and you probably need at least a little bit of muscle (but not too much) to use it properly. The tank filled with water might be a bit heavy for some as well. You carry it like a bucket, but toting around a bucket full of water and bending down to insert and remove the tank isn’t a simple thing for someone without a moderate amount of strength.
Assembly was quite easy. You put the top half into the bottom half and secure it with 3 Phillips screws. Nothing too tricky there. The tool rack requires a touch more attention. The illustration was not as clear as I would have liked and it took a bit of head scratching to figure out where a couple of tools sit on the rack. You’ll figure it out, but again the illustration could be clearer.
While the top of the hose rack secures with a screw, the bottom does not. I noticed that one other reviewer said that the bottom of the rack (no screw to secure it) would not stay in place. I initially had the same problem. However, I looked at that bottom rack a bit closer and there’s a tab that needs to snap in place and if you don’t do it just right, it will keep falling off. Play with it and you’ll see what I mean. If that bottom hose rack is popping off, you probably haven’t installed it correctly. It’s not hard, but you need to slide the lower hose rack piece in just right so that it clicks and locks into place. It’s not just gravity that’s holding it in place, but that’s what you’ll think if you don’t do it right.
The only other problems I had was that my knee and/or the cord kept knocking the hose off of the hose rack and onto the floor. I’m no engineer, but I think it could somehow be secured a bit better. Once, I knocked the hose off and then put it back on the rack. However, the head’s trigger was pushed on the stain brush, which I didn’t notice. By the time I discovered that the button was pushed, my leg was very wet and the brush had soaked my wallet and remote control. Fortunately, they are fine, but keep an eye on that so you don’t spray cleaning fluid where you don’t want it. Also, the coiled power cord rests right next to the coiled hose and they interfere with each other. I can’t help but think that they could have designed this a bit better.
I went back and forth as to whether to give this unit 4 or 5 stars. If you solely look at whether it does what you expect it to, it’s a 5 star item. It cleans your carpet well and gets out a lot of visible dirt. There are a few minor issues, but overall this is a nice carpet cleaner and it cleans very well. However, I knocked that hose off so many times either with my knee or the cord that I have to give it 4 stars.
I think that this Bissell will go a long way towards keeping your carpets looking nice and potentially extending the life of your flooring. I recommend it, despite a few minor issues.
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