Bissell 9400 ProHeat Upright Wet/Dry Vacuum

We have a very active and somewhat reckless 2 year old. He tends to spill all over the carpeting like crazy. We had the lesser Bissell (the little green?). It worked but couldn't keep up with the demand.

Impressed with the lesser model, we decided to purchase the Pro Heat 2x. It was pretty easy to assemble out of the box. It worked great for the last 4 months. It really scrubbed out stains, really worked to lift dirt and easy to dispose of the water. The machine itself is very easy to use but weights 37 pounds . It has a dial on the bottom with 4 settings from rinse to heavy traffic. The hose is very easy and quick to use. There is a knob on the water tank that allows the user to quickly change from floor clean to hose usage. This vacuum is designed for easy repair. Parts can easily be addresses and replaced. The vacuum glides smoothly over carpeting and I have never had to fight it.

This vacuum can be used to clean various hard wood floors like other models out there. Their hard floor usage is poor at best. You have to purchase the attachment for $10 and the machine just bounces from side to side leaving large puddles. Many times I had to use a bath towel to clean up all the excess water.

We used it once to clean my in-laws carpeting. They told us after we cleaned that they hadn't vacuumed in quite a while. There was cat hair stuck all over our machine. I had to clean the machine 3 separate times to get all of the hair out. To Bissells credit, their website has very good directions for self-repair.

The last 2 months have been bad. I've spent about $100 replacing the bladder (due to mold with occasional use and a few days open drying), front floor suction part, gaskets and hand scrubbing tools. While parts of the machine are solid, many parts are flimsy.

After replacing the bladder last week and successfully using the machine, it just quit. It would no longer dispense water. My husband and I were on the phone with Bissell an hour while they trouble shot. We were told to go their authorized dealer (which happened to be near our home).

I went there this afternoon. The representative at the shop said that they are no longer taking Pro Heat 2x for repair. He ran it with water and said it is definitely in need of repair. He further explained that Bissell knows there are issues with this vacuum and not working to resolve the issues.

Angry, frustrated and needing it repaired for our move in 2 weeks, I sat in my car infront of the vacuum place with my 2 yo and called Bissell. First Bissell wanted me to drive an hour to Chicago to get it repaired, then they suggested that I take it back to the repair place I sat infront of in after we move and then he offered to replace it after they looked at ours (i.e. it is their fault not ours). That would take 4 weeks. I had enough, told him what I thought of Bissell and said that they know they are selling a bad product without supporting it. This is under their warranty too.

There is a huge problem with this design. There are double rollers that rip at the carpeting. We actually have carpet damage and may have to go after Bissell. We have large black/bluish patches after using their machine.

I went and purchased a Hoover All Terrain. It took out many stains that the Bissell couldn't even budge with ease. My couch is much cleaner than what the Bissell could do. Much more, the Bissell leaves a lot of water in the carpeting. The dry time with our new machine is half.

There were some really good features of the Pro Heat 2x that I will miss. I just do not have the patience or time to deal with a machine that costs so much or involves so much effort to clean my carpets.