Our Phantom Fury vacuum had finally seen its best days. It was never a bad vacuum, but I never really believed it was worth the 240 dollar original price.
The hose on the Phantom kept clogging (it did this when new), the filter was old and in need of replacement (it's a bagless model, and uses a "Hepa" filter element), then the latch which holds it upright broke off and it was time to get a new vac.
I told my wife to hold off on a vacuum for a few days while I shopped the trading journals. I felt that I could probably find something decent for less than 100 bucks.
She didn't listen.
She came home the other day from Walmart with a Bissell PowerForce bagless vacuum. I saw the receipt. Just under 70 dollars. I told her we'd be taking that piece of junk right back to the store, but she insisted that we try it, and I gave in.
And it's a good thing I did. This is one amazing little vacuum. I don't know how else to describe the suction on this thing other than to say it is downright belligerent. If something's on the floor it's going to get sucked up. My sister has a new Electolux that isn't even close. My daughter was trying it out on one of our carpets and she got within a couple inches of a sock my son had left on the rug. The Bissell grabbed it in a blur, went BRDPBRDPAAAP~~!! and in literally less than one second that sock was visible in the see-thru dust cannister. It didn't hang up the beater brush, and it didn't lodge in the suction channel. Unbelievable.
The suction is actually so strong on this thing that you MUST set it on the "piled carpet" setting in order to vacuum a rug or carpet. If you set it on "bare floor" it literally sucks itself to the rug and you can't move it.
I'm stunned that you can buy something this good for so little money. This Bissell unit could suck up more dirt from across the room that my old Phantom could sitting right on top of the pile.
There's a detachable wand, and when you remove it the suction at the floor stops--so all of the suction power goes through the wand.
New filter elements and belts are sold right along side the units at Walmart--and they're pretty cheap to buy, just like the vacuum.
Amazing vac. I know that you generally "get what you pay for," but in the case of this unit you get more than you pay for. A lot more.
Just thought some of you might want to know that you don't have to spend a fortune to get a really good vacuum. If it lasts but a year, it'll still be a better value than a 1000 dollar jobber that they go around selling door to door...
Dan
The hose on the Phantom kept clogging (it did this when new), the filter was old and in need of replacement (it's a bagless model, and uses a "Hepa" filter element), then the latch which holds it upright broke off and it was time to get a new vac.
I told my wife to hold off on a vacuum for a few days while I shopped the trading journals. I felt that I could probably find something decent for less than 100 bucks.
She didn't listen.
She came home the other day from Walmart with a Bissell PowerForce bagless vacuum. I saw the receipt. Just under 70 dollars. I told her we'd be taking that piece of junk right back to the store, but she insisted that we try it, and I gave in.
And it's a good thing I did. This is one amazing little vacuum. I don't know how else to describe the suction on this thing other than to say it is downright belligerent. If something's on the floor it's going to get sucked up. My sister has a new Electolux that isn't even close. My daughter was trying it out on one of our carpets and she got within a couple inches of a sock my son had left on the rug. The Bissell grabbed it in a blur, went BRDPBRDPAAAP~~!! and in literally less than one second that sock was visible in the see-thru dust cannister. It didn't hang up the beater brush, and it didn't lodge in the suction channel. Unbelievable.
The suction is actually so strong on this thing that you MUST set it on the "piled carpet" setting in order to vacuum a rug or carpet. If you set it on "bare floor" it literally sucks itself to the rug and you can't move it.
I'm stunned that you can buy something this good for so little money. This Bissell unit could suck up more dirt from across the room that my old Phantom could sitting right on top of the pile.
There's a detachable wand, and when you remove it the suction at the floor stops--so all of the suction power goes through the wand.
New filter elements and belts are sold right along side the units at Walmart--and they're pretty cheap to buy, just like the vacuum.
Amazing vac. I know that you generally "get what you pay for," but in the case of this unit you get more than you pay for. A lot more.
Just thought some of you might want to know that you don't have to spend a fortune to get a really good vacuum. If it lasts but a year, it'll still be a better value than a 1000 dollar jobber that they go around selling door to door...
Dan
