Others say...

"Slightly heavy, but does a great job on carpet and tile"
After reviewing other comments online, we made sure to purchase the one that DOES come with all the attachments (stair thingie, shoulder strap, etc) that the regular model did not come with... and we are very happy with our purchase. It's picked up everything we've thrown at it, and I have used it so much - my husband is happy for the investment made, cuz the house is so much cleaner now! :)

"Great overall performance"
Overall this is an excellent vacuum and a big upgrade over my old Dirt Devil. My wife and I needed a vacuum that was ideal for hardwood floors and was a champ at sucking up long dog hair (Great Pyrenese). The Bissell Lift-Off works well in this regard. We almost always use the vacuum with the canister detached which is a very convenient way to clean my hardwood floors. The canister also makes it easier to take the vacuum outside to vacuum our vehicles. The only downside to using the canister is that the attachments are on the base unit so you just have to carry them with you as you move from room to room or wheel the base unit around with you as you work.

The construction feels very solid and all the switches and levers are of high quality. The dust collection cup is easy to empty and the foam air filters are also easy to access and clean. I usually have to empty the cup twice each time I vacuum the house and wash the air filter about every other time. The cord is long enough for me to reach almost all of my 1800 square foot house from a single outlet.

The only negative aspect of this vacuum is that the telescoping wand attachment is too short at 28 inches. At just under 6 ft tall I have to bend over to use the bare floor attachment. Also, dog hair gets wrapped around inside the Turbo Brush and the only way to clear it is to take it apart which requires you to remove some screws. The Turbo Brush is not the wonder tool I hoped it would be for removing dog hair from upholstery, but my wife likes it (she doesn't have to take it apart -- that's my job apparently).

The best thing I can say about the Bissell is that it is easier to use and cleans better than our old vacuum and it makes vacuuming seem like less of a chore. Therefore we use it more often and therefore have a cleaner house. In the end, that's what counts, right?

"Highly Recommend This Vacuum"
Great suction, handle bends low so you can maneuver under the sofa, works well on my tile and wood floors, too. The attachments are snugly attached, and don't fall off, and the extension arm is long enough that I don't have to bend over when using it along the edges of the floor (I'm 5'2"). The only negatives are that the dirt holder is quite small and that it's a bit heavy. Not prohibitively heavy, but you have to use some effort to push it. It's quiet, the cord is very long, and we have extreme dog hair (and some long people hair) that it handles very well. You just have to empty the container often.

"Cleans Absolutely Great..if your back can handle it."
I did a lot of research before purchasing this machine. It lives up to my expectations when cleaning my carpets, floors, upholstery, blinds, etc. The lift-off canister with shoulder sling is great, allowing me to put attachments onto the hose, including the rotating stair tool. My only knock is that the machine is heavy. My wife cannot vacuum our entire apartment without having a serious back ache. I thought she was joking until I also developed lower back strain with vacuuming the apartment.

"carpets get deep down clean"
Hi, I bought this sweeper refurbished online for about $80 and that is the most I've ever spent on a vacuum. I tried it right away and was amazed. My previous was a dirt devil feather light that was on it's last leg. Before that I had the cheapest eureka Wal-Mart sold. This blew them all away. I must say that I swept with my old vac and then immediately went over it with this Bissell. I was embarrassed to see what came up in the canister. I went from that to showing it off to family. They were surprised to see that my seemingly clean carpet had so much hiding in it. One of the first things I noticed too is all of the cat hair it picked up. I have 2 cats and I never see their hair laying all over, but this got what was unseen. I should mention that I did have a 90 warranty on the refurbished model and I did have to take it in to a repair shop. I had clogged the hose and that was NOT coverd by the warranty, but it only cost $15 to fix. Other than that no complaints. Thanks.