Customer Reviews

BISSELL 26706 Sweeper

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I had an older version of the Bissell sweeper 20 years ago, and it was fantastic, but I left it behind in a recent move. I decided to replace it with this similar model, for quick pick ups between vacuuming. Though this sweeper looks the same as the old one, it does not even come close in quality or performance.
Most annoying is the handle. The sections of pipe refuse to stay together. The sections just keep coming apart while the sweeper is being used. (I'm not positive, but I THINK in my older Bissell Sweeper the handle pipes were threaded. I know that the handle never presented a problem.)
This newer sweeper also does not hold the debris inside very well. As soon as you stop sweeping, before you can even get over a trash can to empty what you just swept up, debris falls out from the brush area. The older design seemed to throw the debris into the end collection trays, where it remained for emptying.

The quality is NOT what I had come to expect from my past experience with a Bissell Sweeper. One addition since the old model, this sweeper includes a little plastic brush cleaning tool, that neatly stores on the handle. Would be a nice feature, IF the handle would stay on the sweeper!
The current scenario: sweep floor, handle falls apart, little brush cleaning tool pops off the fallen section of the handle, search for the little plastic tool, put it back on the pipe, reassemble the sections of pipe, sweep some more, empty the sweeper, sweep up the debris that the sweeper dropped, trying carefully to keep the handle together, put the sweeper away, trying not to drop more debris onto the floor, and get out the vacuum!

I've had this sweeper for a few years now and have found this to be a usefull product for quick pick up after meals in the dining room(with a messy pre-schooler and toddler) and as a good quick brush up between vacuumings. While this doesn't replace a vacuum cleaner by any means, it does a decent job for it's purpose. The pockets in which mess is deposited are easy to flip to dump in the trash. This pickes up rice, cheerios, bits of paper, some dirt, cracker crumbs, ect prety well. Don't expect it to get anything *in* the carpet fibers.

However, it has not stood up well with use. The two roller brushes which pick up stuff fall out often now since the plastic sides of the sweeper have become warped. The rollers are held in by a simple tab in hole design, and this is rather flimsy. Because of this, I haven't been able to use it much since it developed this problem.

It still has it's use as a fun cleaning toy for my kids though. While I vacuum my 3yo son likes to use the sweeper to imitate me vacuuming. It's light enough that he can push it around with ease and practice saying "'scuse me peese" lol :-). So, for the investment which isn't too much, I got a usefull sweeper which held up for about a year, which could be graduated to a toy after it wore out.

This works great as an alternative to hauling out the vacuum. No long cords to get tangled. It does a great job picking up crumbs and pet hair. Easy to assemble, clean, and empty. Not to mention it's quiet and doesn't scare my dog.

THIS SWEEPER IS WONDERFUL.
I HAVE A VERY HAIRY DOG THAT SHEDS ALOT.IT'S WONDERFUL ON CARPET AND TILE. GREAT FOR THE MESSES DONE BY THE HUSBAND WHO INSISTS ON WHEARING HIS DIRTY OLD WORK BOOTS AND TRACK DIRT AND MUD ALL OVER THE HOUSE, AND EVEN GREAT FOR KIDS WHO LOVE EATING WHILE THEY'RE WALKING ALL AROUND THE HOUSE. BOTH MY KIDS 3 & 5 LOVE SEEING CRUMBS ON THE FLOOR, AND CLEANING THEIR OWN MESSES. I LOVE IT. GREAT CHRISTMAS PRESENTS.

At first, this thing is pretty odd: it is rather expensive, and appears to be a simple mechanical device. When cleaning the bare floors in my home, it does a better job than regular vacuum cleaners. For cleaning bare floors and flat carpets, nothing is better than this mechanical brush floor sweeper, and I give it my highest recommendation. This happy little device is in my Hall of Fame Floor Sweepers/Vacuums (the other members are the Wet and Dry Shop Vac, and the Panasonic Professional Vacuum Cleaner).

I have used this sweeper (or ones like it) at various jobs over the years cleaning the floors/carpets in restaurant dining rooms. Only recently, however, did I actually get one for my home, and I love it. Since it is lightweight and easy to use, many floors now get daily cleanings rather than their traditional weekly ones. It does an amazingly complete job of sweeping up every particle of dust and debris on the floor. If you have allergies, it is important to note that this sweeper does not kick up any dust (which brooms and vacuums all do). Since it is mechanical, it will work even during power failures. When you fold the handle down flat, it requires only 3 inches of vertical clearance for sweeping under furniture. Note that this sweeper does better in large, clear areas (like the living room) rather than small places that require manuevering (like around the chairs and table). Interestingly, it sweeps on both the forward and backward strokes; this also means that it has 2 dust pans that you have to remember to clean out, not just one.

I do have a few quibbles about it. In order to fit into the box, the handle is in 3 pieces; if you do not jam them together hard, the handle might come apart (although this has never happened to me). It has trouble picking up small pebbles and pieces of glass. The brushes get stuck full of dust bunnies, and the supplied brush cleaner not only falls off the handle a lot, it does a poor job of cleaning the brushes, and you have to pull out the dust bunnies with your fingers anyway. There is a 3 inch gap in front, since the brushes are recessed back from the front of the pan (like when you push it up against a wall). This means that in order to clean the wall edges, you have to run the sweeper against the wall and parallel to it. Note that this sweeper does bare floors and flat carpets only; if the carpet is pile, shag, or is not totally flat and hard, you are out of luck.

Postscript. Well, after 3 years of hard, faithful, almost daily usage, this thing finally gave up the ghost. The weld that holds the handle shaft to the cannister broke. Considering the cost versus usage, I would rate this item a best buy. However, the first couple of times after it failed, I used a broom. I was shocked at how much dust bunnies, debris, and bits and pieces I swept with my corn broom from baseboard edges, corners, under various furniture bits. This thing sure is fast, but it seems gets you into bad habits, like never sweeping with a broom in the dark corners. For this reason, I now rate this product with one less star.

Am very pleased with it. Loaned it to a friend, now I am ordering one for her. She has a cat and says it picked up the cat hair better than anything she has ever used, even her expensive vacuum.

I was looking for a carpet sweeper to pick up crumbs from messy kids (and adults) after meals. We have an area rug in the kitchen - low pile and needed a quick pick up. This sweeper just didn't do it - would only pick up large crumbs. Not at all useful.

Being superlatively lazy, even looking for the vacuum is a chore, let alone dragging it out, connecting its tubes, & then making all that dust-eating noise... I love the Bissell- I haven't broken any parts, or damaged anything with it, & I've owned it for mebbe ten years. It works well, raising little dust, is easy to clean out, takes no further expensive supplies, uses minimal energy (& none costing $)- It functions exactly as advertised, and is very nearly an attractive housekeeping tool for peaceful dust-removal, even with one as lazy & unmotivated as I am.

What a disappoimtment! After using our loyal Bissell in the restaurant biz for several years, I expected similar performance from this. Nope. It does a poor job of picking up crumbs and dog hair, my daily foes. After replacing this Sweeper with the Go-Vac, I am now very satisfied. The Sweeper does, surprisingly, pull the carpet nap upright for a "freshened" look.

I just got the perfect sweep after reading the reviews and here's my opinion on the product. The perfect sweep works great on hardwood floors and tiles, excellent job in picking hair and lint and a not so good job in picking small pieces of paper(you have to run the vacuum over it 3 to 4 times). It does and excellent job in picking lint and hair on carpets too except you really have to push on it to get it rolling on the carpet.
Conclusion, Excellent tool to use in between regular vacuuming and a good way to keep the carpet that just vacuum look on it.