Customer Reviews

Bissell 3990 Total Floors Velocity Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner

5 star:		(80)
4 star:		(35)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(24)

 

 

I was in the market for a new sub$200 vacuum. I have 2 dogs, 1 cat and needed something good for carpet and bare floors. I originally had the bissell clearview bagless which is horrible for bare floors and spits back small particles at your shins plus has very poor suction, so initially i was hesitant about another bissell. The other vacuum I have is the lightweight $69 Eureka with the loop handle with a brushroll off switch wich does a decent job but no height adjustment, blows air directly in front blowing away dirt that your trying to vacuum plus the filter gets extremely clogged and I have to scrape it clean with a fork. The worst part being smell of the filter once it goes bad it stays bad and fills the room with a nasty rotten smell. So, I purchased the new Dirt Devil Reaction,there's a foam filter preceding the hepa which is out of the way so figured less direct contact with debris. For the most part it did a decent job but no brushroll off switch-horrible on bare floors, bulky, short hose which is cumbersome to re-attach. After 1 vacuuming the foam filter had a nice thick layer of fine dust, the hepa filter seemd ok. Anyway returned it back to Target. Ok, so I start saving my money for a Dyson or maybe even the new Shark Infinity, figuring there's no sub $200 that will have the features i want.Then I saw the Bissell Healthy Home for $300. Looked like a Dyson ripoff to me but hey all the better! So as I was researching the healthy home i came across the Velocity total floors, bagless, foot-activated brushroll off and height, 14' hose, turbo brush, $cheap plus it's self propelled which is not advertised. I found it at Walmart. Let me tell you this vacuum picked up so much fine dust and hair it was gross! Afterwards I inspected the 2 filters, yes just 2, 1 pre-motor foam and the hepa! expecting to find the same dust layer as the Dirt Devil and my bissell clearview. As i pulled out the foam filter it was clean! How could that be?!Then I inspected the hepa filter expecting the inner side to be black. it was clean too! WTF? How could this vaucuum with just 2 filters have no dust on them? Watch the video on the Bissell website. The outer and inner cyclonic action works! The hose reached the top of my stairs too. Bare floors performance was exceptional. there's a rubber floating windshield like rubber strip which prevents spit back and the floors felt clean under my feet not dusty like the Eureka. The dust conatiner is much larger than the clearview and easy to empty. If you look down the center you would see the dirt that would have otherwised reached the filter on other vacuums. Ok so now the cons: the brush switch is a manual clutch type so takes some effort but found by using my heel instead of my toes works best. Kinda loud but hey as long as its sucking up dirt who cares?! A telescoping handle would've been nice...And that's it. I'm keeping this vacuum, sorry Mr. Dyson I'm spending the money I saved on something else! Thank you Bissell for a vacuum that does what I want.

I just received this yesterday. The vacuum is great. It distributes an interesting "new vacuum smell" when you use it, and it makes our carpet stand up and feel fresh to walk on. I was worried about the couple poor reviews, but I think this is in the top-three vacuums (if not the best) you can buy at this price point.

This is one of Bissell's new models along with the more expensive and heavier Healthy Home version.

Pros:
- Good suction - saw a lot of dustballs, hair, and junk in the bin - only went over places once or twice at good speed
- Average loudness
- Average handling/size
- Feels sturdy, looks spiffy, thoughtful engineering
- ~ 19.7 pounds (about mid-range these days)
- Seems to filter air well - no sneezing
- Easy to empty and bagless
- Easy height adjustment
- Average easyness to turn off brush roll
- Tools secure (make sure to seat the TurboBrush correctly)
- Washable pre-engine filter
- Really long cord, quick-release posts
- Easy to open bottom and unroll extension cord tangled in roller (fortunately it was still working). Easy to see how to change the belt, too.

Cons:
- Takes 10 minutes to read instructions and put together
- Pulling hose out to fit accessories takes finesse (get in position, twist/pull, try not to break plastic bracket when hose finally comes free)
- Average hose length
- Post-engine HEPA filter needs periodic replacement
- Vacuum WILL suck up an extension cord around the roller
- Lots of plastic
- No variable power
- Not too comfortable cleaning on hardwood floors because wheels are plastic, not enough rubber bumpers
- Need a lightweight vac or longer hose if you really want to vacuum the bathroom ...
- Really long cord takes 30-60 seconds to wind-up on the short space between the posts
- A couple poor reviews

We just put a 2nd floor addition on our house. With the exception of the bathroom and the laundry room, all of the rooms are carpet. After a few months of having to carry my Oreck up and down the stairs, I decided to buy a new vacuum. (I know the Oreck is only 8 lbs. but it was still a hassle)

I knew I wanted a Bissell because I have the ProHeat SteamVac and I love it, so I figured I'd try a Bissell vacuum. I spent hours online comparing models and reading reviews. I finally took the plunge and bought the Total Floors Velocity. I couldn't wait to see how well it worked, or didn't work. I opened the box right away, had it fully assembled in under 10 minutes.

I had vacuumed the living room with my Oreck the day before so I didn't think my carpet would be dirty. Well, let me tell you, this thing makes my $400.00 Oreck look bad! It picked up so much dust, dirt, dog hair, etc.... I couldn't believe my eyes! I went upstairs and vacuumed the carpet in my daughter's room. Around Christmas time, she had spilled some glitter on her carpet. I vacuum her carpet with the Oreck almost everyday. Well, the Bissell pulled up more glitter that the Oreck missed!

These are my personal experiences, but now let me tell you about the pros and cons.

Pros:

Lightweight and easy to maneuver.

14' hose will reach from the bottom of my stairs to the very top of my stairs.

Powerful suction.

Besides superior cleaning on carpets, it's also excellent on bare floors.

Superior vacuum for the price.

Cons:

The switch that stops the brush from turning (for bare floor cleaning) it difficult to push down. I feel like I'm going to break it if I push down too hard.

When using the hose with attachments, the vacuum tips over easily (but it's lightweight...I guess you can't have the best of both worlds!)

Now, how would I know that? Because I've owned a Dyson for a few years. I wrote a glowing review for the Dyson. Go read that one, because it pretty much applies to this Bissel 3990.

The Dyson was a little tricky to put together. This vacuum is a little tricky to put together. Read the instructions slowly.

This vacuum cleans in the same manner as the Dyson. The results look identical. I say that due to examining the dirty cup contents, which I do frequently for entertainment purposes. The Dyson may never lose suction. but that doesn't mean it continues to pick up dirt. The Dyson has a bigger dirt container than this vacuum, roughly twice the size. But, the Bissel dirt container is much easier to dispose of. Very easy, in fact.

The extension attachments on this vacuum are easier to use because it doesn't employ a stiff metal tube going through the extension hose like a Dyson.

This is a cheap vacuum and looks cheap, but the Dyson is similarly cheap once you get well acquainted with it.

So why would I buy this vacuum cleaner when I own a Dyson? I have to replace a part on the Dyson. And that happens a lot based on research I did. Clutch, power switch, belt = expensive Dyson repairs. The belt on the Bissel is user replaceable. Not the Dyson.

Most of the positive reviews sound accurate to me. Review them with confidence.

I've owned this for a couple of months now, and have put the Dyson repair on the back burner, which I didn't expect. I thought for sure I would miss it. In fact, the Bissel has been particularly useful in removing dust from my Dyson.

I looked at about a dozen vacuums and finally settled on this one because I'm using it primarily on hardwood and tile floors. It sucks up EVERYTHING! It doesn't blow the dust and dirt around like my old vacuum. It has a special setting for non-carpet floors that works great. My wife really loves this thing. Our house is all hardwood or tile, but we do have a few area rugs. When we use it on the rugs, I'm amazed at the suction power it has. You really notice it when vacuuming an area rug because it will move the entire rug if you do not stand on one end. Sometimes it becomes a two person job, one to stand on the rug and the other to vacuum. Our old vacuum didn't even get the rug to budge. I would guess if you have regular carpet it would be great for that too.

Bottom Line: Great vacuum overall and the best vacuum I've ever used on hardwood and tile floors.

Just bought this vacuum when my Dyson DC07 finally died. It was out of warranty, and the repair costs were the same price as this new vacuum. It had gotten several good online reviews, and I could afford it (and I needed a vacuum), so I took the plunge.

First of all, it does a pretty good job of cleaning, from what I can tell. You'd think that any vacuum should be able to suck up dirt/hair/debris, so the rest is fit and finish, and since vacuuming is a chore to begin with, you want it to be as pleasant as possible.

Its lightness is refreshing from the incredibly heavy Dyson it replaces, but there's a catch with the lightness. The brush (aka beater) bar runs at such a high velocity, the machine is practically self-propelled. The problem is that it will not stay in one place sometimes long enough to pull up as it should (having two dogs and a dark colored carpet, I can actually see how it compares, performance-wise). So you have to be disciplined about keeping it moving slower than it wants to.

The other things that are somewhat aggravating:

The brush (aka beater) bar: it runs fast all the time and is way too stiff. You need to be REALLY aware of when you are near the edge of an area rug, otherwise you will hear that telltale "ZORP!" and a frayed corner will spit back out. This will even happen on edges of area rugs, a new one by me. The Dyson's bar floor setting did a great job of getting the brush out of the way of anything on the floor with enough clearance. With the Bissell, you'll still be getting some brush bar contact on bare floor setting. Since the Bissell's hand turbo tool they provide also seems to have the same bristles, I am wary of getting it near anything but toughest carpet, for fear of ruining the finish.

The plastic: wow, this things has a LOT of plastic. I always thought my Dyson was a huge vacuum, but now that I have something to set it side-by-side, I realize that the weight in the handle and base meant they could make it smaller. this thing is WIDE. they advertise that as a feature, but i'd give up the width for some tighter handling.

The cord: not bad, but the way it's handled is bizarre. First of all, the cord is attached very low on the vacuum. You wouldn't think it, but this means it really ends up being under your brush bar more than you like. When the cord comes out further up the handle, you are far less likely to run over your cord because it's that much further away from the base. My workaround is to string it through the main hole in the handle and knot it around the top cord hook, which works, but looks terrible and shouldn't be necessary. Plus, why would you only make the cord hooks a foot apart? I must have to wind the thing 30-40 times to get it wrapped up, and the more loops you have to do, the more likely the cord will twist INSIDE its rubber sheath over time, causing binds and that telltale "lumpiness" you sometimes see in old extension cords.

Not all is bad though, at least for the price. The dust container is easy to empty and also lock in place. The hose, while not the longest I've used, is fair (but generates a LOT of static on its outside near the base of the unit). The Dyson taught me you actually don't want a hose that STRETCHES to a long length, you just want it to BE as long as you need it. otherwise, the more you stretch it, the more it becomes a spring and wants to snap back together on you. No idea why more vacuum makers don't include wheel locks when you need to have the base SIT STILL while you run around with the hose. Plus, I REALLY like how low profile the front of the vacuum can be. Dyson owners know, because of the way the base is shaped, you almost ALWAYS have to haul out the attachments to get under the lip of furniture past, say, six inches, but this unit does a way better job of getting under small areas. And I had forgotten, with the dyson, how much I miss having a light on the front of a vacuum. It gives you a good way to spot hair/dust that a normal overhead light won't give you. Finally, I like the fact that you can access BOTH filters easily (pre- and post-motor). The Dyson died because the filter UNDER the canister got black and clogged over time, eventually killing the motor by suffocating it. The instructions with the Dyson never even MENTIONED the existence of this filter, or that it would ever have to be replaced. Ironically, it took me buying this new vacuum to look for it, and lo and behold, I found out why my $500+ vacuum died.

So, I give it an average rating. The biggest beef is that brush bar is so dangerous to the edges of area rugs (if you use this over regular wall-to-wall carpeting, you might never notice). Maybe the bristles will soften over time, but for now, be aware.

This is a powerful and efficient vacuum cleaner. It almost feels like it is self propelled. It will amaze you when you see what dust/dander/mites and who knows what used to be in your carpet. It even lets you know when the carpet/floor is clean. You can disengage the brush with a foot pedal. It has a brush height adjustment pedal. The hose extends past 6 feet and has a power brush wand. The filter system is one of the best. It has a 35 foot power cord and is very easy to manuever around. Emptying is easy.There is nothing negative I can say. It has replaced a 1 month old dirt devil(poc)that made my allergies go crazy.

This is a wonderful, high-quality vacuum at a great price! It is very powerful and will leave you disgusted to know how much junk was embedded in your carpet. It has a rather bright light on the front of it and a really long cord (I think it seems much longer than the average vac, but I might be wrong). I can plug it in in one outlet and nearly vacuum our entire 1,000 sq.ft. apartment. The assembly was not difficult at all. I definitely recommend this product.

I love it!!! Easy to put together. Easy to operate. Picks up tons of dust and pet hair my other vacuum never touched.

Absolutely worth every penny!!!

I bought this a month ago after much research and have no regrets! This was to replace a cheap, canister-type Kenmore and an upright Kirby that my mother paid $800 for. It puts them both to shame!
I am amazed every time I use it. I wasn't so surprised at how much it picked up the first time around, but subsequent uses really opened my eyes to how quickly cat hair, dander, and dirt accumulate.
It is very light which is important to me due to a physical disability which limits my strength. Vacuuming is no longer the literal pain it has been for years.
The TurboBrush is great for getting the cat hair off the furniture, and it is very easy to switch between the regular vacuum and attachments. I also love the option to turn off the beater brush so I can use it on bare floors.
The dirt cup is easy to remove and empty and the washable filter is also easy to remove and replace.
It does tip over easily when using attachments, but I avoid this by placing the back to a wall or piece of furniture. I don't consider this a problem.
Assembly was slightly awkward, but if I can do it, anyone can. I'm sure it would have been easier if I'd had the proper size screwdriver.
This is really the best vacuum I have ever used!
And the price was certainly right!!

Update:
After more than a year, I still have no real complaints. While under warranty, I put it in the shop because the red/green/black sensor was sticking between black and green no matter how clean the filters were and there were no clogs anywhere. When I asked the repairman what was wrong, he replied, "It's a Bissell. Other than that, nothing." Later I read somewhere that it just has this particular issue. Even when disassembled and cleaned by a professional, it did not go back to all green the way it had been when it was brand new. But now that I know not to expect it to, it isn't a problem. It is still picking up amazingly well and I still have no regrets!