Customer Reviews

Bissell Momentum Upright Vacuum, Bagless, 82G71

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

We were fed up with our top-of-the-line Kenmore vacuum, which we bought in the hopes that a more expensive machine would also be more effective than the previous Hoovers and Eurekas that we suffered with. But that expensive monster was a nightmare from day one till the very end...and we decided that it might be better for us to buy a cheaper machine and replace it every year. We got recommendations from friends of ours to try out Bissell vacuum, and reviews on Amazon pointed us to this line of vacuums. We couldn't wait for it to be shipped to us, so we went to Target and found it on sale for $89. Yay!

Came home, took it out of the box, and discovered that the hose had to be attached, which was a bit of a challenge to the men of our household ;) But after that, it was good to go. And boy, does it ever go!!! It sucks stuff right out of the carpet, tends to take out a good bit of lint too, and the dust cup got filled very fast the first couple times we vacuumed our house. I think we had to empty the cup a few times the first time we vacuumed! So, that was very rewarding.

It's been a few months now that we've had this machine, and it's still behaving itself. The only thing that seems a bit weak is the hose, which got twisted out of shape at the head end, but we can live with that. It still has the same suction power, and doesn't cause us any undue grief, and if it does, I believe the hose is easy to replace.

The dust cup is nice...I was wary of going the bag-less route, but the convenience of this surprised me pleasantly. Empty the cup into a grocery bag once the dust has settled (we do it before we run it again, rather than after a vacuum session) so that dust does not rise up in a soft cloud. There is an indicator light which tells you when the machine is not at its optimum suctioning power, and this is beyond useful! Wash your filter when the indicator goes to red, and you'll be back to normal.

The 35 (or 40?) foot cord is very nice. Make sure you do not get it trapped underneath the brush, as the cord's outer coating will get worn off; you will be an unhappy person when that happens! (A bit of electrical tape will take care of it when it happens, though.)

I took off one star because of the somewhat weakly-constructed hose, and the fact that the brushes can't be turned off when using the attachments or doing bare floors.

Happy vacuuming!

We purchased a Bissell Momentum Bagless Vacuum Model 82G7 in June 2008.

After having it for less than 7 months and using it twice a month or so it began to smell terribly of burning plastic that quickly filled the room and blue sparks visible within headlight lens. In addition, the vacuum became increasingly louder. The filters were kept clean, the belt replaced as needed and the dust bin emptied after each use.

We contacted Bissell in early January 2009 and were told to take it to the closest authorized Bissell repair shop for inspection.

Several days later the technician informed us the extremely loud noise is not normal; is caused by the motor failing, cannot be repaired so therefore must be replaced.

Later that week we picked up the brand new, unopened, in the sealed box, replacement vacuum only to discover the plastic housing that secures the belt and brush was broken into three pieces within the box. A shipping issue?

We are tremendously disappointed with this vacuum and the fact it only worked for 7 months before needing repair. This vacuum was purchased to replace our 15 year old, still functioning, Hoover upright which we now think was a mistake and not one we're likely to repeat.

We're now waiting to find out if the replacement can be repaired, must again be replaced or will be exchanged for another model of some sort.

Pros:

Vacuum does an excellent job of cleaning carpeting.
Vacuum cleans up pet hair adequately.
Bagless, no bags to buy.

Cons:

Motor is exceptionally loud.
Dust bin removal messy, must be emptied outside or you'll have to vacuum again.
Upholstery brush next to useless.
Hose does not stretch out properly when being used and pulls vacuum over.
Brush spins on Bare Floor setting.
Hose frequently disconnects from vacuum during course of vacuuming.
Expensive filters.
Clogs easily.

I wanted a second vacuum to keep upstairs and for use on carpets. I found this one for about $99.00. I read the reviews for the Bissell 3910, and although this isn't the same, it is very similar.

I was amazed at how much pet hair and dust this vacuum collected after I had already vacuumed with my canister vac. I think it does a really good job. I also like the 35-foot cord, which means I can plug it into one outlet for the entire upstairs. I wanted a bagless, because the cost of bags would be a lot given how much dog hair I have to deal with. The container is easy to remove and clean.

You have to be careful with things like curtains, bedspreads, and such that may be in contact with the floor, because its suction is powerful. It is also a bit loud for my liking, but not horrible.

I have not tried it on bare floors, so I can't give an opinion about that. I would recommend this vacuum for anyone who likes a good value.

I unfortunately overlooked the fact that you cannot turn off the brush on this model. The problem with this is if you have non-carpeted floors half of the dirt is flung all over the place. I just felt like I was sandblasting my legs. Also, if you are using the hose and attachment on steps or whatever and the vacuum tilts at all (which it will) it could damage your floor because the brush is still going full force. It is powerful, but unless your entire house has wall to wall carpeting it is a poor choice. Buy a model where you can turn the brush off!

The first time I used this vacuum, I could not believe how much cat hair, dust, and lint it pulled out of an 8x10 area rug. This rug is only 3 months old and obviously my old vacuum was not getting the stuff out! It filled up the entire cannister!!! I love this vacuum, it is a great bargain for the price of 99.00. I like the fact that some of the tubing and brush covers are clear, to see what's going on inside. The only 2 cons are that 1) the mini turbo pet hair brush attachment does not adjust for vertical vacuuming. It works well on a horizontal surface, but is awkward for vertical surfaces, such as the back of a chair. 2) the brush does not shut off for bare wood floors. Otherwise; love it!

We had a Hoover Dirt Finder ($176) for about 10 years. Same parts kept breaking over and over and we finally got tired of constantly fixing it. We needed a new vacuum and did some research and found that Bissell in general had better reviews than any other brand. Found this vacuum at Sam's Club for $89 and decided to give it a whirl. Some minor assembly and it was ready to go. On the first try we picked up so much dirt we changed the cup about 3 times (we have wall-to-wall carpet). Yuck! I normally vacuum 3-4 times a week and was shocked at the amount of dirt it picked up. The suction is so good that the vacuum takes you for a walk.

Pros:
Great price, suction, cord length, cleaning brush attachment, easy to empty canister, lightweight, washable pre-motor filter.

Cons:
Tips over easy, lost suction due to a clog and had to disconnect (1 screw) the tube on lower right hand side to unclog, needs HEPA filter which ranges from $8-$12 (though in 4-5 months I haven't had to change it and it came with 2)

We bought this vacuum about 2 years ago when it was still about $150. We have had so little luck with vacuum purchases the last 10 years it is almost as if you should expect them to break and budget for an annual vacuum purchase. We have wood in the most used area of our home and then carpet in the formal living and dining as well as 3 bedrooms. Two cats and a dog. We don't even vacuum that often usually once per week or once every other week. Like all of its predecessors, this one was pretty much done after a year. My husband has fixed it twice, replaced a belt once and now it is very noisy and does not appear to be picking much up. We just ordered the Dyson D14 since we have a family member that has had one for 4 years and still loves it. I hope this new one will last the 5 years it is warrantied because that still costs less than $100-300 per year on these junky vacuums. Products just aren't made the way they used to be.

I bought this vacuum about a month ago. It is very powerful and does a great job, but I have had a problem with it. The hose attachment keeps messing up. It is hard to explain, but the metal coil within comes out of its slots inside the rubber hose and if you dont catch it in time to realign it, it is worthless. I contacted Bissell and they gladly sent me a new hose attachment. But two cleanings into it it did the same thing. Now I am in an email tag with Bissell. I like the vacuum, but this hose thing is a problem and they will just have to keep sending me a new hose every week. I dont think I can bring the vacuum back to the store (as Bissell suggested) to exchange for a different model since it has been a month, it is used and I no longer have the box. So I am not sure what to do. I will have to check with the store.
Also another thing is that I wish this vacuum had a switch to turn off the brush when doing bare floors as it spits out bits of what I am vacuumming on bare floors. That is frustrating.
I like the fact that it doesnt have but maybe one filter to clean. I had a Bissell Powerforce before and I always had to clean off the filter or it would lose suction. This is not the case with this vacuum. So if they could make a better hose design and add the switch to turn off the brush, it would work great for me. It is a little bulkier than my Powerforce too.

I purchased this vacuum a few weeks ago after doing extensive research on reviews and price comparisons. I had a stick vac and wanted the cheapest vacuum I could get that would do a way better job than the stick. I also have a cat that sheds all over and the stick did not pick up the cat fuzzies that were in bunches all over the carpet. I had to get down on hands and knees and pick them up by hand!
I have used the bissel many times now because I love it so much and find myself just WANTING to vacuum every few days. I love it! It gets all the fuzzies and well, everything!
This machine is not very loud, lights up the ground in front of where I am vacuuming, has various settings for the height of your carpet and also has a bare floor setting. The cord is really long so I only need to plug it into 2 different outlets to get every room in my apartment.
I feel like every time I use it, it picks up an entire new cat just in the amount of hair. The attachment hose is also pretty long and has an extension. The hose feels a little bulky but it doesn't bother me.
The canister is pretty large although I feel like I fill it up every time I vacuum. I do have to dump it out each time which some folks might think is annoying but it's really easy to dump and I like to see how well it did. The canister is the only reason I did not give this machine a full 5 stars.

All in all this vacuum is great and I recommend it to everyone. It has a 3 year warranty but I have a feeling I won't need it. LOVE IT!!

I am so happy with this vacuum! My boss at The Flower Shoppe has this vacuum and it sucks up everything! I settled last year and bought a eureka and have been unhappy with myself until now. I bought this vacuum a week ago, mind you I had vacuumed the week before with my Eureka, set up this baby and cleaned my entire house--emptied the dirt canister SIX times!!! Vacuumed a week later and got another 2 canisters full!! Unreal how well this machine works. The wand is the most powerful I have ever used. I will never buy another vacuum brand again--so happy with my new Bissell!