BISSELL SPOTLIFTER 2X Essential, RED, 1719T

We use a carpet cleaner several times a week, thanks to having 3 occasionally messy cats. For years we've used a large stand-up cleaner with a wand attachment, but it was so noisy, bulky, and difficult that we really needed something smaller. After reading reviews we chose this cleaner, and I am glad we did!My main concern was that the smaller cleaner wouldn't do as good of a job as the large stand-up we have, but it is just as good, no question. It has excellent suction and the brush it comes with really works. For normal cat spots on the carpet it's just fine. It hasn't worked well on tomato sauce or really liquidy cat spots (yuck), but I have to tell you the stand-up unit didn't work on those spots either! You'll need to use some cleaner that soaks overnight and elbow grease for the really tricky stains.It's better than the stand-up cleaner because it's much easier to clean out when we're done -- our large unit gets all kinds of nasty inside the tank and there's no way to take it apart to clean it. Yuck! The Bissell however can easily be cleaned out using running water, and the brush is detachable and cleans up well. The Bissell is also better than the stand-up unit with a wand because it is smaller, less noisy, and there is no cord to get in the way. The charge lasts a good long time. Just last night we used it for nearly 15 minutes with hardly any loss of power.We don't exactly use it the way the instructions say, though, so I feel for accuracy I should explain what we do: We use the cleaner (and we really like the Little Green it came with) in a spray bottle, diluted per instructions. We fill the tank on the back with hot water only. We then spray the spot on the carpet with hot water from the SpotLifter, spray with the diluted cleaner, let sit for a minute, then then use the Bissell SpotLifter to spray hot water on it again and suck up the solution from the carpet. It works great!My only complaints (if you could call them that) are that the return tank doesn't hold much, and when it gets too full it sometimes splashes out some of the dirty water from the side vents. Once you realize that's what's going on you can control it, but it is a little annoying. Also, the spray from the tank occasionally gets blocked by bubbles or something and it won't spray when you first start the machine.This is one of the best products we've purchased in a long time. I highly recommend it.Update: As of March, 2011, we're still using this cleaner and it still works well. After 2 years of use, the tank is pretty dirty inside and it's difficult to clean. I've soaked it in hot water with bleach and with detergent, but there is still grime collecting in the harder to reach spots in the tank. The best way to get rid of these spots is to get a little hot water in there and tilt the tank until the water sits on those grimy spots, then shake vigorously. It knocks some of it loose. So far the battery is still working, although it does not hold a charge as long as it used to, which is understandable. I've found running the battery down (but not all the way) helps in the charge. For the price, this has been a terrific purchase.

I purchased the Bissell Spotlifter because we have a new puppy. I had owned the old model about ten years ago (with another new puppy and a kitty who hacked up hairballs). The old one finally quit taking a charge, so I ordered this one. So far, I am very pleased with the unit. It has been a lifesaver as we are going though all the "oops" moments of house training our puppy..and there have been quite a few "oopses", unfortunately. My husband recently dumped a good amount of orange drink on the carpet. Rather than dragout our big Bissell, I tried using this cordless handheld..it worked like a charm. I sucked up as much of the spill as I could before hitting the spot a second time. For the second pass, I sprayed on the cleaning solution, let it sit for a couple of minutes, then sucked it up. You absolutely cannot tell that anything was ever spilled in that spot.The solution tank is easy to fill, with a line marked for the amount of solution (a small bottle of solution comes in the package). Then you just add water up to the fill line and drop back onto the top of the unit. It seems to have a longer lasting charge than my old machine, and I haven't run out of power while using (but also haven't cleaned large areas of carpet). There is a small removable brush located in the base of the unit that can be used to work the cleaning solution in..when done, simply rinse the brush and snap back into the storage slot. Learning to dump the dirty water was a bit challenging, as you have to snap off a plastic piece in front of the unit, then turn a little knob and remove the knob to drain. I finally figured out to hold the dirty water storage section right at the edge of the sink, hold down the release button and pull out. This part could have been designed a little better, but at least the dirty water tank is always on securely.Overall, I'm very happy with this product. It has been a lifesaver during housetraining, but I know I will continue to use after the housetraining is over (if that ever happens..ha!).