Hoover SteamVac Jr. Vs Bissell Little Green Machine

N

ncal

New member
To preface this I own a home steam vacuum from hoover and it works well. However it is a beast and obviously not portable. As such I'm looking for a poor man's extractor and I have found I prefer spot cleaning units like these over shampooing and sucking up with a vacuum.



From what I have researched the Hoover Steam Vac Jr. is more durable. I've read very few problems and warrantee problems with it and that is a definate plus. In addition I can find it substantially cheaper than the Little Green Machine.



However, the Little Green Machine offers heated water which sounds like a tremendous benefit. I don't know if the heated water is that warm though. So does anyone have any opinions on either such as their ability, durability, or in the case of the Bissell, if it actually heats the water past room temperature?
 
~One man’s opinion / observations ~



I used to use the Hoover Steam Vac to clean cars, it’s really heavy but it does do the job. I used it until I brought a Vapour Clean Products T5 Extractor / Spotter® (approx $600 I think) 200oF water and 104 inch water lift (suction) worth the wait, don’t miss the GF objections to me using ‘her’ vacuum, and in time and effort well worth it. If you do detailing for a living just the time saved is worth the outlay.



~Hope this helps~



Experience unshared; is knowledge wasted…/ Jon

justadumbarchitect * so I question everything *
 
Yeah, I definately understand the benefits of a professional extractor but at the moment it isn't economical. Anyways those Hoovers are definately lugs but they do get the job done. I assume the JR will work the same so I feel comfortable with the line. But on the otherhand, I'd like to know from some people also.
 
ncal- Make sure the Bissell heats the way you expect it to. The two Little Greens I had did NOT heat the water but they make a number of different models. If you can get one that *does* (really) heat the water, that would probably be a good tie-breaker, but I'd find out how hot it's supposed to get. Speaking of heating the water, heh heh, I can't help but chuckle about the "SteamVac" too, but I guess the name helps sell them :rolleyes:



I gave away the Bissells, kept the SteamVac Jr. IMO it not only works a little better, but it's also just more user-friendly. The trigger-pump solution sprayer is pretty worthless though, so I just use a spray bottle.



The "turbo brush" for the Bissell was worthless, so don't let that influence your choice.



Note that for every vote for Hoover, you'll probably find someone who prefers the Bissell...
 
I'm underwhelmed by the Bissel for automotive use, but it's still a nice tool for spot cleanup around the house.





Tom
 
I purchased the bissell little green with pro-heat, but have not yet used anything else to compare it to.



My cleaning method consisted of spraying my mat for instance, with 303, scrubbing with a carpet/mat brush untill all the stains came out. My next step was to use the bissell and spray the mat with clean hot water from the solution tank. Once soaked, I went over the mat with the turbo brush for a final cleaning. Then I used the extractor to suck out the water/303.



Using the machine in this capacity left me quite happy. The water coming out was hot, but not scorching hot that it burned my hand. I don't really think the heat will make a tangible difference in cleaning ability. That is where a good carpet and upholstery cleaner comes into the equation. I was also quite pleased with the suction. Quite a bit of black water was lifted out and the mats felt clean. I used the machine on May 16th and to date my mats still appear clean. I have not encountered any leftover 303 attracting more dust/dirt.



One complaint I do have is that the hose is not long enough. When I cleaned my drivers seat I had to place the unit on the floor under the steering wheel. I would have rather had the machine outside of the car.



The price of the unit was also attractive. I bought mine for $150 CDN = $100 USD. For an enthusiast this machine is suffucuent IMHO. If you are planning on going professional, or a weekend warrior, you may want a unit that will leave the surface less wet after extraction (this will keep the customers happy).



Bill.
 
Right now I'm leaning towards the Hoover since my upright never has given me problems. I'm not expecting miracles with the portable but I figure PC shampoo + Hoover will do a nice job. Plus I found it for 50 shipped at amazon : D
 
Why is it that when I use my steam cleaner on seats and carpets, it doesn't really do much? Its small and green and looks like a bug.
 
I love my little green. Heats the water well (wont burn your hand but its hot enough to be uncomfortable. I agree with Accumulator that the turbo brush is useless, doesn't agitate well nor extract as well as the standard head, plus its bulky. I was surprised by how well it works.
 
Why is it that when I use my steam cleaner on seats and carpets, it doesn't really do much? Its small and green and looks like a bug.
Click to expand...



They work but the key I've found is that you need to preclean the carpets by shampooing and agitating well. "Steam" cleaners aren't an all in one but they are definately useful if you can't spend 600+ for an extractor.
 
I am going to return my BLGMwH, because it does not work well. The heater does not work well enough to even keep hot tap water hot. The spray nozzle does not spray well or with enough power to be effective. The BLGMwH does not have enough lift to remove the water, which was sprayed and is slow, and ineffective. I pretreated and scrubbed the carpet and upholstery. I purchased the BLGMwH because at one point I had a BLGMwoH (older style), which was effective. I have also, used a Hoover Steam Vac upright (unsure of model), and this machine was more powerful and effective. The hose on the Hoover compressed when extracting the water and shampoo from the carpet and upholstery.



Maybe I just purchased a lemon, and my results are meaningless.



I am going to save for a real extractor, such as a Tuffy Jr, Duramaid, Mytee Lite, Tempeo



Sorry for the rant.



TOGWT,

Do you have more info on the Vapour Clean Products T5 Extractor / Spotter®? Where did you purchase the machine?



Eric
 
I agree with edschwab1. My LGM really sucks on each point that he described. I have a Bissell carpet cleaner for household carpets that I will be using for now.



I just run over the floor mats with it like household carpets and use the extension for other areas. It's a lot bigger than a LGM but works a lot better also.
 
I went with the Hoover because I was able to get a good deal for it and after doing some non-Autopian searching on the web there was a good number of consistently-reported problems about the Bissell. Simple and doesn't take a lot of space so for now, I'm happy.
 
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