BISSELL PROdry Fast-Drying Carpet Cleaner, 7350
by Bissell
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Our Price: $1,999.49 Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days Category: Home See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of BISSELL PROdry Fast-Drying Carpet Cleaner, 7350
Customer Review: Good for specialized uses only
Summary: 2 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I'm a big fan of Bissell products. I have their HealthyHome upright vac and absolutely love it. Also have their SpotBot (for spot carpet cleaning) and their FlipIt (for hard floor cleaning) and put both to use regularly (when you have multiple cats, you need lots of cleaning equipment!). So I was expecting another home run from the ProDry.
Big disappointment! While it has some merits, the bottom line is that it is not nearly as effective as a traditional carpet cleaner.
The unit assembles easily. Just four screws and you're good to go. You fill the clean water tank (located in the rear) with hot water and cleaning fluid, just like a conventional carpet cleaner. The dirty water tank is the front. What's different about the ProDry is the roller bar.
Rather than spray water on the carpet and then suck it back up, the ProDry wets a roller bar that, in turn, rubs on the carpet and (in theory) cleans it. The roller bar looks just like a long nap paint roller (e.g., the type you would use to paint a textured wall).
The benefit of this approach is that the carpet is not soaked with cleaning fluid, thus cutting down on the dry time. Also, it's good for area rugs, since the cleaning fluid won't soak into the carpet and damage the floor below.
That all sounds good, but the be-all and end-all of a carpet cleaner is whether it actually cleans the carpet. The ProDry did a very poor job on a thick pile carpet (a 10 by 15 area rug). While it was barely damp when I was done, it was also barely clean. I've had much better results with a conventional carpet cleaner. Even the SpotBot did a better job! (Yes you can use a SpotBot to clean a large rug -- use the hose and set aside a LOT of time!)
It did a bit better on a loose nap rug but again, the results were significantly below what I would consider to be acceptable.
The roller bar can be cleaned and should last (according to Bissell) for six months. The problem is that removing it for cleaning is a real bear -- you have to remove several screws to get it off the machine. I was surprised by this design issue given the thought Bissell has put into their other products to make them easy to use.
It also has a spray nozzle and hose system for cleaning stairs, furniture, etc. That worked well - just turn the dial on the front to switch to the hose, and it dispensed the fluid and sucked it back up with minimal fuss. It also has a rather unique cleaning head (in addition to the regular one) that can be filled with the Bissell OxyGen cleaning fluid. That was a bit messy in terms of leaks, but a nice idea. I'm a bit concerned about the build quality of the hose assembly - seems rather flimsy.
I'll use this mainly as a stair cleaner using the hose and nozzle. I've been using my SpotBot for that, and the longer hose and bigger tanks will make that job easier. Other than that, I can't see much benefit to this model, and I don't feel it is worth the cost charged.
I'd recommend the ProDry only if you have nothing but area rugs that are brand new and need only the most gentle of cleaning. For anything else, I think you can do a lot better with a more conventional carpet cleaner from Bissell or Hoover.
Customer Review: Good for Between Cleanings, not for heavy Dirt
Summary: 2 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I have used a few carpet cleaners in the past and have found that, although they all have some minor issues, Bissell tends to have the best total package and does the best job overall (with most of their cleaning machines anyway). The Bissell 7350 is a bit different than the other models they have had.
Before I go to far, it's important to understand that this model seems aimed at a specific feature: Drying Fast. Even the box it comes in touts how quickly it dries more than how well it cleans, so the expectations weren't high from the get go.
That said, I really wanted this unit to work well. One reason is that it isn't quite as bulky as most other steam cleaners and as such is a little bit easier to move around. The other reason was that it was supposed to dry so fast. In the summer, this can really help since the higher humidity in my basement areas makes it tough to clean the carpets during the summer months.
My first concern was the roller on the front of the unit. This seemed quite different for Bissell. I suspected that is wasn't going to work real well on my carpets, since they have a pile that's about 3/8 inch, a bit long for a roller. When I tried to clean a couple areas around a chimney base, it didn't seem to be able to get the traction it needed to really clean well, and the roller didn't do a great job "lifting" the dirt out. It more or less removed some dirt and moved some around.
It dried faster than the Bissell ProHeat I've used, but not in 30 minutes as advertised (took about an hour and a half to dry OK, still better than anything else I have used). One thing that I did notice is that it didn't seem to wear the carpet as bad as carpet cleaners with scrub brushes, which is a plus if you were to use it often.
I also have a number of small area rugs used around the house and I decided to give the 7350 a try on those. Surprisingly, it did a bit better, possibly due to the short pile they have and maybe since they are also somewhat thinner. I wouldn't say it actually gave them a thorough cleaning, but it did seem to dry fairly quickly (quicker than the hour and a half my other carpets required). It more or less freshened things up a bit.
As a carpet cleaner, I don't think I would highly recommend the 7350. Bissell makes some pretty good cleaners (like the ProHeat) that would do a much better job. But if you want something that is a little bit less bulky, don't have high traffic carpets and really need something that dries fast, this may help to extend the time between real good cleanings without wearing your carpets out.
Customer Review: Ok for rugs, maybe floors... not best carpet option
Summary: 2 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I'm very torn on how to review this item. If Bissell would remarket & rename this as a short pile rug and hard flooring surface cleaner I'd likely give it 3 or 4 stars, as a carpet cleaner it barely deserves 1 so we'll settle on 2.
I have a bissell proheat2 carpet cleaner, it's big, it's heavy, and it's amazing! Bissell 9400 ProHeat 2X Select Upright Deep Carpet Cleaner the difference in our light beige carpet after using this was nothing short of shocking and I can't recommend the cleaner enough.
So I got this not because I needed a carpet cleaner, but because my poor area rugs have been rolled up in the attic for over a year, when we got a new puppy and as my daughter got older (and messier) I put them away not knowing how I'd clean them if something happened. This sounded like the perfect product to get them clean just in case without damaging the hardwood under them. Setup was easy enough, didn't experience the leaking others have mentioned but was careful not to overfill anything. I was also surprised by the design of the roller assembly, and the fact that they recommend replacing every 6 months (more helpful would be hints to know it's time or hours of cleaning expected out of it, if I use this once in 6 months vs weekly that'll be a huge difference in wear).
I got my rugs out, vacuumed them, then set to using this to test... well... I suppose it got them cleaner, the water was a bit different colored after using it, they were damp... all in all though I wasn't all that impressed. I decided to try it on the stairs, those always need to get washed and I hate lugging the huge proheat out just for the stairs, it did a pretty good job on them so I think this will at least become my new stair washer, but I wouldn't justify the price just for that. As for how it works on normal pile carpeting, it doesn't. Think of it more as a light dusting the dirt off the carpet, instead of a deep down clean. Might work if you have no pets or kids and aren't home very often to dirty up your carpet.
Another reviewer mentioned using it on hard floors, now this is something I'm going to try this weekend! I use a floormate for that right now, but I think the softer rotating roller on this might work better, also buffing the floor along the way, I'll update after I try that!
Customer Review: F+ -->What was Bissell thinking?
Summary: 1 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I have a Bissell Spot Bot and I purchased a Bissell 9400 ProHeat 2X Select Upright Deep Carpet Cleaner for my boyfriend; both are superb products! However, I cannot phathom what Bissell was thinking when they produced this carpet cleaner. I tried it on an area of carpet that was only slightly dirty; but the results were very disappointing.
What they got right:
- Easy assembly
- Sleek vacuum design
- Useable power tools (power nozzle is good)
- Easy carry handle
- Excellent power cord holder
- Nice power cord release mechanism (no need to unwind cord from power cord wrap because you can just release the latch to drop the cord to the floor)
- Vacuum powers itself nicely along the carpet so there is hardly any pushing action required by the user
What they got terribly wrong:
- The soft PowerRoller doesn't clean; it's excellent on hardwood floors but that is not what this vacuum was designed for.
- The carpet does not dry in 30 minutes as stated UNLESS you hardly use any solution. Without using much solution, you might as well blow on the carpet with your mouth to try to dislodge the dirt because the results would probably be the same--which is no cleaning.
- The solution tank leaks around the cap when filled appropriately. I tried several times to reseal the cap but there was always some solution seepage.
- The dirty water collector tank also has water seepage even if you don't go above the fill line.
- I tried for 45 minutes to clean about a 6 x 7 area of carpet and it still looked as dirty as when I started. I then used the power tool and some elbow grease and tried again which gave me better results but still not good enough. My Bissell spot bot can clean the same area wonderfully but not this vacuum.
- By the time the hot water reaches the carpet it is either lukewarm or too cold to be of any cleaning use.
In summary, if the Bissell didn't leak all over, this vacuum would be excellent (but perhaps overkill) for cleaning a wood floor because the cleaning pad buffs up things nicely (I tried it my wood floor). However as a carpet cleaner, you would get better results by wetting a washcloth with warm water, applying some soap, getting down on your hands and knees and using some elbow grease to clean your carpet.
Customer Review: Terrific for regular lightweight carpet maintenance
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The Bissell 7350 PROdry requires some minor assembly out of the box: the top handle slides into the main body and needs to be attached using two large philips head screws. The accessory hose holder clips in, and you're done.
To prepare for carpet cleaning, you simply fill up the removable tank with hot water and some cleaning solution. Unlike other cleaners which soak the carpet with cleaning solution, scrub it with power brushes and then vacuum the dirty liquid out as much as they can, the 7350 sprays the solution onto a roller, which rotates against the carpet and performs all the cleaning. The excess moisture is then vacuumed out.
The benefit of this approach is that since the carpet is not soaked, it does not take anywhere near as long to dry. Of course, it's not as thorough a cleaning as you would get with a more traditional cleaner.
Using the 7350 is much easier than a classic cleaner, because the powered roller pulls it forward whenever you press the cleaning button, so it requires a lot less effort. For local stains, you can use one of the two brushes supplied, the regular one or for extra-resistant stains the "OxyGEN2" brush, which sprays a mix of cleaning solution and added oxyGEN2 cleaner.
I have been using the 7350 on two carpets: one is recent and in good condition, the other one is 10 years old and in pretty bad shape. It does a great job keeping the good carpet clean, but was fairly unconvincing on the old, filthy rug. The OxyGEN2 cleaner made a very nice clean spot on the latter, but I don't have the time or energy to use it on the entire rug!
PROS
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Low center of gravity and powered roller make it less tiring to use
Efficient OxyGEN2 spot cleaner
Carpet is dry after 30 minutes as promised
Works well on carpets in good condition
Very gentle on your carpet
CONS
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No on-board heater
Useless on very dirty rugs
If you have recent carpets in good condition, this cleaner will do a great job. Use it regularly and it will maintain them in top shape with a minimum of effort. However, its gentle approach is probably not ideal for the "desperate cases."