If you live in a cold state, let’s say like Seattle, New York or Cleveland, chances are your home has carpet.
And over time, it gets filthy.
There are a few options. First would be just vacuuming and hope that doing this will prevent dirt from piling up. It’s a necessary step, but a vacuum will never remove stains on carpets.
Second would be hiring a professional who’ll do it for you, but it’ll cost a few hundred dollars at least.
The third option would be renting, but you still have to buy a cleaning solution. And of course, there’s the hassle of bringing the carpet cleaner to and from Lowes.
The fourth option I think is the best.
Why not buy your carpet cleaner?
You may push back and say that’s expensive. I’m here to prove to you today that you don’t need to spend more than $100 for a decent carpet cleaner.
Let’s have a close look at the Bissell PowerLifter with the PowerBrush technology.
This model is one of the cheapest carpet cleaners available right now.
Yes, you heard that right, it’s cheaper than other upright vacuums.
The bigger question is, is this worth your while?
Let’s find out in this review.
A quick look at the features
- Has the “PowerLifter PowerBrush” that digs deep into carpet fibers to scrub and lift out stubborn stains
- 3/4 gallon tank capacity
- A 2-in-1 water tank that holds both clean and dirty water
- 11″ cleaning path
- 25 amp motor has enough suction to pick up dirty water residue
- 20-foot power cord
- Weighs 16.4 pounds
- One year warranty
Pros
- Compact design will work best in smaller homes
- Light for a full-sized carpet cleaner
- Decent cleaning path at 11 inches
- Cheaper than most carpet cleaners available right now
Cons
- Small water tank means you’ll have to empty it often when cleaning a large room
- Short power cord
- Only comes with a one year warranty
- No tools for cleaning upholstery
What to expect from the Bissell PowerLifter?
Bissell advertises this as a full-sized cleaner, so expect heavy-duty performance from this. One thing that separates this from the likes of the Rug Doctor Mighty Pro X3 or the Bissell ProHeat 2X would be its size. This machine is one of the lightest and most compact carpet cleaners out there.
Lightweight Design
Whereas the Rug Doctor tips the scales at almost 50 pounds, this machine only weighs less than 17 pounds. In boxing terms, this is a lightweight when you put it side-by-side against other brands.
One downside to having such a lightweight machine is there will be less power and capacity.
2-in-1 water tank
If you look at the larger carpet cleaning machines in the market right now, most, if not all, have two water tanks. There’s one for the water and cleaning solution and another for dirty water.
This feature can be a make or break functionality for you because of the potential cross-contamination issue of dirt water staying in the water tank even after you clean it.
The design of the water tank prevents you from fully disassembling it and cleaning every nook and cranny.
PowerLifter Brush
Despite being a smaller carpet cleaner, Bissell put in a rolling brush as opposed to a spinning brush.
This, in my opinion, is what makes this product a good option.
There’s no doubt in my mind that a rolling brush will deep clean better than the latter.
The bristles are stiffer, and there’s more mass behind it that allows it to go deeper into carpet strands.
Six amp motor
Don’t let the small size fool you because this little carpet cleaner does pack a punch. To put things in perspective, the Bissell ProHeat 2X that costs well over $200 has a 6.8 amp motor, and this comes with a 6 amp motor.
This means that you’ll have to expect the same type of performance between these two Bissell cleaners.
Though the ProHeat 2X does have two roller brushes so it’ll provide better agitation.
Power cord
The power cord is shorter than bigger carpet cleaners at just 20 feet.
No hose
Perhaps the biggest downside to this machine would be the omission of a hose and tools that’ll allow you to clean upholstery and such.
Not only will this not clean upholstery or stairs, but you also won’t be able to clean tight spots between furniture.
Cleaning performance
To show you how well this carpet cleaner does, please watch this video.
For a compact carpet cleaner, this machine does a reasonably decent job of picking up stains. Take note that if there are tough stains, you will need to pre-treat it will carpet cleaning solution before running this machine.
One significant advantage that Bissell has over a Rug Doctor would be its ability to clean on both forward and backward passes. This feature will help you save time cleaning dirty carpet.
Product Specification
| Model | BISSELL PowerLifter PowerBrush |
| Power | 6.25 amps |
| Cleaning path | 11" |
| Cord length | 20 feet |
| Hose length | N/A |
| Water tank | 3/4 gal |
| Weight | 16.4 lbs. |
| Specialty tools | None |
| Warranty | 1 year |
What do consumers say?
If you look at reviews, there’s no question that this machine performs. Over 2,300 folks in Amazon left feedback, and most of them were positive with a lot of before and after photos that show the results.
Lots of people who left reviews have pets and say that this machine did well picking up pet stains and odor. It does not have a water heater, so you’ll have to use hot tap water. Don’t use boiling water as it could damage the plastic container and deform it.
One common complaint would be the size of the water tank, which is smaller than the Rug Doctor and Bissell ProHeat. It means more frequent trips to the bathroom to empty it. And you’ll also have to clean it thoroughly to remove any dirt water residue that could potentially go back into the carpet.
Agitation and power is another strong point because this machine was able to remove even tough stains.
You will have to use an upright vacuum before use this because this machine isn’t a vacuum cleaner but a carpet cleaner. I say this because I’ve read some comments stay pet hair wrapping around the brush. I repeat this machine isn’t a vacuum cleaner, don’t use this as such.
There are also some complaints about quality control issues like belts that break prematurely and poor suction.
Where can I buy this?
This budget carpet cleaner is available in Amazon, and it’s eligible for their free 2-day shipping if you join Prime. Extended warranties are also available of up to 3 years if you want that extra peace of mind.
Take note that if you purchase anything through the link above, I will earn a commission, but at no additional cost to you, so it’s a win-win for both of us.
To wrap up
Folks looking for a relatively lightweight carpet cleaner that won’t break the bank and back will love the Bissell PowerLifter. It weighs just 16 pounds but still has enough power to pick up tough stains on the carpet.
One glaring omission would be the hose and tools for other areas like stairs and fabric upholstery. Another issue would be the combination 2-in-1 water tank that holds both clean and dirty water. If you don’t clean this well enough, there’s a risk of nasty stuff going back into the carpet.
But at less than $80, this is a great value-for-money option that’ll work great in small homes. There’s no question that this machine will perform, the bigger problem is if the shortcomings are significant enough to deter you from buying this.
