Bissell Cleanview Brush Head Design Flaw Advice?

Katie, I would suggest you sell your Bissell vacuum and replace it with another one. If it's having the brushroll fail prematurely like this, considering what Bissell told you in their reply this vacuum will CONSTANTLY have this issue and it will be a big headache for you. Put it on Kijiji or Craigslist for 1/2 what you paid for it and cut your losses.

Now, even though you didn't say in your post or in your profile bio, I am assuming you have pets or long haired people in your household, right? If so, then I would suggest looking at upright and canister vacuums with METAL brushrolls. A metal brushroll is far more durable than plastic or wooden brushrolls with plastic endcaps. In addition, they also resist hair tangling and buildup much better than plastic or wooden brushrolls. Metal brushrolls can also be rebuilt with new bearings and brush strips, if cared for properly they last MUCH LONGER than other brushrolls. You could also look at vacuums that have easy to remove bottom plates or easy to remove brushrolls.

Some examples:

- Riccar/Simplicity/Panasonic/Carpet Pro/CleanMax/Cirrus upright vacuums. All these brands do have certain models with metal brushroll & metal bottom plate. The Panasonic models would have to be bought second hand though. You would have to buy bags & belts & of course keep a eye on the brushroll, but these vacuums would be cheap to operate - bags have a big capacity, and replace belt once a year - and more importantly, built to LAST. It's not unusual to see uprights like this well over 20 years old and still in service.

- Sebo uprights/canisters. These vacuums would be a good choice for you as the brushroll comes out easily for cleaning. You just pop off the side cap on the brushroll housing to access for cleaning or replacement. Large capacity bags, permanent geared belts. This is a commercial quality brand that is also sold under other names like Karcher and Windsor, they will last a lifetime in a household environment if cared for. Only caution I have is to go for the models with the manual height adjustment knob, NOT the automatic height adjustment - those models don't dig as deeply into the carpet as well as the models with manual height adjustment. Another con would also be you will likely have to buy a Sebo vacuum new - they are rarely seen secondhand, and you're gonna spend somewhere between $500-$1300 depending on which model you buy.

- Riccar/Simplicity canisters. The powerheads on these have a metal bottom plate and brushroll, height adjustment and headlight. Canisters of course are much more versatile than uprights, better tools, etc, but up to you if you could get used to dragging behind a canister and like it. It's not for everyone.

- TriStar CXL/DXL canister with Sweep & Groom powerhead. If you only want bagless, this would be a great option! Built to last virtually forever. You would have to buy on Ebay secondhand - get just the canister only. Go into a local vac shop & have them check over the vacuum & polish the motor's armature with a armature seating stone, and replace the carbon brushes. You may also elect to replace the motor entirely with a new one - after all, if it's from the 80s or 90s motors don't last forever. Have the shop order you a new generic hose with a metal hose handle, & get them to sell you a new Sweep & Groom powerhead with metal buttonlock wands & drill a second hole in the top wand to make the hose handle on your new hose work with the wands. You may also elect to buy a second set of wands for your floor brush so you don't have to mess with the powerhead wiring. What would be nice about this setup for you is the powerhead brushroll is metal, and you only have to replace a belt once a year. The cloth bag can be used by itself, or can be used with paper liner bags, whichever you prefer. These are simple, basic vacuums that have hardly anything to go wrong & will last forever - if you want a versatile vacuum that will do all kinds of cleaning jobs & will hardly ever break down or cause problems, these are really good. Also look at Patriot & AirStorm canisters as well, these are TriStar copies that are also known for being high quality, long lasting machines.

- Kirby G6/Ultimate G/Ultimate G Diamond/Sentria/Sentria 2/Avalir/Avalir 2. These vacuums are great if you are cleaning mostly wall to wall carpeting, but NOT area rugs- area rugs get scrunched up easily under the weight of a Kirby. You can also buy a hard floor adapter and turn off the brushroll easily to clean bare floors without switching attachments or vacuums. The bottom plate comes off very easily to clean the brushroll off and change belts. The brushroll can be set to three different wear positions to prolong it's life before needing replacement. HEPA Bags are huge & cheap when bought in generic on Amazon & Ebay. Go on Ebay and get a nice model under $200 without accessories, just the upright only. Get yourself a cheap straight suction canister vacuum for attachment use, you won't want to mess with the Kirby hose on a regular basis. Something like a Miele Classic C1, Simplicity Jill, Eureka Mighty Mite or Bissell Zing would go nicely with a Kirby for those jobs. If you're buying a Kirby older than a Sentria, take it into a local vac shop and have them give it a good checkover, and polish the armature with a armature seating stone and change the carbon brushes. Don't bother with any model earlier than the G6, that model is late 90s, you wouldn't want to go much older than that. A Kirby will last a lifetime if well taken care of, and they are top notch cleaners.

- Hoover T Series uprights - These full size uprights do have a quick release bottom plate so it's easy to take off and cut the hair off, and replace belts once a year. These are definitely only average quality though, about the same as your Bissell, but without the issue with the brushroll failing prematurely and needing constant replacement. These can also be found online as Hoover TaskVac commercial vacuums in bagged & bagless form. You should get at least 5 to 10 years out of one, provided they are properly cared for & maintained. I would also STRONGLY suggest buying a spare brushroll shortly after you purchase the vacuum & spare belts - TTI is known for discontinuing parts availability early on most of their models, & the belts for these models can't be found easily in stores- you will need to buy online or go toa vac shop for them.

A couple things to beware of: the terms "Pet", "commercial" or "professional". Any vacuum that is labelled or referred to as a Pet Vacuum is just a normal vacuum, but with attachments designed for cleaning up pet hair or a powerhead designed to clean up after pet hair without tangling. However, as you have seen with your Bissell, that does NOT mean that they don't still have problems or will last a long time. You're best off buying a vacuum with a traditional brushroll and take a pair of scissors, a knife or seam ripper, check your brushroll after each vacuuming and cut the hair off. Also, be sure to read specific reviews to find out which vacuums were best at avoiding hair wrap on the brushroll. The specific pet hair tools on pet vacuums, a lot of times you can order & use the tools from one model within a brand on another model, and you can also go to vac shops and buy separate tools and adapters separately. So any vacuum you buy can easily be turned into a "pet" vacuum.

As for vacuums labeled "commercial" or "professional", be VERY CAUTIOUS about that! Just because it says that does NOT necessarily mean they are! Also, there can be BIG quality and performance differences between them. For instance, Shark vacuums are sometimes referred to as Professional models, like Pro Lift Away as a example. That DOES NOT mean it's a professional, commercial quality vacuum!! FAR FROM IT! Then you have "commercial" vacuums that are modified residential designs. Examples of this are the Bissell BigGreen PowerForce Bagged/Procup - that's just a residential Bissell PowerForce in green with a commercial 3 wire cord, and the Hoover TaskVac bagged/bagless - That's just a Hoover T Series Tempo Bagged residential & Hoover T Series bagless vacuum done in black with a 3 wire cord. Then you have TRUE commercial vacuums- vacuums that were actually designed for commercial use, like Windsor Sensor & Sebo X Series uprights. In comparison, those would be MUCH BETTER holding up in their environments.

The bottom line here is, do some research and buy something that's QUALITY and will last. In your situation with having lots of hair to pick up and the brushroll problems, it's good reason to find the right solution for you that will last & not give constant problems. And whatever you do, don't worry about the cost of bags for bagged vacuums! Generic HEPA Cloth bags can be found easily online cheaply in bulk for most brands.


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Post# 462253 4/12/2023 at 17:12 by garlic69 (North York)
Checkrate/Likes Heyo, first time poster but I'm desperate to know if anything can be done about an issue I'm having with my vacuum. Sorry if I use any terminology wrong, I'm new! I have the Bissell Cleanview Allergen Pet, got it from Bissell in February and I've actually been super happy with it so far. Not sure what my previous vacuum was doing, but the brush on this thing is absolutely killer and is pulling an insane amount of dirt and hair out of my carpets. Another plus is was the tangle free brush (which I've replaced for reasons outlined below, and the upgraded version is not as nice), not having to spend a half hour cutting out hair was a huge upgrade from what I had. I've already had to replace the brush and foot plate after 2 months of ownership because the accumulated debris created enough friction to melt the plastic until melted chunks stopped it from spinning. Luckily, bissell replaced the brush and the foot plate for free, but otherwise this issue would not be covered by the warranty. I've attached a screenshot of Bissell's response, apparently dirt getting stuck in the housings and melting the brush is a known issue, and they recommend changing the brush/belt every 3-6 months? A new brush and belt is 50$ shipped, and in my humble opinion that's a bit much to shell out every 3 months (mine was wrecked after 2) to make up for shitty design. My question is whether there is anything that can be done to seal off the end and prevent dirt from building up in there in the first place? The belt side seems comparatively clear, and the only difference is the double felt gaskets. Any advice? Needing to take out 6 screws to get at the brush is annoying, otherwise it wouldn't be too bothersome to remove the foot plate and clean it after use. Photos... < > Photo 1 of 4 View Full Size

Post# 462270 , Reply# 1 4/12/2023 at 20:28 by kirbyklekter (Concord,Ca.)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *Bad design?* I would suggest vacuuming out the roller area after each use using a crevice attachment. I'd keep an eye on the roller end caps where the bearings are too. Sounds like this might be a high maintenance vacuum cleaner at least the roller. That's crazy having to replace the skid plate and roller every 3 months. Cha Ching for Bissell. The bottom plate may need to be re-designed to provide more clearance where debris is building up. Does the roller sound different after a certain amount of debris has built up? Any warning signs before things get hot enough to melt plastic in the roller area? I hope you can find a solution for this. If not, send a letter with pics to Consumer Report Mag. or upload a little video on Youtube showing the melted parts and asking other owners if they are having issues with theirs. Good luck.

Post# 462278 , Reply# 2 4/13/2023 at 04:56 by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)
Checkrate/Likes 1 This sounds like a poor design issue to me. Lemon vacuum. The only time I ever had this happen was with my Panasonic vacuum when I vacuumed up so much spilled dog kibble with it, that it pulverized into grit and burned up my belt and got all over inside the brushroll chamber as a fine sandy type powder. Coincidentally Eureka uses this same felt disc washer type cheap seal on the Floor Rover as well, only it is even worse and separates into two halves like a LEGO piece and it fails rapidly due to friction burn. I'd possibly try some kind of non-sticky grease that will not make the situation worse (dry graphite spray?) to stop the friction burn. To stop the dirt getting to the belt area, I am not sure. Maybe figure out how it is getting in there and putting some kind of seal to close up the gaps or something. Also for an easier time removing hair, buy the little cutter combs that come with roombas they work really well for cleaning brushrolls of hairs and threads.

Post# 462283 , Reply# 3 4/13/2023 at 10:06 by garlic69 (North York)
Checkrate/Likes @huskyvacs / thank you for the tip on the cutter comb! Where has that been all my life? There seems to be a ton of static as well, I wonder if some kind of treatment like you mentioned might help with that as well? @kirbyklekter / Yes its definitely looking to be high maintenance - I'm prepared to spend some time on cleaning/maintenance but that should ideally = less money spent. I might still be in the 90 day return window so maybe that's the move. Honestly if the foot plate was easer to take off, cleaning it after every use wouldn't be a big deal. The vacuum I replaced had a little slot on the head that you could turn with a coin and everything popped apart so nicely, miss that!

Post# 462284 , Reply# 4 4/13/2023 at 11:39 by kirbylux77 (London, Ontario, Canada)
Checkrate/Likes Katie, I would suggest you sell your Bissell vacuum and replace it with another one. If it's having the brushroll fail prematurely like this, considering what Bissell told you in their reply this vacuum will CONSTANTLY have this issue and it will be a big headache for you. Put it on Kijiji or Craigslist for 1/2 what you paid for it and cut your losses. Now, even though you didn't say in your post or in your profile bio, I am assuming you have pets or long haired people in your household, right? If so, then I would suggest looking at upright and canister vacuums with METAL brushrolls. A metal brushroll is far more durable than plastic or wooden brushrolls with plastic endcaps. In addition, they also resist hair tangling and buildup much better than plastic or wooden brushrolls. Metal brushrolls can also be rebuilt with new bearings and brush strips, if cared for properly they last MUCH LONGER than other brushrolls. You could also look at vacuums that have easy to remove bottom plates or easy to remove brushrolls. Some examples: - Riccar/Simplicity/Panasonic/Carpet Pro/CleanMax/Cirrus upright vacuums. All these brands do have certain models with metal brushroll & metal bottom plate. The Panasonic models would have to be bought second hand though. You would have to buy bags & belts & of course keep a eye on the brushroll, but these vacuums would be cheap to operate - bags have a big capacity, and replace belt once a year - and more importantly, built to LAST. It's not unusual to see uprights like this well over 20 years old and still in service. - Sebo uprights/canisters. These vacuums would be a good choice for you as the brushroll comes out easily for cleaning. You just pop off the side cap on the brushroll housing to access for cleaning or replacement. Large capacity bags, permanent geared belts. This is a commercial quality brand that is also sold under other names like Karcher and Windsor, they will last a lifetime in a household environment if cared for. Only caution I have is to go for the models with the manual height adjustment knob, NOT the automatic height adjustment - those models don't dig as deeply into the carpet as well as the models with manual height adjustment. Another con would also be you will likely have to buy a Sebo vacuum new - they are rarely seen secondhand, and you're gonna spend somewhere between $500-$1300 depending on which model you buy. - Riccar/Simplicity canisters. The powerheads on these have a metal bottom plate and brushroll, height adjustment and headlight. Canisters of course are much more versatile than uprights, better tools, etc, but up to you if you could get used to dragging behind a canister and like it. It's not for everyone. - TriStar CXL/DXL canister with Sweep & Groom powerhead. If you only want bagless, this would be a great option! Built to last virtually forever. You would have to buy on Ebay secondhand - get just the canister only. Go into a local vac shop & have them check over the vacuum & polish the motor's armature with a armature seating stone, and replace the carbon brushes. You may also elect to replace the motor entirely with a new one - after all, if it's from the 80s or 90s motors don't last forever. Have the shop order you a new generic hose with a metal hose handle, & get them to sell you a new Sweep & Groom powerhead with metal buttonlock wands & drill a second hole in the top wand to make the hose handle on your new hose work with the wands. You may also elect to buy a second set of wands for your floor brush so you don't have to mess with the powerhead wiring. What would be nice about this setup for you is the powerhead brushroll is metal, and you only have to replace a belt once a year. The cloth bag can be used by itself, or can be used with paper liner bags, whichever you prefer. These are simple, basic vacuums that have hardly anything to go wrong & will last forever - if you want a versatile vacuum that will do all kinds of cleaning jobs & will hardly ever break down or cause problems, these are really good. Also look at Patriot & AirStorm canisters as well, these are TriStar copies that are also known for being high quality, long lasting machines. - Kirby G6/Ultimate G/Ultimate G Diamond/Sentria/Sentria 2/Avalir/Avalir 2. These vacuums are great if you are cleaning mostly wall to wall carpeting, but NOT area rugs- area rugs get scrunched up easily under the weight of a Kirby. You can also buy a hard floor adapter and turn off the brushroll easily to clean bare floors without switching attachments or vacuums. The bottom plate comes off very easily to clean the brushroll off and change belts. The brushroll can be set to three different wear positions to prolong it's life before needing replacement. HEPA Bags are huge & cheap when bought in generic on Amazon & Ebay. Go on Ebay and get a nice model under $200 without accessories, just the upright only. Get yourself a cheap straight suction canister vacuum for attachment use, you won't want to mess with the Kirby hose on a regular basis. Something like a Miele Classic C1, Simplicity Jill, Eureka Mighty Mite or Bissell Zing would go nicely with a Kirby for those jobs. If you're buying a Kirby older than a Sentria, take it into a local vac shop and have them give it a good checkover, and polish the armature with a armature seating stone and change the carbon brushes. Don't bother with any model earlier than the G6, that model is late 90s, you wouldn't want to go much older than that. A Kirby will last a lifetime if well taken care of, and they are top notch cleaners. - Hoover T Series uprights - These full size uprights do have a quick release bottom plate so it's easy to take off and cut the hair off, and replace belts once a year. These are definitely only average quality though, about the same as your Bissell, but without the issue with the brushroll failing prematurely and needing constant replacement. These can also be found online as Hoover TaskVac commercial vacuums in bagged & bagless form. You should get at least 5 to 10 years out of one, provided they are properly cared for & maintained. I would also STRONGLY suggest buying a spare brushroll shortly after you purchase the vacuum & spare belts - TTI is known for discontinuing parts availability early on most of their models, & the belts for these models can't be found easily in stores- you will need to buy online or go toa vac shop for them. A couple things to beware of: the terms "Pet", "commercial" or "professional". Any vacuum that is labelled or referred to as a Pet Vacuum is just a normal vacuum, but with attachments designed for cleaning up pet hair or a powerhead designed to clean up after pet hair without tangling. However, as you have seen with your Bissell, that does NOT mean that they don't still have problems or will last a long time. You're best off buying a vacuum with a traditional brushroll and take a pair of scissors, a knife or seam ripper, check your brushroll after each vacuuming and cut the hair off. Also, be sure to read specific reviews to find out which vacuums were best at avoiding hair wrap on the brushroll. The specific pet hair tools on pet vacuums, a lot of times you can order & use the tools from one model within a brand on another model, and you can also go to vac shops and buy separate tools and adapters separately. So any vacuum you buy can easily be turned into a "pet" vacuum. As for vacuums labeled "commercial" or "professional", be VERY CAUTIOUS about that! Just because it says that does NOT necessarily mean they are! Also, there can be BIG quality and performance differences between them. For instance, Shark vacuums are sometimes referred to as Professional models, like Pro Lift Away as a example. That DOES NOT mean it's a professional, commercial quality vacuum!! FAR FROM IT! Then you have "commercial" vacuums that are modified residential designs. Examples of this are the Bissell BigGreen PowerForce Bagged/Procup - that's just a residential Bissell PowerForce in green with a commercial 3 wire cord, and the Hoover TaskVac bagged/bagless - That's just a Hoover T Series Tempo Bagged residential & Hoover T Series bagless vacuum done in black with a 3 wire cord. Then you have TRUE commercial vacuums- vacuums that were actually designed for commercial use, like Windsor Sensor & Sebo X Series uprights. In comparison, those would be MUCH BETTER holding up in their environments. The bottom line here is, do some research and buy something that's QUALITY and will last. In your situation with having lots of hair to pick up and the brushroll problems, it's good reason to find the right solution for you that will last & not give constant problems. And whatever you do, don't worry about the cost of bags for bagged vacuums! Generic HEPA Cloth bags can be found easily online cheaply in bulk for most brands.