We have a busy house with kid(s) and 4 dogs, one of which thinks it is great fun to jump in pool then sprint through house.

Up until recently we had a cheap Hoover cleaner that finally just died. A few weeks ago I rented a Big Green at Lowes which did a decent job but it had not been cleaned well prior to rental so was slightly gross at the start.

I am thinking about buying a decent unit and looking at the Bissell Proheat 2X but figured I would post on here and see what others might be using

That looks like the one Consumer Reports likes best:

Bissell cleaner

But they are about $250.

For $150 they also like this one:

Hoover carpet cleaner

I was just looking at their ratings is how I know.

Thanks, the Bissell was the one I was leaning towards but Imight give the hoover a look!

You have mail.

I am in that business. I have around a hundred of these that are placed in stores, mostly Ace Hardware, that act as my rental agents for the do-it-yourself customers.

Some things that you want to look at when picking one of these machines to buy:

• Heater. Some of these are advertised as "steam cleaners" but actually do not have a heater: they just use hot water from the tap. Mine all have 300 watt heaters and a 170 F thermostat.
  
  
• Pump. Many of the lower cost machines have what is basically an aquarium pump that will run constantly. These burn themselves out. The good news is, if you do your own maintenance, they are cheap to buy. Our units have heavy-duty pumps, either Flo-Jet or Shur-Flo, and these have pressure switches, so the pumps do not run constantly; they shut off when pressure has built up, and re-start when pressure drops, much like the pump on an air compressor. MSrP on these pumps is pretty healthy, but I have found sources for them in the $100.00 range.
  
  
• Vacuum motor. Look at the vacuum ratings, both inches of lift and CFM. This is the most expensive part of my machines; I buy them by the pallet in order to keep the cost down. A pallet will last me a few years. Buying them singly will run a few hundred bucks.
  
  
• Maneuverability. Some, like Rig Doctor, 5-Star, etc. have a form factor sort of like an upright vacuum cleaner. This means that the user is moving the whole weight of the machine for every cleaning stroke, and cleaning under tables, around furniture, etc., is not easy. Mine is more like a canister vacuum cleaner, with a separate, lighter weight wand, connected to the base unit by two hoses: a supply hose and a vacuum hose. Much easier to maneuver.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
I am in that business. I have around a hundred of these that are placed in stores, mostly Ace Hardware, that act as my rental agents for the do-it-yourself customers.

Some things that you want to look at when picking one of these machines to buy:

• Heater. Some of these are advertised as "steam cleaners" but actually do not have a heater: they just use hot water from the tap. Mine all have 300 watt heaters and a 170 F thermostat.
  
  
• Pump. Many of the lower cost machines have what is basically an aquarium pump that will run constantly. These burn themselves out. The good news is, if you do your own maintenance, they are cheap to buy. Our units have heavy-duty pumps, either Flo-Jet or Shur-Flo, and these have pressure switches, so the pumps do not run constantly; they shut off when pressure has built up, and re-start when pressure drops, much like the pump on an air compressor. MSrP on these pumps is pretty healthy, but I have found sources for them in the $100.00 range.
  
  
• Vacuum motor. Look at the vacuum ratings, both inches of lift and CFM. This is the most expensive part of my machines; I buy them by the pallet in order to keep the cost down. A pallet will last me a few years. Buying them singly will run a few hundred bucks.
  
  
• Maneuverability. Some, like Rig Doctor, 5-Star, etc. have a form factor sort of like an upright vacuum cleaner. This means that the user is moving the whole weight of the machine for every cleaning stroke, and cleaning under tables, around furniture, etc., is not easy. Mine is more like a canister vacuum cleaner, with a separate, lighter weight wand, connected to the base unit by two hoses: a supply hose and a vacuum hose. Much easier to maneuver.

V Tail, all great points, especially weight and design...When I rented the big green it was a lot of work muscling that thing around every room in the house

quote:

Originally posted by Kevmo:
V Tail, all great points, especially weight and design...When I rented the big green it was a lot of work muscling that thing around every room in the house

Yeah, that's one of the reasons that we kick Rug Doctor's ass when we go head to head with them at a rental location. The Bissell rental machines, too -- they are basically similar to Rug Doctor: you have to wrestle the whole thing around.

Here's ours: