Cheap "steam" cleaners, Hoover SteamVac Jr. vs. Bissell Little Green

tanha · 05-20-06, 05:26

There are a handful of cheap "steam" cleaners on the market now, and I'm fairly certain that they're all pretty mediocre. This morning I purchased a Hoover SteamVac Jr., and I'm not that impressed. I don't feel like it does much more than I could with a wet/dry vac. The suction doesn't seem very powerful, and the sprayer is fairly useless - it doesn't exactly spray where I expect it to, and I think it saturates the fabric too much.

I'm wondering how it compares to the Bissell Little Green Machine. Some say these are nice because they heat the water, other say the water doesn't get hot enough to make a difference. I also hear the brushes that come with it are pretty useless, but most Bissell owners seem pretty happy with them.

Which one do you use, which one do you like better? If you've found something even better than these two (but still cheap - I can't afford a nice extractor yet), I'd like to hear about it. Thanks!

Picus · 05-20-06, 05:33

I've not used the Hoover, but I have to say I've definitely gotten $99 of worth from my LGM. It doesn't heat the water super hot, and the brushes are fairly useless, however in terms of suction it does a pretty good job. I actally rarely even use solution in it, just water. I spray the mats with folex or woolite/water, brush with a rug brush, then soak/brush/suction with the LGM. I've taken out some pretty bad spots/salt stains doing that.

Maybe there's an easier way but like I said, for the price I am happy with it.

HD2002 · 05-20-06, 05:59

I just used my LGM without a heater for the 2nd time and I definitely think it's worth the money. I presoaked with Folex, scrubbed with brush and cleaned with LGM.

tanha · 05-21-06, 05:37

So would you say the LGM does a better job than you could with a wet/dry vac?

HD2002 · 05-21-06, 06:07

I have never used a wet/dry vac to deep clean carpet. But I would think the LGM would be a better choice. I would think it's less work with the LGM just hit the tough stains with a stain remover and a scrub brush. Then spray and vac with LGM. When I bought mine I kept the box and receipt. I planned on taking it back because I thought for $70 it wouldn't work very good but I was suprised. I'm sure a high end carpet extractor would be better but I didn't want to spend alot of money right now.

Picus · 05-21-06, 11:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by tanha

So would you say the LGM does a better job than you could with a wet/dry vac?

I guess it depends on the vacuum. With a pretty powerful wet/dry and the right attachments you basically have a LGM without the sprayer, but you could just spray your own water. But then the issue is how much have you spent on that vac and attachment? I have a 5hp wet/dry and for mats I like the LGM better, if that's any indication.

tanha · 05-21-06, 12:45

The Hoover cost me $70, I think it's a little less expensive than the LGM. I'm curious to see if the LGM performs better.

Accumulator · 05-21-06, 12:46

I've had two (three

I kept buying newer versions hoping for improved performance ) of the non-heated Bissells and a Hoover Jr. I ended up giving away the Bissells to friends (this sort of machine is great for little pet-messes) and keeping the Hoover. And yeah, the "turbo brushes" on the Bissells were absolutely useless, even worse than the sprayer on the Hoover, which is saying something.

Since the sprayer is so lousy, just use a spray bottle with solution in it. Brush the area too.

IMO these things are no better than a wet/dry vac and often not nearly as good. They're sure nothing like my commercial extractor so IMO you oughta save your pennies towards one of those. But they *are* handy in that they're portable. I use mine for light-duty, quick cleanups in the house.

But for cars I greatly prefer a wet/dry vac, especially with a carpet cleaning attachment setup- you can get such a setup from Sears or DIY an adaptation with parts from Bissell; this stuff isn't rocket science and the "carpet machines" are often just a wet/dry vac with a solution sprayer and a certain type of nozzle. Oh, and the solution feeds that hook up to a faucet, while less convenient than a self-contained system, are my preference for detailing applications. It's easy to switch them to clear-water rinsing and you can get the water/solution nice and hot.

Spilchy · 05-21-06, 01:14

I agree. I had a heated LGM and I found it be total garbage in the car. It was weak. Using my 6.5HP Cratfsman wet vac without the filter as an extractor demolished the ability of the LGM. Spritz on the cleaning solution, agitate with a damp rag wrapped in a brush and extract with the wet vac. Spritz a little extra water from a spray bottle if the solution is a little too concentrated to aid in removal.

tanha · 05-21-06, 02:43

Well, after my dissappointing experience using the Hoover and hearing 2 experienced detailers say they prefer a wet/dry vac for detailing, I'm going to return mine. For the $70 I spent I'm sure I can get a decent wet/dry vac.

Thanks for the input, guys!

Spilchy · 05-21-06, 03:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by tanha

Well, after my dissappointing experience using the Hoover and hearing 2 experienced detailers say they prefer a wet/dry vac for detailing, I'm going to return mine. For the $70 I spent I'm sure I can get a decent wet/dry vac.

Thanks for the input, guys!

If you're going to take it mobile, I use and love this one:

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...TOOL&ihtoken=1

If you're going to just use it in your driveway, I use and love this one:

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...TOOL&ihtoken=1

Plus, you can buy all sorts of crevice attachments and smaller/micro attachments for the nooks and crannies.

Hope this helps.