Bissell 3760-1 Bagless Upright Cyclonic Vacuum

I purchased this vacuum about a month and a half ago. We selected this vacuum based on a friend's positive experience with a (different) Bissell, and this model's availability at our local Macy's, where we had gift cards. So far, I have been very happy with the vacuum, although there were a few bumps in our road to happiness together.

When I first used the vacuum, it seemed to not be picking up all the dirt in the rug. I noticed that the reservoir container was filling up, but there were also noticeable pieces of debris left on the carpet. Basically, the dust was being sucked up but anything else was not. I experimented with different settings. Changing the pile setting did not help. Then I turned on the power brush. It was like a whole new vacuum! With the power brush on, this vacuum does an exceptional job picking up dust and debris from both the carpets and the tiled kitchen floor. I am especially pleased because we have two cats who leave pet hair everywhere, and I tend to shed my long hair on the carpets as well.

The attachments include everything necessary to clean house. For the most part, I like the attachments. However, I have had trouble getting the retracting extension tube (not sure what it's called) to stay at its maximum length--sometimes the locking mechanism unlocks and then the hose suddenly shortens. I also find that the tubing that the attachments connect to is very stiff and hard to maneuver. I am hoping this difficulty abates with time as I break in the vacuum.

I love that this is a bagless vacuum. Emptying the canister is very easy, although I had to do some learning here too. The first few times I emptied the canister I ended up with dust on the floor. But now I understand how the mechanism works and I can empty the canister without spills. My only complaint about the canister is that hair and "long" debris tends to get stuck up higher in the filter part, and needs to be manually pulled out when you empty the canister. This is gross and increases the potential for spilling the canister contents out on the floor.

The central part of the vacuum can also be used without the main housing, much like a rocket backpack. In this use scenario you would use the hose and attachments to vacuum. I haven't needed to use this feature much, but I think it would be great on stairs or any place you needed to have flexibility or reach. I can see using this feature to vacuum up high as well (the tops of the ceiling fans?).

I find the vacuum stores easily and is very stable when standing--it's not easily pushed over if I put something else in the closet with it. The red color is very attractive.

My friend's Bissell had a retractable cord, but this one does not. I did really like the retractable cord, but having it would prevent the "rocket pack" feature.

Overall, I am very pleased with this vacuum and would recommend it, particularly for people with mild to moderate pet hair issues in their homes.

UPDATE: We made the mistake of having a live Christmas tree last year, and our poor vacuum almost didn't survive the experience! It became terribly clogged with pine needles, and it took me several days to discover the location of the most significant clog and loosen it with a wire coat hanger. Now the vacuum is working well again, but we had to rely on other methods of cleaning up from the tree. The vacuum did a great job with small amounts of stray needles but simply couldn't handle the volume of needles left behind after we removed the tree.

The vacuum continues to be great at cleaning up pet hair. I find significant hair in the canister even when the rug looks like it's clean.