Bissell 5770 Bagless Upright Cyclonic Vacuum

This is very nearly an industrial vacuum. While I don't want to give it a bad review because it does have that power & may be the perfect vacuum for people of normal or tall stature, for me it has been a very difficult, aggravating vacuum to use. I suspect that the primary problem is my height. I'm 4'11" & this machine is 4 ft. tall. I will keep it & use it until it breaks. I will tell myself that using it is good exercise & builds upper body strength. However, had I not had a succession of lemons from another manufacturer & been worn down by that... & had I not bought it at a much reduced price at Big Lots, I would have returned it after the first couple of uses & looked for something different.

Allow me to explain. People who are of average height, including designers, do not understand the ways in which small people, particularly women, use leverage to cope with problems of strength & stature, nor do they understand the problems we encounter. Short men often have the upper body strength to cope with heavy lifting or pushing. Short women usually use both hands & find a way to pivot, using their hips.

In a tight space, this vacuum is extremely difficult to maneuver... not just because of the weight & suction, but also its height. If a taller person were to push it forward in a normal push-pull way, he or she would push it forward until the handle was at the level of their hip. That would probably move the vacuum forward by about 2 ft. Therefore, that is acceptable in a tight space. However, the handle is at my shoulder level. When I push the vacuum forward to the point where the handle is at hip level, that's 4-5 ft. Not so good in a small room.

This also means that I'm also at a disadvantage in maneuvering the machine. I seem to have to physically manhandle it a lot. I have to use both hands & unfortunately, wherever else I try to grab to gain leverage, I either turn something off or knock off an attachment. None of the tools have very firm places of attachment... & any place you need to put your other hand to help maneuver, something is there.

Another problem is that it easily tips over. Other vacuums that I've had, which have a hose for attachements, roll (like a canister) when you pull the hose during use. This vacuum has what looks like a nice long hose, but you cannot get further away from the vacuum than about 2-3 ft. The moment you begin to stretch the hose, the vacuum tips over backwards. I have had the handle strike me in the back several times.

Also, I have pets. For some reason that I have not yet figured out, the pet hair does not easily drop out of the canister. You can shake it, etc, but you always end up digging it out with your fingers. With my old Hoover, which seemed to have a similar design, the bottom of the canister opened & everything just dropped out... & the pet that I had then was a dog with a nordic undercoat. Perpetual dust/fur bunnies.

In short I would strongly recommend that anyone 5ft 4in or shorter look elsewhere.