Bissell ProHeat 2X Model 1986 Carpet Cleaner Review

Bissel has made several ProHeat carpet cleaners over the year, but one of the most recent is the Model 1986 carpet cleaner. It is available as a stand-alone carpet cleaner and vacuum cleaner and a pet stain and odor removal bundle that includes the same carpet cleaner. Let’s look at the pros and cons of this Bissell carpet cleaner before sharing a few observations. These observations about the Bissell ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro model 1986 are not clear pros or cons, but they may affect someone’s decision to buy this pet specific carpet cleaner, so we’re including them in the review.

Pros of the Bissell Proheat 2X

It comes with an upholstery tool that can pull up pet hair and remove urine and vomit stains. This isn’t available with most carpet cleaners, or it is an option if you pay extra for it.
The wide 11 inch path means you’ll finish a room in less time and may clean up small messes in a single pass. The side benefit of the latter point is that you’re less likely to spread things around while trying to clean it up. This Pro Heat model has better pickup, so you won’t have to make as many passes to clean up juice stains and pet messes.
The carpet cleaner itself comes with samples of the pet stain pre-treater and cleaning compounds. More importantly, the pet carpet cleaner has a large on gallon tank.
This pet carpet cleaner comes with reach. The 25 foot power cord means you’re not constantly unplugging and re-plugging it in. The eight foot hose allows you to clean drapes or the far end of the couch without having to move the vacuum cleaner.
The express mode cleans carpets so dry they’re walkable within an hour. You may need to make more than one pass to get the dirty water out of the carpet if you had to make more than one pass over a pet stain.

Pros of the Bissell Proheat 2X Pro Pet

The engine itself will overheat if you’re working on thick carpet and when it has limited air flow. The unit won’t stall, but suction will drop off until the motor cools off. The simplest solution is turning it off for a few minutes before resuming work.
The unit makes a high-pitched whine during normal operation. This is partially due to the belts. The sound will get worse before the belt brush breaks. When this happens, the belt isn’t covered by the warranty.

Observations

It is really only designed for stairs, upholstery, and low carpet. Don’t try to use this pet carpet cleaner on ultra-thick carpets. The suction is middling, so it won’t pick up heavy debris like pebbles or large crumbs buried in the carpet, either.

A common complaint is that the unit works best with hot water. The problem is that despite the Pro Heat name, there is no heater inside of it. Instead, you have to heat up the water before you add it to the machine. This is a hassle factor. However, you can’t pour boiling water into it or the engine will get hot.

The solution tank occasionally leaks. The problem gets worse as the unit ages. The problem is almost certain to occur if you have trouble assembling it. Note that if there is water in the unit when you received it, it is someone else’s return and the seals will have degraded.

The roller brush sitting on the carpet continues to run while you’re using hand tools. The problem is that this can rip up the carpet if you don’t stop cleaning the furniture to move the carpet cleaner. If the carpet cleaner is sitting on a hard surface or slapping on a hard object like a power cord, it will rip up the brush and wear out the roller belt. Never let it sit on hardwood floors. In fact, it should never be run on hardwood floors due to its steam output.

You cannot store the attachment hose on the machine, and the hose isn’t permanently attached. One solution is to disconnect and reconnect the attachment hose when you’re cleaning upholstery and stairs, but then you run the risk of making a mess with a wet hose. This is a step down from the old model that allows you to disconnect the hose from the vacuum while channeling the waste to the carpet cleaner’s dirty water tank.

Summary

The Bissell ProHeat 2X Model 1986 carpet cleaner is designed for light pet stains on thin carpet and upholstery. There are a few minor issues to be aware of. If you’re going to use it on floors and furniture it is designed to handle, it is an affordable, effective way to cope with pet messes and other spills in the typical home.