The Hoover F5914-900 replaced a Bissell 9400 Proheat 2x cleaner that we purchased in 2006. The Bissell was initially purchased because my wife really wanted hardwood floors, but all I could give her was a cleaner carpet. And it did a good job, especially in 2007 when we got our first dog. Since then I have used the Bissell on a monthly basis.
Unfortunately over the last 2 months the Bissell has been having difficulty sucking water back out of the carpet. Cleaning out clumps of hair and even taking apart the unit couldn't solve this problem so I picked up the Hoover SteamVac to replace it. This review is meant primarily to compare and contrast the two devices.
First off, the Hoover is significantly lighter than the Bissell Proheat. Unfortunately this is mainly because the Hoover is a whole lot flimsier. The plastic is thinner and the unit feels much less polished. The Bissell is also more maneuverable. Where I could bend the Bissell under a table, the Hoover just doesn't have the clearance to get in those hard to reach spots.
However, the old fashioned almost industrial shape of the Hoover offers several advantages over the Bissell. Whereas the Proheat 2x uses one container to house both clean and dirty water, the SteamVac uses two separate bins. This allows you to see how much clean water is left. With the Bissell I would sometimes work for several minutes on an empty bladder because there was no easy way to tell how much clean water was left while vacuuming. Emptying the dirty water is also easier without having to deal with a 2-in-1 solution.
While the effectiveness of the different brush styles (rolling versus spinning) is similar, their ability to deal with pet hair appears to differ. With the Bissell hair and carpet fibers tended to wrap around the rollers, whereas the Hoover collects hair around the outside of the brushes. In addition the SteamVac's brushes can be removed which allows for easier maintenance.
Overall both devices performed their duties well. On paper the Hoover appears to clean better, as evidenced by the amount of dirty water I pulled from a regularly cleaned carpet. However, the Bissell was aging poorly so those last few months didn't properly reflect it's cleaning ability. In the end I'd suggest the SteamVac over the Proheat 2x if you're cleaning up after pets. Otherwise the extra $50 for the Bissell will get you more features, better handtools, and a more refined machine.
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