Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Vacuum (1650A)

Avg. consumer rating = 87/100 

The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser (model 1650A) is a bagless, corded upright vacuum cleaner.  As the name suggests it is designed for households with pets and while it can also be used on bare floors, it excels at removing pet hair from carpet.  Specialized features include an effective tangle-free brushroll, a system that separates hair from debris which helps when emptying the dust canister, a Febreze filter for removing pet odor, and a sealed filtration system.  These all work fairly well and result in a good pet hair vacuum, however this machine is quite heavy and the hose & wand assembly is a little short.

Quick Specs
Type	Upright
Bagged/Bagless	Bagless
Best for...	Pets, Hard Floors & Carpet
Pet Hair Features	Yes
Approx. Weight	18 lbs
HEPA Level Filtration	No
Power Cord Length	30 feet
Motor Driven Brushbar	Yes
Warranty	5 Years

 

Consumer Ratings
There are quite a few consumer ratings for the 1650A and we managed to find 594 which can be seen in the table below.  When averaged these result in an overall score of 87 out of 100 (or about 4.35 out of 5 stars).  This is above our site-wide average upright vacuum rating.  You may wish to compare this score with other uprights and you can do that here: upright vacuum ratings.

Source	Consumer Rating	#Ratings
Amazon	4.2 stars out of 5	212
Best Buy	4.6 stars out of 5	125
Walmart*	4.3 stars out of 5	112
Lowe's	4.5 stars out of 5	59
Kohl's	4.3 stars out of 5	72
Kmart	4.8 stars out of 5	14

*This is the 1650W which is the same as the 1650A but with a slightly diff color scheme.

Pros & Cons
A thorough analysis of consumer comments and reviews has provided the following Pet Hair Eraser likes and dislikes:

PROS
- Non-tangle brushbar works quite well
- Very effective at pet hair removal on carpet
- Febreze filter leaves air smelling fresh
- Sealed system helps retain particles
- Dust canister is easy to empty
- Reasonably long power cord

CONS
- Heavy machine
- Some folks complain of low suction
- Short hose/wand assembly
- Doesn’t easily get under low furniture

What Are Owners Saying?
The number one complaint with the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser 1650A is the weight.  Many owners report that it is a heavy machine to move and maneuver.  Some go as far as to say that it is tiring to vacuum a large house and that it can even strain the wrist after enough time.  As a heavy vacuum it can also be a pain if you have several floors in your house or apartment (as it has to be dragged up and down stairs).

Also, several owners have indicated that the hose and wand are on the short side.  This is something of a frustration when you try using the tools (especially on a longer flight of stairs) as you have to ensure you do not overstretch the hose and pull the vacuum over.  

While owner’s sing this vacuum’s praises on carpet, it is more of a mixed bag on bare floors.  There are a number of people who point out that the vacuum simply doesn’t perform well on bare floors.  It is not entirely clear if this is due to improper setup or something else.  We have seen comments about “scatter” while cleaning bare floors which would indicate that the user had the brushroll on - it typically should be off for cleaning bare surfaces.  It is also possible that “insufficient suction” could be the result of the nozzle height being set too high (nozzle height on bare floors is typically lower than on carpet).

With respect to vacuum suction, many owners report that it is fantastic while others say it is poor and renders the machine incapable of decent cleaning.  Bissell has responded to some of these negative reports with the following advice:

“It sounds like the lower portion of the upholstery hose it not fully connected. This video at the 50 second mark will help.”

We’ve seen reports that the turbo tool can stall if too much pressure is applied.  This is a “turbo” tool which means it is driven by vacuum suction and not by a motor.  These kinds of tools can still work well but their brushrolls do have a tendency to stall or slow significantly if they encounter too much resistance.  This is normal for a turbo tool.

Some feel that the nozzle head on the vacuum is on the small side.  This is neither a pro nor a con, or at least it depends on an individual’s preferences.  A small nozzle head does result in the need for more passes of the vacuum to cover an area, however it is also generally easier to maneuver and it is more able to get into tight areas and around furniture.

The most talked-about and liked feature with the 1650A Pet Hair Eraser is its ability to handle pet hair (which is a pretty important feature).  More specifically:
1) The machine is very capable at pulling up hair from carpet
2) The tangle free brushroll works very well
3) The cyclonic spooling system makes emptying the dust canister easy.

Many owners have highlighted the frustration of having to continually remove tangled hair from the brushroll of their previous vacuum – some say this was necessary after each vacuuming session.  Most owners agree that the 1650A has solved this problem.  The tangle-free brushroll design results in an almost hair-free brushroll after vacuuming, and while it may not be 100% tangle free (as it does occasionally need to be cleaned), it works remarkably well.  Also, the dust canister does separate hair from debris and collect the hair in a more emptying-friendly mass.  Folks have pointed out that they rarely need to put their hand into the canister to pull out stuck-on or clinging hair/debris.   Owners really can’t say enough about this vacuum’s ability to pull up and manage pet hair.

Other popular features highlighted by consumers include the fresh smell left in a room after vacuuming as a result of the Febreze filter, the fact that the brushroll has on/off controls, and the reasonably long power cord.

You can read more Bissell 1650A owner reviews on Amazon.

Details & Specifications
The following is included with the 1650A package:
•    1650A Pet Hair Eraser Vacuum
•    Febreze Pet Odor Eliminator Filter
•    Tool caddy
•    Manual
•    2-in-1 Dusting Brush
•    LED Lit Crevice Tool
•    Pet TurboEraser Tool

The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Vacuum (1650A) is truly designed for households with pets.  Features that make this an effective pet hair vacuum include the Tangle-Free Brushroll (which is also easy to remove for additional cleaning), the Cyclonic Pet Hair Spooling System for hands-free dust canister emptying, the Pet TurboEraser Tool, and the Odor Eliminating Filtration System that includes a sealed system.

The vacuum has 3 filters – 2 pre-motor and 1 post motor. One of the pre-motor filters is foam and the other is felt.  The felt filter is a Febreze Pet Odor Eliminator filter which leaves behind fresh smelling air (although the vacuum also comes with a standard felt filter should you not want to use the Febreze filter).  A fresh scent can be a nice benefit in homes with pets.  Both pre-motor filters are washable.  The post motor filter is pleated and is not washable.  You can tap it on the inside of a trash bin to remove loosely stuck on dust and debris, but it should also be replaced every 3 to 6 months.  None of the filters on this machine are HEPA grade.  Many homes probably don’t need true HEPA level filtration but some folks may want this (and it can be helpful if you have issues with asthma and allergies).  You can read more about this in our HEPA filtration article.

The 1650A has what is known as a sealed system.  Bissell calls this a “Smart Seal Allergen System”.  What this does is ensure that all the air entering the vacuum gets passed through the filters before exiting the vacuum.  There is no unfiltered air leaking from the vacuum casing or around joints or connections.  As a result, a sealed system, combined with good filtration, can really help clean the air in your home.  This approach is often sought after by those who have pets in the home.
 
Tools provided with the vacuum include:
- 2-in-1 Dusting Brush
- LED Lit Crevice Tool
- Pet TurboEraser Tool (air driven brushroll)

The dusting brush is used on the end of the handle while the Pet TurboEraser Tool and LED Lighted Crevice Tool each fit on the end of the handle, the wand, or the hose.  The LED Lit Crevice Tool gets good reviews and comments from owners but it should be pointed out that this tool requires batteries.  It takes two CR1632 3Volt batteries.  This is something of a surprise as our Shark uprights sometimes have lifetime LEDs built into the vacuum handle which illuminates a similar area when using tools. Bissell decided to provide the light on the tool itself which, unfortunately, has no electrical connection to the vacuum.

To use the tools the bright green knob/dial on the side of the vacuum must be turned from “Floor Suction” to “Hose/Tool Suction”.  You also want to ensure the brushroll is off.  It will shut off when the vacuum is locked in the upright position, but there is also a brushroll on/off switch beside the power on/off switch (we sometimes ensure it is in the off position just to be safe). 

The hose on this upright is 8 feet in length (which is fairly short) and it sports an 18 inch wand (which is also on the short side).  As a result the hose/wand/tool assembly cleaning reach is limited and as previously mentioned has caused some grumbling with owners.

The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser has swivel steering which allows one to change the direction of the vacuum by twisting your wrist.  This is a generally a good idea but its practicality becomes more and more limited as the vacuum gets heavier (it is tougher on the wrist).  The 1650A weighs in at a hefty 18 lbs and while it is not the heaviest upright we have reviewed, it is also far from the lightest.  It is indeed above average with most uprights today probably in the 13 to 16 lb range – and we have been noticing a tendency for manufacturers to make their machines lighter and lighter (see our list of lightweight vacuums).  As a result this vacuum may prove cumbersome for some folks. 

Also, the nozzle and dust canister are such that getting the vacuum under low furniture is not that easy.  One may have to resort to using tools to clean these areas.

There is a dial on the front of the vacuum nozzle that provides 5 different nozzle height settings.  This is helpful as it allows you to manually set the height of the nozzle above the carpet and it can be adjusted to get the optimal amount of cleaning combined with optimal mobility (for example, if you are having a hard time pushing the vacuum on carpet you can ratchet the nozzle up).  

Other vacuum features include a reasonably long 30 foot power cord (it wraps and is not auto-rewind), a 12.4 inch wide cleaning path width, and a dust canister with a volume of 1.5 liters.  The 1650A also sports a carry handle (which is helpful given the weight of the machine) and a soft bumper that helps prevent bumps or scrapes of walls and furniture.  

This is a UL listed vacuum cleaner and it carries a 5-year limited warranty.

Vacuum Cleaner Manual
The manual (or “User Guide”) for the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser 1650 series vacuum cleaner covers assembly, operations, maintenance & care, troubleshooting, warranty, etc.  You can see it here:  Bissell Pet Hair Eraser 1650 Manual.