A review or two of this machine would have helped me a lot, so I'll leave one hoping it might help someone out there who's trying to decide which carpet cleaner to buy.
We moved into our house four months ago. The previous owner had the carpets cleaned for us, but they already looked awful. She was very tidy and clean--no children at home--and we just really aren't. The carpets on the main floor are a very light Berber, so you can probably imagine how they were starting to look with an eight-year-old constantly in and out. And we aren't shoe removers.
My only previous experience with a deep cleaner was a 5-year-old Bissell that served my mom faithfully until it finally stopped working when I tried to use it a few days ago. I am convinced the water shooter thingy only quit because it was left filthy by the last person who used it and is probably clogged up with some nasty glob of disgustion.
Anyway, I needed my carpets cleaned and I needed it done soon because my in-laws are due for a visit in just over a week. I didn't have time to wait for Amazon to ship me a carpet cleaner, and I didn't want to pay someone half what this cleaner would cost to do it for me.
After reading many reviews, I was wavering between the Bissell 9400, the 9500, and the Hoover SteamVac Agility. I probably would have gone with the Agility just for the sake of price and the separate dirty/clean water tanks, but none of the local stores had it, and like I said I needed it now. Finally I wandered into a Linens `n Things and saw the Bissell 9500. It was priced higher than Amazon, but with a 20% off coupon it actually came out a little lower, even after paying sales tax. So I took it home.
I had absolutely no problems with assembly. It took all of maybe 5-10 minutes and a Philips screwdriver.
My first impression was Wow! Bissell has sure made a lot of improvements since my mom's machine rolled off the line.
The water tank is much easier to clean and use. The piece of plastic on the top where the suction takes place on the old Bissell was difficult to clean because it was attached to the main assembly, but the new one has the suction part on top of the water tank, so you can easily run water through it to get the gunk out. I'm a believer that you have to clean these things after using them if you want them to last. I also like that the water tank is made with Microban so I don't have to worry about bacteria building up in a damp machine.
I also like that this has a separate tank for the cleaning solution. I believe that with the Hoover Agility you have to mix the solution with the water, which would make it difficult to switch between cleaning and rinsing with water only. Rinsing helps get the extra soap out so you don't feel like you're walking on chemicals. I appreciated being able to choose between `heavy traffic', `normal clean', `light clean', and `water rinse' with the turn of a dial.
The `Clean Shot' feature, which I didn't think would be a big deal, actually turned out to be quite useful. Often I would go over a spot, expecting it to disappear, only to find it was still there. So, I would just hit it with a wallop of pure cleaning solution, clean another section for a few seconds, then go back over the spot. It really seemed to help get the peskier ones out.
On the old Bissell, the nozzles and hose were constantly falling out when you weren't using them because there was no way to secure them properly. I can't imagine that happening with the 9500; everything is secured with very tough plastic and nothing fell off while I was cleaning.
The attachments worked very well, by the way. One of the reasons I wanted this machine was that I wanted to be able to clean stairs myself. The TurboBrush was great. There's a switch that you can adjust between `brush'--an actual revolving brush--and `suction.' All the tools I used seemed to suction very well, another improvement over the old Bissell. The wide stair tool is nice for larger fields and the narrow tool is good for places like stair edges, where a wider tool might lose suction. There are a few tools I didn't use (crevice tool, squeegee, medium brush tool) because I didn't need them, but I might need them for instance when I clean the carpets in my truck, or when I clean my hard floors.
The only feature I am undecided on is the `Dry Aire' in which hot air blows out the bottom, supposedly to speed drying time. I didn't notice quicker drying and it makes a warm job warmer. But who knows, maybe it really does help.
My carpet looks wonderful. I'm convinced that if I spent more time on it, especially pre-treating, it would look even more wonderful, but who has unlimited time these days, especially with an 8-month-old? It definitely looks as good as when we moved in, maybe a little better. Like I said, the previous owner was very clean, so there wasn't a ton of dirt built up other than what we've brought in during these last four months. Nevertheless, there were plenty of times during my cleaning of high-traffic areas that I would see a distinct line between clean and dirty after the very first pass.
Overall the Bissell 9500 was easy to use, a pleasure really. It's not too heavy for me and I'm quite small. All the plastic on it seems very thick and durable, and it's even kind of pretty--an amazing machine.
I'll update this review if I have any problems with it in the future.
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Bissell ProHeat 2X CleanShot Upright Deep Cleaner, Red Berends, 9500Product Description: Using the power of heat, brushes, and cleaning formula, this upright home cleaning system removes deep-down dirt for a maximum clean. The unit's built-in heater heats hot tap water up to 25 degrees hotter for maximum results, plus it offers a no-heat option for cleaning delicate wool or oriental rugs. Choose between light clean, normal, heavy traffic, and rinse settings; the cleaner will adjust the right amount of cleaning solution to mix with the heated water. Its two DirtLifter PowerBrush rolls feature a bristle pattern that safely lifts out dirt while gently grooming carpet fibers. Tackle especially tough stains with the push of a button thanks to the CleanShot feature. It sprays a concentrated stream of cleaning solution, penetrating the stain and allowing for better cleaning focus. Simply spray and suction and the stain disappears. Even more, the unit's Dry Aire system spreads hot air across the carpet to help dry it.
Other details include floating suspension that self-adjusts to all carpet heights, a two-in-one water tank that keeps clean and dirty water separate, floor cleaning or above-floor cleaning with the turn of a knob, and deep-cleaning formulas with Scotchgard protector. Tools include a 3-inch tough-stain tool, a 4-inch upholstery tool, a spraying crevice tool, a 6-inch stair tool, a TurboBrush, and a mesh bag. Also included: a 16-ounce container of Fiber Cleansing Formula. Great for carpet, upholstery, stairs, and car interiors, the deep cleaner measures 19 by 13 by 44 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.
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I was impressed with the way it doesn't oversaturate the carpet (unless you just keep going over the area and pressing the squirt trigger a lot.) The suction is very good and the machine is easy to operate. The water is only as hot as you get out of your faucet however, but this was not a concern for me. 
