Size and Appearance

Bissell 86T3 Carpet Cleaner

The Bissell 86T3 and BG10 are full-sized, upright carpet cleaners from a company that goes above and beyond to please customers. Each of these models are made of strong plastic, with a solid gray handle and a dark green color on the body of the mechanism. They each also feature translucent, white tanks so you can easily check how full they are to avoid running out completely.

The Bissell BG10 is slightly heavier than the Bissell BG10, but only by about 2 pounds. However, the cleaning path on these models is the same at around 10 and a half inches. These carpet cleaners are also corded, with a black cord on the Bissell 86T3 and a yellow cord on the Bissell BG10.

Power

These corded carpet cleaners both run on 12 amps of power. The power cord on the Bissell 86T3 is 25 feet. On the Bissell BG10, a pigtail 12-inch cord is featured, but surpasses the Bissell 86T3 thanks to the extension cord of 25 feet that comes with it. This is actually a good thing, with a lot of use power cords can get damaged. The ability to swap out an old cord for a new one will help you to avoid expensive cord repair.

Performance

Customers of both the Bissell 86T3 and the Bissell BG10 noted that these carpet deep cleaners did exceptionally well. Customers of both did note that they each have 2 motors (I came across some confusion about this). They noted that these units clean well, iron smoothly, and are rather easy to use despite being rather bulky. Unfortunately, this performance does seem decline as time goes on.

Cleaning

After turning the power and unplugging your machine, you should empty the water tanks (both clean and dirty) and rinse them with hot water. For the Bissell 86T3, it is also important to clean the hose, which can easily be done by simply removing it from the rest of the carpet cleaner and running water through both ends in a sink.

Capacity

Both units are dual tanks, one for clean water/solution, Both of these units has a tank capacity of nearly 2 gallons. Customers for both loved that the clean water lasted a long while when cleaning, which means fewer refill trips. One noteworthy complaint is that due to the placement of the tanks – dirty on top, clean on bottom – you end needing to remove both tanks to refill the clean water. However, I think just as many customers would complain if it were in reverse (I suppose a side-by-side would be best). The clean path that these models clean at once is the same at 10.5 inches. The hose on the Bissell 86T3 is 9 feet whereas the Bissell BG10 does not have a hose feature.

Durability

Most customers had many compliments about both these machines but, for some, durability was not among them. For both the Bissell 86T3 and the Bissell BG10, there are reports that after only a year or so of use, some customers found that these units break easily and their tanks start to leak. For the Bissell 86T3, though, this isn’t the end of the world since the warranty is five years. The Bissell BG10, on the other hand, is only covered for a year. This is certainly something to think about.

Click here to get more details on the Bissell 86T3

Click here to get more details on the Bissell BG10

Accessories

Each of these carpet cleaners features an accessory to make them easier to use. For the Bissell 86T3, this feature comes in the form of a 9-foot-long cleaning hose to attach to the carpet cleaner while a hose does not come with the Bissell BG10. The Bissell BG10 does, however, come with an extension cord of 25 feet to extend the attached short cord of only 12 inches. For stubborn stains, the Bissell 86T3 also comes with a stain tool that fits perfectly in areas that can be a little harder to reach.

Convenient Features

Bissell BG10 Carpet Cleaner

When in use, these carpet cleaners show off several features to help get the job done faster and better than their competition. Both feature an edge to edge suction, allowing you to get every corner of your carpet clean in one, easy take at it. They both also feature easy to see tanks, allowing you to check water levels easily. These tanks also lift out of the units to allow for easy filling and rinsing.

The Bissell 86T3 and Bissell BG10 are also convenient to store as well. With collapsible carrying handle, these large machines can be compacted a little smaller to easily fit in a cleaning closet or the like. Another convenient feature is that both these carpet cleaners are available for purchase rather than just rental.

Warranty

The Bissell 86T3 is covered by a 5-year limited warranty while the Bissell BG10 is covered by a shorter limited warranty lasting only one year. If either one of these products breaks with regular use or begin to show a factory defect, Bissell will help you to remedy the issue as soon as you contact them. The longer warranty of the Bissell 86T3 is important to note, since neither of these machines are noted for particularly durable.

Pros and Cons

Both the Bissell 86T3 and the Bissell BG10 are highly praised for a job well done. While they are both extremely hefty machines, most customers said that they were either worth this drawback or that they were easy to maneuver anyways. While they are both corded models, they also both feature exceptionally long cords so you aren’t limited to where you can work. The Bissell 86T3 also comes with a hose and a stain tool, unlike the Bissell BG10. However, this does make the Bissell BG10 slightly more budget friendly, but not notably so.

Unfortunately, these machines have some drawbacks as well. The most pressing complaint customers have is the poor durability of these units. Some customer reported leaking tanks or other breaking features due to a lack of durability that seemed to reveal itself after a year or so of use. This makes the Bissell BG10’s short warranty a problem, as the problems may occur once the warranty runs out. I would definitely be wary of this. Still, most customers seem to be happy with their choice overall.

Click here to see reviews and ratings for the Bissell 86T3

Click here to see reviews and ratings for the Bissell BG10