Side by Side Comparison of: Bissell vs Panasonic

I have a cat and a tiny studio apartment in Queens. Not the best mix lol. My floors are hardwood and the other vacuum I had just wasn't cutting it. This one is AMAZING. Gets in every nook and cranny pretty much and is super easy to use and walk around with it trailing behind you. The only thing is some larger pieces of dirt, like individual bits of cat food or litter (I use pellets) can be a little tricky to get up as you have to really make sure it's at the right angle if you have it on the standard brush attachment. But I would just take that off and suck up anything else if it didn't come up. Pretty quiet too compared to my other vacuum. Love it!

Great vacuum for cheap ($130+tax). We were a little worried switching from a stand-up to a canister but this thing works awesome. I have two dogs that shed a ton (80 lbs and 50 lbs). And this sucks up all the hair versus spreading it out like my old vacuum. You can go over hair forwards or backwards. The wand does extend if you use the gray plastic thing in the middle and pull on the two ends. I am 5' 11" and can use the vacuum fine with it fully extended. My wife is 5' 0" so she uses it on close to the shortest setting. The buttons on the handle are kind of useless as the batteries die fast. The cord is a hair short and the container is a little on the small side but these things are easily dealt with for the performance you are getting. Way worth it for the price to take the extra 30 seconds to dump it out or switch wall plugs.

Oh my gosh! I love this hard floor vacuum! I recently moved into a renovated 1956 home with the original hardwood floors throughout that had been beautifully re-finished. I wasn't sure how to care for them since I had never had wood floors before. Not wanting to scratch them, and after doing some research, I decided on this vacuum. I'm glad I did! It did a great job picking up dust, dog hair, and leaves that the dogs brought in on their hair. Not to mention that the brush on the hard floor head is very soft and the canister wheels are rubber, not hard plastic. My only complaint is the cord is very short. You won't be able to move from room to room easily without changing outlets. In my opinion, that is a small inconvenience to get such a great hard floor vacuum!

This vacuum has GREAT suction, which I was really worried about. I have many cats and lots of cat litter, and hard floors. The hard floor attachment has a rotating brush which my old (very old) vacuum did not. That rolling brush in combination with the great suction does an amazing job picking up everything! Cat litter, cat hair, etc. I was afraid it would suck the "wood off the floorboards..." You'll love this vac, I do! (Nobody is paying me to say that!) It doesn't spread the litter around at all, which some people asked in the questions section. I researched a lot of vacs and finally decided on this one. Even tho some reviewers said that the dirt cup is too small (true) and the cord is too short (I find it fairly sufficient), I was willing to compromise on those things for other features that I was looking for. Good luck!

WOW. I am so happy that I got this vacuum after doing a lot of research and reading a lot of reviews.I am attaching lots of pictures of this Hard Floor canister vacuum so that you'll see the wonderful features it has to offer.First of all, I didn't read the product specs when I bought it, and I discovered them as I was taking the vacuum and its parts out of the box. I expected a regular canister vacuum, nothing fancy. One thing that caught my eyes was the 2 AAA batteries. I have never had a vacuum that uses batteries. So I read the quick 3 step instructions on putting the batteries in the handle which has a built in remote that allows the user to control the amount of suction and to temporary turn off and on the vacuum. Impressive!! In order to use the remote in the handle, you will need to first turn the vacuum on by pressing the ON button on the canister. Then you can adjust the suction and turn the vacuum off/on using the remote in the handle. When you press the ON/OFF button in the remote to turn it off, you'll noticed that a light going back and forth on the canister, indicating that the vacuum is on, but in like a pause mode. This is the same light used to indicate the suction setting.Another thing that I really like is the canister for the dirt/dust. I thought it was going to use a disposable bag or one of those canisters that require me to scrap the dust off the filter in the canister, which is very messy. Well, this one is very well designed, and the dirt/dust is trapped in one side of the canister, and once the door opens, I can easily dump the dirt into the trashcan without having to touch the dirt, and no dirty filter to scrub either. Very nice!The first thing I noticed during set up is that the parts can be attached and unattached very easily. It is so user friendly. I don't have to push and pull the parts part. They click into place, and by pushing the button on the side, the parts can be slide apart with little effort. When I turn the vacuum on, WOW... so quiet! It makes me naturally handle the vacuum more gently. I turned the suction setting up to a 5. I can feel the suction on my hard wood floor, sucking up the dirt/dust/fur.I used the carpet part to vacuum the rug, and it seemed to do a pretty good job. I don't have any carpet in my house to really test it out. I used the hand tool with the brush to vacuum the runner on the staircase, and WOW, it sucks up all the pet fur with little effort. I have 3 cats and 1 little dog, and they shed a lot. I am really thankful that I found this vacuum, because it really sucks up all the fur, and my house looks and feels so clean.Although I have only used it once and only vacuumed 2 of the 3 floors and 1 of the 2 flights of staircase, I am amazed by how much this vacuum sucked up. Not sure where it found all the fur! LOLI hope this vacuum will hold up. I'll update this review if I ran into any problems. Until then... I am so happy with this vacuum, and the price is so reasonable for the performance I'm getting. No, I can get rid of the old canister and the new handvac that is underperforming.

So me and my wife live near a central shopping hub, you name the store we got it, from mom and pops to the big box stores. We bought 1 vacuum claiming it would do hard wood and area carpets tried it all it did was push the dirt around, back it went. Got a second one tried it and it would struggle on our tile to pick things up in the groves yet do ok on the hard wood floors, back it went. So I did some serious shopping and found this. I was not expecting much and just hoping it was a bit better from those others. Wow ot put those others to shame! My main level is 1200 Sq ft I have areas of tile and areas of hardwood and this thing handles it all. So with a normal vacuum you hear the head spinning with this the head is powered by suction now it is not like those you get on a vacuum for furniture powered by suction this works through everything. I have 2 german shepherds and this vacuum handles the enormous amounts of hair no problem. From dirt tracked in to dogs hair to flour it got it all without an issue. The baskets easy to empty and clean. With the area rugs it does clean them but obviously due to the tickets it doesn't use the head but at least you can pick up the stuff on the surface. I love that it has a holder in the back specifically for holding up the handle when your storing this. It also has controls for suction and power right on the handle without any cords running to the handle as it communicates through IR without an issue. The cord winds up ok as well no issues. Wouldn't trade for any other kind of vacuum for my hard floors. This is a must if you are have a place you hate sweeping and tracking the left over dirt.

My family has often used this type of canister vacuum growing up. I was worried about quality compared to what I was used to. This vacuum has been no problem for the past three years. It still runs well. I like the attachments. I don't have too much trouble finding bags (they go on sale on amazon from time to time). I usually buy them for $2.00 a bag or so. The pile height adjuster is broken (either permanently or temporarily; I haven't checked into it) but otherwise, I expect to keep using it. It's great in the car too. At three-and-a-half years, the cord is not retracting as well. It takes some effort for it to pull in. Once while using it, the wand would disconnect from the rug motor every time I pulled on it. I was not able to repeat that problem. I'm still happy with it.

I replaced my 17+ yr old Kenmore 360 Progressive with this vac. I give it 5 stars because it is (almost) EXACTLY the same product as the one I paid twice the price for many years ago. With the exception of the handle at the top of the wand where the switch is (the Kenmore is a higher quality) and this Panasonic model does not have the power indicator light but you can see the indent in the plastic body where it would be if it was a higher price. HEPA filter and everything else is the same. My old model was going to the dump for recycling but then I had the brilliant idea to try the new hose and carpet (beater bar) attachment on my old model. Eureka! LOL I now have two vacs that work. So the old model will go down to the first floor (it was the carpet attachment on the old one that was dead and why I was replacing it in the first place) and the new one will be upstairs. So win-win. All parts interchangeable. For this price it is a 5 STAR. How long it will last is unknown. It has a powerful motor and great suction, it is loud but not unusually so. Glad I got it after reading many reviews in all price ranges.

I have used Kenmore canisters for years and loved them. When my last Kenmore kicked the bucket I went to Sears to shop for a new one. I found the comparable model to be cheaply made, didn't like the attachments and too expensive. One of the Kenmore canister models that was most like my old one only had half the bag space. This Panasonic was exactly like my old Kenmore plus had one extra attachment my old one didn't have. It seems to be well constructed, was reasonably priced and uses the same bags I used for my Kenmore. I would recommend to anyone who loved the old model Kenmore and doesn't like the New models.

When doing my research prior to purchasing this vac I found that basically very little has changed in the world of vacuums. Self rolling cords have been around for decades as have multiple attachments, double motors, metal wands, lights on the front, ect. The one newer feature is the hepa filteration system, which has been around for a while. So why pay the huge price for the "elite" models like electrolux, dyson, or dirt devil? I found that this vac is almost one third the price of some of the other models. It does the job and I have not had any problems.
Pros:
Light weight and easy to move around the room
Easy to assemble and to break apart
The wands are metal with push pins eliminating the problems encountered with plastic wands
Any of a multitude of bags will fit including micro filter bags.
Small enough to move easily between furniture and will go beneath the sofa as well. My last vacuum wouldn't do that and so required extra work
The 24 foot cord allows vacuuming a large space without changing the plug to a new site.
Ride aboard attatchments sit beneath a cover so they stay in place and don't fall off while the vac is in use.
Will pick up large particles such as broken crackers or spilled cherios
Double motor-one in the body and one in the head
Three filters, hepa filter, bag, and motor filter.
Headlight
On/Off switch is on the handle
Handle is small enough to fit in the hand of a petite women (Look at the electrolux oxygen-the handle is huge!).
Uses a bag for dust collection. I don't like the bagless vacs and prefer a system which allows me as little contact as possible with dust and allergens.
Hepa filter has improved the air quality of my home.
Price is better hands down than any comperable vac on the market.
Good housekeeping seal of approval.
Large bags will hold a lot of dust and debris.
Bags are easy to change.
Switches easily from carpet to bare floors.
Cons:
The headlight turns on and off by itself which may be a problem if you want it on and the vac disagrees.
As far as I know there are no after market attatchments such as a power paw or extension wand to allow dusting of a high ceiling. The vac will take standard attatchments so other brands extensions can be used, however.
The cover over the extensions is a little difficult to open. I found that it is best to grip with both hands at the sides rather than one hand at the front.

Overall this vac is a great deal for the money and does what it is supposed to. It is easy to use and my carpet looks great after it is vacuumed. The air smells clean and my family is experiencing less problems with allergies. This vac was all sold out in my area and it is easy to see why. Not a problem as amazon was able to deliver one to my door free of charge in four days at a lower price than the local stores!

Of all our household chores I believe we all have at least one "favorite" whether it be laundry, ironing, cooking, vacuuming ect.. My favorite is vacuuming so that being said I have used so many different vacuums over the years from hoover, eureka, dyson, electrolux, kenmore, commercial, central vac's, ect. and my latest was Oreck before purchasing this Panasonic mc-cg902. I have to say this Panasonic amazed me. From using mostly upright vac's, getting used to a canister vacuum is not that much of an adjustment at all, I find it is actually easier. I believe canisters vacuums are so much better and the suction can't be beat by any upright I have ever used even the Oreck. No more having to use a different vacuum for stairs and smaller tight areas.

I have tested this vacuum on all my floors and even my couch. I have hardwood, laminate, oriental area rugs, runners, small door way throw rugs, wall to wall carpet, shag carpet and tile in my home as well as kids with their friends in and out & 2 dogs one of which is a pretty good shedder. Needless to say I vacuum everyday! The suction is so good that I only have to pass once and it picked what it should and including that pesky dog hair without sucking the rug into the vacuum, made the carpet so plush looking like brand new again with those great vacuum lines, beautiful! Unlike the oreck.. which I also had to continually run the oreck vac in the same spot over and over til finally I just bent over to pick up the random sting or scoop with my hand the dog hair the oreck vac wouldn't pick up. To me the oreck and the dyson is highly overated and overpriced. The dyson for me didnt pick up at all seemed it blew the dust and dog hair around.

This Panasonic Canister vac also is so convenient because of the onboard tools which I used every single one with no problems and great suction. Easy to switch to a tool for baseboards, steps or tight corners. As far as bare floor cleaning, the one thing that was dissapointing for me was the headlight turned off but the pickup was totally strong! Which was what matters to me more. Walking on the bare floor after vacuuming you definately felt the clean, smooth difference. This vacuum is also pretty quite, so much so you can have a conversation without screaming at each other while vacuuming or even without having to turn the TV volume up.

Purchasing from Amazon was also a great experience, shipping was so quick and great customer service, will use Amazon for future purchases without hesitation. Five out of Five Stars to Amazon too! I read all the reviews and they helped me with my decision so I Hope this review helps someone with their decision to purchase this amazing Panasonic MC-CG902 Vacuum too :)

This vacuum is very light and easy to move around. We were replacing a vacuum we had for many years - and some of the modern changes were to the negative, some to the positive. The cord is not as long as I would like - I am sure that is a safety feature added. The hardwood tool is not as 'fuzzy' on the bottom as I would like, but does the job well.I love the ease with which you can dump the vacuum - and change the filters. It is easy to carry up the stairs and the attachments are handy.

This vacuum is really lightweight. I had a Kirby Generation 3 before and was not expecting to be so happy with such an inexpensive vacuum. The suction on this vacuum is actually pretty good. We have hardwood floors throughout with a few rugs and this vacuum works very well for our needs. My only complaints would be the short cord (I have to plug it in in each room), the hose attachment is a little short for cleaning up high but the canister is really light and lastly the brush attachment is a little course. I would be worried about it leaving scratches. Thankfully I kept my old brush attachment.All in all I am very pleased with this vacuum.

Great bare floor vacuum. The turbine-driven floor brush is much more effective than the bare floor attachment on my other canister vacuum and the suction is very strong. I would not recommend this vacuum if you have a lot of carpets. The only reason that I am not giving it a 5 star rating is that the cord is at least 6 feet too short which means you have to frequently change wall outlets.

There's only one thing about this vacuum that is not good, and to me, it's a big one, when any part of the rotator of vacuum head comes off the floor (flat surface) the rotator stops turning and air suction stops. Therefore, if you have a hard to get to stop and need to angle the head you have no suction. In my opinion this is a big flaw. If someone knows how to change this setting, please advise me.

I just got this vacuum today and had to try it immediately. My first impression is that the cord is very short. I had to unplug it several times and move the plug to reach other areas. The vacuum is very small lightweight and easy to handle. It gets in tight spaces and has different suction power levels. However it did not pick up bigger solid debris very well. The rubber grip is a little rough on my hands so you have to grip it lightly. It definitely picked up all of the dirt and debris on my hardwood floors. It was really good against corners and against the wall. The retractable cord is very useful and has powerful retracting. It took me a while to get a handle on twisting the tube to get under furniture's but it works good under furniture. I have long hair and just like most vacuums my hair got caught in the brushes and now I have to remove the brush to get the hair out and it does not look easy to do that. Overall I am happy with the vacuum it's lightweight and gets the job done. I vacuumed the majority of the house in no time at all it is way easier than sweeping. I haven't tried the carpet yet but that's next. The carpet accessory doesn't have a rotating brush so I don't know how powerful it's going to be. The value is good for the money. This vacuum had good reviews in most places I researched that's why I bought it.

Does a decent to good job on floors, the floor attachment seems to be picking up all the dirt and debri on the floor with no problems. Small and compact but will cause tall people abit of bending down as another reviewer mentioned. I didn't mind it as much for a 850 ft apartment. I do feel the cord is abit shorter than standard ones as I had to connect it in various outlets throughout the apt to finish the floors completely. Suction seems good with all attachments. The carpet attachment worked fine in the bedroom as well as on a living room square rug.The stand bye button on the grip is nice and I found myself using it alot when i needed to move furniture and chairs around. The retractable cord is nice for storing. Speaking of that, upright storage is convenient but I can possible see the hose craking once its upright after afew month. I may just unplug the hose from the main canister when storing.Overall I'm happy with this sleek non cheap feeling canister vac :) Only real con is the length of the tube attachment (I'm 6' 2"). Wish it was at least 8-10 more inches.

I bought this vacuum 3 years ago. My household has 8 furry pets, one human with long hair, and one bald human with a lot of body hair. Basically, our house is a nightmare for a vacuum cleaner. This machine has held up very well! It handles our wood floors, lino floors, and carpet, no problem. It does a great job of collecting the hair and dust. The bags are super easy to change and hold a lot. The attachments are on-board which is a must for me, because I need to be able to switch to the hose and various attachments constantly if I am going to take the hair off baseboards and out of tight corners. This machine lacks nothing. It has never been serviced and (knock on wood), has never clogged or broken (despite one dig who does her best to shred her toys as often as possible).

I would give it 5 stars except it is heavy and kind of a chore to drag around. I hate canister vacs for that reason, but it is necessary in our house to have a powerful, versatile machine.

This is a great vac.

We are canister people. Uprights seem to be the most popular option, but we like the versatility of a canister. It's difficult to find a good quality canister outside of speciality stores, more so these days because it seems nothing is built like it used to, and this vacuum is no different. We've had 2 Kenmore canisters in the last 25+ years and they have served us well. The Kenmore models are actually built by Panasonic, so it seemed like a no brainer to stick with what works and go with this model. Although this vacuum is basically the same model that has been made successfully for years, it's obvious that quality has gone down a bit - the plastic is a bit softer, the power switch is cheaper feeling, the wand tube is a lighter guage metal and the parts feel like the molds used to make them have got sloppy from wear over the years... It's the model I'm familiar with, its just not as well made. Still, its not nearly as bad as cheap machines I've used and in comparison to what is commonly available still appears to be a good value. I just don't think I'll get 15 years out of this version. The weak point with this model is the electrical connections on the handle and power head - unfortunately a new hose assembly is virtually the cost of a whole new unit. I have also seen several comments that this current model may have trouble with an internal relay that controls the main motor inside the case, but fortunately I am skilled to repair that myself should it fail. I won't return this vacuum, but if I had known how the quality had dropped I may have considered going up to the next level of the German machines (though I understand that they aren't what they used to either, and they are significantly more expensive). I also considered a new model from the steam cleaner Vapamore (MR-500), but they have no history in the conventional vacuum market and its uncertain how long it would be supported if it is not successful and potentially decide to drop it, not to mention no stores carry it so I'd have to purchase on faith. So, I'll hold out hope the Panasonic holds up close to its ancestors, because this vacuum really is the best value canister vacuum among the competition - it has extraordinary suction, includes an electrically powered carpet head, HEPA filtering, convenient features like upright parking of the wand on the bottom of the unit so it stores in a closet nicely and overall handles just about any mess with ease. If only they still made them like they used to.

Update:
I've had this vacuum for 5 years and the switch problem seems to be completely gone (maybe it just needed to work itself out -- don't think it's happened in 4 years). Other than that, this vacuum has been really reliable and does a great job cleaning. I've never changed a belt, but have kept up with changing filters. It never kicks up dust and does well both on carpet and hardwood. I'm sure the hepa filter is doing a solid job because I have an air purifier that detects particles and automatically turns on. It never turns on when I'm vacuuming, even if I go right by it. The biggest issue I have with this vacuum is that it's a little too bulky so it's sometimes a pain to keep pulling the canister forward, especially around corners.

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Previous review from 2011

Soon after assembling the first unit, I noticed an intermittent problem where when the vacuum was on the "floor" setting on the three way switch (carpet/floor/off), and switched to the "off" position, the vacuum didn't turn off. Setting it back to the floor position, and then to off again did not correct the problem. I would have to switch to "carpet", which activates the roller, and then slide to off in order to turn off the vacuum. This would happen only sometimes, other times it would work fine. This is unacceptable for a $200 vacuum.

I ordered a second unit as a replacement, and the first time I plugged it in after assembling it, it turned on, even though the switch was in the off position. This makes me think that either Panasonic has some serious quality control issues, or that there is a design defect in the vacuum. The only contributing factor I could think of is that there is high humidity inside my apartment because of the summer and that is causing the switches to malfunction.

Overall, I'm happy with this product. It gets the job done better and more efficiently than the canister and upright vacuums I was using.Pros:- Off/floor/carpet slide switch is on the top of the handle - super convenient to run from rugs to bare floor and back.- Good suction - picks up small rocks.- The power head is low profile - gets under the toe kicks and sofa.- The long cord reaches several rooms, rewinds.- The extra floor attachment is ~9" and so gets into the nooks and crannies the powerhead won't.- The wand / powerhead clip on the unit when upright so it stores compactly in the closet.- Powerhead is light, a breeze to whip around the room, but see handle con.Cons:- The carpet height indicator is hard to see in anything but bright light.- The handle rotates freely 90d ccw, which is good for getting under the sofa if you're right-handed, but not so good if you're left handed. Also makes the power head harder to control when on rugs/carpet.- Tool & bag lids are hard plastic, meaning you'll have to be reasonably gentle with them.- The extra attachments, excepting the one for the floor just slide on, rather than clip.- the headlight goes off in the floor mode.- The powerhead doesn't get up the dust film on hard flooring when the brush is off. I got a 1-1/4" x 14" wide floor brush, which works great and is much lighter than the powerhead.Info:- This unit uses 3 filters: o Bag: 8" x 13.5" Panasonic MC-V150M | type C-5 | Kenmore 50558, 5055, 50557. # to a pack & bag material vary. o Hepa: 4 5/16" x 2 13/16" x 13/16", Panasonic MC-V194H | Kenmore EF-2 | #86880. 1 to a pack. o Motor protector: 5" x 5" x 3/8", Panasonic? | Kenmore CF-1. 2 to a pack.- Wand fits 1-1/4" attachments like 1 & 1/4 inches DELUXE FLOOR BRUSH for most vacuum cleaners.- Motor head is reasonably powerful, but less so than my old Eureka upright.- The powerhead roller has brushes on both sides, rather than a beater bar & brush.Update:I've used this unit 1x a week for 3 years or so now. Still working great.

This vac might actually be worthy of a 5-star review, but I haven't used it long enough to have that strong of an opinion, so I'm giving it 4 stars for now.

I never thought I'd buy a vacuum cleaner online -- I'm so picky about little things like ergonomics, how well it cleans, etc, and I know that shipping back an unwanted vac would be so expensive that I'd end up keeping a vac I didn't like.

However, I had looked everywhere in town for a vac that did well in Consumer Reports testing but didn't cost a lot, and I'd had no luck. So, I went ahead and took a chance on this vac; it did really well in the latest Consumer Reports testing and had overall good reviews on Amazon. (BTW, don't confuse Consumer Reports with Consumer Digest; the latter is basically paid advertising designed to look like tests/reviews!).

I've been using my new vacuum cleaner for a few days and really like it. I had a Kenmore Whispertone before that finally died and was surprised that this is almost identical - right down to the connecting pins! It seems just as solid in quality & construction as my Kenmore (which lasted at least 10 years).

The vacuum is a tad smaller and lighter (both the canister & the powerhead)than my Kenmore, which I like because it's easier to maneuver. However, if your house is all carpet (mine's 50-50 carpet & wood), you might prefer the deeper cleaning that a heavier upright has.

I ordered some pricey bags because I didn't think I'd be able to find Panasonic C-5 size bags in town (since I couldn't find a Panasonic vac cleaner). Turns out my old Kenmore Whispertone bags fit. You don't have to order the pricey Panasonic C-5 bags, just take the bag that comes with it to your local KMart or Sears and pick one the same shape.

Pros:
- Handle makes it easy to use on steps.
- Solid construction (steel tubes that really latch together)
- Good quality brushes (real hair bristles on the dust brush).
- Cord rewind button and it really works!
- Sturdy but not unreasonably heavy.
- Good Consumer Reports test results, especially on emissions (important in our house full of allergic folks!).
- Pretty standard canister bag shape.
- It also came with the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, which I didn't know.

Cons:
- Color is a dark maroon red, not a cheery red like I'd thought. Probably doesn't matter to most people but I have to store mine out in the open so I like happy colors.
- No "power paw" attachment (basically a small powered brush head) for getting pet hair out of upholstered furniture. Fortunately my old Kenmore one fits. But it would be better if Panasonic at least offered this as an accessory.

so-so. i loved it at first, but after a couple months there are 2 issues: 1, you have to move the cord way too much and i don't have a big house at all. 2, the wheels on the bottom of the hard floor attachment tend to leave marks on my hardwood. if i scrub really hard they come up, so i guess they aren't scratches per se, but its a pain in the butt no less.

I like the machine for my new hard wood floors but be aware that the warranty does not cover brushes and other parts. After only 8 months of use I have had to pay for an entirely new hard wood tool and the brush that goes in it because those parts stopped working. This entailed 2 separate phone calls to Bissell because the first person, who spoke poor English, did not understand what my issue was with the first call. Nice enough guys, but makes it hard for me to recommend a Bissell product. Also the company should stand behind it's product for at least a year.

The Bissell 1161 Hard Floor Expert does a good job vacuuming my hardwood floors and tiled kitchen and bathroom. I was a little upset at first when I noticed the Hard Floor head had brushes and was worried they would scratch my 90 year old floors. However, they are made from a soft nylon and seem to be very gentle.Pros:1. Lightweight2. Easy to change out heads and attachments3. Telescopic wand arm4. Adjustable suction control5. Takes up little space to store, especially compared to other canister vacuumsCons:1. Not very durable - battery cover keeps popping off2. Vacuum tips over if you try to drag it with you - found it is much easier to carry3. Small debris tank - have to empty after each room4. Minimal results on carpets and accent rugs5. Automatically turns on when plugged in (I would prefer to push power button first)Bottom Line:This vacuum does a good job on my hardwoods and tiled floors. However, I find it relatively useless on area and accent rugs. I have had success in using this to dust blinds and other surfaces. Not sure I would recommend to anyone unless they are on a tight budget. Not sure this vacuum will last very long and it doesn't seem to have great suction right out the box.

Seems like a good vacuum but disappointed in the lack of safety features for the battery cover on the handle. My small children like to try and vacuum as well, and when my 1-yr-old was pushing it around he dropped the handle and the cover popped open, shooting an AAA battery across the room. Yikes! Unfortunately I'll have to add electrical tape or something of the sort to keep the batteries secure and out of curious hands. Additionally, the cord is not very long. I can't even make it across our living room before needing to plug it in to a different outlet.

Works fine but creates a sort of suction on the floor so it only picks up what is directly vacuumed over. (Not a problem, just an observation.) The very, very short cord is mildly irritating. I have to plug it into 3 different outlets just to do the living/dining room area - and as mentioned by other reviewers, the dirt canister fills up very quickly.

This vacuum is fabulous for hardwood and tile floors, but it's absolutely terrible for rugs (even the flat, low wool ones). One major complaint we have is the size of the canister. We find ourselves having to empty the canister and empty the filter every single time we vacuum the house. It doesn't seem like that should be a big deal, but it's actually very inconvenient when you just want to vacuum a rug and can't get the vacuum to suck anything up. Another complaint is that the cord seems very short compared to other vacuums. We can't even make it across our living room or bedroom without having to change outlets. Such a pain! Just a couple feet more would make a huge difference.The long and short: this is great for smaller rooms with wood and tile floors, but I'd recommend an alternative if you have even the slightest amount of carpet, rug space or any larger sized rooms.

This is a great machine. It deserves a 4 or 4.5 except for what I consider some unacceptable operating conditions (for normal people).I love Panasonic…Great quality…last same vacuum lasted me 35 years and the bags are the same, as well as the basics.This machine has some new nice electronic/electrical features, like the re-sets and circuit protections and a couple of new filters.I have two complaints: getting the attachments on/off is impossible for any one except 150 lb athletes with strong fingers. The normal or arthritic house wife is not going to change attachments at all. Ok, maybe it is not done often, but it is murder.Second….just the opposite…the ON/OFF-Floor/Carpet Switch is so easy to move and so much under your fingers all the time, that it is always turning off or changing modes.Consider it a 4.5 for it's quality and performance; I gave it a three to get your attention.So, I love it (85 yr old ex gorilla), had it just for a day and will handle it, but NOT easily.

In general, it is fine. However, the angle of the trigger housing is not true vertical when used with the floor cleaning attachment. It is tilted slightly, approximately 10 degrees to the left. This will most likely present a problem for left handed users because your palm will be facing up. For me, I prefer true vertical but it is okay with a slight overhand grip. It is a design problem which Panasonic can remedy by moving the retaining pin to the right about 30 degrees which will allow it to swivel to the left and right. If you are a lefty, try and mimic the motion by angling your left hand slightly to the left and push outward. If it is uncomfortable, you may need to vacuum your floor with your right hand. This applies only when cleaning floors since the accessories can be used at any angleMaybe I got a bad extension set.

I bought this as a replacement for a worn-out Oreck canister vac. After some time living with it, I can say that the Oreck was quite the superior product.My biggest complaint is with the power head. It's too high to fit under the kitchen cabinet kick plates or other furniture the Oreck sailed under, requiring a lot more detail work with the other attachments. The head is heavier, louder, and it doesn't steer when you twist the handle - you have to muscle it to change directions. One of the small wheels on the power head has stopped turning.The handle on the hose doesn't seem to be ergonomically efficient - it tires my wrist much more quickly than just grabbing the hard curve at the hose end of the Oreck. I do like the power switch located in the handle. The metal extension is very hard to detach from the hose because the button is stiff and hard to depress sufficiently.The attachments are better quality, but they are difficult to access because of the canister door. The door curves forward of the hose attachment point on both sides, and as a result the hose is often in the way when trying to open the door. Also the grab point for opening the door is very shallow and hard to use except from just the right angle.My biggest safety concern is that, if you use the vac for a while with the power cord partially unreeled (so some of it is still stored in the canister), then unreel more cord, the newly unreeled part of the cord is extremely hot.All in all, it's much better than an upright (The Shark Rotater I tried was terrible) and it does the job (sort of) but, price point be dammed, I want my Oreck back.

Bought this model from Amazon to replace a worn-out but very similar Sears model. The Panasonic vacuum works well, suction is pretty strong, not too noisy, rotating brush does a good job on carpets. HOWEVER... ...after about 1 year, had same problem with ON/OFF switch that many other reviewers also had. The vacuum will not shut off unless you unplug it. I disassembled the wand and checked the 3-position switch with an electrical tester - the switch itself does seem to operate correctly. As another reviewer mentioned, removing the hose from the canister section does not stop the motor as it should. These facts point to a problem in the internal wiring of the motor unit, possibly a normally open relay that is stuck closed. I then opened the canister section (it's not obvious how to do this - you have to snap off the gray plastic cord rewind switch cover to access the screws, and it's really easy to break the hold-down tabs). Unfortunately, the amount of work needed to get at the circuit board under the motor is daunting, even for an eager do-it-yourselfer like me. I just didn't want to open that can of worms. And I wonder whether you can buy the replacement part, even if you get that far. Anybody actually accomplish this?Panasonic should be ashamed. Such a simple problem in an otherwise good unit spoils its value.

I bought this vacuum less than a year ago and in that time the off/on switch has failed. So, to turn it off and on, I have to unplug and plug it in to the outlet.My husband took it apart and tried to fix the switch but that did not work.We contacted Panasonic, hoping they would just mail us a switch which we could install. They would not. Since there is not a repair center in our city, we will have to cover the cost of shipping the vacuum to their repair center.This is a disappointment. Such a switch should not have failed in less than one year's worth of light usage. To make it worse, Panasonic will not help with the shipping cost of such a heavy item.

I bought this vacuum to replace an almost identical sears model that, after 20 years of reliable service, burned out the main bearing in the motor.When I first received and used the panasonic vacuum I was delighted. It is powerful, light weight, convenient and easy to operate. The problem developed within a week of usage. The power switch on the handle no longer turns the machine off. The problem is not in the switch, but, I'm guessing, it's the relay or some other internal part. I removed the vacuum hose that includes the switch and the machine continues running.I am not going to contact Panasonic. I will fix it myself once I am certain of the problem. It is really annoying to buy a new item and have to repair it only after one week of use! I guess it's hard to find reliable products these days.

Save the money and put it towards something better. Suction is subpar at best, I find myself having to pass several times to pick up debris if it doesn't then taking off the floor head and using the open pipe to get it. The powerhead attachment, or whatever they call it, is useless. Never picks up on the first pass...or second...third if I'm lucky. Canister is light and so you have to hold it down to pull cord, if not it will follow you to the socket. And the power cord needs another few feet to avoid having to unplug it so frequently. The hose is a little too short but it's not terrible. The handle controls only work while it's plugged in, and you power it on with the foot button on the canister–once you disconnect it, you default to having to turn it on with the physical switches again. The power level buttons on the handle, in my opinion, are backwards. The increasing of power should be on top, and the decrease on the bottom. I often find myself mistakenly pressing the closer button (power down) and having the vacuum lose a bunch of the already minimal suction. Would make more sense the other way.I will probably give this one away sooner rather than later.In all, I bought this in the hopes of finding a bargain, but no avail. If I had to do it over again, I would save up and buy a better product. But if you need to clean very small spaces and don't want to spend a lot, then maybe try it out. But look for other options first.

Initially I thought it was the best vacuum cleaner I had ever purchased however, a few months later it is working at about half power even though I keep the head and the filter clean. Unfortunately the filter is not one that you can take out and rinse you have to actually buy a replacement so unless you want to buy a new head and filter every six months I would recommend purchasing something else. I'm now in the market for yet another new vacuum cleaner

Pros:Quiet, decent, adjustable suctionBag-free canister easy to emptyCons:Cord too shortThe bare floor vacuum head has to be kept at an awkward angle in order to function.Does not store well, i.e., the wand/head falls down unless it is leaning against something and in a particular way.The carry handle for the base is awkward and makes it difficult to carry one-handed.

SCRATCHES the Hard Wood Floors. They claim it doesn't, and it has felt wheels which is why I bought it. Well, sorry 4 wheels are plastic and two tiny ones are felt. That's six wheels that make indentations and marks in the floors.:/Suction- It couldn't pick up a small pebble, dragged it across the floor making a huge scratch.:)Quite operation sound! Seriously, is it on?! This is its only plus!:(Small container which is hard to clean out all the dust and dirt due to the compact design.$$Want to return but too far past the purchase date:( Waste of Money.

I returned this vacuum after several weeks using it every couple of days. Although it has many nice features described in more positive reviews, my main reason for returning it was that it scratched my floors in several places (both recently refinished red oak and older hardwood floors). This vacuum sucked up more fine dust than any other I've used. I found the cup too small to hold all the dog hair from two dogs over about 1100 square feet (every two days), though I didn't mind emptying the cup halfway through the job. I did like that most of the cup is washable except for the paper filter. Finally, it is a bit heavy and awkward to use in part because of the big handle and the attachments clipped to the hose.

The electric cord is short.The accessory attachment holder is in the way when you disconnect the vacuum tube and want to use as a short hand vacuum.The vacuum foot is larger than my other vacuum and does not fit in spots that my old vacuum did, hence the short hand vacuum problem.The rotor brush only works when on solid floor so to pick up larger debris the suction hole needs to be over the debris. The vacuum foot will not suck it up because the brush is not rotating and gets in the way.It does have good suction and the reduced suction is needed for carpets.I have used it 4 times and it still smells like toxic fumes are being emitted when the motor heats up.I wish I had put more research into this before I purchased.

This vacuum cleaner is awkward and cumbersome to use. I would NOT buy it again,indeed am thinking of getting rid of it, trying to trade it in. I used a heavy upright Kirby vacuum for years. When I downsized to a small apartment without carpet/rugs, I no longer needed such a heavy duty machine. This machine is more awkward to use than my Kirby. The only plus is that it is quieter. I do not recommend it.

I was happy with all of the features and performance straight out of the box.After 3 months and only a handful of vacuuming sessions the motor burned out. I'm passed the Amazon return window, so now I need to deal with Panasonic customer service, which I've read could use a reputation boost.

I purchased this vacuum cleaner in the late summer 2011 and it worked great for the first year and 1/2. After about 2 1/2 years now it is just about dead. First the front wheels fell off, first the right, then the left. Every time I popped them back off they just came off again.Next, the hose broke clean off during a routine vacuuming! My husband re-attached that using electrical tape, and it worked fine for another month. Soon after that, when I pulled back on the handle during normal vacuuming, the power would waver on and off. Today it just completely died. I'm sorry, but vacuum cleaners, ESPECIALLY those that receive the "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval", should not fall apart after 2 1/2 years of ownership!! I plan on complaining to the manufacturer.

Loved it for the first few months that I've had it, one of the best that I've had in recent years. The issue that I have now, is that the dowel pin/power brush is warped. The bigger issue, is trying to get a hold of Panasonic's customer service/warranty support. They require you to send a proof of purchase, which I have no problem with as this was expected. The big problem is, they appear to have a completely different firm handle their emails and fax (as a rep has told me). I've sent the necessary information, and they've told me that they received it. However, they still never called after saying that they would have a supervisor call me (over 1 week later).So I attempted to call 3 times. The first time, i was hung up on after I responded with "Hello, I have a pre-existing case...". The other 2 times, the reps picked up the call, but didn't bother to say anything. You could hear them in the background, but they wouldn't say anything. This is unacceptable, and no one should have to go through this.Update - So I forgot to update on this. I had to actually have my mom call. She had absolutely no problem with getting them to work with her. It was as if the second my number showed up on their caller-id, I wasn't going to get any help from them at all. Just know that if you are calling towards the end of a business day, they WILL push you off the phone and tell you to call back (or just hang up on you like they did to me). In the end, I had to drive 5 hours to drop off my vacuum to my mom, just so she could have someone drop it off at the nearest authorized Panasonic service center (about 6 hours away from where I live). And then they sent it back with a damaged hose, so I couldn't even use the vacuum!!! I called the service center to complain about that, they had a brand new one 2 day shipped for free. USUALLY they blame it on the shipping company, but I didn't get any hesitation from the service center to make this situation right (I was thrilled about that... no additional hassle to fight between them and shipping company!!!). I have been vacuuming since, reliable ever since. Who knows why the darn beater bar warped, but it'd be easier to just buy a new one rather than fight for warranty like I did.

EXTRA, EXTRA Read all about it.Panasonic 902 Vacuum cleanerThis Vacuum cleaner sucks and sucksThis is a nice Vacuum cleaner; it has all the normal attachments including the motorized carpet/floor cleaner.It does NOT come with the small Turbo nozzle or the Telescoping wand. The telescoping wand would have been nice for someone like me that is over six foot tall. It has lots of power and picks up dirt very good when it works!!Pros:Nice full size vacuum cleaner, I love the color (Dark Red/Maroon)Lots of power,24 feet power cord, you can easy clean two rooms from the same electrical outlet,Cons:The slightest tug or twist on the hose where it attaches to the main body shuts the vacuum down, it constantly loses power. I do not know yet if this is due to sloppy manufacturing or if this is a design flaw. When I have time, I am going to check and see what the real problem is and then attempt some “Southern Engineering” to fix it. Because of this problem, I am taking away three stars.Ordering, shipping, and delivery from Amazon were as always, Flawless. Five stars on that.

I got this vacuum after initially purchasing another brand and sending it back. This is exactly what I want a vacuum to be. It's lightweight to pull around. I had a similarly designed Hoover for 15 years and this is as powerful as it was, but much lighter and easier to maneuver. Cleverly designed so the handle can rotate to go under beds, etc. without too much stooping on my part, which is good since I have issues with my back. Best of all, it has really powerful suction, even on my deep pile carpets. It was also very easy to put together - I was able to put it together without help from my husband, who gets called in on the tough jobs. It would have gotten 5 enthusiastic stars from me, except for one minor design flaw. I like to use the brush attachment for dusting, but this b rush is so wide and narrow (what was wrong with round brushes?) that when you turn on the vacuum, the suction causes the soft plastic of the brush to close up completely! So basically, the brush tool is useless. I had to use the one from my old vacuum cleaner, which fit snugly enough, even if it doesn't clip into place. Overall, I would still buy this vacuum again, but I will be looking for a better designed brush attachment.***************Revised 02-14-12******************After only a year of very light use, this vacuum cleaner blew a relay. I have a cleaning service every other week who use their own vacuum, so I maybe used this cleaner 10 times or so over the course of the year. The relay costs over $125 to replace, and the repair shop couldn't even find one. Every place is sold out of them, which would suggest these sweepers blow them a lot. Must be some sort of design flaw. I will be getting a Hoover next time around.

This is the worst vacuum I ever used. I vacuum every one to 2 days and have mostly hardwood and ceramic floors. It picks up the dirt, but I have to clean the filter at least twice during vacuuming and I also have to use a skewer to reach the dirt that gets trapped between the filter and the side of dirt tank. If I don't stop and do this, there is no more suction. Also, the cord is way to short. I have to use an extension cord. To cut down on the frequent cleaning of the filter and dirt tank, I now use by black and decker handheld for some of my vacuuming. It does a much better job than the bissell for half the price!

Fairly useless. It's quality on hardwood floors can best be described as "meh", and it doesn't clean up a damn thing on rugs with the attachment. I have to empty the cartridge every five minutes it seems because it's so small, and the filter has to be cleaned with every use, because if you have a pet it will get covered in hair almost immediately. Not a fan.

the roller quit working after the 2nd use. would love to return or exchange it but too late now. don't buy

While the vacuum can clean, the handle is not designed well. The buttons are placed such that one repeatedly turns the power down while one is trying to vacuum. Also, it is very clumsy to handle. Further, it is IMPOSSIBLE to clean the filter and other removable insides. I wanted to like this vacuum, I tried. For 6 months I tried to like it. I DON'T LIKE IT AND I DON'T RECOMMEND IT.

This broke after 3 months of use! Just took it out for my weekly vac, and after plugging her in she won't start. I've just checked the Amazon site and unfortunately it seems unable to be returned since the return window has closed. Anyone with any suggestions please reply. After almost 6 years of deliveries this is the FIRST product that has failed it's reviews.

The suction on this vacuum is extremely weak. I had to go over spots which had cat littler 20 times before it picked some of it up. For the most part, I have to use the hose directly against the pieces of dirt to get it to pick it up. I empty the dirt container and clean it out every time and it still doesn't help. I wish I realized it soon ( I wasn't using the vacuum for a while) and now it's too late to exchange it for something better.

Disappointment! This has to be returned for multiple design & ergonomic flaws. The "power nozzle" weighs not quite 5 lbs and is clumsy, so envision vacuuming with a 5-lb bag of sugar on the end of the tube. The floor brush has almost no bristles, but the big problem is it has no gooseneck, just a straight neck, connecting brush to tube. So the actual floor brush never sits entirely against the floor. The attachments are on top of the machine under a thick plastic cover--but the handhold to open it is too small and awkward. Get ready to break some fingernails on that one. Worse, you have to open not only the accessory cover but also lift up all the accessories to access the dust bag. And, when you open it up, the accessories all fall out. I bought this after my old Hoover WindTunnel quit because I still like a canister vacuum for my fringed rugs and hardwoods (the power nozzle eats fringe and cannot be opened to remove it). I also didn't want to get into the over-engineered $8 apiece bags, since I use around 25 a year ($200 in bags!!). Life has enough frustrations not to have your vacuum frustrate you every time you use it.

I have used this vacuum less than 2 years and the handle and on/off switch no longer works. The only way to turn the vacuum on or off is by plugging it in or unplugging it which is very inconvenient. The hose can be disconnected from the canister and it keeps running which is a potential safety issue. After reading previous reviews mentioning the same defect it appears to be a broken relay in the canister. One of the reviews mentioning this was on Nov 30 by Douglas. Someone else repaired the relay and was successful. There are no Panasonic service centers in Ohio and it's probably not worth the cost to get it repaired anyway. I also purchased the MC-CG917 "OptiFlow" at the same time. The switch on it is still working. I wonder if the parts are the same or higher quality in the MC-CG917. I really like both of these vacuums to replace my previous Kenmore progressive canister vacs. Many of the parts are interchangeable so I am saving the still functioning Kenmore's to use for parts. I miss the nicer upholstery and dusting brushes from the Kenmore's so I just use those and order Kenmore replacements. Overall, I am just unhappy because the older Kenmore vacs made by panasonic were much higher quality then they are making today. I hope they have corrected this defect by now because there are many reports of this problem but, it might be something to check into.

Every time I read reviews before buying a product, I read the lowest ratings and think "that can't really break immediately" or "I'm smart enough to not complain about assembly." HOWEVER, this vacuum is 3 months old and will not turn off!! That's the same complaint I didn't believe when reading reviews. Also, the nearest service center is 116 miles away, like everyone else said. There is nothing to do but drive or ship. I guess I'll just deal with my $200 vacuum being broken already and maybe file a claim closer to the one year warranty mark, in case something else breaks, too. (also, my wheel fell off the front as mentioned in other reviews, too). ugh

I never write reviews of products but I feel compelled to this time because this machine has been such a disappointment. the power nozzle broke within 8 months (after light use and gentle care) and I brought it to a service center to be repaired and it's been close to 2 motnhs and I have an ongoing complaint with the better business bureau, but still have no vacuum cleaner. I would strongly recommend against buying this product - not because it doesn't work well when it works but because when it breaks - and it will inevitably break - you will have extreme difficulty in getting it repaired.

Having used an upright vacuum for the past few years, we were very excited to finally have a cannister vacuum again. However, before the machine was ever plugged in the pile height adjustment quit working. We phoned Panasonic expecting a gracious apology and to be told to send the machine to them (at their expense) and for for them to rush another to us as soon as the defective one was received. Sadly, that was not the case. We were told that we would need to send the machine to a service center, at our expense. That would mean not only incurring the cost of shipping, but also waiting for the machine to be repaired, and then having a vacuum that been repaired. It was simply not acceptable. Thankfully, Amazon has a very easy return policy and we shipped the machine back for a full refund. We will be researching for another brand to purchase. We certainly understand that mistakes sometimes happen and had Panasonic stood behind their product, we would have gladly given a very positive review. As a result of our experience, we give the vacumm and company one star (only because there is no way to give a zero rating).