Who is it for? Commercial or household use- or both?
Designed for commercial use, but also sold in some household markets.

How much does this unit cost?
This unit retails between $175 and $215 US.

It is currently available from Amazon.com for $185 US and that actually includes Free Shipping. (Offer valid at the time of this writing.)

Tell me some of the technical specifications.
From a technical perspective, this unit was designed for large carpeted areas i.e. no bare floors.

With that in mind, it is equipped with a 5-amp motor, 6 different carpet heighs, and some tools for getting dust out of the carpet and air (“E-Z Kleen”). The power cord comes in at just 30 feet long and the cleaning path is the standard 12 inches. This unit also has a bumper to protect furniture and other items that might get in the way of a diligent cleaning lady.

The unit is easy to manuever at under 18 pounds and measures a size of 13 by 14 by 46 inches.

Does it come with a lifetime warranty?
No, a lifetime warranty is not offered. In its place, you get a 1 year warranty from the manufacturer.

What kind of feedback is this model getting?
Mostly good feedback. Users have noted that the C2132B commercial vacuum cleaner bags (actually cups) are easy to find, the units consistently pulls dog hair up from the carpets, it’s good for any simple large carpeted office area, and it just does what it’s supposed to for a vacuum cleaner – that is to say, it cleans the carpets well!

However, the capacity of the unit is not as big as some would like.

Summary:
All in all, this is a no-frills unit that does what it does at a good price. If you’ve been frustrated with the lack of good clean carpets that low priced household vacuum cleaner will get you, you’d do well to spend a little bit more money and purchase a unit like this, which we’d consider more of light commercial vacuum cleaner (note the 5-amp motor and only a 30 foot cord, which are both on the lean side for sure when it comes to commercial vacuum cleaners) or a very heavy duty household vacuum cleaner.

So – what are we working with here? What’s this cleaner look like for starters?
Brace yourself for this title: this is the “Bissell (V03 Max-Glide Clean Air Vacuum, Powered By Rubbermaid Commercial Products.” Or maybe it was the other way around. Either way, we’re looking at an 18 pounds commercial vacuum cleaner connected to both Rubbermaidn and Bissell. Visually this is a pretty standard looking upright vacuum cleaner, made in a dull grey color.

Who is it for? What’s the target market?
This is marketed for heavy duty commercial use but wanting not to limit themselves, Rubbermaid/Bissell make mention that this is also suitable for household use as well. It’s being branded as essentially a low-grade commercial vacuum cleaner without all the bells and whistles, one thats good for both household and commercial use.

How much does it cost?
The Bissell 9V03 sells for around $200 US.

It is currently offered at $150 from Amazon.com and comes with Free Shipping. (Valid at the time of this writing.)

Tell me some of the technical specifications.
The 9V03 is powered by a 12-amp motor. It was designed with safety in mind, using flame retardant plastic along with heat-resistant bearing. The brush composites are made of high grade carbon to last a “long time.”  It’s lightweight at 18 pounds. There’s also a 5 foot hose to help reach those trouble spots. The power cord is 35 feet long, a bit short for our tastes (5 feet shorter than the Eureka C5712A) but still a certainly a decent reach, absolutely enough for household use and decent enough for many commercial lengths as well.

The cleaning path covers a 12 inch area and offers 5 different heights so you can tailor your cleaning efforts to each individual environment for best results.

This model uses vacuum cleaner bags – i.e. it is not a bagless vacuum cleaner. (Typically a plus in our opinion. More on that in another article. )

Note that this model is considered very quiet. It’s unfortunate there’s no standardized volume scale fro which to measure and contrast these claims. But for what it’s worth, most users have noted how quiet this vacuum cleaner is.

Does it come with a lifetime warranty?
No, there’s no lifetime warranty, yet there is a 6 month warranty.

What kind of feedback is this model getting?
The feedback from this model is very good. Users actually note they’ve been able to vacuum and not wake up the dogs. Repeatedly people note that this vacuum cleaner does what a vacuum cleaner is just supposed to do: it cleans carpet.

Summary:
Under $200, a discounted value product, quiet enough to use around sleeping dogs (!), and no bells and whistles. 6 months warranty. A pretty good deal if you can get it for $150-200.

So – what are we working with here?
Here is truly a low priced and unique upright vacuum cleaner that’s designed to be for both household and commercial use. The Portapower Commercial Vacuum Cleaner comes in at under $150 (and even much cheaper at Amazon -  only $119) and – brace yourself – it  is incredibly light weight, weighing in at just 8 pounds!

The unit itself is black, grey, and red.

Who is it for?
In our opinion, this vacuum is best sold for heavy duty household use or light commercial use. If you run a small business and need a reliable vacuum cleaner, this will do the job. If you run a cleaning business, it would be best to invest those dollars in a more long-term, heavy duty vacuum cleaner.

How much does it cost?
The Portapower retails for around $150.

It is currently on sale at Amazon.com for $119. (Prices valid at the time of this writing.)

Tell me some of the technical specifications.
This is compact unit, as mentioned, weighing only 8 pounds. It is equipped with a 2.2 peak HP motor and also doubles as a blower. The bags used are 3-layers, which means you won’t have to replace it as quickly as usual. The design lends itself towards mobility; you won’t struggle moving this vacuum cleaner up the stairs as much as you will with most upright models.

The unit also comes with a variety of tools: such as the crevice tool, wall/floor brush, dusting brush, furniture nozzle, rug/floor nozzle, two chrome wands, storage strap and shoulder strap.

Not that this unit also works very well on bare floors without carpets, such as hard wood floors.

Does it come with a lifetime warranty?
No information at this time is available on a warranty being offered or not being offered on this model. If you have purchased this unit, please add a comment (comment form is below this post) as to whether or not you were able to get a free warranty with your purchase, or if a paid warranty was offered to you as well.

What kind of feedback is this model getting?
Users note that this unit is VERY portable, offers good suction, remove cat and dog hair easily, and is relatively quiet. At Amazon.com’s price of $120, this is a steal for a solid household use or for a light commercial vacuum cleaner.  Many users find this to be a great vacuum for small places in which you need a good cleaner but don’t have a lot of room to store it.

So what it comes down to is better and stronger durability; the lifetime of the parts in a commercial vacuum cleaner must stand up to much more wear and tear over the long run. Further proof to this point is that carpets in various businesses are more likely to get dirtier than household carpets. For instance, if you’re standing in a line at a FedEx, imagine the dirt and whatnot that gets in the carpet from your shoes. Imagine you were in the snow before that. Throw in a little mud too. Now think of all the other people in line, and how this formula for tracking dirt in on the carpet repeats itself 365 days a year. So not only will the commercial vacuum cleaner need to last up to daily or semi-daily use, it’s going to have to pull more dirt out of the carpet as well!

Unfortunately, a high end commercial vacuum cleaner can also be at the high end of the wallet. And while there are vacuum cleaners on the lower-end of the scale that offer value, you might want to consider purchasing a used commercial vacuum for a fraction of the cost. Why? Well, obviously to save money first and foremost, but here’s something else to consider: commercial vacuum cleaners are designed to last through many, many, many hours of use. You should be able to squeeze many years out of a good vacuum cleaner even if it is used on regular basis. This is, assuming of course, that is has been well maintained. So if you can find a well maintained commercial vaccuum, the end result will be the same: you’ll have clean carpets, and a good cleaner. (Of course the big difference is you’ll have saved some cash!)

The best two places to hunt for a used commercial vacuum cleaner are probably the most obvious. If you live in a city of any considerable size, there is going to be a vibrant Craigslist community for your city. It is highly likely you can find someone selling a used commercial vacuum cleaner here. Beyond this, you might want to check in with any local stores that service vacuum cleaners. They’re likely to also sell used ones or direct you to someone who does. (Most likely though, anyone they direct you to or if the shop themself sells used cleaners, they will be posting on Craigslist too.)

When you buy something used, be it a car or a vacuum cleaner, the most important thing is to figure out if it’s been well-maintained. This is part science, part trust, and part art. Buying from a reputable dealer – such as someone who fixes commercial vacuum cleaners, is our suggestion for your first place to seek out a high quality item. You are much more likely to get a good deal from a business which knows and understands how to replace and clean parts (and service the cleaners in general) than from anywhere else. If you’re buying person to person, you’ll have to act much in the same way you do when buying a used car this way – you check the item out thoroughly with a visual inspection and a test drive, and you try and scope out the person for all the details relating to maintenance and previous problems and history. If you’re spending a lot of money on this item, it could be worth it to take it to a service center and spend a little bit of money to ask what they suggest should be fixed or replaced soon.

If you have the time and resources to seek out a used commercial vacuum cleaner, do your research, and you’ll get a great deal. Happy Bargain Shopping!