Bissell LGM - What a let down

[cnfowler]

(I am not new to carpet and upholstery cleaners, just new to the LGM. I feel I have a pretty good understanding of how to use a cleaner since I've been using various other brands for a couple of years)

I must have bought a dud. A few weeks ago I purchased an LGM from Wally World. I was all excited after reading post after post for months and months about how the LGM was just awesome. Heck, even Nick Chapman used one forever. So I excitedly fired the thing up and reached for the first thing I could clean. My hands landed on my 3 year olds upholstered rocking chair that was recently attacked by peanut butter. ...To make a long story short, it barely extracted any water. The LGM had very little suction and the chair was left soaked. I could have done a better job with QuikOut and a towel. I was very disappointed to say the least and promptly packaged it up and returned it.

The only thing I can figure is I bought a dud. I can't imagine using this on the upholstery and carpets of a vehicle. Scratch that, I wouldn't dare use this on a vehicle. I don't see how anyone could use this, especially on a customer's car. I would have to tell them "don't use your car for a week. The carpet needs time to dry".

Should I go buy another one? I'm leaning towards buying a full size unit that can be used in the house also. I've had good results with the Hoover brand whole house units.

Colin

[Mike Phillips]

Re: Bissell LGM - What a let down

Have you called their Customer Care department?

Hmm... wonder if they have a forum?


From all the raves about this machine over the years, possibly you really did get a defective unit?

[Bounty]

Re: Bissell LGM - What a let down

I have seen the many posts on various forums about the LGM but have never pulled the trigger. Used a friend's and it did exactly the same thing...loaded up the carpet with water and then didn't have the power to extract it. I ended up using my Rigid wet/dry shop vac to get the water out. Maybe it's my technique r maybe the LGM but I decided against buying it...

Hopefully some that have used it with success can chime in here.

[cnfowler]

Re: Bissell LGM - What a let down

Mike, I haven't called their customer care department. I guess I'll see what responses I get on here. The way I see it is if Nick used it in his business, it must actually work. I think I may try one again.

Colin

[cnfowler]

Re: Bissell LGM - What a let down

Bounty, that's exactly what it did to me - loaded the carpet with water
but barely got any out. I did a spot about 6x6 and literally had a few drops of water in the recovery tank.

Colin

[Mr Mustang]

Re: Bissell LGM - What a let down

its not a one pass and all the water is out thing, with mine, I go over it 4-5 times, which does take a while, but I dont clean the carpet every weekend either, it will still have a tiny bit of moisture in it, but let the car air out, and put mats on the driveway in the sun, and they'll be dry in no time

[Carfire]

Re: Bissell LGM - What a let down

I have used my LGM many many many times and it works great!!
BTW I also bought it from your favorite place Wally World/Wal Mart.

[Steward]

Re: Bissell LGM - What a let down

i have one too.. it works great..did my civic interior. its not like a heavy duty extractor, but it gets the job done.. like Mr. Mustang said "4 to 5 passes ". try 6 to 7 passes slowly, and let it dry.

[onawrxhigh]

Re: Bissell LGM - What a let down

cnfowler,

If you are looking for a good extractor that is still very portable I would check out ADS and pick up a Durrmaid hot water extractor. I have this unit and could only say that for the price it works very very well. It does take a little bit of time to heat up the water (20 minutes) but it does heat it up to 190-200 degrees and the suction is great. You can see the rinse water/crud being suctioned out of the carpet. Here is a picture of the Durrmaid and a before and after shot.







Andrew

[MyFirstES300]

Re: Bissell LGM - What a let down

I have an LGM. It's an older model, but it's not the best in the world, and never was. I think it really depends on what you are going to use it for.

Mine is used strictly for car carpet cleaning and cleaning a carpet runner that is by my front door of my condo. I find that if I just fill up the reservoir with just hot water (no solution) and spray the cleaner of my choice directly on the area I am cleaning, it's OK. Not great, but satisfactory and competent. Usually I'll clean using a separate brush to agitate the cleaning solution into the area I'm cleaning.

Although many on here have praised the LGM, I have read elsewhere on line customer reviews that are 50/50 between super and poor performance.

Hope this helps. To sum it up, I wouldn't/haven't depended on this machine for heavy duty cleaning.

[roushstage2]

Re: Bissell LGM - What a let down

Mine works great, but as said, I don't think it is made to be a heavy duty unit.

[Mark McGuire]

Re: Bissell LGM - What a let down

I have one and it works good for what it is. I use hot water from the sink and no cleaning solution. You have to watch the angle of the wand. Move it up and down until you can see the dirty water being sucked in the hose. Mine has good suction and does get most of the water out, with several passes. Mind you it's not a 600 dollar hot water extractor, but for 60 dollars it does do a very good job. I would say with yours it is either technic, or a dud. Put your hand over the end and test the suction, if its good I would practice with it a few more times before giving up on it. There is a learning curve with this thing, it took me 4 or 5 times to ge it right. Give it a few more tries before giving up on it and good luck.

Mark

[J. A. Michaels]

Re: Bissell LGM - What a let down

I also have one and it works very well.

In fact I just used it this past weekend on my daughters interior. Did a great job. After a couple of passes it sucked up the majority of the water.

I think you got a dud.

[MrCLRider]

Re: Bissell LGM - What a let down

I use the extractor head at the end of the hose from the LGCM (mine is from a Bissell Pro Heat) and I have a reducer on the end of my shop vac that it fits on, 6.5 HP of suction is so much better than the LGCM. Search my threads and find the one on the Mercedes that I did last saturday and there is a pic of my little setup I have going on.

[cnfowler]

Re: Bissell LGM - What a let down

I think you got a dud.

This is exactly what I think. The suction on mine was really bad. It was so bad that if you put the hose up to your hand, it wouldn't **** to it. The hose would just fall off.

I could have made 100 passes with this thing and it wouldn't have changed a thing. I've used a Hoover full size unit on several cars and that thing just plain *****!! (in a good way) Carpets would be dry in 30 minutes. The LGM I had was a joke. Probably a dud.

Colin