There has never been a truer saying when one gets what they pay for. We used to own a basic Bissell and were delighted with that. However, having had that for many years and passing it on to a family member, we decided to purchase a newer machine. I had read the reviews and all I found that had been publishd as negative was the weight of the machine and a couple of issues dealing with ease of use when first coming to terms with the operation of the said item. We thought we must have done something wrong as the normal stains that would come out of our carpets before just seemed to look a very slight shade later despite repeated passovers. To get even close to the old Bissell was taking at least three repetitions more. We checked everything; the brushes were turning, the fluid was being dispensed and we even decided to mix the cleaning fluid directly in with the water just in case the automix was not doing its job. The results being the same. The machine is working as it was intended but it is just a waste of money even though the special offer from VAX is just 129.99 My advice, either rent a machine or spend the extra and get a Bissell.