I bought this Bissell Zing vacuum cleaner to replace a similar Sears model that died after only a few yrs. My 1st Sears canister vacuum had lasted 20-25 yrs, so I was most unhappy when its replacement quit working, which at the time of purchase cost more than 4x the price of my present Bissell Zing. I was unwilling to spend a lot of money if a new machine might not last long. I wanted to try something different. I have been as complete as possible in this review, because I had a lot of questions when I did my research for which I could not find answers. I like this machine much better than what I had. The Bissell is smaller, much easier to maneuver & incredibly lightweight. I did not get tired at all dusting & vacuuming several rooms, 1 after another. The machine is noisy, but the sound is dependent on how strong the suction is, which can be easily controlled with a knob on the top of the unit. Most of the time, it was not necessary to use it at full suction, esp. on bare floors or while dusting, & it did a good job at both. The on-off switch is 1 of the black "buttons" on the top side of the canister, a much better design than the Sears unit, which was on the rod & didn't work after only a short while. It was always "on" when it was plugged in; not good, & another reason why I would not go back to a Sears model. The other black "button" controls the cord retraction, 1 of my requirements. The attachments are made out of plastic & I hope they last, which is why I gave the Bissell 4 stars instead of 5. They look cheap after having had a much sturdier machine. The set doesn't come with a dusting brush (but it can be purchased separately). However, the one I had from my Sears unit fit perfectly & works fine. I prefer dusting with a vacuum cleaner, so having a good dusting brush & a canister machine are important to me. The floor/carpet attachment is not very wide, only 10", & is narrow, which aided in the improved maneuverability. I was able to get in places impossible with my old machine, like behind the toilet. The height of that attachment is less, too, so that it easily fit under a bookcase which had short legs. The end of it where it attaches to the hose swivels 360 degrees, which helps. That end also has a molded piece on its side which fits in a groove on the bottom of the canister for more compact storage. There is a lever on top of the floor attachment which allows a bar to come down, on which is a row of non-continuous brushes. The set doesn't come with instructions other than on the side of the box, so I took it that the brushes are to be used on my hardwood & linoleum floors to prevent dragging the plastic bottom over them. There are also 2 small wheels at the back of the floor attachment. The brushes quickly pick up hair & dust, which I ended up removing manually. I only have a couple area rugs & throw rugs. On the bottom of the floor attachment are 2 tiny strips, just under 3" long, on either side of the suction hole of another kind of textured plastic. I think these are the only contact points for vacuuming rugs. I had to turn the suction to the highest point to vacuum an area rug, but needed less suction for a small bathroom throw rug. It did an adequate job, although I do have an upright Eureka vacuum cleaner that I could use instead. The rod is made out of a lightweight metal & the upper half telescopes into the bottom half, which is an interesting design. With the floor attachment on, the length to the top of the metal rod is almost 3 ft. The end of the hose has a curved hard plastic section which is the handle & it adds about another 9" to the height from the floor. I am 5'3" & had no trouble using this unit. I did not have to lean over & my back did not hurt afterwards. Toward the end of the "handle" there is a sliding piece that can be pulled back to expose a small hole to lessen the suction even more if desired. The hose is 4'9" long in the flexible part (between the attachment to the canister & the handle section which is part of the hose) & easily swivels 360 degrees, much better than my former vacuum cleaner. The bottom attaches to the canister with a simple locking twist. All the other pieces push together & are tight enough that they don't fall off. In fact, I once pushed the end of the hose into the top of the rod with enough force that I needed my husband to detach it, but he had no problem. There are some other small attachments. One is a brush for cleaning upholstery, which I haven't used yet. It is about 3" long & has 2 thin strips of very shallow soft bristles on either side of the suction hole. The other attachment is a little over 4" long & is for narrow confined spaces. It works well. On the end of it is a piece that can swivel out and has a U-shaped brush, 1 1/4" long & 3/4" wide, with bristles slightly longer than 1/2". I'm not sure what it is for. Again, I wish this vacuum cleaner came with complete instructions. There is another plastic piece (shaped like 2 C's back to back). One side fits over the bottom of the metal rod & the other side holds the narrow space attachment so that it is always close at hand while vacuuming. One thing I found surprising is that the vent holes are on the top back of the canister & they emit quite a bit of heat, which might be uncomfortable in tight quarters. Inside the cleaner bag slips on a plastic clip. It seems like the compartment space may be smaller than other models. I am not sure how quickly the bags will fill up, since I have only begun to use my vacuum cleaner. There is a small window on the top of the canister which indicates when the bag is full. So far, I have been pleased for the ease of use at such a great price. It is a cute little machine & I even like the purple color.
