Well after purchasing a top of the line rug cleaner a year earlier only to have it constantly broken, I decided to go a less expensive route. I read up on this unit and, thought it sounded like a decent unit and, I could live with the few short comings that people had pointed out.
I brought the unit home, surprised at how light it was. Honestly, taking it out of the box I thought, "oh no, this can't possibly do what it's supposed to". Well, 4 screws and 5 minutes later I had the unit assembled and, ready to go.
I added warm water and solution to the tank, plugged it in and, away I went. I did an area rug in our dining room and, was happily surprised. The rug look as good, if not better than with the other machine I used that, cost close to three times as much. Heavily soiled areas needed to be pre-treated but, I think that's the case with any unit, at least in my experience.
When I was finished, the water tank removed easily and clean up was a breeze. It's nice too that the nozzle that sucks up the dirt and grime is incorporated into the recover tank. When you rinse it out you can get rid of all the sludge and hair that builds up in there out. Other people have complained about the size of the recovery tank but, to me it seemed average for an upright unit. Myself, I had to empty it once while doing a 6 X 10 carpet.
My one gripe and, this was minor is, the trigger to apply the solution is stiffer than other models I've tried
I think if you were going to be using this for a prolonged amount of time, this might be a factor.

I own rental property and bought a top of the line carpet cleaner. During three years of use pieces broke off, suction hoses got clogged and then finally the main hose snapped in half. It was loud and heavy to lug. After reading reviews, I bought the Dirt Devil today and have just finished cleaning 4 rooms of carpet. I am so happy. I paid a third of what the top of the line Bissell model cost me. It is quieter, lighter to carry around and cleans even better. Yes, you have to empty the fill tank frequently, but that is better than lugging all that heavy water around with every push. Besides it is so simple to empty, it takes only a few seconds. This machine was engineered beautifully. There are no wasted parts to break down, plus it cleans up easily. From someone who has been cleaning rental units for over 15 years, I'm content with this cleaner.

This is my first time using a carpet shampooer. It gets the job done and very easy to clean the machine. I help with saving stray cats and get them homes. I have to clean the porch and shampoo the rugs every week. I was amazed the first time. I was alittle concerned cause the machine wasnt big,heavy or bulky. I really didnt think it would get the job done. It did! If your looking to simplify cleaning carpets this is for you.

I bought this about 9 months ago for the purpose of cleaning up after my cats and occasionally doing my whole house. It works well for spot cleaning with the attachments. It does not work well for large areas.

I find the brush on the main part does not work well in getting up deep dirt and grime so I am constantly on my hands and knees using the attachment. Also, once you start the cleaning you have to finish it all right then since this unit does not heat itself. You can't set it up and then run answer the phone or run another errand because when you get back the water has cooled and cool or cold water doesn't work in heavy cleaning. This waste the cleaner you are using which can add up if you need it a lot.

I also have trouble with the cat hair getting stuck in the tiny slit of an opening that sucks in the water and can't get anything down into the corners to get it out. This cleaner is easy to store and does tear down easy to clean and doesn't have many parts to clean but the far edges or corners I can't seem to get clean. I need to use it almost every other day since I have 3 cats and it has become a real hassle so that I am now going to go buy a handheld one that can be used with less cleaner and for small purposes. I am very dissappointed that I did not do more research on this machine before I bought it because I was trying to save a buck and thought it would be fine for what I wanted it for.

After using this for 9 months I feel that I need a heavy duty one that has a heating unit for all over and a little handheld one for those quick clean ups after a sick cat or when they bring me earthworms or other dirty creatures. If your main goal is to do a quick clean up on small spots the handhelds are half the price, easier to store and set up and uses less cleaner for the short job. If you want to clean your whole house then go get a heavy duty one with a good brush system and heating unit.

The main positive points are it is easy to store, lightweight to use and tears down easy for cleaning it. The main negative points are it doesn't work well for all over and no heating unit.

I just bought one of these since the price was so good and my heavily pet stained carpets needed cleaning yet again -- I have two dogs including a bull-mastiff with a very sensitive tummy and four cats and three grandchildren, so my carpets take a beating! I have to deep clean them at least twice a year and I was not looking forward to once again renting a carpet cleaner and lugging the thing home and back to the store within twenty-four hours! So I decided to take a chance and buy this one -- the price was right and I figured if I can even get two uses out of it, it will pay for itself. I assembled it myself in just a couple of minutes, it was extremely easy to assemble. It was also very easy to use -- the water reservoir just pops in and out easily. The dirty water reservoir comes out very easily and is very easy to clean. I am very impressed with this machine -- the water in the reservoir actually lasted longer than the rentals, it did not "soak" my carpets like the rentals do, and it vacuumed up the water much better than the rentals --my carpets were not soaking wet when I was done -- they were almost dry. The water in the dirty water reservoir was almost black -- and my carpets were very clean and fresh smelling!! I'm really very pleased with this purchase -- this carpet cleaner is lightweight and easy to use and does a fantastic job! I think it did just as good a job as the rentals and maybe even a little better! I highly recommend this cleaner for people who need to clean their carpets frequently.

I've had this cleaner sinc 1/00. The motor burned up 3/01, and the warranty was no problem to use. The motor was replaced and today the motor burned up, again. However, it is out of warranty. I use the cleaner about 4x a year for a 1500 sq ft house. I was very disappointed in the life of the unit. Also the release trigger for the solution would stick in the 'open' position and dispense all the solution at one time.
The positive points are the unit is light weight. It is easy to assemble, and easy to clean up.

I have been looking for a light weight easy to handle carpet cleaner since my back surgery fusion...This Is It!!! It glides across my Berber carpet and cleans beautifully. The water extractor allows my carpet to dry within one hour. Easy to put together, fill and empty. I recommend it highly and am purchasing one for my Mother-In-Law.

I have one of these and...I have bought several others, including one from another big manufacturer, which I am returning today, because I was very unhappy with it. I highly recommend this for its ease of use, ability to remove stains easily and quickly with high-powered extraction, and price. A+

I purchased this as a cheap way to clean the apartment carpets before we moved out to get back our deposit. This little thing is great. It has removed every stain I have tried it on. I have cats and a dog and a husband, so you can imagine what sort of messes I have been faced with. Overall, I am very impressed with this. I now use it regularly on my white Berber carpets!

I bought this product approximately 1 year ago and on the first use the plastic hose attachment broke. I contacted Dirt Devil and they sent me a replacement for free. After the 3rd use it started leaking water. I took it in and had that fixed. Then approximately 2 months ago the motor completely blew up. I had the motor replaced and everything fixed, and now for some reason the water will not dispense out from the tank to clean the carpet. This product works wonderfully...when it works! Maybe I got a lemon, but when I buy a new one I will probably go with another brand.