Bissell has been in the carpet cleaning business for a long time, so when they claim they’ve got the best carpet cleaner on the market, we’re more than happy to take a closer look. The truth is that the awkwardly named 86T3 / 86T3Q doesn’t disappoint: it’s not an industrial cleaner, but it’ll get the job done for pretty much anything short of factory work. And it’ll give the commercial machines a run for their money in those situations (believe us; we’ve used them all). However, there’s no denying that the Big Green, as it’s affectionately called, isn’t the cheapest carpet cleaner out there. Is it really worth as much as it costs?

We made it our goal to find out. And for us, the answer was generally yes, but under specific conditions: let’s look at them.

1. You have a whole house to clean.

At the risk of being obvious, if you live in a tiny house, you probably don’t need a Big Green. There are always exceptions, of course; one staff member bought one because she was determined to get her deposit back (and she did!). However, in general, if you don’t have more than a small room’s worth of carpet to deal with (like so many fans of HGTV and hard wood floors), then you’ll probably be fine with a standard smaller carpet cleaner. But if you’ve got several rooms full of carpets or a larger property (or several), then you’ll definitely want to make an investment.

2. You have a small zoo (or baseball team).

Similarly, the reason for cleaning will impact the tool you need. Some people simply like nice carpets, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Others have pets that weigh more than they do (hello Great Dane and St. Bernard fans!). Others have small animals that decided the great indoors made a much better bathroom than the great outdoors. Still others have a herd of tiny elephants that never take their shoes off when returning from elephant school. Whatever your situation, if you find yourself constantly on your knees cleaning who-knows-what from your carpets, you might want to consider a tool that’ll make the whole process much easier, if not enjoyable.

3. You expect to use it at least once a month.

If you’re only planning on using a high-end cleaner like a Bissell 86T3 or a Rug Doctor X3 every once in a while, you might be better off renting one instead of buying it. It depends completely on your financial picture as well as on the costs of renting vs. owning (we apologize for sounding like a personal finance adviser). On the other hand, if you feel likely to use it at least once a month, then you’ll definitely save in the long term by making a commitment to buy instead of by trying to rent one each time your in-laws and their five untrained chihuahuas come over.

4. You’re tired of spending money (and time) on lesser cleaners.

Finally, the most convincing reason for our team to buy a Big Green is because it gets tiring buying, wearing out, and replacing lesser carpet cleaners. It’s not just about the money; it’s about your time. If you’re on the verge of gaining certification in small appliance repair due to the weeks of your life you’ve spent trying to figure out why your carpet cleaner has stopped working or started leaking for the 475th time, you’re a prime candidate for a Big Green. Or if, like us, you don’t like paying for lots of cheap things before getting the expensive thing anyway, you should just skip those steps and go straight to what’ll get the job done, and done well.

You can buy the Bissell 86T3/Q on Amazon here, while the Rug Doctor X3 is available here.

If you find our research on PMC helpful, you can support our efforts to keep maniacally reviewing home cleaning tools by shopping through this Amazon link. Canadians can use this link. We promise to keep fighting the good fight against every horror children, animals, and grown, yet messy humans can inflict upon a clean home.