Exact-model comparison
BISSELL SpinWave SmartSteam 3712W vs 3897A
Both are corded SpinWave SmartSteam floor mops, and BISSELL's shared guide covers the 3712 and 3897 series. Their exact US product pages do not publish identical information. Compare only the model-specific figures you can confirm, and treat missing accessory or floor-suitability evidence as unresolved.
What the exact pages establish
The 3712W page lists a 500-milliliter tank, a 25-foot cord, a nine-pound weight, and a silver finish with electric-blue accents. The 3897A page lists 538 milliliters, a 25-foot cord, a 14.5-inch path, LED headlights and pads that can rotate up to 230 RPM. It gives two different weight figures: 9.9 pounds in its specification block and 12 pounds in an FAQ block. That conflict makes a weight-based ranking unsafe; ask BISSELL or the seller about the exact configuration before treating either figure as definitive.
The 3712W page does not state a cleaning width, LED status, rotation speed or full carton list. These details may be similar in the family, but the product pages do not justify copying the 3897A values across. The 3712W's nine-pound listing is its own manufacturer-page figure; it is not a correction to the 3897A page.
Shared operation, different evidence
The series guide describes two steam levels, hard-floor and tile modes, and a separate no-steam mode that lets the rotating pads scrub without steam. It says the pads rotate when the machine is reclined, stop when upright, and take about 15 seconds to show readiness. It also warns that normal accessory contents can vary by model and sends the reader to the carton list. The safest shared match is therefore the basic upright floor-pad plan—not a promise that either model includes detail nozzles, a carpet glider or extra replacement pads.
The guide identifies ceramic tile, laminate, marble, stone and sealed hardwood as intended flooring examples, but excludes vinyl, vinyl plank, linoleum and unsealed floors. Waxed or some unwaxed finishes may lose gloss. Ask the exact flooring manufacturer whether steam is permitted and test a hidden spot only when allowed. No number of steam levels can overrule those care instructions.
Choose by the need you can document
If a 500-milliliter tank is enough and the lighter exact-page specification is more useful to your planning, the 3712W page supplies those numbers. If the larger listed reservoir, an explicitly stated 14.5-inch path or page-described headlights matter, the 3897A page documents them—but do not use its conflicting weight values to decide. Neither listing tells you how many rooms a tank will clean, and the 25-foot cord still needs a safe path around furniture and damp floor.
Before ordering, compare the exact model number on the product page with the carton contents and seller listing. The 3897A page calls 3712 and 3712W similar models, while the official guide uses “3712, 3897 Series”; this is evidence of a shared operating family, not proof that every finish, light, tank, accessory or weight is identical. For a detachable detail steamer, carpet refresher or liquid-recovery washer, compare another exact model whose page/manual establishes that operating plan. These SpinWave pages document powered pad scrubbing on floors only.