Depends what you're trying to do with it Mark! If you're trying to rip the tufts out of the carpet, no it's not going to do that. But for wool or nylon it's more than adequate, just slow over big areas but then most domestics where it would be used aren't a problem in that respect.
Mick I think there's 2 answers to your question. First thing is, that it is a much bigger pain in the backside to not quite get the result with a tentative attempt first time, and then have to go over it again with a more thorough process. Machine agitating makes sure that you get the solution worked in as well as possible so it leaves no doubt in your mind that you might have done any better.
Secondly, to remove agitation from the equation you have to increase the other parts of the cleaning pie. In most cases this means the strength and amount of pre-spray, and also the grunt you have to put into the extraction. Agitation can mean the difference between one pass with the wand at 300psi compared to back and forth at 500psi to bully the dirty bits clean.
Put simply, a lighter pre-spray followed by agitation and the resulting lower powered rinse required, leaves a much drier carpet behind.
I don't subscribe to this view that "microsplitters" have to be agitated otherwise they don't work, in the same way that I don't believe you can spray a detergent down and just leave it and it will work just as well. Agitation required is dictated by the soil conditions and the carpet fibre/construction. I sometimes agitate detergents quite a lot... I sometimes never agitate microsplitters.
Another thing... your pre-vac may be lifting the pile, doing the job of an agitation process that some others might employ after pre-spraying having skipped the vac stage (as if any of us would do that
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