- Exclusive WindTunnel® 2 Technology lifts and removes deep down embedded dirt with 2 channels of suction. Creates two channels of suction to lift and remove surface debris and deep down embedded dirt.
- Pet Tools remove stubborn pet hair. Rubberized Pet Tool Pack, Pet Turbo Tool, Pet Upholstery Tool, Extension Wand, Crevice Tool
- Automatic Cord Rewind retracts the cord in seconds
- Reusable Easy Rinse Filter- Regularly rinse the filter under running water for long-lasting use. Carbon & HEPA Media Filter made with HEPA media and an odor-absorbing carbon layer.
- Dual-Cyclonic Air passes through not one, but two cyclonic stages to filter dirt and debris from the air path; no loss of suction.
At Hoover we’re a trusted authority on total home cleaning because we design powerful tools to help you tackle every possible cleaning job in and around your home. We constantly strive to improve our vacuums and carpet cleaners, even while we introduce cutting-edge cleaning products in new categories such as steam cleaning and air purification. Hoover WindTunnel 2 Rewind Pet Plus Upright Vacuum, UH70831
PRODUCT FEATURES Exclusive WindTunnel 2 Technology WindTunnel 2 Technology creates two channels of suction to lift and remove surface debris and deep down embedded dirt. Vacuums without WindTunnel Technology rely on only one channel of suction. Dual-Cyclonic Air passes through not one, but two cyclonic stages to filte
Excellent upright vacuum,
I compared this vacuum to the Bissell 52C2, an almost identical competitor model. The Hoover WindTunnel 2 was easy to put together out of the box. Remove a screw, insert the handle, replace the screw, then put the attachments on their mounts and you’re ready to go. That was fast and easy. The Bissell took a few more minutes. Almost a tie but the point goes to Hoover.
Both units are bagless but the Hoover has more room in the dust collector so there are less frequent stops for emptying the bin. Second point to the Hoover.
The Bissell has the longest cord but the Hoover’s cord automatically retracts into the unit with a push of a button. I like both, but prefer the longer cord since I’m in an old house that has few electrical outlets. For a newer home with plenty of outlets scattered about, the Hoover would get the nod. Tie.
If you detach the hose to hook up an attachment on the Bissell, you can turn off the rotating beater brush on the base. The Hoover doesn’t have that capability. Big plus to the Bissell here since otherwise you’re not only wasting power on the base unit but potentially spinning the brush against a single spot on your carpeting while you vacuum upholstery or window ledges. It’s also nice to be able to turn off the beater brush if you vacuum a hardwood or non-carpeted floor so that particles don’t scatter everywhere in the room.
The Bissell has built in capabilities for an air freshener – nice if you have pets. The Hoover doesn’t. Another point for the Bissell though some have complained that they don’t like the scent the unit comes with.
Neither is quiet – I always prefer the quiet motors in canister vacuum cleaners. But this is a tie for these two models. They’re not outrageously loud, but don’t plan to listen to music while vacuuming.
The attachments are essentially the same – both models have a turbo brush attachment where the air pressure spins a built-in beater brush on a small hand-held extension. The Bissell isn’t quite powerful enough and often stops while you go over upholstery. The Hoover has more than enough power to keep the turbo unit spinning.
Both are roughly the same weight and size and both have big wheels making them easy to move about. Both have a transparent dust bin so you can quickly see when they need to be emptied. And both have a window on the top of the base, allowing you to see if the beater brush is spinning. We have longhair cats who shed no matter how much they’re brushed. Both vacuums did an excellent job pulling the hair up from the carpet, our usual measure for whether a vacuum cleaner is acceptable. Both units have a 12amp motor so actual power for the two is identical. I couldn’t tell a difference between the two in terms of raw ability to lift dust and dirt from the carpet.
It’s a tough call because in truth these units are very similar. I think if I had mostly hardwood flooring, I’d prefer the Bissell. For a home that is largely carpeted, the Hoover would get the nod. If you frequently use attachments, it’s a tougher call. The Bissell has the longer extension hose so for draperies and windows, that’s preferable. The Hoover has the more powerful accessory attachments, so for upholstery, that’s the right choice.
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|Works well on pet hair,
UPDATE:
I’ve had this vacuum now for two months and it’s really excellent! It consistently gets up pet hair and dust and the carpets stay a lot cleaner. It’s easy to empty the canister and it always amazes me how much it picks up from carpets that look clean. If it had a longer hose and was easier on hard floors, I’d give it five stars. Still four stars, but I absolutely love using it and I think it works well and is a terrific value.
Pro:
Retractable cord, winds up in a container under the dirt canister. This is a really welcome feature! Excellent idea!
The WindTunnel is VERY effective in getting up pet hair (I have a long-haired cat who sheds incredibly. And a dog who’s messy, too.) We vacuumed up a room where the cat likes to hide behind the chair and it was amazing how much hair we got up. Really effective. I went over a room that we’d vacuumed with the Oreck and we got so much dirt and hair AFTER a regular vacuum, I was totally impressed.
In fact, this vacuum really picks up dirt, and it goes from carpet to floor easily. I have a mix of hardwood and carpet and this vacuum got up amazing amounts of dirt in short order. You do have to empty the canister frequently, but it’s easy; push a button on a lever on the canister, and the bottom opens out for disposal over the garbage can. It helps to have a pencil or paint stirrer–sometimes the pet hair makes a clump that clings to the plastic due to static charge. A minor problem that is solved by gently poking out the clump of vacuumed-up hair and dust.
Rubber bristles on hand tool are perfect for getting up pet hair.
The hand tool for stairs is very good–has a “turbo” function that rotates a brush and picks up more stuff.
No bag, no loss of suction when a bag fills up.
Set-up was very easy: attach the handle with a long screw. Put on the dirt canister. Attach the tools to their sockets onboard; you hardly need to refer to the instructions as this is completely intuitive.
Reasonably priced for a bagless vacuum.
Con:
Cord too short (again, this is a big issue nowadays. I need to get across a room or up stairs. Yes, you saved bucks when copper is pricey but I hate the stop-and-go repositioning the plug in a closer outlet. Com’on. Figure it out. You need a longer cord.)
Stairs hose tool is too short. I have 14 steps. I can’t haul this thing up the steps AND vacuum with one hand. I have yet to find anything that is really useful anymore for doing steps. My old canister is about the best, and it’s quite heavy, but I can pretty much drag it, like a dead pig, up with me as I do the steps. The problem with an upright is that it’s just too bulky, long and heavy.
The hose is short because it fits compactly on the machine without being wound around anything. So it’s somewhat stretchy but it’s not terribly long. This is not just an issue with the Windtunnel; it’s a problem with any machine that is an upright with a hose but not a hose that wraps around. Still, the hose attachment works well. You can attach the solid tube attachment to extend it somewhat. Still not long enough for a tall staircase without some acrobatics.
It is somewhat heavy to push around. Unlike the Dyson, which has the 360 degree ball steering. this has standard wheels and seems heavier to push about and turn. It doesn’t get into small spaces (under dining chairs) easily, so you have to move out your furniture. You won’t be nimbly moving around obstacles with this vacuum.
It’s also noisy; this is a typical and deliberate feature of American design. American women are said to believe that a vacuum is not working if it’s quiet. European vacuums tend to be quiet (they prefer a lower noise level overall, everywhere and they live in closer quarters, generally speaking.) Reducing noise saves your hearing, so I wish someone would inform American engineers that vacuums and equipment don’t have to whine and buzz to tell you they are working well. Repeated noise assaults on the ears are proved to injure your hearing. This vacuum could be a lot quieter and still work as well.
Summary: for one level, for mixed flooring, only a few steps, and rooms with plenty of outlets, this vacuum is an excellent performance/value unit, and it’s a lot less pricey than other bagless vacuums. It’s extremely effective on pet hair, and the rubber bristle brush is a good design. If they made a hose extension (for stairs) that you could attach and keep hanging in the closet as an additional accessory, I’d actually say this was almost perfect as a vacuum. It’s very powerful at getting up dirt and hair.
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