Hoover WindTunnel Anniversary Upright Vacuum, Self-Propelled, Bagged,

LOVE this vacuum!, March 20, 2009

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BE Babe (Silver City, NM) –

  

I purchased this vacuum from Amazon after I had just gotten a Bissell Momentum. I thought I would like the Bissell because it was bagless, but I soon discovered what a mess it would make every time I had to empty the canister. I finally got tired of getting fine particles of dirt all over the place and decided to go back to a bagged vacuum. I chose this vacuum based on the Consumer Reports review. I did about 3 weeks worth of research prior to deciding on this particular model. I also looked at the other two Hoovers (bagged models) recommended by Consumer Reports — the Tempo Widepath U5140-900 and the cheaper WindTunnel Anniversary U5491-900. I came very close to getting the cheaper WindTunnel when I downloaded the user’s manual from Hoover and discovered the placement of the hose relative to the cord hooks. It appears as though the cord has to be wound from a high point on the handle of the vacuum to a low point at the base of the vacuum at a diagonal angle. Additionally, the cord is situated so that it crosses over the hose, which looked like an entanglement problem waiting to happen. And I did recall another reviewer having this same problem and also mentioning the awkward placement of the tools on the back of the vacuum. So, I decided to take a look at the Tempo, which has hundreds of awesome reviews. I almost went with it, except for the fact that it lacked some of the features I wanted, like a bag-full indicator light, edge cleaning, and non-marring wheels. I also discovered that the Tempo appears to be a discontinued model which even Hoover is selling at a discounted price. I didn’t want to risk the potential for needing a part that might not be manufactured anymore. So I decided to go with the U6485-900 model and here is what I’ve found:

PROS: The hose is placed at the side of the vacuum, so there’s no struggling with trying to get it back in place after removing it for cleaning;

The power cord hooks are situated in the back of the vacuum at a reasonable distance from each other, so you don’t have to bend down really low to wrap the cord;

The power cord and the hose are distinctly separated from each other, so there are no entanglement issues;

The cleaning tools are perfectly placed so that they’re easy to get to and do not interfere with the power cord or hose;

When the vacuum is on and locked in an upright position, the brush roll automatically stops rotating. This is such a handy feature because I’ll often leave the vacuum running and propped up to go retrieve something in another room, or to use the tools to vacuum something up high. This prevents the brush roll from needlessly rotating and damaging the carpet;

The self-propel feature is awesome! I didn’t purchase the vacuum for this particular feature, but I have found that I really like it! It can be turned on or off, and it feels as though the vacuum is 10 lbs. lighter when pushing it forward or pulling it backwards;

The bag-full indicator light takes the guessing out of when to change the bag. I was also surprised at the high quality of the bag — it almost feels like thick cloth;

The vacuum came entirely assembled with the exception of the handle, which just required two screws. All of the accessory parts and bag/filters were installed, so there was no guesswork about where the cleaning tools are supposed to be stored;

Lastly, it performs fantastically! The suction power is great and the brush roll spins so fast, that I had to look twice to see if it was even moving (there’s a small clear window where you can actually see the brush roll).

CONS: The way it was shipped was not typical of Amazon. There was a big gash in the side of the box and I was concerned that something could have been damaged in the shipping process. However, as long as it works, I could care less about the appearance of the box;

The self-propel feature is a little jerky. It could be that I’m not used to it yet, but it seemed to suddenly jerk backwards as you’re pulling the vacuum toward your body;

This vacuum is a little heavier than I would prefer, approximately 21 lbs. However, the self-propel feature seems to negate the weight while vacuuming and you can always remove some of the onboard tools;

The hose is indeed short. I noticed that other reviewers had mentioned the same thing, but I didn’t pay much attention to it, since it appears that an extension hose is available for purchase. But it does seem shorter than most other upright vacuums.

Overall, this is a great vacuum. I had done several weeks of research prior to settling on this vacuum, particularly with regards to finding a good price. I looked at all of the online retailers and only found 1 that was selling it for $10 cheaper than Amazon. However, when you tack on the cost of sales tax and…

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This Puppy Sucks!, May 22, 2009

How can you get excited about an appliance? When it serves the purpose for which it was purchased! This Hoover does that and I purposely waited awhile to write this until we had enough experience with it to recommend it (or not). First, let me say that I read all the Amazon reviews before we purchased this vacuum (from Amazon). One said their’s was used when it arrived. Another that the box wasn’t wrapped in another box for better protection. Well, let me put your mind at ease on those points. This machine was brand spanking new and the shipping container suffered zero shipping damage. Actually, like most products today, it was cleverly packed and could survive all but the most brutal handling in my opinion.

Now, the truth is, my wife picked this machine to replace a 20 year old Sears Kenmore. The primary reason she picked it was because she really loved the self-propelled feature of the Kenmore. If you check, there just aren’t many self-propelled vacuums out there, so there are not many choices. Frankly, I think this is an absolutely essential feature myself, since I do about 1/2 of the vacuuming. Oh, and for the record, this unit uses easily replaceable bags. I just can’t imagine a better method.

When the unit arrived, it was in two pieces. The top part of the handle, which includes the switches for power and propulsion mode must be assembled to the main handle (or post). It takes just a couple of minutes to fit the parts together and attach with the four screws provided. I think my wife could have figured it out on her own, but it would have taken some time. Once installed, the unit was ready to go. Now, I wasn’t prepared to actually like any vacuum, but I’m a car guy and it was immediately apparent that this machine took some cues from the newest (and most expensive) Chevy Corvette! Yes! The ZR-1 signature color must be nearly identical to the beautiful blue used on the Hoover, and like the Vette, this Hoover has elegant chrome trim with cool chrome wheels! But I digress.

One thing I didn’t think I’d like about the Hoover was that all the attachments ride around on the machine while you’re using it. I thought this might weigh it down, making it ungainly to use. Turns out I was wrong. Actually, this is quite convenient because when you want to use the “pet hair attachment” or vacuum stairs using the flexible tube, everything you need it right there at hand. We also purchased the extra-long flexible hose which allows us to vacuum fairly long flights of stairs w/o having to move the vacuum itself.

Cleaning performance is good, with little green and red lights to tell you if an area is clean or still needs more work. The self-propelled part works great with both forward and backwards strokes. The only issue I have is that the brushes tend to lay down “streaks” on the cleaned surface of the carpet instead of a more even pattern. It does, however, clean the carpet (and hard floors) quickly and painlessly. It also goes under low furniture easily, cleans close to baseboards and does not mar or damage these items (or itself, for that matter).

I’m rating this product a four only because most of it’s parts, like virtually all competing products, are plastic. I’m just not thrilled by that because I feel like it can’t possibly last as long as the old Kenmore. I will say this, however. At this price point, quality and level of performance, I simply can’t imagine why a home owner would need to spend more money to get a good cleaning machine. Quite simply, this one really works well (and looks like a $110,000 Corvette). Now, I put it to you: could you really ask for more?

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