Hoover WindTunnel Self Propelled + 6 bag bundle

I will say right away- this is not for everyone.

I’ve tried other vacuums but for 10+ years, I have stuck with the Hoover WindTunnel Self-Propelled. I think this is my 2nd or 3rd one. Though I’ve replaced the belts myself, I had to get a new one when the self-propelled motor gave out. We tried the manual push units, but my wife likes the self propelled model which are getting harder to find. It’s simple and old school, with a big noisy motor. Consumer Reports rated it well.

PROS:
-It really vacuums well, like a jet turbine. Dust cannot hide in crevasses.
-it’s 20lbs+ weight is helped out by the self-propelled system and probably the reason it weighs so much. Even children can drive it.
-it does a good job on pet hair
-it’s inexpensive

CONS:
-It’s heavy; if you have stairs, buy something lighter or use a canister model. Bissell has a model that separates the vac from the handle and wheels.
-it’s not agile; you need to keep a hand on the vac if you extend the tube to clean with a tool. I often yank the whole vac over when stretching under the bed. The self propelled will crash into table legs and walls like a drunken sailor.
-it’s LOUD. The dog runs for the hills when this comes along.
-it’s bagged; take care when extracting the bag.

In summary, if you want a inexpensive, heavy duty, old-school model vac that will push itself, this is for you. If you want a fancy, high-tech vac that is bagless and dances around on a ball for maneuverability, look elsewhere.

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 shipping, it was actually cheaper to purchase this vacuum through Amazon. And Amazon has always been really great about returns, so I didn’t hesitate on purchasing this product through them. You can always return it if it’s not what you wanted. But I have been very satisfied with it and would purchase it again. I will post a future update should anything unexpected occur with this vacuum, though I have been very pleased with it so far. Just a word of caution — I have seen a couple of reviewers on Amazon that have posted the same negative review for multiple Hoover products. In one instance, someone had posted the same critical review for 11 different Hoover vacuums. Don’t get discouraged by this; do your own research and you should be able to determine the phony reviews from the valid reviews.

UPDATE 10/04/09
This vacuum is still working great, though I do not believe that the “bag full” feature is very helpful or even functional for that matter. I just replaced my first bag and it was very full, but the “bag full” indicator has remained low this entire time. Another thing I discovered is that the handle at the very top is a little wiggly. It will move slightly up and down as you’re vacuuming, and if you’re not careful, your fingers can possibly get pinched in there. I definitely recommend not lifting the vacuum by the handle and keeping your hands and fingers away from that gap. Also, this vacuum is rather loud. It’s fine if you’re just vacuuming, but if you’re doing something that requires bending over or getting on the floor to use an extension part and your head is close to the vacuum, it would be very wise to wear earplugs. One final thing — be sure to change the setting to “hard floor” before vacuuming over a bare surface. This basically keeps the brush roll from rotating, so only the suction feature is operating. A couple of times I was too lazy to change this setting and the brush roll actually left marks on my laminate flooring. But overall, I’m still very satisfied with this vacuum. I haven’t had any belts or other parts break and it’s still performing as good as day one (usage approximately one time per week).

I also wanted to mention that I saw this very same vacuum selling for $168 at a large members-only warehouse “Club” store just yesterday! I was so disappointed that I spent an extra $60 more, but what can you do??? Like all things, prices change and will go down the longer a product is out on the market. If you’re able to find a price like that on this vacuum, I would definitely go for it. I’m even thinking of purchasing a second one because that price is so great!

UPDATE 1/30/10
I’ve discovered that it’s probably not the brush roll that’s leaving marks on my laminate flooring, but rather the self-propel belt. You might want to turn off the self-propel feature when vacuuming over bare floors, especially if they’re susceptible to scuffing.

This vacuum is a good value, but its quality, in my opinion, has been diminished by design changes in the last few years. I bought my first one about seven years ago, and I would have given that one 5 stars. I particularly liked its wide track, which allows me to cover a given area in fewer strokes, and its long cord, which allows me to vacuum even the largest room without switching the plug to another outlet. Attachments fit conveniently on board, and an extra long hose was available for vacuuming hard-to-reach places like stairs (though the vacuum can easily be tipped over if you’re not careful when stretching the hose). I never found the “dirt finder” lights particularly useful, as they seem to change at different times for no obvious reason, but that is a minor complaint.

Recently I bought another of these vacuums for my second floor. (The vacuum is quite heavy. The power drive makes it easy to use on one floor of the house, but I’m getting too old to be lugging it up and down stairs.) I was quite disappointed to find that even though the new vacuum had the exact same model number, some design changes had been made that I thought lowered the quality of the product. The upholstery tool, for instance, was originally contained in a front compartment with a transparent door. On the newer model there was no door, just a plastic tab at the top to hold it in place. But the fit was very tight, and the third time I used the tool, the plastic tab broke off, in spite of my following the removal instructions to the letter. After that, the tool would not stay put, and the slightest movement would cause it to fall out on the floor. Since I don’t use that tool very often, I decided against returning the whole thing, and I just used a piece of folded cardboard to wedge it in place. Additionally, one or two of the other accessories have been redesigned. The dust brush, for instance, now contains fewer and much shorter bristles than it used to, and I find it less useful.

I still like this vacuum, and many of its virtues remain unchanged. So I still consider it a good value, but because of the redesign, I can only give it 3 stars for quality.