Hoover Tempo Widepath Upright Vacuum, Bagged, U5140-900
by Hoover
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Hoover Tempo Widepath Upright Vacuum, Bagged, U5140-900
Customer Review: Great all around Performance
Summary: 5 Stars
I ordered mine because a local exchange raised their price from $67 (& no tax) to $89, so back to Amazon I went.
I got mine in under 2 weeks for around $68, (it's $67 currently) and even though it's a bit heavy, it's performance more than makes up for the heavy weigh before you turn it on.
Once you turn it on, even in the high setting, the brush digs into the carpet so well that it almost feels like a self-propelled version that Hoover used to make a few decades ago.
It has 6 openings in the brush all around 2" wide and I'm still amazed at the clean bag area as I have a dirt devil that has good suction too, but somehow the fine dust leaks out of the filter bag and into the bag shell (cover), so far, very little fine dust has leaked into the bag shell area, to me this means the bag is actually trapping all of the dirt, (well more than my dirt devil) and because it has an adjustable brush height, it doesn't loose suction like my auto surface adjustment dirt devil does.
The cord wraps sort of different than my old hoover, but the cleanliness of the inside and outside make up for this strange new layout.
It has one attachment that doesn't always stay in it's spot on the back of the vacuum, but it usually only comes off if you allow it to hit the floor too hard, it takes bumping against the baseboard quite well, it doesn't feel like it's going to start falling apart.
My old Hoover used only one screw to hold the handle assembly in place for the final assembly, the Tempo has 2, I think this will pay off in allowing it to withstand more long-term vibration without the screw coming loose prematurely.
The accessory hose is easy to use as long as you have the power cord fully payed out from the wraping posts, otherwise you'll have to do that first to avoid tangling the cord and hose.
One last observation: I really like the fact that my vacuuming time is much shorter as I don't have to re-sweep an area several times before the dirt is sucked up, that alone makes this worth the trouble lugging it around when the power is off, and contrary to some other reviews, some of my other vacuums require hearing muffs, (like my dirt devil), this Tempo isn't that loud compared to my old Hoover, which cost me twice as much to buy back in the 90's and the only thing I use it for is vacuuming a rug we have in the garage in front of the washer/dryer, I have to use hearing protection using this old hoover because if it wasn't for my wife breaking the motor mount on one side by banging it down too hard, I would have had to toss it if i wasn't able to jury-rig a motor mount for the broken side.
Anyway, I fail to see why some of the past reviews thought the Tempo was too loud, (although I did notice that if you don't fully seat the vacuum bag cover and you try to use it with the cover prongs seated in the first
indentation on the bottom, instead of the 2nd area closest to the bag, it will make a noticable hissing sound from the air leaking past the cover seal) to remedy this, make sure the cover prongs are placed into the larger of the 2 areas where the cover prongs will fit.
My bag is almost half-way filled and I still see little dust leakage inside the front cover.
One last note, the Tempo has a hardware seemingly permanent HEPA filter on the right of the bag area with the cover off, so far I don't see this as a problem as the air coming out of the filter smells really fresh unlike some vacuum where the Hepa filter is the first thing to clog up, especially on the bag-less type vacuums, for the money, the Tempo is the best all around performer, it has 2 easy to hold hand holds for using it on stairs, although I don't use it on bare floors, I imagine with the brush design, it might kick dirt around on a bare floor, for that, an auto-floor adjusting vacuum like my dirt-devil might be a better suited for this specific task.
Customer Review: Shame on You Hoover!!!
Summary: 2 Stars
Oh Shame on you Hoover!!!
I originally purchased this vacuum from Amazon back on October 2006 when sadly the motor went out on it about a month and a half ago. It was quite possibly one of the best purchases I had made up to that point. To show my usage I am a single guy who vacuums on average twice a month and lives in a 1 bedroom apartment, so really not that much usage. Granted 3 years for the product's life under my usage and you would think I should be upset; but, I wasn't, at the price and 3 years use I was perfectly fine with buying another one at around the same price and if I got another 3 years out of it I would be pleased! Now to why I am not...
Despite being the same model number as the vacuum I purchased 3 years ago with the same look and feel it's really not and here's why:
1.) There used to be a nice pathway light in front to help illuminate the dark areas, that's no longer there!
2.) There used to be a lid cap that covered the hose insert which is also no longer there! This was a very important as really my only complaint about my '06 model was that whenever you would use any hose attachment the carpet brush would always still spin (there is no way to turn off the carpet brush from spinning) and the lid cover would prevent any dust or debris picked up from being spewed all over the room. Well not the case anymore!
3.) There used to be a nice simple indicator on the front of the vacuum which would give you an idea of when the back was full and needed changing. This was a very simple indicator that worked based on pressure and air flow in the main compartment, i.e. - just a few simple pieces of plastic. This is no longer there either!
4.) When attaching the handle one of the screw holes just won't line up so I said screw it and just used one of them. Not a show stopper; but, shows the degredation of quality.
5.) The carpet brush is cheaper and I can tell by how the carpet looks after vacuuming. The old brush had thicker bristles, probably around twice as thick and really did their job.
6.) One the positive it is quieter than the '06 model which really was loud and also this model is lighter. However, it does not clean as good as the other did! I saw pieces of lint and little bits of debris and had to run over them 2-3 times to get it sucked up where my old model would do it all in one shot. The older model required some force to push it and you really felt it getting into the carpet and sucking down. Unforutnatley I don't feel the same kind of suction with this one and some people may even remark how it almost self propels, well when you need it picking things up you don't really want it going forward and away from the mess!
Regardless, at this point I am in desperate need of a vacuum and will still hang on to it as it's not worth it to eat the return shipping costs and then have to shop around for another vacuum. This one still uses a bag which in my opinion is better than messing around with the bagless canisters. I'll have to spend more time vacuuming over the same spots and will basically kiss using the hose attachments goodbye. I hope to be at a new place in the next 1-2 years anyway and will be looking forward to getting to wood floors which I prefer over carpet anyways and can donate this thing at that point.
Just wanted to make sure people were aware as a lot of the positive reviews on this vacuum are from a few years back and would be referring to a version that was far superior than what is being sold today and it's really a shame, I really do miss my '06 version and had I known that I wouldn't be getting the same thing I would have considered looking into getting the motor replaced and still having my beloved vacuum.
Customer Review: Hoover can do better..
Summary: 3 Stars
I purchased my Hoover Tempo from Amazon about a year ago, so I've had some time to evaluate it and see how it holds up.
This is the second Hoover upright that I've owned. The last one (Hoover Legacy), was made in the U.S.A., and lasted 9 years. This Tempo is made in Mexico, and because of that, I think the quality suffers somewhat. That's not to say this is a terrible vacuum, but it just isn't as good as the previous Hoover.. I'll first cover the positives and then the negatives.
The motor is fairly strong and effective, and i'll echo others, who've said, the vacuum seems self-propelled, but only for the first few seconds after you turn it on. The headlight is effective and helps in places under tables and under beds where it's hard to see dust. The bag is easy to change, but the plastic cover design is weak (see below). Assembly is easy to follow and only requires a screw driver and a few minutes to attach the handle.
After a year of service, the Tempo is still working, but not without a few incidents..
During the year since I bought the vacuum, I also had the carpeting in my home replaced. This caused some distress for the Tempo, as the carpet, being new, had lots of loose stray fibers. The Hoover quickly picked them up and quickly got clogged. I had to disassemble it and remove the brush plate, brush, belt, and an interior plastic molding to get to and remove all the carpet fibers. This was a big headache as the vacuum was inoperable in that condition. This clogging effect has happened several times, but in reading other reviews for other vacuums on Amazon, it appears a common problem when new carpeting is installed.
Under normal conditions this vacuum is very effective, and this anecdote may help to illustrate. My neighbor is an elderly woman who has a cleaning lady attend her home one day a week. One day my neighbor's vacuum belt broke and she asked if it was okay to use my Tempo. I said yes, and after she was done, the cleaning lady said she was very impressed by the Hoover Tempo. This is from a woman who cleans lots of homes with many different makes of vacuums. .
Now, a few of the negatives; some of the plastic parts on the Tempo; (handle, attachment holder) suffer from less than perfect moldings or are unfinished, having rough edges. The plasic cover that conseals the bag, is thinner and not as well designed as my previous Hoover, which had an easy release spring-loaded button, which this model doesn't have. The bag cover on this model is held in place by a notch, a thin tab, and friction, and if not handled with extreme care, could easily break.
The vacuum hose is way too short to be of much help, and is made of thin, cheap quality plastic. It easily kinks and has to be handled very carefully. The vacuum bag is too small and has to be changed too often. The motor, while strong, is very loud. And one of the biggest complaints I have with this vacuum, is the placement of the ON/OFF switch. Why could Hoover not put the switch in the handle which already has a factory molded spot on the handle waiting for it? Instead the switch is located about a half foot down from the handle at the top of the bag casing. Why did Hoover do this? My last Hoover (Legacy) had the switch in the handle, why did they change this and make it worse? Unbelievable!!
In summary, this vacuum works well most of the time, but it has it's problems too. While the Tempo costs about the same or maybe even a little less than the Hoover Legacy I purchased ten years earlier, quality has suffered and some important features are missing.
Customer Review: Worth every penny
Summary: 4 Stars
What can I say? Not a high-end, well-constructed product, as other reviewers have noted, but it does what it says it does and does it well. I have used canister vacs for years because of all my small area carpets and throw rugs, and have generally kept a very short loop carpet under them. When I moved, all I could find to put under my area rugs that I could get installed in my new place in time was a short wool pile. After pulling up the old loop carpet upon moving out and seeing all the fine dirt that had sifted through, I just knew that a canister wasn't going to do the trick here, especially with all that wool carpets shed. I bought this vacuum to get up all the dirt through the longer pile and get up all the shedded fibers I knew my new carpet was going to produce. Yes, the bags do fill up quickly, especially if you have a new carpet like I do. But that is exactly what I bought this cleaner for. Would those of you who complain about the bags filling up too quickly really rather have all that filth and/or lint in a vacuum bag or on your floors??!! It has all the suction one could want and then some. It filled up one bag per cleaning for the first several vacuum sessions (for about 200 sq ft of carpet), but has now slowed down to one bag per two vacuums. (I ordered lots of extra bags when I ordered the vacuum, and recommend others do the same!) My carpet looks spectacular after every vacuum. Despite owning four indoor dogs!
I do not find that the edge cleaner is a stellar performer, but I still have my canister for that. I don't find, as other reviewers have, that this is a heavy cleaner. It is easy for me to carry around, easy to maneuver, and virtually propels itself. It fits under all but my lowest furniture, and the light is a tremendous help under the bed. Although the suction power is enormous, if you follow instructions and tilt it back at the edges of area rugs, you won't have a problem. You must still, however, exercise extreme caution around fringes, wires, and other objects that might tear off or become entangled in the rotator brush. Knock on wood, my cleaner hasn't eaten anything it shouldn't yet. But I am sure it will if I give it a chance!
As for the several reviewers who have complained about the cord getting in the way, they should read the instructions as well, and clip the cord to the little clip near the handle. The cord won't get in the way at all then! However, just when I was going to say I didn't have any problems with the cover falling off, mine did. It stays on well enough, however, and if there comes a time when it doesn't, I'll just tape it on like one other reviewer does. I see the complaints about attachment use, but can't comment, as I use my canister for those chores, which makes much more sense.
Basing my review on quality and construction, I have to give this product 4 stars. However, based on value for the dollar, it certainly deserves 5. I paid more for my old canister 9 years ago, and paid even more for its used replacement, in which I am sorely disappointed, a few months ago. If this vacuum lasts two years or more, I am sure it would have to go to 5 stars, no matter what.
Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Summary: 5 Stars
I got this vacuum to replace my bagless. I hated emptying the container and getting dust everywhere. Not to mention having to clean the filters. None of that with this vacuum! I love this vacuum, although it does have a few flaws:
Pros:
THE SUCTION! It is just awesome. I put it on the lowest setting (as recommended in the instructions) and when I turned it on, the vacuum literally took off! I was holding the handle and had to catch up to the vacuum because it seemed self propelled! Very impressed! It's nice that I can now feel comfortable letting my 5 month old play on the floor without having to first put a blanket down.
The tools are easily accessible and easy to use. The suction isn't sacrificed when using the tools either. When I was vacuuming out my sofa and loveseat, it felt like I was using one of those car wash vacuums (the good, strong ones). I was very impressed with this as well.
The vacuum is not too heavy. Granted, it's not an 8lb Oreck, but it's not a 40lb monster either. I had no problem carrying it and found that it weighed pretty much the same as my previous bagless.
No dusty smell when vacuuming. I used to think that the smell that showed up when I turned on a vacuum was just how vacuums were supposed to smell. I didn't know that I was actually smelling (and breathing in!) the dust and other nastiness that my vacuum was blowing back into the air. With this vacuum, there's no smell!
Cons:
The cord is just a bit short. Not too bad, but another 5ft would have been perfect.
No full bag indicator. You have to do the "squish test"
Hose is a bit short, didn't seem to stretch much.
There are also a couple things to mention, but I wouldn't really list them as a con. The hook to secure the cord while vacuuming isn't well made as the cord can't fit in very well. I damaged the outer part of my cord trying to force it in, so I wouldn't recommend using it. The vacuum also does not have a light, as shown in the picture (at least the one I got didn't), but this doesn't bother me. I never really understood what the light was for anyway. Doesn't everyone usually turn the light on when they vacuum anyway? I'm not sure if this would be a bad thing to some (I think it' a good thing), but I've used the vacuum about 10 times (give or take) and the bag is FULL. I think this is an indicator of how awful my bagless was. The bag isn't small or anything, it just pulled up a ton of stuff my bagless missed. I've purchased some new bags and once they are in, I will see how long those last. I'm not sure if I'd be upset if those filled up fast though, as that just means that much stuff is off my floor and once again would be an indicator of how awesome this vacuum is.
All in all, I would highly recommend this vacuum. The cons of this vacuum are easily outweighed by its cleaning power alone. I will never buy a bagless vacuum again and hope to have this vacuum for years to come.