Hoover WindTunnel Canister Vacuum, Electronic Bagless, S3765-040
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Hoover WindTunnel Canister Vacuum, Electronic Bagless, S3765-040
Customer Review: Cleans as well as Dyson and Miele
Summary: 4 Stars
The title above is a quote from a consumer report source online at :
http://www.consumersearch.com/www/house_and_home/canister_vacuums/
I was looking for a good solid vacuum cleaner to replace my old Eureka which was inherited from my husband's bachelor days. I actually immigrated here a few years ago and not familiar with what America vacuums have to offer. My country usually sells only canisters so I found the upright vacuums an interesting alternative.
However, in my research, I read that canisters actually suck more powerfully than uprights and I think it would be easier to use it to vacuum the narrow stairs of my townhouse. Thus, it was back to the old canister style for me.
There were three brands that I had narrowed down to :- Dyson Low Reach or Canister, Bissell Lift Off and this Hoover. I would love to get a Miele but the price was way above my budget.
I striked out the Bissell because of the dirt cup, it didn't have a cover like the Hoover does. This helps me to control the dust when I dump it into the trash. In addition the canister part of the Bissell was way too heavy to carry around on the stairs. The Hoover canister body is much lighter in comparison.
As for the Dyson, I tried to get a good deal on Ebay but even through that source, the prices touches around $300. Frankly, I wouldn't mind paying for the high price but it seems that the suction power is about equal and the Hoover has extras like the headlights and retractable cord (which makes life much easier).
So, I bought the Hoover online at DigitalFotoclub.com for $197. I decided to get the S3765 for the turbo head as my stairs is my main concern. It comes with free shipping too.
Assembly is pretty easy - I probably did it within 5 - 10 mins. All the controls are on the chrome handle which was great as I don't have to bend down to the canister to turn it off and on. It also has an automatic carpet height sensor which I thought was really smart - no more guesswork for us. To start, I pressed down, "Suction control" and for the carpet, I pressed, "Floor/Carpet" ..wow..the machine ran off and took me along literally. After a while, I got used to it.
For the stairs, I used the mini turbo head (aka Powered Hand Tool). There's no instructions on how to apply it to the wand. All you have to do is just pop it at the end. The little brush does have the bristles spin around which makes me feel like it's going to give my stairs a deeper cleaning than if I just use the dusting brush. As I got higher, I brought the canister with me and plop it down on the lower steps. My stairs are narrow but it fits there nicely.
It's also great to reach low places like under the bed or your coffee table coz the handle goes flat down. This gave the same benefit as the Dyson Low Reach.
There are two tools that doesn't have a place on the canister and that's the Hard Floor Tool and the Powered Hand Tool but I don't think that should be a big problem for me.
The cons are that after a while, the chrome handle with the Windpowered nozzle tends to get a bit heavy. The nozzle is a bit big in my opinion and tough to maneuver around furniture. It also flops down when I pull the handle and nozzle up to avoid cables. I wish the nozzle could stay upright until needed to be flexible. I must say that I got a nice workout every time I vacuum.
If the canister faces away from the chrome handle, the handle will fall down fast so make sure you're not bending down in it's way. The handle is not that light either.
With bagless vacuums, we are exposed to the dust. It's easier if we take off the cover in a plastic bag and shake it in there. This is probably the only point that Dyson is better at as they have a system where one just have to push a button to get rid of the dirt.
The consumer report also mentioned that the Hoover goes to the repair shop quite often so I'm hoping I got a good one.
Overall, I still think it's a great vacuum and worth the price.
Customer Review: Switch broke after 2 years of light use.
Summary: 3 Stars
Update 6/19/2009: The Hoover's switch broke after 2 years of light use. I wanted to downgrade my rating to one star, but the Amazon system wouldn't let me.
I bought the Hoover WindTunnel Canister Vacuum from Amazon.com about 2 years ago.
The switch (on the handle) no longer works. It won't turn the rotating brush on, so I can't vacuum the rug. It won't turn the vacuum off. I had to unplug it to turn it off.
I use the vacuum for light duty -- one rug, every week or two. I have used the vacuum fewer than 50 times. Since the switch is embedded in the handle, it will probably be expensive to fix.
This is unacceptable. A product is only as good as its weakest part. It should last longer than a few uses.
It's easy to be enthusiastic about a new acquisition (though I rated the Hoover WindTunnel as mediocre due to its many inconvenient features). Only time will tell if an appliance will hold up to use. This one didn't. I don't recommend this product.
Original review: 3/8/2007
We only have one rug. The rest of my flooring is hardwood (which we generally sweep, not vacuum). We have two medium-sized dogs, which aren't very heavy shedders. Our "vacuuming load" is low, compared with a home that is fully carpeted and/or has several heavy-shedding pets or kids.
What I like:
This Hoover is a small, relatively lightweight canister. It has a tall handle, making it easy to pick up and move. The wheels work well, so it's easy to pull around.
The vacuum motor is strong. It does a good job, removing dirt, from the rug. If that was my only consideration, it would get 5 stars.
The Hoover is bagless, with a washable HEPA filter. It collects dust in a pitcher-shaped, plastic container, which is dumped out. This saves on the cost and inconvenience of buying bags. (See below, for the downside.)
The controls are conveniently located, on top of the telescoping wand handle. The strength of the vacuum is adjustable (low/ high). The rotating brushes do a good job, of removing fur, from the rug.
The separate small, powered-brush floor attachment works well for carpeted steps. It's as effective as the large carpet brush, and much lighter to use. This is a good-quality attachment.
What I don't like:
The plastic attachments (for crevice, upholstery, non-carpeted floor) are light and not sturdy. Worse, they don't have a hole, in the coupling area, to accept the button on the wand. Since there isn't a locking-on hole, the Hoover's attachments pull off. I am using the good-quality attachments, from my old Eureka vacuum. You don't buy a new machine, so you can cannibalize the old!
The Hoover's dust collector is very small. It pitcher-shaped, a transparent cylinder that is 6" across and 6" high. It has a handle, like a pitcher, to pull it out of the machine body. The dust collector is a dark transparent plastic. It has a line that says, "Don't fill past this line." The line is only 2" from the bottom of the cylinder.
After only a few minutes of vacuuming my one rug, the canister is completely full of dog fur. Maybe it would have been OK, to continue, but I couldn't see whether the dust was past the line. The fur was, and I don't like to disregard instructions.
With a large, carpeted house, and heavy use (e.g. large, heavy-shedding dogs), the canister would have to be emptied, several times, I'm sure. This would probably be inconvenient.
When emptying the canister, I had to tap the HEPA filter part many times, to disloge the dust. I got dust all over me, and ended up sneezing. That's the downside, to having a bagless design, which has to be emptied.
I felt like I vacuumed the house, then needed vacuuming myself ;-).
I gave this product 3 stars, because it is easy to use, and functions well, but has several downsides.
Customer Review: Poorly designed & not built to last long - you will be disappointed
Summary: 1 Stars
Wow, was I misled. I am really surprised at how many positive reviews there are for this vacuum, and that is why I bought it. I only have two area rugs in my house, this is why I chose a canister. After 3 months of light use I cannot vacuum my area rugs, and my hard floors are difficult to vacuum because the floor attachment cannot stay on the pole.
Admittedly it has good suction, is lightweight and has a great little suction-powered turbine brush for furniture & stairs, but that is about all there is good I can say about it.
After such a short time it's clear that this is a lemon from both design and performance standards - it has way too many major flaws to justify purchasing it. Just read only the negative reviews on this one before you buy it, trust me. Here's what I have to add to its list of complaints:
(1) The "powered nozzle" (floor carpet attachment) drive belt constantly pops off! I see a lot of complaints about this from other users. Did the designers ever use this thing on a carpet? I've only used this attachment about 5 times before the belt started popping off, now it happens every time I use it. This is a brand new belt on a brand new attachment!
Now, get this: you have to remove SIX screws and TWO covers before you can get at the belt. What kind of goofy design is that? My 25-year old Kenmore canister has a simple access door you pop open to get at the belt, no screws! And the Kenmore's belt never pops off, it just breaks...about once every 5 years. You clowns at Hoover must've been really sure of your belt's performance to lock it behind six fasteners! The belt guard (what little there is) is very flimsy plastic, I cannot see it ever holding the belt on the motor shaft.
(2) Also, this cheap short-lived carpet head has no height adjustment. The brushing action seems too powerful for any carpet over 1/64" high. This lack probably contributes to making the drive belt popping off.
(3) The "ergonomic" control handle (somewhat inspired by HR Giger) may be admittedly a bit ergonomic, but it is ultimately too large and heavy (falls over if not constantly held in hand) and the button layout could be better. You will have frequent unwanted button presses due to poor placement. Then, find the reviews about what happens when this fancy handle breaks...
(4) The two on-board cleaning "tools" are way too small, especially when stuck on the control handle. Fine, you can get these tiny attachments in small places, but not very far 'cause the handle's too big. They even look silly stuck on it. Next, where do you store the other two attachments? I'm not going to knit a bag for them...
(5) This next flaw really amazes me... the powered carpet head can be locked onto telescoping pole, but the flat surface brush CANNOT! Huh? You guys couldn't put a hole at the base of the brush to hold it on to the pole's stud? It falls off the pole constantly with use! How is it supposed to stay on, with duct tape? Sad...
(6) The dust cup is way too small, notably shallow. The dirt builds up in no time at all. If you have pets you will have to empty it every five minutes. (Hint: If you vacuum with another vacuum before you use this one, then you don't have to empty it as frequently.) I bet Hoover did the bagless design just so we would be gullible enough to buy them (those who won't shell out more dinero for a Dyson). Bagless doesn't work in a vacuum this size very well.
Summary: A cheap short-lived poorly-designed throwaway hunk of plastic, hundreds to be seen in a landfill near you! Essential to the American lifestyle!
Hoover needs to go back to the drawing board for this model. I'll go back to my 25-year old bagged Kenmore canister.
Customer Review: Another Winner from Hoover! (I th0ought, at first)
Summary: 5 Stars
UPDATED REVIEW: AT FIRST I LIKED THIS VACUUM, BUT AFTER HAVING TO TAKE APART THE POWER HEAD AND PUT THE BELT BACK ON DOZENS OF TIMES EACH & EVERY TIME I USED IT, I CALLED HOOVER AND THEY SENT ME A REPLACEMENT MOTOR AND SOME NEW BELTS - APPARENTLY THEY HAD A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH BELTS COMING OFF, AND THE WAY THE MOTOR SHAFT WAS GROUND WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. WELL, I INSTALLED THE NEW MOTOR AND A NEW BELT AND IT SEEMED TO WORK OK FOR A SHORT TIME. (ABOUT 3 USES!) TODAY I TRIED TO VACUUM MY BEDROOM, AND NOTICED THAT THE BRUSH WASN'T TURNING EXCEPT WHEN I LIFTED IT FROM THE CARPET! THE BELT NO LONGER SLINGS OFF, IT JUST GETS BURNT UP BY THE MOTOR SHAFT SPINNING ALOT FASTER THAN THE BELT/BRUSH CAN MOVE. I AM GOING TO TRY TO REPAIR THE BEARINGS IN THE 30 YEAR OLD HOOVER THAT I STILL HAVE (THAT STILL RUNS REAL GOOD) SO I CAN VACUUM MY BEDROOM. BETWEEN HAVING TO EMPTY THE TINY DUST CUP EVERY 2 MINUTES (MAYBE) AND THE LOUSY, USELESS POWER HEAD, I REALLY WISH I WOULD HAVE SENT THIS STUPID & USELESS MACHINE BACK AND GOT A REFUND!THIS VACUUM IS OK EXCEPT FOR THE HALF-PINT DUST CUP, BUT THE POWER HEAD DESIGN IS TOTAL JUNK, DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY
I bought this Hoover to replace a Eureka upright bagless that did little but "wind up" dog fur around the brush bearings! I spent more time unwinding Queenie's fur from the brush than I did vacuuming. This Hoover cannister found dirt in my bedroom carpet that the Eureka never even thought about. I did have to unwind some Queenie fur from the brush, but not like the other one. I didn't have to completely disassemble the darn thing in order to get the fur off. Queenie's fur is about 4" to 6" long, so there's no vacuum with a rotating brush that isn't "hampered" by her hair. I also have an old Hoover Spirit bagger cannister vacuum that is at least 20 years old and still works great. I use it for small jobs like cleaning my window A/C filters and electronic equipment. This is why I went with another (reliable) Hoover. The only drawback that I can see with this new Hoover is that the "stalk" or "wand" has plastic parts which makes the thing feel kind of flexible when vacuuming. My old cannister is a "tank", but nobody makes things as tough as they used to 20 years ago! The dirt cup fills up fast, but I think that once I get the dirt out of my carpet that the other vacuums were missing, it will seem to be a lot bigger! I bet I got 10 pounds of dirt & sand out of my carpet, and that's only about a 20 square foot section, as I've yet to move all the furniture! I think that this vacuum is well worth the money, and hopefully, with careful use, it will provide as many years of service as my other Hoover has. I also like the variable suction feature. I have a vacuum attachment called a "Pet-Vac" that is kind of a fur trap with a real long hose that has a rubber fingered fur shedding brush. I use it to de-fur my doggies. When I tried to use it before, my other vacuum had too much suction and caused the "filter ball" inside the Pet-Vac to stick to the top and stop the air flow. The middle setting on this new Hoover is purr-fect, as it provides sufficient suction for the Pet-Vac to function, but doesn't make the ball suck to the top and mess things up! I say "BUY ONE"!! SEE REVISED REVIEW ABOVE - THE POWER HEAD IS USELESS!!!
Customer Review: Impressive Vacuum Cleaner
Summary: 4 Stars
I have only had it the new vacuum for a few weeks and so far I am pretty satisfied. Mind you I am comparing this vacuum against a pretty old hoover canister (10yrs+ maybe even 20) and a 6 year old hoover upright (that died).
First thing I like: it's quieter than I am used to for a vacuum. That's subjective of course, and I don't have a means to provided you with decibels. There are three convenient control buttons at the hose handle: one to control turning it on and toggling thru its vacuum power settings (three levels), one to toggle on and off the power brush, and one to turn the whole thing off. This is great because, we have area rugs on a wood floor: as we vacuum plush carpet one doesn't need full suction, because the power brush is doing most of the work (and doing it well), hence we operate much quieter; as we move off the carpet onto hardfloor, one needs more suction, but no brush; so with a few quick button pushes, I can instantly control the change setting to suit of floor type.
The bagless feature is great because it liberates us from the tyranny of having to buy those expensive bags. It's relatively easy to dump the dust canister (I just put the whole thing upside down into a used plastic grocery bag and wipe off the dust from the outside of it with a moist rag or hold it under the tap). The handle of the canister looks vulnerable and fragile, I fear, however.
The metal vacuum tube is a single, telescoping design, in lieu of two separate pieces. Very convenient, lets see how it holds up over the years. The power connection points attached to this this seem also a little vulnerable and fragile.
The Power brush attachment is a little bulky, but appears effective at brushing up from our rugs. The bottom is removable by screws for maintenance (belt replacement) or clogs (in the event of). The Upholstery brush attachment is suction-powered, and is it from turning. Highest suction power (setting) is needed for this attachment.
There is a crevasse tool and a small upholstery brush accessory in an on-board compartment, along with a small brush/awl tool for cleaning the filters. This should help keep one from losing these attachments somewhat.
The power cord has a spring recoil, activated by foot-pedal. Unfortunately, I would again criticize that the pedal appears a little vulnerable and fragile.
The large, bucket-style handle to lift the canister is convenient. Suction is very good; reach is good (wire length, hose length), but not as good as I have seen on more expensive units. The unit is fairly compact and makes the unit a good choice for 1 to 3 bedroom apartment and small houses, with mixed floor types, in my opinion.
Great performance and features, as well as good value for the money so far; let's see how it does over the next year...