Hoover WindTunnel Canister Vacuum, Electronic Bagless, S3765-040
by Hoover
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Hoover WindTunnel Canister Vacuum, Electronic Bagless, S3765-040
Customer Review: guess it'll have to do
Summary: 2 Stars
i like Hoover. i like canister. bought this WindTunnel because my old Hoover Spirit motor is going out. what i like: great suction no doubt. its less loud than the Spirit? i cant really compare as the Spirit motor grinds but i guess its good to hear the phone ring again. except that i dont really hear it ring... i think i hear it turn off the WindTunnel & yes it is ringing. it looks grovy but good looks can pretty much be it. even though the Hoover fixer guy did NOT recommend bagless i like bagless which i empty after each use. if i dont like dirt & hair gathering on the floor why would i want it gathering in a vacuum till the bag gets full enough to empty it. so with each vacuum i empty the dirt & feel like yes now everything is clean. why i HATE the WindTunnel: it's overall design! the attachments do not clasp onto the wand! push one into a cushion & it pulls off the vacuum. what idiot designs attachments that DONT stay on?!? Three of the extremely small hense useless attachments fit in this itty bitty compartment on top of the vacuum which if you dont place in PRECISELY the right way/spot the top wont close. two other attachments dont fit on the WindTunnel AT ALL so these are kept in the closet or put wherever around the house when in use then constantly retrieved from last location when needed again. VERY ANNOYING. with my Spirit all attachments had a little slot on top the vacuum i could take off the wand with one hand while getting the nicely sized attachments with other & secure to vacuum with a twist of a connector. the powerhead of the WindTunnel is too big to fit under any furniture except a bed like 10 inches off the floor! even the bare floor head is useless for under furniture because it has a swivel connection which DOESNT swivel more than 75% so it wont go flat to the floor & under. so i'll either have to power vacuum literally by picking up & moving all the furniture. or hope the dust bunnies & spiders that gather underneath the dresser & armour & entertainment unit dont get too big come out & eat us in the midst of the night. my biggest peeve is the power control on the wand. the three operation modes [suction, motor for brush, and off... in that order] are very close & all in the natural while vacumming position for the thumb. i constantly gear up the suction go to power up the brush & accidently turn the whole vacuum off. then i read reviews about the product breaking & think ya... i can see that. i'd return the WindTunnel is a heartbeat. but Hoover hasnt made a Spirit motor in like 10 years. no one can rebuild mine. i cant afford a miele right now [probably closest in design to my Spirit but far better in performance] & unless i can teach husband 3 kids 2 cats & 1 dog to stay out of the clean house i guess this WindTunnel will have to do for now. but i curse it everytime i use it. and miss my Spirit.Customer Review: It's got pros. It's got cons. It's got SUCTION!
Summary: 4 Stars
I spent several days researching every vacuum out there. This is what I was looking for:
I wanted a vacuum that was light enough, easy to maneuver around my modest 1400 square foot home, that picked up the dirt and dog hair on my carpeted floors as well as my wood and tile floors, that would allow me to vacuum the stairs easily, would be easy to clean and maintain, and would not leave me feeling like I need a massage and a nap when I am done with all of that.
Here's what I got:
Despite the stated weight, the vacuum is not heavy at all. The vacuum is fairly easy to maneuver. What I found is that because the power nozzle propels forward during vacuuming, it does put strain on my arms and back pulling it back for each sweep. But, it is only significant enough to let me know I need to work out more. The vacuum works GREAT on the carpeted floors and my upholstered furniture, too. I don't even need to use the highest level of suction for any of these functions.
I'm not crazy about how the vacuum worked on bare floors with the power head (in floor mode). However, I used the attachment that came with it that is designed for floors, and that worked pretty well. I think I prefer a broom though for my hard floors. I also couldn't dust with this vacuum without scratching my furniture. I tried, but it didn't even remove any of the dust.
With the handy power tool, vacuuming stairs is a snap, though I have to balance the canister against my leg as I go because of the size of the canister. I also need to switch off between the power tool and the crevice tool to get in the grooves of the steps. But it does a great job at getting all that dog fur that accumulates on the stairs!
Emptying and cleaning the canister and filter is a snap. I just ran it all under cool water. All the gook rinsed from the canister easily without making a mess. I set it on the counter to dry for a day, and then put it back in. Easy.
Overall, I am very impressed with this vacuum. I didn't need a massage or a nap when I was done. The only thing that is missing, in my opinion, is a place to put all the tools. There is only room for the two small standard tools, but there is nowhere to put the power tool, the tool that is designed for floors, or the rubber stoppers that come with it to protect the metal edges. I don't like carting a bunch of little things around with me while I vacuum.
If you're looking for a versatile sturdy vacuum under $200 that performs as well as or better than more expensive models (it works better than the $800 Electrolux I had), this is the one to get!
Customer Review: Did you Notice the 5 star reviewers are NEW OWNERS?
Summary: 1 Stars
Just as everyone else, the high user ratings and Amazon status encouraged me to buy this vacuum after a long and hard search. First of all - sympathies to anyone needing to search for the right vacuum - what a chore!
So let me make this one easy. Very impressed when I got it - great suction and even great edge cleaning. I knew about the drawback of the small dust bin, but for that kind of suction and cleaning power, I didn't mind. However having a big yard outside, it's not a problem to run out there and empty it away from doors and windows. If you live in a small place, you may not like this as it's a very dusty mess to do, especially the stuff that gets caught on the filter.
I bought this machine in August, by November December it wasn't working so well (vacuum about 1 time a week). It kept turning off in fact. The on/off buttons are easy though, so i just kept pushing them to turn it back on every time it shut off. I also did a thorough cleaning to make sure there weren't any clogs and couldn't find anything wrong with it.
Then, Jan/Feb it started by a significant loss in suction, unexplainable, edge cleaning doesn't work anymore, and beater brush keeps turning off along with the whole unit turning off (one or the other usually). By March now, it's issues are too big and won't stay on for more than 15-30 seconds at best and beater brush won't stay on hardly at all. If I detach the beater brush and just use the metal hose, it will stay on. So there must either be a short going to the attachment, or after feeling the unit and power cord, it could be overheating.
Lastly, check the weight out on this and I strongly suggest you try pulling one around. The beater bar brush, ease of attachement, ease of use are wonderful when it's working. Couldn't imagine anything easier. Also lightweight and the hose is very sturdy. I have a bad back, and I never hurt after using this vacuum, while some other vacuums have me in pain for days.
It's the "little" motor you have to pull around. It doesn't follow you around like it should... you have to stop and give it a yank to come over and it's not light.
So to sum it up, as nice as it is, it broke down quickly, a pain to tow around the house, a pain to empty the canister (lasts for about 2 medium sized rooms, unless you have dog hair), the cord is short and only is ok for 1 20ft sq room without changing sockets. So I'm back to searching for a vacuum. I'll take this one in since it's still under warranty, so they should fix or replace it, but it's not going to be my primary vacuum any longer.
Don't stop at this one and keep searching.
Customer Review: Hoover customer service disappoints
Summary: 2 Stars
After moving into a new house with much thicker carpet (and more of it!) than I previously had, I decided to upgrade my vacuum as my current vacuum was taking a beating. I researched vacuums and decided on the Hoover S3765-040 WindTunnel model.
All was fine for the first two months until, in the middle of vacuuming, it stopped working. Yes, just stopped working. After checking for clogs and trying different electric outlets, there was still no response. I checked the warranty information card included with the vacuum instructions and, of course, there was no service center listed in Indiana on the card that was enclosed. Following the directions regarding what to do if there was no service center listed in your area (call a toll-free number or visit Hoover's website), I proceeded to the website to download a list of service centers in my area. I sent my husband to the vacuum store, on his day off, only to find that out of EVERY SERVICE STORE listed on the website for the Indianapolis area, NONE OF THEM were official service centers for Hoover (please, please tell me why they are listed on the website then?). Fortunately, the gentleman at the vacuum store was nice enough to call around and find an official Hoover service center in the area for us. Lo and behold, the only service center for the area was NOT listed on the website. Frustrating for sure, but at least we found a place to service it.
Since the vacuum was so new, the manager at this store decided to send it back to Hoover and request a replacement. No problem, I think it's only fair I receive a replacement since my first one failed. However, he then informed us that is would take Hoover 4-6 WEEKS to deliver my new vacuum! Now, up until this point, I was handling the failure of my vacuum semi-well (kinda upset it broke down so soon, but sometimes, these things happen), but tell me I have to wait 4-6 weeks for a new one, come on! I didn't even have to wait that long for delivery after I ordered it, and now Hoover is telling me I have to wait 4-6 weeks because they sent me a faulty vacuum in the first place. Ridiculous. Not too mention the hassles of trying to find a place to service it...
While the vacuum seemed to be fundamentally fine (except for the handle that won't stay upright), if you should happen on bad luck like I have and need service, be prepared for a long, drawn-out, unsatisfying resolution -- if you can find a service center. I must admit this whole experience has really soured me to Hoover and I will probably look elsewhere when my replacement vacuum dies after another two months.
Customer Review: Wow! Best Vacuum I've Ever Owned!
Summary: 5 Stars
In 28 years of housekeeping I've owned at least six vacuum cleaners. Some were very inexpensive because that's all I could afford, and some were a little better quality. But all of them died after just a few years. I nursed along my GE cannister vacuum for an extra year because I dreaded spending the money for a new one, AGAIN.
Finally the day came that I couldn't put it off anymore. I read the reviews on Amazon and settled for the Hoover S3765-040. I had never tried a bag-less vacuum, but it will be nice to not have to search for bags at Walmart or online.
It arrived in just a couple of days, thanks to Amazon's free shipping, and I quickly assembled it and tried it out. Our home is always dirty, with two adults, four kids, a dog and a cat, and assorted neighbor kids running in an out. This vacuum has such powerful suction and such a GREAT rugbeater head that it got a gallon of pet hair, dirt, dust and fuzz balls out of my downstairs! I had to stop and empty the cup a few times, and was amazed at what my poor old vacuum hadn't picked up!
Inside the dirt collector cup is a filter, which got dirt and fuzz stuck in it. I was dreading picking all that out each time, but it cleaned up in one minute. I took it outside, rolled it between my hands and tapped it firmly on the deck, and tons of dirt and fuzz came out. It looks new again after each cleaning!
I'm delighted with the caster wheels on this product, too. My old one rolled on its back when I pulled it. This one has a nice long cord (20 feet)and a long hose on the suction end too. It also has the power button on the part you hold in your hand - much nicer than having to find the cannister stuck between the sofa and the armchair to turn it off. My only complaint is that there isn't a clip on it to hold the other brush attachments. So I'll have to go find them in a closet when I want to use them. But to my delight, the small brush attachment from my old GE fit on this one too....so I can brush smaller areas than the new attachments would allow.
Overall, this is a wonderful, well designed product. It's powerful, lightweight, rolls easily, and avoids the need for bags. I'm so pleased with this vacuum cleaner!
Edited Sept 2010: After three years of hard use, the motor in the rugbeater died. I replaced the roller brush and belt inside it, but it still won't rotate. However, I love this vacuum and will take it to a repair place to have it fixed. The main vacuum part still works like brand new and I hope to get many more years of service from it.