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: PLEASE, PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THIS VACUUM
Summary: 1 Stars
If there was an option to choose 0 stars on this one I would. From day one, we saw problems with this vacuum.
We have been servicing and selling vacuums for 35 + years. The first time I saw this vacuum in for service, a very nice woman brought us the vacuum in 4-5 pieces.
I thought the vacuum had just made it back from Iraq! I asked her what happened, and she told me that she had accidentally dropped the machine down the stairs while vacuuming her stairs.
The main housing on this vacuum was so brittle, it broke multiple times, in multiple places. I asked her how long she had had the vacuum, and she told me a little over 1 year. This was out of the warranty period for the vacuum, and we had to charge her. The total repair was $120. The main housing itself sold for $74.99!
In my years of servicing vacuums, I have never seen such cheap, cheap plastic. You literally can break the plastic by squeezing the housing in your hands! I would by lying if I said that was the only time we have seen this problem. I would say that in the two years this vacuum has been out there, we have serviced 15-20 units. The plastic is not the only problem though.
The electric hose, has all the controls on the handle of the machine. Very convienent, however VERY problematic. We have replaced several of these hoses because of short circuits.
The main problem we are having right now is, the main HEPA Filter: Hoover WindTunnel Bagless Canister Filter # 59134033, is not available from Hoover. We have currently 30-40 of these on back order from JUNE! This is the main filter for the vacuum, without replacing this filter, the motor will surely fail. Check around and see for yourself, this filter is NOT AVAILABLE PERIOD! I expect to be replacing motors on this unit on a mass scale in the coming months. PLEASE, PLEASE stay away from this Hoover WindTunnel. You will be sorry.
Hoover has sold their company 3 times in the last 4 years. The first sale was to Whirpool. Whirpool then sold out to Maytag. Maytag sold the Hoover company again in March to TTI Floorcare, the parent company of Dirt Devil, and Royal Vacuums. It is unfortunate to see such a good brand name at one point, fall like Hoover has.
Customer Review: Cat hair be gone!
Summary: 5 Stars
Background first: I am handicapped and some features I needed to help me vacuum may not be important to other users AND I have four indoor-outdoor cats.
Unit arrived intact and parts fit perfectly. I put it together in about 10 minutes. All the parts seem sturdy. Even in a world of products with flimsy plastic parts, the plastic brushhead and other replaceable head seemed a cut above.
Because I cannot balance on one leg well at all, the fact I can press the tab to retract the cord with my hand is a plus as is not having to step on the vacuum head to change it from upright to vacuum mode. On this Hoover, all I have to do is push the head on the floor a bit and it bends perfectly. Since I vacuum using a wheeled chair, these two features are very important to me. The wand and the vacuum head stand up perfectly, too.
Having the controls on the top of the handle shaft near my hand is another plus for me as is the self-propelled vacuuming (I just love it) and the headlight.
The dust cup may seem somewhat small at first as I must vacuuming up about two years' worth of ground in cat hair, but I suspect with regular use that will not be a problem, but it is very easy to pop the dust bin in and out of the canister, another good feature for me. When it pops in it is secure.
It is so light weight and easy to move with the large rear wheels. I cannot move large heavy items anymore, and this light weight and mobility is another plus.
I like the quiet motor (my previous Oreck, Eureka uprights, and even Panasonic upright were noisy). AND I love the suction. I vacuumed a 4x8 foot area of carpet where I go into my bedroom and my four cats use as a corridor to the outside four times now (this was two days after my housekeeper was here with her personal vacuum) and each time the cup has filled with cat hair, carpet fuzz, and dust. The bin was easy to remove, empty, clean out (all from a chair). I still will use my Dustbuster for the cat litter and the Shop Vac for the garage and shed, but for house I am very happy with this purchase.
How the vacuum will hold up long-term I cannot tell, but I am hopeful.
Customer Review: 9 months: the magic point of disappointment?
Summary: 1 Stars
I was really excited by this vacuum when we first got it. Definitely 5 stars. There is no doubt in my mind that this machine tests well in product comparisons. My wife and I really did a lot of research before buying this. And it performed really well at the start. But now 9 months down the road, I am really disappointed.
Compiling my own experience into what I have read others say, the brush attachment is a real Achilles heel. If you have a lot of carpets, you may want to consider the following carefully.
After owning ours for 9 months the brush attachment just stopped spinning - unless you pushed down on the back of the attachment with a great deal of force so it would pop a wheelie and lift the brush off the carpet. I pulled the brush unit apart two times to clean it to make sure that debris was not the cause.
Here's the deal. With the brush not able to spin very fast, the belt moved more slowly than the motor wanted to drive it. So over time the drive axle polished the belt smooth. As a result the belt lost any ability to grip the drive axle. My temporary solution is to sand the belt with 60 grit sand paper. This gets it to start working better but not greatly. You can smell the belt burning just a bit as you use it. Sweet, right?
What are we vacuuming? Once a week we vacuum 1000 SF of low pile carpet. I think the problem is that there is no height setting on the brush. Because of this, the brush just bites too hard into the carpet (and this is not high pile shag) making it run slower than the motor wants it to. You can't adjust the brush up to make it have a little less contact and spin better.
To change the belt you have to remove the outside housing (four screws) and then another housing (three screws) over the brush. From there you can pull out the belt and sand a bit of teeth back into it. - Or just replace it.
Which is just not going to work for me. From reading other reviews on Amazon, 9 months seems to be the magic point of disappointment, so I don't feel so all alone here.
But all is not so bad. While I was in there, I could change the bulb. After 9 months, that is burned out.
Customer Review: So THIS is how a vacuum should work!
Summary: 5 Stars
Wow! I have spent much more on vacuums but none of them had the suction power of this little guy! (3 different levels of suction) I only have laminate and tile floors due to environmental allergies and I also have 4 cats. I was previously using a swiffer and a stick vac but got sick of seeing cat-hair tumbleweeds floating by immediately after cleaning. After some research, I decided to try this vacuum, despite seeing some reviewers' concerns with the small dust cup. I am so glad I did! This vacuum is easy to use, has the necessary attachments to clean upholstery and carpet plus the crevice tool. After experimentation, I have settled on using just the wider hard floor attachment instead of the one with the beater bar that can be used for both carpet and hard surface floors. It fits under things like dining tables and hutches more easily. I find that I only have to empty the dust cup every second use. The dust cup does look large but only the bottom inch or so is actually available for dust collection. For those who balk at emptying it, it really is not that hard. I put one of those empty plastic grocery bags I always seem to have around in the top of the waste basket, put the dust cup inside, folding the bag around it so no dust escapes into the air, then I turn the cup upside down to empty it into the bag, pull the cup out and tie the bag up. I don't think that's rocket science but some people seem to have not figured that out. It's loads better than those stinky vacuum bags that I've had to deal with in other vacuums. If you get this vac, you can read the instructions about washing the cup and taking care of the filter. It's no big deal. Anyway, if you have hard surface floors this is the vacuum to get, (it's not as noisy as I feared it would be either) but if you have carpet, you will probably need to empty the dust cup a LOT more frequently so that might not make you happy. If you have stairs and only one vacuum, you will like how light and small this one is. Don't forget when first inspecting the vacuum to look under the top cover for some of the attachments and the small filter brush. I almost don't mind having to vacuum to anymore, what more can I say?Customer Review: This Machine Never had a problem Until HOOVER recalled it
Summary: 1 Stars
Hello;
I purchased this item from a major retailer about 8 years ago. It has always been a "very good vacume". Until...I received a letter from Hoover Co. in "January 2011". Informing myself, that this machine is under recall. "DO NOT USE IT" They told me..."IT CAN START A FIRE" They would pay my shipping and send a box to return it to them for repair. I received a return label in FEBRUAY 2011. But, " NO BOX".... To pack it in. UNTIL "MARCH" 2011 After I called them. (Remind you. I was told in "JANUARY 2011"). Ok...I contacted their company. Provided them with the required information ( Name, Rank, Serial Number, Draft Card Number, Date of Birth, address, zip code, phone number and what ever else they wanted) .. "Yes..It's a bad one alright"... "It needs to be shipped back to us for repair" ?. Even though? I; Never had any problems with it. In 8 years of owning the vacume, it always functioned perfectly and reliably.
So; The end of February 2011.......I receive a Fed Ex label to ship it back To Hoover...... "BUT NO BOX".. to ship it in. I contacted them again, and told them I have "NOT RECEIVED A SHIPPING CARTON" A Label I have. But NO CARTON. a shipping carton was eventually supplied... But, did; NOT, arrive until "March 2011 !! (So, as a result. I have not had use of the machine for TWO months already.
Since January 2011. I was afraid to use it because I was told it was a "FIRE hazard" !!
March 30, 2011 I ship it Back to Hoover........
I just today April 14, 2011. Received the vacume back from Hoover. I was very much looking forward to cleaning my Carpets again. After all; It's only been "4" Months !! Since I last had a vacume to use. When I receive it "back" Finally?
The , "BRUSH MOTOR" in the Head no longer works !! "PERIOD!!" There was NEVER a
problem before I shipped it back....And now? It's a useless hunk, Of; "Hoover JUNK!!"
Boy......This is a good way, to stimulate, " NEW "...... vacume sales. For OTHER
THANKS HOOVER..."Nobody"; Does it like....... "You "