Cons
- The weight Less maneuverable in tight spaces

The Hoover WindTunnel is a popular home vacuum model that came out several years ago now. The Vacuum has worked reliably for us and we have had no major problems with it since its purchase in 2001. The WindTunnel picks up carpet debris very easily and with the sliding bar on top of the unit, the model can be adapted to vacuum wood or tile floors smoothly.

Probably the biggest drawback for the WindTunnel is its weight. It is one of the heaviest models of home vacuums available, and that will limit the ease of maneuverability for some individuals. Its weight will limit the available uses for the model, because the heavier base cannot be adjusted for small spaces easily.

Since the WindTunnel is not a bagless model, some will disregard it immediately. But the micron bag it uses collects much smaller dust particles that the standard bagless model, which is a tremendous bonus to individuals who suffer from breathing problems. The base of the vacuum has easily adjusted carpet brushes, although we have found them to become easily entangled on some items.

These brushes also wear out very quickly if the vacuum is used for carpet cleaning only; so regular replacement of them provides maximum cleaning capabilities. With the extendible hose and brush attachments, the vacuum can be used to clean smaller spaces and crevices. Overall, we have been very pleased with the performance of the vacuum, as it is still the primary unit in use at home.

Cons
- The headlight is not very bright and does not help much with seeing small objects in front of the cleaner.
- The dirt cup is large and awkward to empty.

I bought this vacuum cleaner two years ago. I chose it because it is bagless, has a permanent self-cleaning filter, and has a height adjustment and shut-off for the brush rollers which allows it to work on both hardwood flooring as well as on carpet. You don’t even have to shut it off to switch between surfaces, just turn the knob. The suction is good, but the vacuum must be kept very clean or it decreases significantly.

It has several useful tools, including a wand for hard-to-reach areas and a powered cleaning tool that is excellent for stairs. It is easy to use and relatively lightweight. I like that the belt and HEPA filter are not supposed to need replacement for the life of the vacuum. However, recently the HEPA filter, which is supposed to rotate during proper operation, has stopped spinning, so I will need to have the vacuum cleaner repaired.

Overall the vacuum has worked very well until now, but I am not happy that it needs to be fixed after having purchased it for $175 only two years ago. A friend who owns another Hoover had recommended the brand because she was very pleased with the performance and durability, but this one seems to be average at best. When I called a vacuum repair shop and told them the model number, I was told that they have repaired several of them with the exact same problem with the filter only to have them break again within a few months.

There are also some minor things that I don’t like about this vacuum. The holders for the tools are not very good–a couple of them are always falling out, whereas the others are difficult to remove. A few months after buying it, the plastic tip of the handle broke off. This doesn’t affect the performance or ease of use, but should not have happened so soon with an average amount of vacuuming.

Cons
- Defective-by-design self-cleaning HEPA filter
- Difficult to unclog. Required removal of a half-dozen screws.

While it seemed to be a reasonably good cleaner at start, it quickly became a mess. Turns out that the motor controlling the “self cleaning HEPA filter” wasn’t properly engaging. Calling a repair center, we discovered that this was a very common problem and that the repair would cost more than the cleaner itself did. I also found out from the repair center that the Hoover brand-name had recently been purchased and that the quality of the machines had dropped a lot since the purchase.