Positive: The vacuum itself is very powerful; when I used the crevice tool on full power, I thought it'd pull my carpet up! It picked up cat hair and litter very well. Plus--if there is such a thing--it's a good-looking vacuum.

Negative: After using the vacuum five--yes, just five--times, the beater brush started working only intermittently. The problem appeared to be a poor design location of the connector wire between the brush and wand; the release lever can rub against the wire, possibly dislodging it from the connector or breaking the wire internally.

Also, though it's nice that the canister detaches from the vacuum so you can empty it without dragging the whole vacuum somewhere, it's very difficult to reattach the top of the canister itself. Three bayonet-type connectors have to be lined up perfectly before you can put the top back on, so it takes several attempts to get it to line up. You almost have to set the canister down on a level surface to do it. Irritating! (It's easy to reattach the canister to the vacuum, however.)

Conclusion: For the money ($250 range), I would think you could find a vacuum with better reliability. How sad--Hoover used to stand for quality. My parents owned Hoover vacuums that lasted 20 or 30 years; this one didn't last me two months!

Recommended: No

Amount Paid (US$): 250