Cons: Heavy weight, Hose not long enough, very loud. Warning: Has been RECALLED! Check Hoover website!!!
The Bottom Line: This vacuum cleaner is heavy and has a few drawbacks, but it does an excellent job of cleaning carpets and hard floors. It is a great value for the money.
LynnSchneider's Full Review: Hoover U6437-900 / U6439-900 Windtunnel Bagged Upr...
********* UPDATE May 2006 ***********
Well folks, I have some very bad news. My Hoover Windtunnel blew up last month. Literally. I was about to vacuum the rug and it suddenly made a popping sound and then the motor started to die, and grey smoke came out of the side filter! It was something you'd see in a movie or a sitcom.
Now listen up, guys and gals. I take good care of my appliances. I changed the vacuum bag regularly. I cut all the hairs and threads out of the spinning brush regularly. There was no reason for this vacuum cleaner to die only about a year after I bought it!
Upon doing some research, I learned that several Hoover Windtunnels had been recalled because of engine problems. You can read about it on the Hoover website. Why hadn't I been informed about the recall? Simple: like an idiot, I hadn't sent in the warranty card. And to make matters worse, I couldn't find the cash register receipt.
Fortunately I remembered exactly where I bought it: Bed Bath & Beyond. Amazingly, they scanned the bar code at the bottom of the vacuum cleaner and were able to identify it as their merchandise!! Since it was under 2 years old, they were able to help me with it. After a lot of begging and pleading, they gave me a refund (they previously had said they would only give me store credit).
Recently we had all the carpet in our downstairs pulled up and the hardwood floors underneath were refinished. I was still going to use the Windtunnel for the area rugs and the upstairs (which is still carpeted). But now that I had an opportunity to buy something more appropriate for hard floors, I used my refund money to trade up to a Miele canister vacuum cleaner. I didn't buy it at Bed, Bath & Beyond because they don't sell Miele -- I went to a local vacuum cleaner store. Anyway, the Miele works great on the hard surfaces, but isn't as good on the carpet and rugs as the Hoover was. I do miss my Hoover and I was sad and disappointed that it blew up and died.
So please be warned. If you buy a Hoover Windtunnel, do it at your own risk and be sure to:
1. Send in the warranty card ASAP. Make a copy of the filled-out warranty card for your records before you mail it.
2. Staple the cash register receipt and the copy of the filled-out warranty card to your owner's manual.
3. Keep your owner's manual in a safe and accessible place.
The Windtunnel is under warranty for 2 years, so if anything happens within that period, you can get it fixed for free. If I hadn't been such an idiot, I could have saved it. But oh well, you live and learn, I guess.
*****************
My 20-year-old Hoover was conking out and I was searching for a new vacuum cleaner. I wanted something with good allergy filtration, but I didn't necessarily want to pay $600 for a Meile. After much research (including Consumers Reports) I decided to buy this model.
The Basics
This Hoover Windtunnel is a good value for the money. It is easy to manuever, and like my old Hoover, it can "lay flat" to get under low furniture. You can adjust the height of the carpet, or set it for wood floors with a convenient switch at the front of the cleaner.
The hose is especially handy and convenient. I find myself quickly switching from floor to hose cleaning to get into all those crevices and corners. The one drawback of the hose is that it isn't stretchy enough -- or perhaps it's not long enough. It is very easy to accidently knock down the vacuum cleaner when stretching out the hose to clean something. I've been using this cleaner for many months and have learned to just lay it down or brace it behind something so this won't happen. There have been many times when the stupid thing has fallen on me. No harm is done, it's just inconvenient.
The suction on this baby is strong enough to suck a toupee off a bald man's head. And I mean, suck it right down into the vacuum cleaner. Wow, don't say I didn't warn you, especially when you're using the hose!
The hose tools are the standard tools you'd expect to find on a vacuum cleaner and they work fine.
This vacuum cleaner is rather heavy, so if you are looking for a machine to lug up and down the stairs, you may want to keep looking (unless weight doesn't matter to you).
Cleaning Ability
As I mentioned earlier, the suction on this cleaner is extremely strong. Much stronger than my old Hoover. I feel that it does a fantastic job cleaning my carpet and hard surfaces. You can reach just about anywhere with the tools and hose extensions.
I like the filtration system on this cleaner. I didn't need anything that was 100% HEPA, yet did want allergy filtration. Between the filters on the cleaner itself and the special allergy control bags, I feel that the allergens are kept well under control.
Bagged System
I wanted a bagged system because I didn't want to be exposed to the dust and dirt when emptying a cup, like I do for my mini hand vac. I feel that if you have dust allergies, a bagged system is the best choice. The bags are easy to find in most stores and on the internet and are not very expensive.
In Conclusion
I have been using this vacuum cleaner for more than 6 months and am very satisfied with my choice. I paid about $200 for it on sale at Bed Bath & Beyond and am happy that I didn't spend the extra hundreds of dollars for another brand. I am sure that his Hoover will continue to serve me well.
Bring your home to the brink of laboratory clean conditions with this amazing HOOVER U6439-900 WindTunnel! This Upright Vacuum Cleaner is self-propell...More at Discount Cleaning Products
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
Self-Propelled upright cleaner features the proven Cleaning Performance of WindTunnel¿ technology (uses computer designed air ducts to provide a powe...More at Amazon Marketplace
Kit Includes: One Hoover U6439 Self Propelled WindTunnel Ultra Upright HEPA Vacuum One Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Turbine Powered Hand Tool One extra Hoove...More at Allergy Be Gone
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.