Hoover U6436-900 TurboPower Self-Propelled WindTunnel Bagged Upright Vacuum Cleaner Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently bought the Hoover Windtunnel U6436-900 (TurboPower 7600) to replace my old Hoover Windtunnel U6445-920 (Mach 6.9) which was "giving up the ghost" after 6 years of flawless service. I could have had the old vacuum fixed for less than half of what the new one cost, but I decided to turn back the clock and invest in a new vacuum.
The new U6436 is almost exactly the same as my old Hoover except that it stores tools on the back of the vacuum and now has room up front for the power attachment. Hoover Windtunnel is definitely as loud as ever too. That's because it's actually doing something. It's amazing how much suction these vacuums have when the bag is empty. By the time the bag is full, I estimate that suction decreases by 25%...which is still more than adequate by the way.
I compared the U6436 side-by-side with the Eureka TheBoss 4870GZ that my inlaws have. The Hoover beats the Eureka pretty solidly in power and ease of push thanks to the self propel feature. It really glides along like it is on iceskates or something...almost effortless. Since the Hoover costs 33% more, this is to be expected. The Eureka is quieter, and that's about it.
The product manual that came with the U6436 indicates that it has a 2 year warranty. I've seen conflicting reports on this on various other sites, but it is definitely 2 years...
A famous consumer magazine ranks this vacuum near the top, and I agree. I have owned Hoover Windtunnel for quite awhile now, and they are reliable and do a great job. The bags are cheap too, usually around $7-$8 for 3 of them.
In short, I highly recommend this vacuum.

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Equipped with a powerful 12 amp motor, this self-propelled bagged upright vacuum cleaner delivers exceptional performance and virtually effortless cleaning in both forward and reverse modes. The unit's 15-inch-wide cleaning path helps get the job done quickly, while its patented WindTunnel technology provides a powerful dual air stream for enhanced dirt pickup and removal. In addition, dual edge groomers loosen and remove dust, dirt, and lint that collect along baseboards, and the variable height settings and on/off brush-roll control allow for switching from bare floors to carpets with ease. When the handle returns to its upright, locked position, the brush roll automatically shuts off and the unit directs all its power to tool suction. On-board tools include a crevice tool, an upholstery nozzle, a dusting brush, and two extension wands. Its deluxe stretch hose extends up to 11-feet when using both wands and the crevice tool. Even more, its on-board powered hand tool works great for vacuuming upholstered furniture, carpeted stairs, and hard-to-reach places. The unit also comes with allergen filtration that captures 100-percent of dust mites and 99.98-percent of ragweed and common grass pollens. Other highlights include a textured handle grip, fingertip "on/off" control, a full-width headlight to illuminate dark corners, a non-marking furniture guard, a check-bag indicator, a 31-foot power cord with quick-cord release, and a carrying handle for easy transport. The vacuum cleaner measures 13 by 15 by 43 inches and carries a two-year parts-and-labor warranty.

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Hoover U8371-900 WindTunnel 2 Complete Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner Review

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(More customer reviews)If your living environment is in the country with exposure to dirt, mud, animal hair & normal household dirt or dust, this vacuum is not for you! This machine is poorly designed & does not perform as advertised. Suction is so great it pulls dirt, debris & hair up through the collar cone filter & directly into the sealed HEPA chamber. Once the chamber plugs full of debris, the vacuum looses all suction & ability to clean. There are only two options for cleaning the chamber, once obstructed - take it to an authorized shop or dismantel the machine yourself. No one wants a vacuum that must be 'repaired' after minimal use, or one that must be repaired after every use. It clogged up before I could complete two rooms & although the initial obstruction was cleared, the unit now plugs up before finishing one room. Hoover appears to have no desire to fix the design flaw or make it right with anyone who foolishly spent money buying this product - Hoover will not accept a return, or provide an exchange to another vacuum in their product line. A word of advice I received from the authorized service shop that repaired (cleaned) the vacuum - this type of problem seems common with Hoover bagless models, especially the new windtunnel 2; don't buy anything but a bagged Hoover product.

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Ideal for cleaning carpets, this 12 amp bagless upright vacuum cleaner features patented WindTunnel 2 technology, located in the floor nozzle, which forces the rotating brushes and airflow to work in harmony. It lifts and traps the dirt, preventing it from scattering, so dirt ends up in the cleaner, not on the floor. The unit's Embedded DirtFinder display alerts users to areas of the carpet that may need more cleaning attention, while its edge-cleaning abilities help remove dust, dirt, and lint that collect along baseboards. Even more, moving from carpets to hard-floor surfaces becomes effortless thanks to the unit's Surface Command electronic carpet-height adjustment. Simply turn the dial for the desired setting.
When in the upright position, the vacuum automatically shuts off the brush, focusing all the power into the hose. Its Real-Time tool system makes tool use easy with a handle that instantly converts to a telescopic wand and a Tag-Along grip to guide the cleaner. The telescoping quick-release wand and super-stretch hose combine for 12 feet of cleaning reach. On-board tools include a hard-floor brush to safely clean hard surfaces and a pet-hair tool with powerful suction and rotating brushes for stairs and upholstery. For added convenience, the unit's self-cleaning HEPA filter traps 100-percent of dust mites, ragweed, and common grass pollens, plus it cleans itself every six seconds to maintain cleaning power--no need to ever touch or replace the filter. Other highlights include soft wheels, a 14-inch cleaning path, a brilliant headlight to illuminate dark corners, adjustable handle height, a 31-foot power cord, a bottom-release dirt cup, and a lifetime belt. The vacuum cleaner measures 11 by 15 by 44 inches and carries a one-year parts-and-labor warranty.

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iRobot Scooba® 380 Robot Lava-Pisos Review

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(More customer reviews)Got the 380 just over 30 days ago... (although, this review applies to the whole scooba line as they are all very similar)
I want to start off by saying that I have the roomba 530 and 560 and I love them both, wouldn't be able to keep my house clean without them.
However, with the scooba 380 I was severely disappointed:
While it does clean the floor somewhat effectively, it is gravely overshadowed by the below points that make me wish I had returned it within the 30-day return policy.
Here is what I have experienced over the last 30 days (used it about 8 times to clean high traffic kitchen area and bathroom floors).
My first impression right off the bat was that it does not have the same build quality of the Roomba series which was immediately noticeable upon unpacking. From the sharp plastic edges, defective charging unit to the light houses, the whole experience is a lot cheaper and clumsier than the roomba 500 line. It is almost as if it was made by an entirely different knockoff company...
Despite allowing the scooba to charge overnight, it is not capable of completing two full cleaning cycles on 1 battery charge, misleading from the marketing materials, again this is the 380 which is supposed to be able to clean larger rooms with two complete cycles.
Long recharge time (about 3 hrs+).
You need to clean the brush, filter and rubber tube every couple of cycles.
Requires you to empty the dirty solution tank for every cycle (obviously, but one of the many steps to using this product).
Unlike the roomba it does not figure out how long to run for. If you fill the tank and put the scooba in a small bathroom it will run for the same amount of time as a large room, like a kitchen, very frustrating. iRobot's advice for this shortcoming is to put less solution for smaller rooms, not an elegant or easy solution. You have to calculate the water/solution ratio for small spaces, which is a pain and still haven't figured out.
I have dark hardwood floors, leaves SOME streaks and tire marks even after wet spots have dried.
Once it completes a cleaning cycle it beeps every minute or so, so if you want to run the scooba at night it will annoy you to put it back to charge, I hate appliances and gadgets that beep unnecessarily. At least the roomba 500 series does notifications with nice tones rather than retro beeps... (I know this is nitpicking but it speaks to the low quality of the unit and user experience as a whole).
It gets stuck more frequently than my 2 roombas and sometimes is able to sneak under one of my area rugs, making a mess and eventually getting stuck. iRobot mentions that it is able to "sense" carpets, only if they are heavy enough to trigger its clumsy bumper system.
The standalone charging unit is defective. It does not complete charging the battery, forced to use the scooba's inconvenient multi pin charging port on the side to recharge. The faulty charging base is a widespread problem, refer to user forums online & irobot's website for reference.
Not capable of self-charging as with the upper level roomba series, a must-have feature to make these robots worth the time (and $$$). (Have to connect a clumsy multi pin connector that has to be oriented exactly right to plug properly.)
Clorox solution is expensive, after spending almost $500 on this robot it hurts to have to buy this expensive proprietary solution although, have not tried vinegar, heard that it can affect certain types of hard wood floors (which I have).
Loud and squeaky (due to scooba's rubber squeegee), can't be in the same room as the scooba if you want to relax... Oh and FYI in iRobot's scooba product video (on their website) depicts a rubber belt sweeping away dirt (part of its "first stage" of cleaning), not so: That belt is just a stationary squeegee and dirt is supposed to be directed to vacuum ports on either edge of the robot, disappointed when I discovered this.
The virtual walls are not up to par with the roomba's virtual walls (500 series). It has an extremely wide beam, more so than the roomba lighthouses. This makes using them a bit more difficult as the scooba stays pretty far away from the virtual walls, thus loosing cleaning coverage. One solution is to try to hide it on the opposite side of a doorway.
All in all, I can not recommend this current generation of scoobas (they all function nearly identical, its just the battery and accessories that differ). There are just too many niggles about this product that lead to an overall bad user experience.
If you want a robot to clean something then go with the roomba, its effective, fun and easy to use.
As for easy mopping:
A swiffer mop (or similar product) in about 5 minutes can do what takes the scooba about 45 minutes + maintenance (not to mention 3 hour charging time) to accomplish. Simply put, this product does NOT make mopping easier, in reality it takes longer, is more frustrating and requires a lot more patience than a already simple process.
Hopefully irobot will have a major revision of the scooba to make it worth our time and money.
2 stars because this product has some potential and it does somewhat clean the floor, but again I don't like this product and I wish I hadent kept it outside the "30 day satisfaction guarantee"
Finally, I read a lot of reviews before buying the scooba, anyone who says they simply love it and blindly give it 4 or 5 stars has got to be affiliated with iRobot in some way...

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iRobot's award-winning floor washing robot removes up to 98%* of common household bacteria so floors get reliably clean with the touch of a button. The Scooba 380 cleans up to 850 square feet or 3-4 rooms on a single battery charge. One full tank washes up to 425 square feet before it requires refilling. It navigates throughout each room using a powerful 4-stage cleaning system to prep, wash, scrub and squeegee sealed hardwood, tile and linoleum floors. Scooba uses only clean solution (tap water, water and vinegar or new Scooba Hard Floor Cleaner, Natural Enzyme Formula) to wash floors. It even cleans beneath cabinet edges, tables, chairs and other hard-to-reach places.

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