Customer Reviews

Hoover U6430-900 WindTunnel Ultra Self Propelled Upright Vacuum Cleaner

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

I spent the last 8 months or so with a Eureka Victory, and I had two major complaints: 1) it refused to pick up pet hair from the carpet, and 2) it had a strong, undiffused vent on the side near the floor, so that it would blow pet hair up into the air when vacuuming on hard floor.

I chose this Hoover not for all of the features, but because I was hoping that it would pick up pet hair and it really does, and very very well--on all the different carpet types and hard wood in my house.

Now some comments on the features: I really like the powered hand-tool, (powered is an understatement)--my stairs have never been so clean. However it is a real pain to use with the short and very springy hose; I'll need to get an extension. The self-propelled thing is definitely strange as others have mentioned. I think the problem is that it expects me to go slower than my normal pace. But it really isn't so hard to push with that feature turned off. I also like being able to switch the main brush roller on and off (my Eureka did it automatically when it was pushed into upright position, which makes it difficult to clean stairs and throwrugs). As for other features on this and some of the other Eureka models, like dirt indicator lights and filter full indicators, I'm not sure I care about that. It's way heavier than that old Eureka, but the fact that it actually works makes this easy to forgive.

It was worth every penny, especially with free shipping. I was actually thinking about not having furry pets in the future after my dog kicks the bucket. All because of that... Eureka.

I purchased the original self-propelled Wind Tunnel about 2 years ago. I must say that I was thrilled with the power and ease of operation. I have cats and this vacuum cleaner was great at picking up cat hair. However, today, the motor burned up. At this price, I certainly expected it to last much, much longer than 2 years. (And I must say that I am NOT a frequent vacuumer!!) I took it to a repair shop and the man pointed to 4 (out of 10 or 12) Wind Tunnels waiting for repair or pick-up...I haven't decided yet whether to repair or put it down to a bad decision and buy something else. But I am very disappointed in my Hoover experience.

I do not own this vacuum (I am a canister afficianado) but do sell them and want to comment on the prior review. This is a great vacuum but you have to read the manual for this one if your salesperson does not take the time to give you some tips on proper care for your vacuum.

The self propelled feature will work, in general, very well - if you do not pick it up by the handle (it has a place in the back to lift it up to carry it) and if you do not turn the self propelled motor off or on while the vacuum is runnning. And the carpet height adjustment actually is very easy to use - if you just tilt your vacuum forward to change the height. If you don't, it is nearly impossible to change and likely will break.

I hope this helps those considering this purchase to have a long and happy life with your vacuum!

I had been a die-hard Kirby person until recently, I was getting really tired of lugging all the pieces around for dusting, bare floors, etc., so I started looking around here and Consumer Reports. I had recently purchased a Hoover SteamVac (6brushes) and was amazed by it, so I gave Hoover vacs a little more research. I took all these reports good and bad into consideration and the Hoover Windtunnel with a bag seemed to be the best for me. I purchased the U6431-900 on sale, almost half price. Let me tell you, I have been converted to Hoover! I love this thing! The suction is much more powerful than my Kirby was(and we'd just replaced a cracked fan to increase power on that) and I absolutely LOVE having all the attachments on board! Boy does it pick up cat/dog hair! Wow!
The main things I wanted (after reading these reviews)was for the roll brush to stop when I use attachments and the ability to use it on hard floors. Both it does very well! I do wish it had a longer stretch hose, but I think I can buy one. My only warning, as others posted, if you do buy this, please read the instructions on how to move the buttons and switches so you don't break something the first time you use it.
GREAT MACHINE OVERALL!!

Bottom line: don't buy this product.

We got our Hoover WindTunnel in early September. Used it, twice a week, nothing dramatic. Within one month of purchase, a belt broke. Bought a belt at the Hoover center, fixed it.

One month later, the whole machine imploded. Too big to fix on our own. When we took it in, a guy there, shopping for a vacuum, told us that WITHIN THE HOUR he was in the Hoover store, two other customers came in with the WindTunnel and the same problem! He promptly left.

Would that we were so lucky. It's been two weeks, and I'm still without a vacuum cleaner. I don't hold out much hope that will change when I get the WindTunnel back. So, four months after we spent three hundred dollars on a brand new vacuum cleaner, we're buying yet another one. Different brand.

An incredible disappointment.

My husband and I purchased our Wind Tunnel less than a year ago. We were thrilled when it picked up pet hair so easily! Last week we weren't thrilled when the motor "burned" out and our local repair shop said that we may as well get a new vacuum due to the cost of a new motor. The Wind Tunnel isn't exactly an inexpensive vacuum, and for the money we spent we expected it to last longer than 10 months. I wonder if the raters from the consumer magazines that have recommended this vacuum have tried to use it for a longer period of time? We won't ever buy a Wind Tunnel again.

I have only had this vacuum for about 9 months, and have had a number of problems with it. The self-propel switch is very hard to move and often gets stuck. It's also very difficult to change the carpet height adjustment control switch --- it recently broke off. The roller has broken three times. The headlight broke after about 2 months This is all with normal usage --- I vacuum about once a week. I finally got sick of taking it to the repair shop and went out and bought another vacuum cleaner (not a Hoover)!

Hoover used to be a name that was synonymous with quality. Not any longer. They have sold themselves out by using very cheap parts and cutting corners. Although this one has excellant suction, the attachments are all very cheap junk. The hose is not long enough to do even the simplist of jobs such as dusting without tipping over (and I have the one with the "longer" hose) and then when it does tip over the plastic cover holding the cleaning tools breaks off. The cover has fallen off so many times that it is broken too now and no longer stays on. I have gotten bruises on my legs and feet from it hitting me when it tips over and one day when I was sitting on the floor dusting the bottom of the coffee table with the machine just inches from me, it tipped over then too and cut and bruised my arm very badly. The hose has a small cover that you open and close to insert and take the hose out of. Sometimes it just blows open for no reason when the hose is not inserted in there and it sprays dirt and pet hair all over the place. The wand attachments also come in two pieces to make it longer or shorter, however, you can't even get the two pieces to stay together! They just slide right off with little use. I am just disgusted with how they have cheapened their product. I haven't checked but I'm sure all the parts are made in China. If you want a good vacuum go to a commerical model or an old Elextrolux. I called a vacuum cleaner repairman and he laughed when I told him I had a Windtunnel. He told me, "You have no clue how many of those things we have in here to repair." It has good suction but I can say little else good about this machine. If you have no intentions of using the cleaning tools or attachments, go for it but otherwise stay far, far away from this one.

Mine is in the shop after 2 1/2 months of use. Apparently some clutching mechanism is broken and the carpet beater won't spin. It sounds like the service repair guy and I will become good friends as Hoovers love the repair shop. Knowing what I know now, I would have ignored Consumer Reports and gone stratight to my local vacuum service repair shop for a vacuum cleaner recommendation. I am certain it wouldn't have been a Hoover.

I am disappointed in this vacuum. When we got our yellow lab pup the deal was I would get a nice new vacuum to pick up after her. I went online..., investigated the reviews of vacuums in the $200-$300 price range and picked this one. It does a good job picking up the hair but it is INCREDIBLY cumbersome to use. It is VERY heavy, and the hose is VERY short (the 20' ext hose is a MUST). Every time I vacuum I find my vocabulary become more colorful! I am no lightweight, but this vacuum gives me a run for my money. If you're looking for an excuse to NOT do housework - buy this vacuum!