Customer Reviews

Hoover U8351-900 Windtunnel 2 Extra Reach Bagless Upright Vacuum

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(41)

 

 

The HEPA filter quits cleaning itself and you have to have a second vacuum to clean it....It is really a messy proposition to empty the bagless container....This is a truly poorly designed machine that Hoover has not given me any satisfaction on. I spend more time cleaning the wintunnel 2, after I vacuum, than I do in the actual vacuuming.

I'm going to give this one 5 stars, but with the caveat that it is a new product and there are still unknowns about it. That said, so far I've been impressed.

It is clear that Hoover is setting their sights on Dyson with this line of vacuums. Their previous Windtunnel models reviewed quite well against Dyson, and I expect the Windtunnel 2s will do even better. At around $300 street price and up, these are not inexpensive vacuums, but they are still less than a Dyson.

Build quality is good - reasonably solid plastics seem to have been used. So far, I also find that suction is excellent, no complaints in that department. Edge cleaning is good, and operation is smooth. The power cord is connected near the top, which I'm glad they did. The pet hair tool attachment is nice - it seems to be built well and works pretty much like similar tools found on other models/brands. The hose is of good quality materials and construction, definitely matching what one would expect for a vacuum in this price range. The headlight is plenty bright and seems to be well-placed. The power switch is actually a button. At first, I wasn't sure about the placement of it (below the handle on the front), but after using the vacuum a bit, I'm kind of liking it. The dirt container seems reasonably well-sized - looks to be competitive with the Dyson in that respect. It is also very easy to use and has a bottom release for disposing the contents.

One place this vacuum really shines is in how they designed the handle assembly. Ergonomically, I like it better than the Dyson design. On the Dyson, the wand stores inside the hose. This seems like a nice idea - until you have to fiddle with storing the thing. On the Hoover, the wand assembly comes out easier, and goes back into place easier. It is also very easy to disconnect the hose from the handle. Though others might disagree with me, I personally find this setup to be much better engineered.

The hose is longer than you'll find on many vacuums - but Hoover also gives you a nice extension constructed just like the main hose. Put the two together and it is indeed quite long. Very, very nice. My old vacuum had a really nice extension hose as well, but the main hose was so short, you pretty much had to use the extension to do anything. Not so with the Hoover - you'll find that the main hose is more than adequate for most tasks and will only need to break out the extension occasionally.

The self-cleaning HEPA filter seems interesting - you can see it turning which the vacuum is on. How well it works, I don't know - we'll just need to see. But certainly a novel idea and potentially will save $ on replacement filters.

About the "lifetime belt". Hoover claims that, "under normal household conditions" it will never need replacing. I assume it'll last a long time, but we'll need to see if it really does hold up for the life of the vacuum.

Balking at the cost of a Dyson, I was about to give up and just replace my vacuum with a $150 Eureka 4870GZ, which, though inexpensive, comes highly recommended. I figured that I'd rather not spend $400+ like I've done in the past and wonder whether it was really worth it. However, after running into the new Windtunnel 2, I found myself really liking it. And at around $300, it is a great value for what you get compared to its competition.

Do I have some things I don't like about this vacuum? Yes, but very few, and I'm not going to focus on them, because they are really tiny nits that don't change my overall opinion.

I think that ergonomically, the Windtunnel 2 is well thought out. There are also a number of nice features which (if they pan out) should make this a low-maintenance vacuum. Performance is good, and it seems to be generally well-built. A well-deserved 5 stars.

We have had this item for less than 6 months....

**DISLIKE:

-filter gets clogged after 5 minutes of vacuuming

-when removing the cup, dirt spills everywhere from behind the cup

-hepa filter stopped working

-area behind hepa filter clogs way too easily

-sending it in to get fixed is annoying and it took 2 weeks (yikes!)

-very heavy to push, no matter what setting you have it on

**LIKE:

-the extra long cord comes in handy

-being able to vacuum the steps while leaving it on the landing is handy

**OVERALL:

-would not recommend to anyone....

When I first used this vacuum I was VERY impressed. It really sucks (in a good way) and the use of the attachments is very easy. I could have lived with the rather heavy weight of the unit and even the "exhaust" vent being infront (and blowing pet hair away from the place I wanted to clean). But when it came time to empty the LARGE dirt cup, a bunch of dirt fell outside the cup. I thought that it might be that I over-filled the dirt cup, but no matter how much or how little I vacuum before emptying, I always end up using the dust buster to clean up the dirt that drops once the dirt cup is released. I tried shaking and pounding the vacuum before emptying to try and get the dirt to drop, but it won't until the cup is removed. I can't deal with having to constantly vacuum my vacuum. I'm returning mine.

I have dogs that shed tremendously. So I thought I did my homework when I bought this vacuum. Unfortunately, it constantly gets clogged and I have spent more time cleaning it out and scooping up piles of dust and fur from under it, than I have actually spent vacuuming. The resevoir does not empty cleanly and I generally have to lean the vaccuum forward and give it a shake before I empty it just to try to get all the dust into the container before I open it and have it all over the floor. I am already shopping for a new one. $300 down the drain! Very Disappointed.

I agree with most of the reviewers on this vacuum. It has some nice features, i.e. the long hose, the handle that slips out to become the cleaning wand, adjustable height, but the poor performance easily over-rides them. The suction disappears after fewer than 10 minutes of vacuuming, and the dirt cup must be emptied so that the top filter can be cleared of dust and fibers that have accumulated. The mess that is created by the contents falling out of the HEPA filter and the dirt cup make for quite a mess on the floor, that must then be cleaned up. It seems to defeat the purpose of the HEPA filter to have all that dust floating into the air! I took mine back after 2 weeks. I would rather use a broom!!!

I was really happy when I got my new vacuum cleaner (the tools, how it clean...) After 45 days... calculate no more than 18 times I used it. The vacuum doesn't work anymore the Hepafilter broke it didn't clean by itself and also the handle. It is a poor design. I called Hoover. I took it to a service center. It took two weeks to fix. I got it back and after vacuum twice, broke again. I call again Hoover ask to be exchange for another vacuum cleaner and they said they couldn't do it. If you ask me bad customer service that you don't expect from Hoover (they never were rude) since this vacuum doesn't fulfill its purpose. They should accept the vacuum cleaner has problems. Well, I took it back to service and after all this, I still have problems the dust and dirt get constantly stuck on the filter. BAD BAD!!! Don't throw your money away.

Never ever again will I listen to anybody who recommends a Hoover. Mine came defective. Best Buy won't help me out and this is where I purchased it. (But the Culver City, CA Best Buy is the worst on the planet). I was told to call Hoover, which I have done. I have held on the phone for 60 minutes, only then to be disconnected once they pick up. Zero customer service on their part. The second "self-cleaning" filter won't turn and gets jammed. I've heard now that this is a common problem. Also, it smells like it is burning. If it blows up, I'll be happy. Please please don't buy this expensive piece of junk.

I've ran my vac a total of 7 hours and will be returning it tomorrow. Dirt spills out from the 'self-cleaning hepa filter' every time the dirt cup is removed and each time I have to tip the machine on its front and wipe the dirt out, then vac that spot again. The hepa filter stopped rotating from pet hair and dust clogs that have taken approx. 3 hours (2hrs 1st time, 1hr 2nd time) to remove w/ compressed air, my 12yr old bissel carpet bag vac, and my shop vac. The handle/hose tool is a nice touch, but manuvering the heavy vac causes strange cracking sounds and the handle was loose in its mount within the first two uses. The plastic screen cup inside the dirt cup does not have small enough holes and when clean and running well very little dirt/hair/dust collects in the main dirt cup. This design is really really good for about the first 30 minutes of use and becomes an increasing headache thereafter. There should be a zero star rating just for products like this. Sorry hoover, but the story of this vac in my house has already been told to 5 family/friends and I will continue to caution others against purchasing this failed "experiment" of yours.

HEPA filter clogs extremely easy and stops. This causes the suction power to decrease dramatically.

We have a very clean home with one cat. The hair and dust clogs the filter and causes it to stop spinning. This spinning feature is the "self-cleaning" feature the HEPA filter has. Unfortunately when it stops spinning the filter clogs and the suction power decreases. I have a commercial shop vacuum and we spent over 30 minutes cleaning the Hoover Windtunnel 2, cleaning the filter out and within 10 minutes of use the filter had already stopped and was clogged again. Also as other people have mentioned just simply emptying the canister dust spills out from the clogged HEPA filter onto the floor you have just cleaned.

My suggestion is to avoid this vacuum. Don't waste you money on this vacuum.