Customer Reviews

The Hoover U5266-900 EmPower Vacuum

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I purchased this vacuum for a couple of reasons. First of all, the power boost and hush modes are very helpful. With the power boost, it gives you a little extra kick for either a few seconds, or lock it into place to clean a whole area with it. The hush mode feature really does make the vacuum quieter. I saw a reviewer said this didn't work. If you read Hoover's website, this is a FAQ. You need to remember to take the vacuum out of power boost. Secondly, It has a HEPA filter in the dustbin as well as a second final filter for air coming out. Lastly, aside from your standard attachments, it has a "power brush." It's a handle with a mini agitator that you can use to easily clean stairs and upholstery with.

My only gripe is that there is no onboard storage for the power brush. I think it was a last minute addition because their are two sets of directions, a big packet which makes no mention of the brush, and a 2 page insert specifically for the brush.

Overall, a good buy for the price.

Love the Empower. When I got married 4 yrs ago we bought a eurika. We thought it worked well till it died and we replaced it with this machine. What we thought were clean carpets were so dirty. The old upright was only picking up the surface dirt because we used this 4 times the night we got it and for several days consecutivly after because it just kept picking up dust and fine sand from the carpet. After the second canaster filled with just dust the first night we started empty it into a bag and measure it. We took 8 cups of dust out of 3 rooms and a flight of stairs inless then a week before the canaster was not filling with dust every time we used it. We vaccumed 2 times a week every week for 4 years with the other machine and the carpets looked clean but after we got the empower we were amazed at how dirty they were.

I purchased this model to replace a 5+year old Hoover Windtunnel. The Windtunnel's cord was starting to split from being run over numerous times (why can't someone design a retractable cord for an upright vac?!?) and the headlight (a pretty useless frill anyhow) stopped working, so I decide to replace it. I was pretty disappointed when my EmPower arrived. On the plus side, it is very light-weight, pretty cool looking, and the folding handle does make it easier to store. On the negative side however ; It significantly lacks power when not run in the 'power boost' mode, although it is a bit quieter in the 'hush' mode. The lack of power is not worth the minimal noise savings though. The carpet height adjustment flat-out does not work as far as I can see. (it literally adjusts nothing -- the height never changes) The headlight does little more than produce a faint, eerie green glow (OK, that does actually add to the coolness :-). The unit itself is composed of a much thinner, cheaper-feeling plastic than my Windtunnel. (I can envision the head assembly cracking in a few months) My big complaint is, in order to use the attachments, you have to disconnect the hose from the main unit itself. OK, so not exactly a big deal, but it is inconvenient, and I can see that as a "broken part waiting to happen", with regards to the plastic connector and the hose itself.
Overall, this could have been designed better, but I guess that's why it is one of Hoover's lower-priced units.
I just placed an order for my new Windtunnel. The EmPower will serve me well as my 'backup' basement vac.

I love this vacuum!! I bought it for 2 reasons the hush mode and the power boost. I noticed there was a review that the they thought the hush mode was loud. I love this feature If my kids are napping I can certainly vacuum all of the other rooms that they are not in without them waking. But you do need to make sure that the vacuum is not locked in the power boost mode or you will not see a difference in the sound of the machine. I also like that even when it it on in the regular mode that I can actually hear the telephone ring. As for the mechanics of this machine, I loved that too. It has great suction in the regular mode. There is a power boost mode that you can also use and even lock this into place but you hardly need it and I can go from carpeting directly to my hardwood floors without having to change anything. I have purchased 3 other machines prior to finding this one and have taken all of them back. I love this machine I would recommend it!!!

We bought this vacuum to replace a canister vac. I love it. It is easy to use & picks up EVERYTHING. You can see how good it works just by looking in the dirt cup. I have two young kids & a new puppy & I am extremely pleased with the vacuum & the way it cleans up their messes!
The quiet feature isn't quite as quiet as I thought it would be... but the vacuum didn't wake up my one year old. (So, I can't complain!)
I am sad, though, that the powered hand tool doesn't have a spot to store on the vacuum. The fold down handle is a really nice feature. All in all, I am extremely pleased.

There are so many ways this vacuum falls short. 1.) The hose is too short. They claim it extends but it's too rigid. You need to have the hose connected to the bottom of the vac in order to have suction on carpet but the hose pulls away from that regardles of how hard I shove it on. Very frustrating! Also, with the hose, the attachments don't stay on. I even do the twisting motion they recommend and they loosen and fall off. 2.) LOUD! This vacuum is incredibly loud. I bought this to replace a 7 year old Dirt Devil bag vacuum. The Hoover Empower is far louder and, while the "hush" button does make it quieter, you sacrifice power. 3.) Poor design on the bagless feature. Each and every time I empty (which is a horribly messy job and not at all convenient and easy) I inevitably drop the canister. The "lid" portion that you need to grasp with your fingers to pull out always comes unattached from the canister and leaves you holding the top and the dirty canister on the floor. I've tried countless ways and it's just awkward and hasn't worked right yet. 4.) Beater bar doesn't stop spinning. It is really irritating that, while the vaccum is on and in the locked upright position, the beater bar continues to spin. This has led to it eating my cord already. Not to mention the looped rugs that have suffered at my house. 5.) Wheels. The vacuum works well while it is running as it's lightly propelled but the wheels are stubborn and hard to push while just moving the vacuum while it is off. 6.) Plastic. The whole vacuum just feels very cheaply made. Despite all these annoyances, the vacuum does a good job picking things up - you'll just need to clean the canister and filter at least every 3 times you use it. I have a dog, a cat, and 2 kids so your mileage will vary.

Filter has to be seriously cleaned after EACH use.
Dust canister stays dusty after use of product and overall looks very sloppy.
Dust canister dropped out of my hand at a height of 1 foot and split 6 inches the 1st day - very low quality product.
Packaging of product had been extremely abused upon delivery from original source - horrible delivery of product.
Quiet mode isn't quiet - waste of product design.

Would NEVER recommend this product! Please don't purchase, waste of money!

I have always had a Hoover sweeper, but I wanted to get a second one for our second story in our new home. This Hoover EmPower was on sale at a local store and my husband picked it up today. We tried it out right away when he got home. Oh, how embarrassing to think I had that much dirt and dog hair in my carpets! We swept every room, the sweeper handles with ease.......and we emptied the dirt container and hepa filter numerous times. It was just amazing how much dirt we got from the carpets......and all the time we thought we were clean! I would recommend this sweeper to everyone.....it is fabulous!

I was not impressed with all the switches that reduce the power of the vacuum. These "hush" switches make the vacuum more quiet because they are reducing the suction power! Any switch that makes the vacuum perform worse seems rediculous. Hush and power switches are just a gimmick.

The wheels on this vacuum are very poor quality. Even on a hard floor the vacuum is very heavy and difficult to push. If the wheels were made with bearings the vacuum would push twice as easily. Instead Hoover used the cheapest plastic wheels that have no bearings. The two plastic surfaces just rub against each other.

Vacuuming is difficult enough without having to push harder than you should have to. Want a fast backache? Push a Hoover upright for an hour.

Poor design.

Also, cleaning is a time consuming dirty job. I found that using a tooth brush to clean the hepa filter is much more effective than the manufacturer's directions to tap it on the side of a can.

The Hoover Empower is the best vacuum I have ever used! In one day i need to clean the drirt cup! Sometime 2 times a day! If you whant a good vacuum, get the Hoover Empower