Hoover WindTunnel 3 High Performance Pet Bagless Vacuum Cleaner, Corded Upright Vac, HEPA Media Filtration, Quick Pass Brushroll, Corded Vacuum Cleaners for Home Use

I decided to replace my 5-year-old inexpensive Eureka vacuum cleaner with something better. With a budget of less than $250 I spent some time looking around at the available options. I wanted a vacuum with some reputation as having good machines in general. It was important to have a manual height adjustment, since I have a very deep shag rug for which my “second vacuum” with its automatic height adjustment has difficulty cleaning. Overall weight was less important, and in fact, I associate higher weight with a more capable motor. I do not care about swivel ability. Nor do I need a canister that can be removed for more mobile cleaning. (I have a small Dyson for that). I was open to a bagless or bagged model as long as it has a HEPA filter. A long cord is essential, and I have gotten used to the convenience of a retractable cord system on my Eureka. I have no pets, and a variety of flooring surfaces from hardwood to medium pile and shag.I am pretty happy over the past week with the Hoover WindTunnel. It was easy to set up, I did not have to open any of the instructions. It is satisfyingly heavy. It picked up more fluff and dust out of my deep shag following a fresh and careful vacuuming with my old Eureka. The cord is, disappointingly, not self-retracting, but gets a positive mark for being 10 feet longer than the Eureka cord, 40 feet vs 30 feet. Now I can reach a more spots without changing plugs. (My survey indicated that 30-foot cords are most common). Rolling up the cord by hand is fine based on the observed performance. It is heavier than the Eureka, and I still like using the full vacuum, rather than the hose-based beater, on the stairs, so just a bit more of a workout.The Amazon near holiday deal was hard to pass up. I think this Hoover WindTunnel 3 represents a great value as a mid-priced vacuum. Hopefully it will hold up as long as my about to be “recycled” Eureka.

I wanted to write a positive review for this product, but first I want to explain my opinion on some of the negative reviews. I've owned the same vacuum in the past and remember having always loved it. At one point in the past my girlfriend and I were moving in together and we didn't need two vacuums. Her vacuum was brand new and still in the box; so she talked me into giving away my Wind Tunnel away. Her vacuum was a piece of crap. We used it for a year and I always wanted my old Wind Tunnel back. Eventually I decided to get a new one and before purchasing it I started reading the reviews. This nearly caused me not to purchase the vacuum. Well I did get a new one and I have been using my new Wind Tunnel for nearly 6 months. It is perfect. It has the power to suck steel BB's out of carpet and clean up pet hair like no other vacuum. With that said I want to comment on some of the negative reviews.Keep in mind there are stupid people in the world; after reading my review you might think I am one of them. In a few reviews people complain the vacuum has too much power complaining it seals its to the floor and they cannot move it. This is simply stupid! There is an adjustment to set the level they simply are not using. That review reminds me of a story my son told me about one of their car customers. The story; a woman bought a standard shift vehicle with the deciding factors being the lower purchase price and the better gas mileage. After driving the car over a year she complained the car was sluggish during pick-up and had a low top speed; she was actually pissed at the performance of the vehicle. When the mechanics examined the car, the transmission was burnt out. When they discussed the issue with her they came to learn the woman didn't know how to drive a standard. She also didn't want to learn; so she decided to just keep the car in 3rd gear. She never shifted the car, destroyed the transmission and blamed the performance on the vehicle. This is the same stupidity some of these reviewers are experiencing. The Wind Tunnel is a real powerful vacuum. On the hardwood floor setting my vacuum works great on hardwood, but it will suck carpet and linoleum flooring to its frame making it hard to push. placing the level setting up a notch or two fixes this problem.Overall this is a great vacuum!