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156 of 161 found the following review helpful:
Power to Spare. Worth Considering Sep 27, 2011
By Spudman
Being a daily vacuumer who's very fond of vacuum cleaners, I welcomed the opportunity to run a Hoover Windtunnel Max through its paces. Like some other reviewers here, I also owned and enjoyed the Eureka Boss for many years; for the past year I've been using a Hoover Platinum upright. So how does the Hoover Windtunnel MAX Bagged Upright - UH30600 compare?
Assembly - Putting the Hoover together is quite easy, and it takes only a few minutes to attach the handle and the front cover holding a preinstalled bag. After attaching the carry on accessories, I was ready to vacuum. Figuring out how to attach the hand powered nozzle and keep it attached was the only glitch, and a minor one at that.
Features and Dimensions -
At 18.4 pounds, this Hoover model is relatively heavy and should gain a couple more pounds as the bag fills. Someone with back problems or arthritis might want to seek out a lighter vacuum cleaner.
The 12 amp power is more than adequate, so much so that I was able to lift a 3.5 pound can of tomato juice several feet by using the hose end. That's some impressive suction.
The fifteen inch wide swath of the Hoover speeds up vacuuming. The 30 foot cord reduces the number of time consuming replugs, and the 180 inch attachment hose is great for reaching high places and multiple steps.
My personal preference has always been a bagged vacuum cleaner, especially one with HEPA bags and filters. The cloth like bags are said to trap 99.7% of dust and pollens. In addition, the vacuum also carries a washable secondary filter to protect the motor and a washable final filter for filtering air returning to the room.
Bag check indicator - Seems convenient and useful, but I've never had one that was completely reliable.
Drop off bag removal - Push a lever and the bag falls into a waiting trash can. Seems gimmicky and marginally useful. I'd rather have the control of removing a full and heavy bag myself. Update /30/11 - Changed the bag and it did not drop off by itself; I had to pull it off. Also noticed that the fill hole is in the middle of the bag, not the top. The bag still filled, but I prefer a bag with an opening at the top.
Performance and Comfort - The vacuum appears to pick up rather well; I can hear the dirt particles flying into the bag and if one is not careful light scatter rugs can get sucked up into the roller. In front of our sliding glass doors we keep floor mats that collect quite a bit of dirt in the course of a day. The Hoover cleans them quickly and thoroughly.
Pushing and maneuvering this Hoover takes some effort, but I look at it as good exercise. I don't like running the revolving brush on the hardwood floor, so I use the convenient carrying handle to lift the upright from one carpeted area to another. Another option is to use the step on brush roll shut off control. To turn the brush back on, just step on the control again.
Like many uprights, this one has an adjustable seven position height adjustment. Push down on the control knob located on the base to the desired position. For most users this isn't a task that has to be repeated often once the ideal height is found.
Final Thoughts
I think this vacuum is a good buy for the money and stacks up well to the Eureka Boss. The tool less roller and belt access is a great design, and the convenience of carry on tools is wonderful. Perhaps the best feature of all is the air-powered hand tool attachment. I've had this feature on previous vacuums but the tool on this vacuum excels. The brush roll turns powerfully and is fabulous for vacuuming steps.
NOISE - As much as I love vacuums, they are inherently noisy, and this Hoover Windtunnel is no exception. Using a sound level meter (bought on a whim from Amazon) , I got a reading of 80 decibels on this new vacuum. My Hoover Platinum upright registered the same decibel level. My small Hoover canister reaches 102 decibels, a Panasonic canister reaches 85, and for quiet vacuuming our cordless Electrolux Ergorapida reaches 77 decibels. Happy Vacuuming.
Final Final Thought 10/20/11 - Recently while vacuuming I was thinking there should be some kind of clip to hold the cord in place. I looked under the handle and there it was. As Mrs. Spudman would say, "All you have to do is look."
61 of 64 found the following review helpful:
Comparison of bagged Max to bagless T series Windtunnel Sep 20, 2011
By G. Uhl
"Allons-y, ... and don't blink."
This is a review of the Hoover Wind Tunnel Max UH30600 upright vacuum (bagged).
I will also compare this model to the Hoover Wind Tunnel T series rewind UH70120 (bagless) upright vacuum.
I bought the bagless Hoover from Amazon 12 months ago. As of today it is the highest rated bagless upright on consumer reports.
The bagged Hoover Max is in the top 10 of bagged uprights on consumer reports and marked as a best buy.
Both are 12 amp.
PROS for the Max Bagged:
1. It REALLY cleans deep down. Even on the highest setting, which I do not normally use, it left deep vacuum marks on the carpet. It cleans better than the bagless. However, it is sucking up the dirt with so much suction that it is almost difficult to maneuver the vacuum cleaner. You have to muscle it.
2. The attachment hose is about 4 feet longer than on the bagless model I have.
3. The power cord is 29 feet on the Max.
4. It picks up pet hair really well.
5. It has 2 filters. No dust blew around at all during use.
6. It worked fine on a bare floor.
PROs for the bagless:
1. The bagless vacuum is cheaper to purchase and you don't need to buy bags ever (just filters).
2. It is easier to vacuum with. It pushes easier. The height adjustment turns easier. It is almost runs along the carpet by itself.
3. It picks up pet hair very well. It does a fine job cleaning.
4. It has a cord rewinder.
5. The bagless has a washable filter at the top of the canister and a hepa filter at the bottom of the canister.
CONS for the Max Bagged:
1. 2 bags cost $7.44 on Amazon right now and it is not eligible for prime shipping.
2. No cord retractor
3. Hard to maneuver and adjust the vacuum because the suction is so strong. (strong suction is obviously a positive thing as well)
4. You can turn off the brushroll so that it uses suction only for bare floors or high carpet. I tried this on some throw rugs. It worked fine on one with rubber backing but it would not work on a throw rug without rubber backing. I could not move the vacuum cleaner at all.
CONS for the bagless:
1. It's a royal pain to clean the dirt out of the canister. Dust goes all over the place. You get dirty.
2. The cord is too short and the attachment hose is REALLY too short.
3. It's a good thing to have a washable filter but it's also a pain to wash it. Then you have to let it dry before you can put it back into the vacuum.
So in conclusion, I think the bagless is more environmentally friendly and easier to vacuum with and much cheaper over the long run. However the bagged Max cleans dirt out of carpets better than the bagless vacuum and the bagged Max is easier to maintain.
49 of 52 found the following review helpful:
Some ergonomics need to be adjusted Sep 28, 2011
By Ace
but otherwise, the Hoover Windtunnel MAX Bagged Upright - UH30600 IS a VERSATILE, hard-working vacuum cleaner!
Let me get the ergonomics problems out of the way:
1) the handle needs to be tilted at a slightly steeper angle -- as it stands now, it is a bit unwieldy -- too straight-- makes some of the vacuuming movements a bit awkward for proper wrist action. Even better, the handle should have one or two secure click-stops that allow for adjustability.
2) the back of the handle is almost SHARP - it bites into the hand -- I solved the problem by wrapping a sock around it, but REALLY, this area of the handle should have been rounded and convex - not concave.
3) the snap-on holder for the clear brush attachment (up close to the handle top) did not snap on correctly -- the slots that line up with the raised areas fall a bit short on one side. I was tempted to put it in the unlit but warm oven to expand it a bit, but opted instead for wrapping clear tape around it to secure it (worked nicely), so it AND the attachment (which fits into it very nicely) would not fall off.
4) the screw that holds the handle onto the body - hmm.. when I unpacked everything, I gave one last look into the long large box the vacuum cleaner came in, and saw something shiny wedged into a corner at the VERY bottom of the box -- it was the assembly screw. I was happy it had not fallen OUT of the box during transit. So I bent over to grab it and almost fell headfirst into the long box -- LOL, sort of..... The piece of paper with assembly instructions that the screw had been attached to was in another corner of the box.
Other than that (the screw holds the handle with no wobble) -- this is a fairly compact but highly versatile vacuum cleaner-- and I like the generous 30' long cord-- no sense griping about cord storage-- you would need a Large area on the vacuum cleaner for a retracting cord storage unit - which would be unwieldy and would unbalance the vacuum cleaner.
I LIKE the thick no-nonsense HEPA bag -- it looks like it maens Business. Good!
I have just begun to use this vacuum cleaner, and so far am happy with it, but need to play with all of its bells and whistles to get more input and get a better feel for it. (To be continued......)
UPDATE: Oct 10, 2011: I made a few passes over a blue rug in my bedroom that had been turned into "white shag" carpeting by Her Supreme Largeness, (Cat) Big Bad Baby Twinkle. WOW!! With its nice gliiiding action, and with the center dial turned to the middle (and with BBBT, who is far from deaf, fearlessly reclining about 10 feet away, totally ignoring the vacuum cleaner noises) the Hoover Windtunnel Max dug in and made the rug look like new in a few seconds! GONE were the white hairs (soon to be replenished there by BBBT, I am sure) -- and in their place was the once-beautiful blue rug that I had known and loved and installed many months before. I also vacuumed other areas of the bedroom and hallway, with its different pile-sized rugs and hardwood floors, and used different dial settings -- the Hoover performed fearlessly and thoroughly. Excellent!!!! The wand also gave a strong performance -- it had great suction and almost sucked up a doorstop.
38 of 40 found the following review helpful:
 Everything You Could Want In A Vacuum Sep 21, 2011
By ladyfingers
As a long-time Eureka Boss user, I didn't think any other brand could come close to its vacuuming abilities. How wrong I was. This WindTunnel model has many of the same features, and then some. Both the Eureka & Hoover are 12 amps, but the Hoover's airflow design and suction power is phenomenal, especially at picking up pet hair. I didn't even think our carpets were dirty. Wrong again. After an initial going over of the entire house, I thoroughly inspected the filter bag (don't try this at your house--it's messy), and was amazed at all the debris collected. I never realized so much sand/dust particles are in "clean" carpets. In certain instances that strong suction might be a disadvantage. The user has no power control, so it's not easy working with draperies, area rugs or anything else not securely anchored.
Someone at Hoover deserves a medal for well-thought out features. Thanks for the extra long 30 ft. cord. For once an entire room can be vacuumed without having to change electrical outlets. I am also an accessories fanatic, using cleaning tools every time the vacuum is turned on. Conveniently located on this vacuum are a telescoping wand, crevice, dusting and air-powered tool which all connect to an impressive 17 ft. reaching hose. We live in a quad-level house. Each floor is separated by 6-8 carpeted steps. The air-powered tool did a great job here, and it was an effortless operation thanks to the long hose. We have no bare floors, but the WindTunnel has a convenient on/off brush-roll pedal for those of you who do.
Another handy feature is easy access to the belt and brushroll. No screwdrivers needed; just the release of a couple of latches. Upon receiving the vacuum, I took the brushroll and bottom plate apart just to see how easy disassembly really is. They weren't lying--it's that easy. The replacement type Y HEPA bags are a bit pricey, but to be honest, living in a doggy-dusty house, I'm willing to pay a little more for a bag that captures virtually everything. With a little scouting around online, I'm willing to bet you can find bargains on bags as well. Overall, this is one great vacuum. For all you die-hard Eureka Boss fans like I used to be, change is good. This vacuum proves it.
25 of 26 found the following review helpful:
Good for its price point but has some quirks Sep 27, 2011
By loce_the_wizard
"loce_the_wizard"
The Hoover WindTunnel MAX Bagged Upright is not afraid of the dirt, dust, pet hair, and crumbs, the debris of our lives that falls to our floors and hangs suspended in cobwebs in the corner. It is easy to assemble and set up---literally one screw, slip some parts together, check the bag---and you are armed for fighting the cleaning wars.
First thing, this vacuum is not lightweight, so be prepared if you are hefting it up the stairs. The motor screams like a banshee, so you will interrupt any quiet activities near your perimeter and send cats scurrying under beds. But this power is a good thing, both for the rotating brushes that scour the floor and the onboard extension hose with attachments. I'm having trouble with the claim of 17' of extension, however (I'm trying to imagine how this measurement was made and if Hoover had some poor soul swaying from the top of a stepladder to try to prove this point) and actually find the hose a bit shorter than optimum. But I can also see why it is not any longer as a section of the hose, even when coiled, drags along behind the vacuum.
What sort of drives me batty about this upright vacuum is that it keeps shedding he various cleaning attachments clipped to its handle and other sections via cheap plastic fasteners. A bit more attention to such simple but necessary features is in order.
Again, for the price point, this is a pretty good upright. But for a bit more money, I think the Hoover Platinum Lightweight Upright Vacuum may be better as it is lighter, has a bigger bag, and longer power cord.
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