Hoover Windtunnel dirt cup issue - Hoover's response

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niclonnic

niclonnic

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I posted this in threads #24995 and #25692, but I don't think others saw it there, so I'll repost what I wrote originally.

The other night, I emailed Hoover to complain about my dirt cup issue (broken hinge). Here was their response:

Hello,

Thank you for contacting Customer Care Support Team at www.Hoover.com.

The item(s) you are inquiring about is currently on backorder status. Please call in to customer service at 1.800.944.9200 to place a backorder. Consumer backorders are the first to ship once the item is back in stock.

You may also check with local parts dealers for assistance.

Visit http://hoover.com/locator/ and enter your zip code for service/parts dealer listing in your area.




Sincerely,

Sue
Hoover Customer Care

1-800-944-9200
Monday - Friday 8am-7pm EST

TTI Floor Care North America
7005 Cochran Road
Glenwillow Ohio 44139

www.Hoover.com
 
Haha

Good one! So, basically, Hoover recommends that I CALL in order to get a new dirt cup, or live with a broken one. That annoyed me.

Well, I'm at a loss. I would really like to go back to Dyson once this vacuum breaks.

Below is a picture of my reliability report.

niclonnic-2014072314524707987_1.jpg
 
What were you expecting? You paid very little for the vacuum, the warranty doesn't cover wear and tear, and just because it broke doesn't make it a defect. It may be a design flaw, but again, what do you expect for a cheap vacuum? I have a Hoover Windtunnel Platinum bagless with exactly the same issue. I live with it broken, the vacuum still does it's job and does it well. It's a bit inconvenient but I learned that I am much better off with a bagged machine for this very reason. Live and learn.
 
I must say

I paid NOTHING for this vacuum. My dad got it for free from the Amazon Vine program. Amazon Vine is an invitation-only program where the members (known as Vine Voices) receive products for free. After using a product, you write a review about it.

I'm still using that Hoover Windtunnel. Despite the broken hinge, it still performs well. As a result of the broken hinge, the bottom flap falls off every time I go to empty it from the bottom. I have to twist the lid off in order to empty it. It's a little inconvenient, but I've learned that I'm much better off with a high-end vacuum, such as Dyson or Miele. Those vacuums are made out of stronger plastic that won't break as easily.

The problem with the dirt cup happened because I banged it to get the debris out. Dirt always gets stuck in there when the bottom flap is opened, so it takes a lot of banging to get the debris out. Or it could be pulled out by hand.

It seems that with every Hoover my family gets, they always fall apart. My dad bought a Hoover SteamVac Agility back in March of 2005. It actually cleaned really well...but after about a year of owning it, one of the internal hoses split. So the machine couldn't really be used for carpet cleaning anymore. It still worked for hose cleaning, though. Also, I think my mom broke one of the latches on the solution tank lid, while removing it from the tank. It was still able to hold onto the tank, though. In mid-2010, the latch on the upholstery attachment broke off, meaning I couldn't use that tool anymore, because it just falls off. In early 2012, another internal hose broke, so I eventually threw out the machine later that year.

This is my second bad experience with Hoover, so I want to stay away from them. If I had to get a budget vacuum, I would get a Shark. Or perhaps a Bissell. It's hard to go wrong with a Bissell.
 
Dyson is "high end"? Fool around on eBay, be patient and take your time, and you can find a clean demo Windsor upright for low to mid $200's. I paid $236 for a practically new one that scrubbed up to as new condition. You'll never call a Dysone high end again. You'll never want a Dyson again either.

Or like Mars_here says get a twenty year old vac and refurbish it. You could do a lot worse than buying a mid 1990's Kenmore Whispertone with the hose and Powermate off eBay or Craigslist. I little scrubbing, new filters and use HEPA bags as much to keep the vac clean as anything else and you have a fine vacuum cleaner that will give you a decade or more of reliable service.
 
No thanks

I'm 20, so I haven't really seen a vintage vacuum.

I have attached some pics to explain the dirt cup issue in more detail. The first pic shows the bottom of the dirt cup with the bottom open (actually, it fell off. You can also see the broken hinge). Not much debris can fall out because of the way the dirt cup is designed, with the "lip" around the bottom of the cup. To dump everything out, you have to either bang the cup, or pull it out by hand. My constant banging on the dirt cup is what caused the hinge to break. The top of the dirt cup can also be twisted off for emptying.

The second pic shows the dirt cup with the top part separated.

niclonnic-2014072318011201663_1.jpg

niclonnic-2014072318011201663_2.jpg
 
Niclolnnic, you completely miss the point. It's a bottom tier vacuum, it's cheaply made and you banged it to get it clean. You broke your cheaply made vacuum, oh well. What, if anything, did you expect Hoover/TTI to do about it? I don't know about your instruction manual, but mine says not to knock the dirt cup with the flap open as it may break. It shows to close the flap and slap lightly with the flat of the hand. And if you don't think a Dyson will break just as easily, you'll really be surprised after you've spent good money on one. Plastic is not a suitable substance to be banging about, especially hard plastics that are meant to withstand the forces of a vacuum. And your view of Shark and Bissell are also incredibly funny, because they will break just as easily. A bagged vacuum will do much better as all the dirt and dust are in the bag, no need to bang anything about.
 
Actually, DesertTortoise...

I consider Dyson high-end, because they start at $400. I used to have a Dyson DC07 Animal, but my mom got that in my parents' divorce. However, it's too much vacuum for her, since she doesn't have any pets. So I'm thinking she would be better off with a much cheaper vacuum, so I'm researching.

Plus, Windsor vacuums are bagged, and I think the replacement bags will be hard to find, so I'll stick with bagless.
 
I think a Dyson is worth saving up for.this problem will never happen to a new pdyson.I bang my dyson to help empty it and it's been fine as the new machines are made out special shield plastic. I got told by Dyson engineer that if you call Dyson ask if of got any refurbished Dysons as they get some in return and refurbished them and sell them on as refurbished. In England I had the same problem with a hoover slalom that you can only get in England the same thing happened it just broke off :(
 
Firstly, Windsor bags are easy to get and relatively cheap. Dyson is NOT a high end vacuum, it's a trendy, flashy, good performer with a HUGE advertising budget. They don't clean all that well, they are noisy and they do break, might not be the dust bin, but the handle, hoses and other parts will break and Dyson's customer service continues to decline. If they were that good, Dyson wouldn't need 100's of repair engineers to fix them. You stick with cheaply built bagless vacuums, it makes you happy, but don't complain about how cheap they are when they break, and they will break and they are never cheap to fix, especially Dyson.
 
In fact dyson is a very high end vacuum cleaner i've had a DC 39 in DC 41 for more than a year used every day use and abuse and I never had a problem with them I know everything on them is plastic but to me the plastic is very tough and have you ever had a Dyson for more than a year I don't know where you are getting all your information from but it's poo Ps Dyson is one of the best vacuum cleaners that I've ever had
 
To clarify,

The manual to my Hoover doesn't say anything about banging the dirt cup. Hoover's response didn't even contain an apology. Plus, the necessary part is on backorder. Shame on you, Hoover. At least apologize when you screw up a dirt cup design like this. My old Dyson, on the other hand, hasn't broken a single plastic part in the 6 years I've used it.

Here are my views on Shark and Bissell:

Shark: Although Euro-Pro claims that their Shark vacuums "never lose suction," most models are not cyclonic, so the filters get dirty fast.

Bissell: I've always had good luck with Bissell products. I had a Bissell Cleanview from early 2004, and it was very good. Only one part broke: the handle release pedal. I eventually fixed it and donated it to Goodwill. In early 2012, I got a Bissell Lift-Off Deep Cleaner. I used it numerous times and took very good care of it, and it still works to this day.

Dys0nb0y, in the end, it really is worth it to save up for a Dyson. They are constructed of ABS and polycarbonate, so they will never break.

If any of you are doubtful of the cleaning performance and durability of Dyson vacuums, watch this video:
 
Instead of calling TTI/Hoover to complain, why didn't you call your nearest Factory Authorized Warranty Service Center? I'm sure your local Hoover dealer would be happy to get you a replacement bin for your Hoover.

Yes, it is a fairly bottom of the line model, but they clean very well, and are very easy to repair.
 
A new Kenmore Elite Intuition canister vac lists for $559 but you will never hear me calling it high end. It isn't. Not even close, and I like Kenmore canisters a whole lot. Everyone here knows that. I'm the proprietor of the Kenmore High Desert Restoration Center but I wouldn't embarrass my closet with an Intuition canister. Oh, the horror!

The Whispertone series from the mid to late 1990's were about the last high quality canister vacs Kenmore sold. They still used good quality Lamb motors, the plastics were thick and sturdy and the tools were honest adult sized tools rather than the dinky little kids toys that come on too many modern vacuums today including some really expensive vacs like Miele, Sebo and Windsor. I'll put a well kept Whispertone or it's immediate predecessor with the 5055 bag, or their Panasonic V series twins, up against anything made today. I have a more recent Electrolux and it isn't a better vacuum. It really isn't. I have had them all apart on my table and know them inside and out. A Sebo canister certainly isn't. Miele is the closest in quality to that old Kenmore, a little better in some ways, not as good in others. Call it a wash. But a modern Kenmore is horrible in comparison to either. That is more a sad testimony to how low vacuum quality has fallen across all brands that a new high end vac barely compares to a two decade old department store vac. But it's true.

I don't think anything Dyson sells qualifies as high end either. Same hard plastics and flimsy hinges and latches. Same chintzy Chinese motors. Nothing remotely durable about them. My Hoover U boat (U5100 series) is just as bad. These are not high quality vacs, but at least the old Hoover has a HEPA bag and HEPA filters, even if the rest of it is a cheap POS.
 
Hmm...

There is a Hoover Service Center down in Puyallup, which is 12 miles away from me.

It's called Quality Sewing and Vacuum. Has anybody who lives in the Western Washington/Puget Sound area been there? I haven't been there yet, and don't know if I will go.
 

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