Hoover Windtunnel dirt cup problems

[niclonnic]

Hello everybody -- I'm new to Vacuumland. I've been a long time lurker, and just decided to join today.

I've been using a Hoover Windtunnel 2 Rewind Pet that I got back in July of 2013. Lately it has started to fall apart. I did a little vacuuming yesterday with it. I went to empty the dirt cup as usual, but suddenly, the bottom flap fell off! Part of the hinge on the dirt cup cracked off without me even knowing it. Basically I was not happy to see that happen. I've had this vacuum for 10 months, and have now noticed this is the second part that has broken (first was the cord clip on the handle).

Does anyone know how to fix the dirt cup? If not, should I go back to my Dyson DC07 Animal?

Any solutions would be greatly appreciated.

I am attaching pictures of the vacuum below.

 

[niclonnic]

Pic 2

A closer view of the dirt cup. It's hard to see, but the hinge is to the right of the picture.

 

[niclonnic]

Pic 3

A close-up of the cracked hinge.

 

[niclonnic]

Pic 4

Me holding the cracked off hinge piece. It's on my index finger.

 

[kirbylux77]

Warranty

If this vacuum is only 10 months old, & the cord clip has also broken off, I think you would have a strong case to have Hoover replace your dirt cup under warranty. Your vacuum doesn't look like it has been abused. Even if you do have to pay to get another dirt cup, I would just bite the bullet & do it! The vacuum is only 10 months old, has LOTS of life left in it, & would outclean your Dyson.

Rob

 

[super-sweeper]

NEVER go back to Dyson!

Even the plastic HOOVER could out-clean a Dyson! Try your best at the warranty for claim, and if that doesn't work, try super-glue!

 

[niclonnic]

Rob and Super-sweeper...

I'll tell my parents about this issue and see what they say. Because of the way the dirt cup is designed, debris ALWAYS gets stuck in there, particularly if you have a dog that sheds a lot (I have 3 dogs of varying sizes plus a cat). I have to slap the side of the cup to get all the dirt out, which is probably the reason why the hinge broke. I'll try the super-glue method sometime.

As for the cord clip, it broke back in January of this year. I used super-glue to mend it together. It took a couple days for the glue to bond, but it held very well. The clip hasn't broken to this day. I thought that was a normal issue, due to pushing the cord into the cord clip before vacuuming, and pulling it out when finished.

Yes, the Hoover has out-cleaned my Dyson. I ran a little test last year to prove this. First, I vacuumed my downstairs floor with my Dyson really well. Then I went over the same area with the Hoover and got a handful of pet hair out of the carpet, plus a small pile of dust and sand. However, I still use my Dyson once in a while, mainly for attachment use (it has a longer hose and wand than the Hoover). I have repeated this test a few times.

Lastly, the Hoover usually costs $140, but my dad got it for free from the Amazon Vine program. For those of you who don't know, Amazon Vine is an invitation-only program where you get free products sent to you. After you try out a product from Vine, you write a review about it. I have attached a link here that explains the Amazon Vine program.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/vine/help

 

[suckolux]

I have had this happen with two Hoover bagless uprights that I have owned. A friend had same model I had and her's did too. I try to be careful with my Windtunnel Air, it feels like it could too

 

[sptyks]

Nick, why put up with a plastic vacuum...

That will last only a couple of years? 


For what you spent on that Windtunnel, you could purchase a nice used Kirby G series vac on ebay that will last for another 3 decades or longer. <span style="font-size: medium;">Yes it has a bag but it is quite large and will last months before needing to be changed. There is no need to empty a messy dirt cup or wash filters with a Kirby.</span>

 

[jscarlato]

If you want to stay withHoover . . .

And not spend money to break your budget, abandon the plastic bagless Hoover vacs and go for a Windtunnel self-propelled vac with a HEPA bag. Yes, they're plastic, too, but they are super powerful. Yes, they are heavier, but they'll suck your carpets cleaner than any Dyson. The Windtunnel self-propelled vac was designed by Hoover years ago when Hoover was still its own company before selling out to TTI and the cheap mass market. Also, don't be fooled by the 12-amp baloney used in advertising. Amps don't clean carpets. Brushing and airflow clean carpets. The suggestion to seek out a nice Kirby from the Generation series is good advice. Go for the G6 or higher. You'll wind up with a super machine that is efficient and comes with more and better cleaning tools than a Hoover.

 

[niclonnic]

Well...

Suckolux, which Hoover bagless uprights have had this problem? I'm hoping your Windtunnel Air doesn't have that same issue. How is your friend's vacuum holding up? Maybe the dirt cup's hinge is a widespread issue.

Sptyks, I live with my parents & older sister. My parents pay for the vacuums we use. I'm the main person who vacuums in the house. However, this Windtunnel was FREE from the Amazon Vine program. My dad did not pay for it. I have never used a Kirby, although I have a couple neighbors who each own Kirby Sentria vacuums. I saw a Kirby Generation 3 at a yard sale last weekend, but I didn't take it. In the end, my family prefers bagless vacuums, having started with a Fantom Fury back in the late 90s. Unfortunately, my parents got rid of the Fantom when we moved to my new house in 2001. Since then, following the Fury, my parents bought a few bagless vacuums over the years, including Dirt Devil, Bissell and Dyson. We received the Windtunnel back in July of 2013, like I said.

Jscarlato, thanks for the advice, but I'm not getting that Hoover Self-Propelled Windtunnel or a Kirby in the future. I am not a fan of bagged vacuums. I enjoy seeing what's come out of the carpet. Plus, we don't have to keep buying bags. Also, I found out that using the attachments on a Kirby is a cumbersome process. I'd much rather have a bagless upright with on-board attachments.

So yeah, that's all I have to say for now.

 

[tase]

Well, then you're at a loss. A lot of plastic machines end up like this. Little pieces break bit by bit until it's no longer a vacuum but a mass of plastic that can barely hold itself together.


 


While I am a Kirby man myself, I can tell you that this quality of a machine is probably some of the best you will see out of these plastic machines.


 


If you can, contact Hoover about this machine. Finding parts is going to be hard since this machine is so cheap.


 


Does the flap still stay on if you press it with your hand? It may not be ideal but that's the best you are going to get.


 


I wouldn't know how to fix this besides taking a wooden dowell of the same circumference and molding strong putty around it. That may work, but it's such a cheap machine at $140 MSRP that most people wouldn't bother fixing it up.

 

[niclonnic]

Hmm...

First of all, it depends on the price. My dad bought a Bissell Cleanview back in early 2004, and it was a great vacuum, costing only $80. After a few years of use, the handle release pedal broke and the vacuum would no longer stand upright. It still worked great, but I decided we needed a new vacuum.

My dad picked up a Dyson DC07 Animal shortly after Christmas 2007 for $500 and it became our daily driver for years to come. 6 years later, not a SINGLE plastic piece has broken. Talk about quality! The Dyson is still going strong, but has been relegated to occasional use now.

After getting the Hoover Windtunnel last summer, it became our new daily driver because it out-cleaned the Dyson. It held up really well...until 6 months later, the cord clip broke off. I managed to fix it using super-glue. It takes a couple days to bond, but it held really well. It is still holding up to this day.

The dirt cup hinge just broke on Sunday. The flap still stays on when I insert it back into the hinge and press it shut. On Monday night, I took some super-glue, applied some liberally on the broken hinge, pressed the broken piece on and let it dry for about 19 hours. When I came home from work earlier this afternoon, it seemed to hold really well. BUT, I went to tilt the flap away from the dirt cup, and the broken hinge piece just came flying right back off. I am going to try to talk my parents into taking the vacuum into the repair shop.

However, I devised a workaround:
I am going to continue using the Windtunnel. When I go to empty the dirt cup, I am going to twist the cyclonic filter assembly counterclockwise and remove it from the dirt cup to empty it. Then I won't have to bang it as much.

Oh, and on a side note, the retractable cord hasn't broken yet. I expected it to be the first part that breaks, but I was proven wrong! It still extends and retracts the same way it did from day one.

 

[joshdonnell]

Well since you don't care for bagged vacuums .... What about a Rainbow ?
They are much better made then big box store vacuums, and no bag to buy,
You can maybe find one for cheap, like eBay. They make great vacuums, also the Sirena brand which is like Rainbow , i heard were great vacuums at half the price.

 

[sptyks]

That's the problem...

with cheap plastic vacuums. They simply start falling apart after a couple of years. Will your dad always be able to get free vacuums?


If not, then you'll be buying a new vacuum every 2-3 years. Almost all plastic vacuums are now made in China. Even the Dysons are now made in Malasia. These plastic Chinese vacuums are designed so that either they start falling apart or the motor burns out within 3 years or so. That is because they want you to spend another $100 to $150 on a new vac every few years.


 


This will not happen with a Kirby or other fine American made vacuum which are designed to last decades. So if you buy 3 plastic vacs in ten years you will spend $400 to $500. For $300 or less you can get a used Kirby which will never need to be replaced if maintained properly.


 


If you want to see the dirt the Kirby picks up, you can purchase a Kirby Dirtmeter which attaches where the bag goes. You will see exactly what your Kirby picks up. You can get a Dirtmeter online for just $18.00.


 


 

 

[niclonnic]

Joshdonnell...

The Rainbow's water filtration technology sounds cool. However, I found out that it requires a lot of maintenance -- emptying and cleaning the water tank after every use (and letting it dry VERY thoroughly, otherwise it develops odors, germs and bacteria).

I already have to deal with this when I use my Bissell Lift-Off Deep Cleaner. With that machine after EVERY use, I have to take the entire thing apart and clean it very thoroughly to keep it in good condition and make it last longer (I've had it for two years). Then I lay everything out to dry completely, and then put it back together.

From my viewpoint, a Rainbow is not very practical for my uses.

 

[dysonman1]

The problem with the dirt cup happened because you bang it to get the dirt out. That jars the open dirt cup bottom, causing the plastic to break. Happens all the time, but it's not the fault of the cleaner. Since you have no money invested in it, just buy a new dirt cup. You can get one from hoover dot com. Try a different method of emptying it. This is what I recommend to customers: Remove the dirt cup and tap the closed cup on the floor, which brings all the dirt to the bottom. Once the bottom is OPEN, do NOT bang on the side of the bin. All the dirt should fall out without hitting the open bin.

Be SURE to clean the pre-motor filter at least once a month.

 

[kirbyloverdan]

Tom

Is Correct many people love to just bang dirt containers to empty and all it takes is paitence and extra care . Hoover nor other manufacturers will warrant abuse and banging a dirt container to empty is abuse .


Dan

 

[dustin]

It seems like such a poor design to *have* to bang the cup to empty it! Any bagless machine I currently have does not need to be beaten to empty it- either open the top or bottom, depending on the machine, and the dirt falls into the trash. I did have a Hoover bagless with a similarly designed dirt bin, and it either had to be beaten on the trash can or had to have the cyclone removed from the top to get lint and dog hair out. Hoover needs to do more testing *before* their machines go out for sale. If it is less than a year old, it should be under warranty anyway.