Jack's Hoover 'Freedom' Airvolution Upright.

[rolls_rapide]

Hi Jack,

I have a query about the 'Freedom' cleaner that Hoover Ltd sent you:

When you lower the complete handle from vertical, does the handle lock into the conventional Hoover operating position of 45°, thus allowing the user to raise the cleaner head off the floor for clearance of carpet fringes and threshold strips?

My mother's old Hoover Turbopower 3 is on the way out, and she likes the handle lock on the Hoover - it allows her to clear the area rug's fringes and the porch threshold strip with a simple movement.

(I miss this feature on my Dyson!)

 

[vintagehoover]

Sorry, Calum, I missed this thread earlier!

The Freedom does indeed lock at each 'stage' of reclining, so you can lift up the head as you tilt it back.

 

[retardturtle]

i really have a dislike for bagless...but man i love the look of this one...really nice...hows it perform and whats its weak points/dislikes.....what you pay for it.

 

[vintagehoover]

I didn't pay a thing for mine because as Calum said, it was a gift from Hoover UK. But this model retails for as low as £155.

Weak points/dislikes as requested:

- You can tell it's not a very efficient system, because it only generates 200 airwatts, despite pulling 1800w of power. In comparison, the Dyson DC07 Origin gets 280 airwatts from 1400w of power.

- The build quality is not the best, the plastic feels cheap, and the finish is spray-on, which means the smallest scrape reveals the plastic below, and can't be repaired.

- In particular, certain components - the clips which hold the 2 sections of the bin together, the handle slot, etc. - would break if treated with the least bit of force.

- It's pretty heavy at 9kg.

- The 'Explorer Lance' is cribbed from the US Kenmore Premalite, and it's a BAD idea!

- It's not especially quiet.

- The brush-roll is NASTY, and not worthy of anything bearing the Hoover name!

 

[kirbfan94]

Whats so nasty about this brushroll you speak of?

 

[vintagehoover]

Horrible, rough, cheap, shiny plastic bristles, no beaters...

This is actually from my 100th Anniversary Dustmanager, but they all use the same brush-roll now.

 

[kirbfan94]

Yeah that is kinda gross...haha

 

[vintagehoover]

To be fair, Which? Magazine do actually commend the Freedom and the Slalom for their carpet-cleaning abilities...it's just...it's not how a Hoover should be! It's hard to beat the Activator brush-roll...

 

[retardturtle]

vintagehoover

thanks for the info...great detail. still love the look tho.
does the brushroll not deep clean well? too firm/soft..whats the activator brushroll look like...

 

[ibaisaic]

Hoover Activator

Howard,

You can see two examples of the activator brushroll in threads 6603 Hoover Vortex V2000 and 6619 Hoover Turbopower 2

 

[rolls_rapide]

Cheers, Jack!

I don't think my mother would want a machine that is too heavy or is ultra-cheaply made (what happened to the glittery finish being embedded in the plastic? - nowadays it seems to be a sprayed on lacquer.)

 

[rolls_rapide]

I checked out the Which? vacuum report

The Hoover 'Freedom' has the edge in carpet cleaning; the 'Slalom' slightly poorer.

My mum doesn't like the look of the Sebo X Series uprights; she likes the Electrolux 'Power of Red' bagless upright (eek!).

It seems to be hellishly difficult to get a machine that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, yet has a variable suction control.

 

[retardturtle]

ok now i remember...thanks ibaisaic...im sooo gonna hunt for one of those at the shop nxt saturday....im almost positive i saw one somewhere.

 

[caligula]

I understand Hoover moved to China.

Boss Hoover must be rolling over in his grave, to say nothing of Murray J. Spangler who started the Electric Suction Sweeper Co. 1n 07. (Hoover Model O.

Alex Taber

 

[caligula]

What ever happened to---

"It beats, as it sweeps, as it cleans?"

 

[aeoliandave]

Hoover got beat up, swept under the carpet and had it's clock cleaned by underpaid slave labor overseas. This is what Globalization brought us... and let's not forget those 'money managers' entrusted with our tax and consumer and investment dollars.

Dave

 

[turbo500]

Rolls_rapide...

..if she doesn't like the X series, what about the Felix?

 

[vintagehoover]

'...she likes the Electrolux 'Power of Red' bagl

It's an interesting-looking machine, but I don't know what compelled Electrolux to name a cleaner 'The Power of Red'... just makes me think of Communism! They actually held the launch in Moscow's Red Square!

The performance numbers don't add up, either; 2000w of power, to output 130 airwatts?! Even Hoover do better than that! For a mainstream, full-size upright, 130aw is just sad...

It also weighs close to 10kg...

An overall score of 43% from Which? Magazine doesn't exactly recommend it, either. A two-and-a-half star rating from Amazon.co.uk buyers couldn't be called 'glowing', either...out of 7 reviews, 4 gave it one star out of five!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Electrolux-Z8800AZ-Cyclonic-Upright-Cleaner/dp/B000ULG904

 

[retardturtle]

that lux is a nice looking vac and at only 130aw...what a waste...i was expecting more from the lux name.