bransvacuums
Member
Here is my recent find that I found from Facebook marketplace. This is one of the early models of the Hoover self propelled windtunnel. I got extremely lucky with this find. Not only that it was only $45 dollars, but the machine was hardly used. The person who sold me this machine said it was her son’s vacuum. I assumed he worked at a place like Sears, and they ended up giving the display unit to him. Someone who would spend $300 on a vacuum and not use it at all would be crazy. When It first used the machine, the belts were obviously on their way out. That is expected for a 20+ year old belts. There was no clogs, no damages, or anything missing. It just needed a simple tune up. I gave it more than a simple tune up. I took the clear nozzle out of the machine just so I can wash the parts, and grease the motor mounts. The brush roll was like brand new. There was only some dirt and hair in it, but that was pretty much it. I greased the brush roll bearings, the idler arm bearing, and even the exposed bearing on the transmission. You would think Hoover would be smart and upgrade to sealed bearings for a bypass vacuum, but they decided to still use these old school open bearings. I cleaned the other parts on the machine as well. It actually still smelled like a new vacuum believe it or not. The factory smell is probably gone now, but oh well. I used some of my Bissell style 4 hepa bags since I didn’t have any type y bags. It actually fit on the bag collar perfectly. The filters were like new. The original belts were on their last leg, especially the self propelled belt. It was cracking and parts of it were in the nozzle. It actually didn’t snap as you see in the picture. I just decided to cut it to make it easier to remove. Putting a new v belt is like nothing, but when it comes to putting the self propelled belt on the pulley, it is definitely not as easy. You have to slightly turn it inside out so it can be rolled on the pulley. I got it fully tuned up today, and the thing is like a beast. This machine really is a self propelled vacuum. Like that is not a market technique at all. You barley have to push this thing. It just takes off on you. The agitation is also aggressive. You pretty much have all the tool suction you need on this vacuum. I will say, the hose could’ve been longer. I will soon have to buy the extra 20 foot hose. The filtration on this vacuum is actually very good. Is it fully sealed? No, but it does way better than the twin chamber. The performance on hard floors is one of the best I’ve seen. The brush roll shut off feature prevents dirt from being blown behind the machine. With a machine this fast and this powerful, you actually want to vacuum more often. I can’t believe how long the production of this machine lasted. It went from 1997, all the way to 2018 I believe. They were ranked by Consumer Reports as number 1 for uprights every year. Hoover had the ultimate vacuum with this model. The chances of another self propelled vacuum made by Hoover is very low. I know a lot of these went in for repair was because people carried it by the handle, which snapped both the cable and the arm. That’s obviously the consumers fault. I heard the CWP brush rollers are actually more aggressive. I know the bearings are sealed, but I actually wouldn’t know unless someone can tel me if there is a difference. I’ve only used windtunnels with the original brush rolls. I will definitely not sell this machine. It will stay in my collection forever. If you have a self propelled windtunnel, tell me what you think of them.
