Hoover BH50030 LINX Pet Hand Vacuum

Wednesday, 18 May 2011

Click to see on Amazon

This is a similar handheld vacuum to the Hoover BH50015 but it is geared towards households with pets. It comes with a specialized pet hair tool and is getting very solid consumer reviews and ratings. It is a cordless and bagless unit that comes with “fade-free” power - the result of using a lithium-ion battery. Many owners also feel the battery charge lasts a reasonable amount of time. [REF Hoover Vacuum Cleaner Reviews 2011]

Owner input is not yet plentiful because this vacuum is fairly new but some consumer ratings were found and they are shown in the table below. In general the figures suggest that most owners are quite satisfied with their purchase.

Source	Consumer Ratings	#Ratings
Amazon	4.7 stars out of 5	12
Abt	4.3 stars out of 5	3
J&R	4 stars out of 5	1

Owners have indicated several vacuum likes and dislikes and the common ones are provided below:

PROS
- charges up quickly
- fairly light
- strong suction
- motorized brush bar
- good on pet hair
- easy to empty dust canister
- reasonably long-lasting battery charge

CONS
- a bit noisy
- a somewhat expensive handheld vacuum
- battery must be removed for recharging (some don’t like this, some do)

The BH50030 Linx, like most handhelds, is a rather simple machine without too many bells and whistles. But it does come with a pet upholstery tool that uses three blades to pull up pet hair, and those that own this unit indicate that it does excel at removing pet hair. It also comes with an integrated dusting brush (with two rows of brushes) and crevice tool. The crevice tool allows you to vacuum in narrow, hard to reach areas and the dusting brush with its soft bristles allows for cleaning of delicate areas/items.

This handheld is powered by an 18 Volt lithium ion battery. These batteries are commonly used in laptops and cellphones because they produce a lot of power for their weight. They also sustain power until they are completely run down – thus the “fade-free” power alluded to in the vacuum’s marketing materials. There is a battery charge indicator on the vacuum as well, so you know how much life is left in the battery while you are vacuuming. The battery in the BH50030 Linx is changeable and many owners pick up a second one. The battery gets very good consumer ratings but it is not inexpensive (about $55 - 60) - see image below.

The battery charger and battery both carry a 2 year limited warranty. The charger is also Energy Star rated. ENERGY STAR is a joint program between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy. The program involves protecting the environment through energy efficient products and practices - so if a product is Energy Star rated then it has met strict energy efficiency guidelines set by both the EPA and US Department of Energy.

The vacuum nozzle is quite narrow at 3 inches wide and it pivots a full 25 degrees. The brushbar is motorized and has been made easily removable for cleaning and maintenance – likely a good feature if you are vacuuming a lot of pet hair. This is a bagless vacuum (like almost all handhelds) and it has a dirt cup that needs to be emptied when full. It also has a replaceable filter. The Hoover BH50030 LiNX is reasonably lightweight and most consumers feel it is easy on the wrist.

Many online retailers indicate the BH50030 Linx comes with a 6 year limited warranty on the vacuum and 2 years on the battery and charger, however the Hoover website indicates 2 years on the vacuum and 2 years on the battery and charger (although we have noticed discrepancies on the Hoover site itself before - they indicate in one place that the BH50015 has a 6 year warranty and in another place that is has a 2 year warranty). Consumer comments would indicate that this vacuum comes with a 6 year limited warranty on the vacuum and 2 years on the battery & charger, but one may want to investigate the warranty at whatever retailer you buy from. Vacuum dimensions are (in inches) 19.2 x 6.4 x 10.

You may also benefit from reading our Hoover BH50015 Review as this is a very similar machine to the BH50030 and if you don’t need the pet hair capability the BH50015 is another good handheld option.