Hoover Sprint QuickVac UH20040
- Details
Avg. consumer rating = 81/100
This is a compact, lightweight vacuum that is designed for smaller homes. It is bagless, has washable filters and is inexpensive. It also has respectable suction, and this, combined with the aforementioned characteristics, elicits reasonably good ratings from owners. However, owners who are not aware that this machine is about 2/3 full-size sometimes report being disappointed. They highlight that the unit has less power, a shorter power cord, and a smaller dust canister than expected.
Several hundred consumer ratings were found and these indicate that most owners have been pleased with their purchase. When averaged, these ratings generate a score of 81.2 out of 100 (or about 4.1 stars out of 5). You can compare this to the scores for other uprights in our upright vacuum ratings table.
| Source | Consumer Ratings | #Ratings |
| Amazon | 4.0 stars out of 5 | 376 |
| Home Depot | 4.4 stars out of 5 | 53 |
| Macy's | 4.0 stars out of 5 | 23 |
| AJ Madison | 4.4 stars out of 5 | 14 |
A review of consumer comments has yielded the following common likes and dislikes:
PROS
- Very easy to assemble
- Lightweight & compact
- Inexpensive
- Foot operated on/off switch
- Respectably powerful suction
- Not too loud
- Rinsable filters
- Removable wand is good on stairs
- Easy to empty dust canister
CONS
- Short, inflexible hose
- Short power cord
- Dust canister requires frequent emptying
- Hose and wand assembly too short for overhead cleaning
For the most part owners like the Hoover Sprint QuickVac. It has good suction, is lightweight, and maintenance is simple. It is not a full size vacuum however and some owners feel it comes up short when compared to a full size unit. Weve also seen quite a few folks buying this as a backup machine, and for that purpose it gets good grades. In terms of price, the QuickVac is cheap compared to many other uprights and you should be able to find it for about $50-$75USD. You can check the price on Amazon if you like.
The Sprint QuickVac is a good fit for smaller homes or apartments. It is also popular with older owners and people who might struggle with a heavier machine. Its small size makes it best for light to medium pickups. But take note - if you have children and/or pets and a larger home this machine will struggle. Also, due to its compact nature it has a fairly small dust canister that fills quickly and needs to be emptied frequently. This can be frustrating for some.
Oddly, while most owners report that the vacuum has good suction, there are some folks who feel that it has weak suction. This doesnt seem to be a simple matter of expectations and it is possible that a few owners have received defective units (an assumption on our part).
There are several comments that the Sprint QuickVac is not too loud. This is usually followed by a statement that the vacuum is not necessarily quiet either. Owners are simply highlighting that this vacuum is not as loud as other vacuums they have had in the past. Several folks feel that a Dyson vacuum is much louder.
The Hoover Sprint QuickVac is a bagless upright powered by a 10 amp motor. It is designed to work on both carpet and bare floors. Many owners like the fact that the vacuum is bagless and one simply has to empty the dust canister when it is full.
Manual height adjustment is provided by a rotating dial on the front of the nozzle. There are 3 height settings (5 is more common) and these allow the vacuum to perform on bare floors and different depths of carpet. In addition, the unit has a powered brushroll which helps when cleaning carpet. Some uprights allow you to turn the brushroll on and off (it is often turned off when cleaning bare floors) but this vacuum does not have brushroll on/off controls.
The unit uses multicyclonic technology. This involves sending the air stream through cyclonic cylinders which spin the air very rapidly in a spiral path. As the air spins the dust and debris are forced out via centrifugal force and into the dust canister. Cyclonic technology provides no loss in suction as the dust canister fills (as opposed to a bagged vacuum where suction can drop as the bag fills) and it helps to keep filters cleaner longer.
The vacuum also sports a rinsable HEPA filter. HEPA filters can be expensive so having a rinsable filter can save money. HEPA filtration will also remove allergens and other small particles from the air and is a popular feature for those suffering from asthma or allergies. However some vacuum cleaner designs are better than others when it comes to true filtration. You can read more about HEPA filtration in our HEPA Filtration article. Also, if you want a list of vacuums with quality filtration you can check out our Allergy Vacuum Reviews.
The stretch hose combined with the removable cleaning wand and tool provides about 7 feet of reach which, while marketed as a plus, frankly isnt much. A number of folks complain that this is insufficient for comfortable overhead cleaning, although it is ok for a short set of stairs. The hose, while stretchable in nature, is also quite stiff. Also, there is only one tool, a 2-in 1 dusting brush/crevice tool.
The UH20040 has a 23 foot power cord. This is short, especially for an upright. Typically we like to see at least a 30 foot power cord in an upright and we have run into uprights with 40 foot power cords. A short power cord is generally ok for cleaning smaller areas but it will be frustrating for larger area cleaning and you will find yourself looking for a new socket frequently. The power cord on the UH20040 is not retractable so you have to manually wrap it.
Other vacuum features include a system check indicator and an on/off foot-operated power switch. The vacuum weighs in at a fairly lightweight 12.8 lbs, which is lighter than most uprights but certainly not all (check out our list of lightweight vacuum cleaners). Also, a thermal protection switch will automatically turn the vacuum off should the motor start to overheat.
The Hoover Sprint QuickVac carries a 1 year warranty and is also ETL listed. ETL is a group that performs electrical and reliability tests on products to ensure they meet US product safety standards. They also audit the manufacturing site and require that the applicant agrees to future factory inspections to ensure continued adherence to the standards. ETL operates nationally recognized testing laboratories.
Vacuum Manual
A manual for the Hoover Sprint QuickVac can be found here. It is fairly basic but still provides information on assembly, features, maintenance, troubleshooting and more.
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Nigel Russco has been writing for Vacuum Cleaner Advisor for years and has a background in business and engineering, as well as a keen interest in anything related to vacuum cleaners. Connect with Nigel on Google+ |
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