Hoover WindTunnel 3 Pro Pet UH70931PC

 Avg. consumer rating = 73/100 

The Hoover WindTunnel 3 Pro Pet model UH70931PC is a bagless upright that comes with several pet related attachments. It also includes a HEPA filter with carbon for odor removal, and an auto retractable power cord.  However it is notorious for overheating and many owners feel it is not that well built.  While the vacuum seems fairly popular, consumer comments and ratings would suggest it is not a great buy.

 

 

Quick Specs
Type	Upright
Bagged/Bagless	Bagless
Best for...	Carpet, Bare Floors
Pet Hair Features	Yes
Approx. Weight	18 lbs
HEPA Filter	Yes
Power Cord Length	27 feet
Motor Driven Brushbar	Yes
Warranty	2 Years

 

Consumer Ratings
746 consumer ratings were found for the UH70931PC and they can be found in the table below.  Ratings for the vacuum are quite varied but this machine has received more low ratings than most of the other machines we have investigated. Also, through the vine program on Amazon, Hoover has provided free UH70931PC's to several consumers in return for their reviews.  Despite this, reviews are still not particularly good.  The ratings in the table below, when averaged, generate a score of 73.2 out of 100.  You can see how this score compares against other uprights in our upright vacuum ratings table.

Source	Consumer Ratings	#Ratings
Amazon	3.7 stars out of 5	718
Walmart	2.7 stars out of 5	28

 

With respect to the entire WindTunnel 3 Pro pet bagless series, most of the models get average ratings at best.   As a buyer it may be easier to just avoid the whole series.  We are looking at only one model in this review, the UH70931PC, but on the Hoover website other WindTunnel 3 Pro Pet uprights include the UH70935, UH70930CA, UH70939, and the UH70930.  The machines are all remarkably similar.

Consumer Insights
Consumer comments have indicated the following vacuum likes and dislikes.

PROS
- Retractable power cord
- Generally easy to empty the dust canister
- Easy to assemble

CONS
- Poorly constructed (feels cheaply made)
- Some find it hard to push on carpet
- Hose does not extend easily and is short
- Sometimes overheats and shuts off
- Quite heavy

Like the ratings, comments for this machine are varied.  For example, some owners report that the UH70931PC works well on pet hair but there are an equal number of people who feel it does not.  Some feel that the vacuum is not too heavy while others feel it is very heavy.  There are many instances of this kind of thing.

However we’ve seen altogether too many comments about this model overheating and losing suction.  This seems to be a possible design flaw.  Some people report that this is the result of clogging in the hose and some Hoover customer service emails confirm this.  The vacuum is likely turning off upon overheating as a result of the thermal switch shutting the machine off to protect the motor.

Also this model does not seem to be particularly robust.  Many owners report problems and breakdowns (pieces breaking, things not working, etc) within the first year – and sometimes within the first few months.

Finally, there are several comments that the hose is too short, making cleaning with the hose and attachments difficult.  You can read more customer reviews on Amazon if you wish.

While the vacuum appears to work well for some folks, the number of poor ratings and bad owner experiences indicate that there is some risk should you decide to purchase the Hoover UH70931PC.  Also, we don’t use ratings found on the manufacturer’s website in our scores but it is interesting to note that even on Hoover’s website this vacuum is rated a low 2.5 stars out of 5 from 271 consumers.

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Some Thoughts on Hoover At any given time Hoover has many different vacuum cleaner models on the market. Their philosophy seems to be to throw as many vacuums as they can into the marketplace and see which ones stick. Poor selling models are often discontinued quickly while the more popular models stay on the market much longer (like the UH30010COM for example). This is a fairly straightforward strategy – however it does mean something important to the consumer. If you have had a good experience with a Hoover you may not want to simply rely on the brand to ensure you get another good vacuum cleaner. Some models are good and some models are not. Consider first looking at consumer ratings and comments for the models you are thinking of purchasing or you could get one of the models that simply isn’t up to snuff. Of course this is quite true for many vacuum cleaner brands but it just seems to be more pronounced with Hoover (in our opinion).

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Vacuum Details and Specifications
The UH70931PC is powered by a 12 amp motor and it uses cyclonic suction.  Cyclonic suction is the typical means of suction used in most bagless vacuum cleaners.  It essentially involves spinning the incoming air very rapidly thereby “throwing” the dust and debris out of the air channel and into the dust canister (oversimplified but essentially the approach).

WindTunnel Technology is a trademarked Hoover vacuum technology.  The WindTunnel 3 Pro Pet comes with WIndTunnel 3 Technology which means that there are three channels of suction at the vacuum nozzle.  A well dispersed suction profile across the nozzle should – in theory - provide better pickup on average across the width of the nozzle.  The cleaning path width of this particular machine is 13.5 inches.

The dust canister on the UH70931PC is bottom empty and most owners report that it is easy to remove, empty, and reattach to the vacuum.

One feature on this model that is not too common on an upright is the automatic rewind power cord (uses a cord release pedal).  This is a popular feature on almost any vacuum and the UH70931PC is no exception.  Folks like it.  The power cord length is a little short however at 27 feet.  In our experience owners often complain when power cords are less than about 30 feet in length.

The vacuum is capable of cleaning both hard surfaces and carpet.  It has 5 different height settings (manually set via a switch on the top of the nozzle - see image below) which help provide the necessary clearance when vacuuming carpet.   Also the brushroll can be turned on and off (via a footpedal).  A brushroll is typically on when cleaning carpet and off when cleaning bare floors.

A pet tool pack is provided with the vacuum and it includes:
- Pet turbo tool (good for removing pet hair and other debris from stairs)
- Pet upholstery tool
- Extension wand (with telescoping ability)
- Crevice tool (for getting into tight areas)

The tools can be attached to the end of the telescoping wand or to the end of the 10 foot hose.  Note that the Pet turbo tool (seen above) is not motor driven but rather air driven.  An air driven tool is usually less powerful and effective than a motor driven tool.

Filtration is provided by three filters one of which is a HEPA filter.  The standard filter is rinsable while the HEPA filter and carbon filter are not.  You can read more about HEPA level filtration in our “About HEPA Filtration” article if you want.  The carbon filter has an odor absorbing layer of carbon which is a nice feature, especially in households with pets.  The carbon filter may need to be replaced when it gets too dirty but the HEPA filter can usually be “tapped” over a dust bin to remove much of the dirt and debris.

The UH weighs a hefty 18 lbs and today that is considered a little on the heavy side for an upright (although not entirely uncommon).  It also has soft, non marring wheels and it carries a 2-year limited warranty.

 

Vacuum Cleaner Manual
You can see the vacuum cleaner manual here: Hoover WindTunnel 3 Pro Pet UH70931PC Manual.