Hoover Pet Max Complete UH74110

 

Consumer Ratings
Over 500 owner ratings were found on 3 popular online retail outlets – see table below.  When averaged these figures result in an overall score for the Pet Max of 89.3/100 (or about 4.5 stars out of 5).  This is a pretty good score and is one of the higher rated Hoover vacuums on our site.  You can see all our Hoover vacuum ratings or see ALL vacuum ratings.

 

Source	Consumer Rating	# Ratings
Amazon	4.3 stars out of 5	226
Wayfair	4.6 stars out of 5	281
Overstock	5 stars out of 5	1

 

A review of owner comments online has provided the following Hoover Pet Max Complete UH74110 pros and cons:

 

PROS
- Strong suction
- Great at picking up pet hair
- Reasonably priced
- Pre-motor filter is rinsable in water
- Easy to empty dust canister
- Not too much hair wrap on brushroll
- Pet turbo tool works well

 

CONS
- A bit loud
- Can be difficult to push on carpet
- Heavy/bulky
- Doesn’t maneuver that well
- Hose is short and stiff
- Wand is short

 

On the positive side, just about all owners report that the Pet Max has fantastic suction and that it does a good job of picking up hair.  Folks with both cats and dogs report that the unit is very capable when it comes to pulling up hair on both carpet and bare floors.

 

In addition, several people have highlighted that the brushroll does not get too tangled with hair.  Hoover states that the unit has an “Advanced Action Brushroll which deep cleans and reduces hair wrap”.  It is not clear how the brushroll actually reduces hair wrap but apparently it does – to some extent.

 

Some vacuums state that they can be used on both carpet and bare flooring, but the brushroll cannot be turned off.  This can be an issue on bare flooring as an active brushroll can cause scatter and, in the case of delicate wood flooring, may also cause scratching.  Fortunately the Pet Max allows you to turn the brushroll off when cleaning bare floors – and folks appreciate this feature.

 

Probably the most common complaint about the Pet Max is its weight and movement.  Folks find the vacuum heavy and bulky.  They also find it hard to push and steer, especially on carpet.  It does move better on a hard surface.

 

Owners also report that the hose, despite being of flexible design, is rather stiff.  This limits your reach when using the hose, wand and tools.  Some folks say that it is hard to reach the ceiling and others say it is difficult to do a set of stairs.

 

Finally, there are some comments about the vacuum simply shutting itself off while you are vacuuming or the belt breaking.  These comments are not in the majority but they are out there so they are worth mentioning.  You may wish to read more Pet Max comments on Amazon.
 
Cyclonic Suction
You will see many Hoover vacuums touting their “cyclonic suction”.  This is actually not anything new and many vacuums use this approach.  Essentially cyclonic suction, cyclone technology, or whatever name it goes by, involves sending the incoming air stream through cyclonic cylinders (the Pet Max has 2) 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.  This approach can also help the filters stay cleaner longer.

 

In addition, this vacuum is marketed as having three channels of suction in the cleaner head.  Is this better than 1 or 2?  It may be, and spreading the suction in more channels across the cleaner head seems to make sense, but we haven’t really seen any definitive proof that this is the case.

 

Filtration
The vacuum has 1 pre-motor filter and 1 post-motor filter.  The pre-motor filter is rinsable in water so when it gets dirty you can simply rinse it off, let it dry, and then place it back in the machine.  Hoover has also been good enough to provide a second pre-motor filter so when one is drying (which may take 24 hours or so) you can install the other one and keep using the vacuum – a nice touch.  Hoover states you should clean this filter after every 4-6 cleaning sessions.

 

The post motor filter is designed to remove allergens from the air.  This filter is not rinsable however and when it is dirty you can tap off the excess dust/dirt, but at some point it will require a replacement.  The post-motor filter will typically last for quite a while (maybe a year?) but we have not seen an approximate time estimate from Hoover on this. 

 

Also, the post motor filter is HEPA grade which means it is a very fine filter that is capable or removing the likes of pollen, mold spores, dust mites, pet dander, etc from the air.  These are popular filters with folks who have allergies or asthma.  In addition, this filter has an odor absorbing carbon layer.  We sometimes see carbon in the filters of vacuums designed for homes with pets.

 

Carpet & Bare Floor Cleaning
The brushroll on this vacuum can be turned ON and OFF.  Typically the brushroll is ON when cleaning carpet and OFF when cleaning bare floors.  There is a foot pedal on the cleaner head that is used to switch between brushroll ON and brushroll OFF.

 

 

The vacuum cleaner head also has 4 height settings.  A lever on the cleaner head allows you to set the height manually.  Hoover suggests the following:

 

Set to “Hard Floor” – for bare floor cleaning
Set to “Low” or “Medium” – for low to medium pile carpet
Set to “High Carpet” – for deeper pile carpet

 

 

Maneuverability
This is a fairly hefty vacuum at 17.1 lbs.  A hefty vacuum doesn’t always mean that the vacuum doesn’t move well. But the Pet Max can be difficult to move and maneuver.  Many owners report that this machine is hard to push, pull, and steer (some don’t, but many do).  This is especially so on carpet. 

 

Unfortunately the Pet Max does not have swivel steering so the cleaner head does not pivot independently.  In our experience swivel steering can make a real difference in terms of maneuverability. 

 

Tools
Three tools are included:

- Crevice tool
- Dusting brush
- Pet turbo tool

 

 

The crevice tool is fairly generic.  The dusting brush is kind of interesting as it has a flexible neck.  Owners really seem to like the Pet turbo tool for pulling up pet hair from stairs, upholstery, etc.  We have experienced some turbo tools that slow down (brushroll slows) when applying pressure while cleaning, but we have not heard any negatives about this particular tool.  A turbo tool uses the vacuum suction to spin the brushroll – it does not have an independent motor.

 

These tools are all compression fit which means that are pushed on and pulled off.  They do not securely “click” into place.  Compression fit works ok but it is not elegant and it can sometimes result in tools falling off while you are vacuuming or tools becoming difficult to remove.  We haven’t heard any complaints about this with the Pet Max but these issues are common with this approach to securing tools.

 

Cleaning Reach
The machine is said to have 12 feet of cleaning reach with the hose, wand and tools but owner comments tell us that this is perhaps ambitious.  It seems the hose is difficult to stretch out and the wand feels short.  The Pet Max does have a 30 foot power cord however and that is a respectable length in our opinion (note: we have seen some sellers refer to this unit as having a 27ft power cord).

 

Other Features
The dust canister is bottom empty and it has a capacity of 2.5 liters.  This is a good size – it’s not too small - and you shouldn’t find yourself having to empty it too frequently.   

 

The Pet Max also has a rubber bumper on the cleaner head to ensure no marring or scuffing of walls or furniture when vacuuming.  And it has soft wheels that help to keep delicate hard flooring from getting scraped.

 

A thermal protector will engage and turn the vacuum off if the motor gets too hot.  This feature is designed to protect the motor.  We have noticed some folks saying the machine just shuts itself off while they are vacuuming.  It could be the thermal protector kicking in. 

 

Warranty
The Hoover Pet Max UH74110 carries a 3-year limited warranty (for domestic use).  The warranty does not cover use of the vacuum for commercial purposes.

 

Vacuum Cleaner Manual
The owner’s manual is basic.  It covers items such as “What’s in the Box?”, “Assembly”, “Controls”, “Using the Vacuum”, “Maintenance”, “Troubleshooting”, “Service & Warranty”.  The manual is provided in English, French, and Spanish.  You can see a copy here: Hoover Pet Max Complete UH74110 Manual