Hoover WindTunnel 3 Pet Bagless Upright Vacuum
- Details
Avg. consumer rating = 80/100
The Hoover WindTunnel 3 High Performance Pet (model UH72630PC) is a popular vacuum cleaner that Hoover refers to as "Our Best Cleaning Bagless Upright". Consumers report that it has tremendous suction and that it cleans bare floors and carpet well. It also excels at pulling up pet hair from upholstery and carpet. In addition, it has an exceptionally long cleaning reach due to a lengthy power cord and stretch hose. However, the vacuum is heavy, hard to maneuver, and can be difficult to push or pull on carpet.
| Quick Specs | |
| Type | Upright |
| Bagged/Bagless | Bagless |
| Best for... | Bare Floors & Carpet |
| Pet Hair Features | Yes |
| Approx. Weight | 18.5 lbs |
| HEPA Filter | Yes |
| Power Cord Length | 40 feet |
| Motor Driven Brushbar | Yes |
| Warranty | 5 Years |
Consumer Ratings
Over 800 consumer ratings were found for this vacuum and they are provided in the table below. When averaged these result in an overall score of 80 out of 100 (or 4.0 stars out of 5). It is best to see the scores of other upright vacuums in order to get some context – check our upright vacuum ratings table, or see all vacuum ratings in our vacuum cleaner finder. Generally speaking this is a fairly average rating.
| Source | Consumer Rating | #Ratings |
| Amazon | 4.0 stars out of 5 | 341 |
| Home Depot | 4.0 stars out of 5 | 291 |
| Walmart | 4.1 stars out of 5 | 177 |
| Consumer Reports | 2.3 stars out of 5 | 3 |
It is interesting that when looking at ratings we found lots of 5 stars ratings but also quite a few 1 star ratings. This seems to be something of a love it or hate it vacuum. In the section “What are Owners Saying” below we think the reasons may become apparent.
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Aside: A Word on WindTunnel Technology. Hoover doesn’t provide much detail about their Windtunnel Technology but the following is what we have found – as nebulous as it is. The UH72630PC uses Hoover’s WindTunnel 3 Technology. The “3” apparently stands for 3 channels of suction. Hoover's graphic depiction of WindTunnel 3 Technology is shown below: We have also seen vacuums with WindTunnel 2 Technology which creates 2 channels of suction (and WindTunnel Technology with no prefix number which, not surprisingly, creates only a single channel of suction). Hoover's graphic depiction of WindTunnel 2 Technology is shown below:
So, does this “technology” really help with cleaning ability? Well, in theory it makes some kind of sense to spread the suction more uniformly across the nozzle via multiple suction channels, provided it doesn`t dilute suction too much, but we have yet to see/read any real proof of better cleaning results. |
Consumer Insights
We’ve done a thorough review of UH72630PC owner comments and have come up with the following common vacuum likes and dislikes:
PROS
- Extra long power cord
- Strong suction
- Reasonably long hose
- Attachments are useful
- Headlight
CONS
- A bit on the heavy side
- Can be hard to push
What are Owners Saying?
If we had to apply a broad brush stroke to this machine we’d sum it up as follows:
- Owners love this machine because it has very strong suction and does a good job of pulling up all manner of debris including pet hair.
- Owners hate this machine because it is heavy and can be difficult to move, despite having height settings.
THE GOOD
One of the most common comments about the UH72630PC is that it has exceptional suction. The suction helps the machine rid carpets of dust and embedded dirt. There are also many folks with dogs and cats who report that it really does a great job of picking up pet hair from carpet.
If you can get the height settings right, owners also like the UH72630PC’s ability to clean bare floors such as tile, linoleum, hardwood, etc.
In addition, the pet turbo tool is effective on upholstery. With the possible exception of the pivoting dusting brush, people feel that the tools are useful and that they perform fairly well.
The cleaning reach of the vacuum is also highlighted by many as a favorable feature. This is the result of a very long power cord and a respectably long hose. The power cord allows one to move from room to room with limited re-plugging, and the hose makes overhead cleaning or vacuuming a long set of stairs possible.
Finally, this upright vacuum is not that expensive. You should be able to find it in the neighborhood of $140 – $150 USD.
THE BAD
On the other hand, the vacuum does have some issues. Some owners refer to this machine as a “brute” due to its weight and the effort required to move and maneuver the vacuum. Others describe vacuuming with this machine as “a real workout”. We even read a comment from a senior with arthritis who stated that there was no way she could push and maneuver the vacuum.
Also, there are quite a few reports that it is difficult to get the nozzle height setting right. If it is too high then the suction at the floor level is poor, however if it is too low then the machine can be hard to push on carpet and can actually suction itself to some bare surfaces. One may think that the machine sticking itself to a bare surface would be something of an anomaly but we were quite surprised at the number of owners complaining of this issue.
It’s great that the attachments store on board the vacuum but they unfortunately often get knocked off or just fall off. Many simply leave them in the closet or somewhere nearby and fetch them when needed. Most of the tools get pretty good reviews but there are complaints about the pivoting dusting brush. It can be difficult to get it to stay at the right angle and it is described as flimsy. As a result some owners report it doesn’t work that well.
Finally there have been instances when owners have been displeased with Hoover Customer Service. Folks that have experienced issues with the vacuum have been subject to lengthy wait times on the phone, no return calls, long waits for ordered parts, etc.
You can see more UH72630PC owner comments on Amazon
Details & Specifications
This is a bagless, multi-cyclonic upright vacuum cleaner. Cyclonic technology is the technology typically found in bagless vacuum cleaners. It involves rapidly spinning the air pulled into the vacuum thereby throwing the dust and debris out of the airpath and into the dust canister (perhaps a simplistic explanation but more or less how it works). This technology helps to keep the filters clean and is also noted for its sustained suction while the dust canister fills. The WindTunnel 3 UH72630PC uses 13 cyclones. More cyclones often means smaller cyclones, and smaller cyclones result in faster spinning air which helps remove smaller and smaller particles.
The brushroll on this unit can be turned OFF and ON via a foot pedal located on the nozzle of the vacuum. In most instances one wants to vacuum bare surfaces with the brushroll OFF and carpet with the brushroll ON so having the ability to turn the brushroll on/off is a handy feature.
The cleaning reach on this Hoover vacuum is very long when compared to most machines at this price point, and frankly compared to quite a few more expensive machines as well. The UH72630PC has a 40 foot power cord and a 12 foot stretch hose. With wand and tools you are getting close to 45 feet of cleaning reach. This is a very positive feature because a short power cord can be very frustrating as you move from power outlet to power outlet, and a short hose may not allow you to clean a full set of stairs or comfortably reach overhead.
The vacuum comes with 3 tools:
Pivoting Dusting Tool – Used for cleaning the tops of shelves, ceiling fans, etc.
Pet Turbo Tool – Useful for removing pet hair from upholstery, stairs, other areas
Crevice Tool – Allows you to clean in tight areas
The Pet Turbo Tool is a “turbo” tool. The “turbo” description means that the brushroll in this tool is spun by the vacuum suction – it is not motorized. These tools tend to not be as powerful as a motorized tool, however we haven’t read any complaints about this tool`s performance and most folks feel it is quite useful. The vacuum also includes a telescoping extension wand which can attach to the end of the hose. Tools can be attached to the end of the hose or the end of the wand.
To transfer suction from the floor to the hose the vacuum has an air valve on the side – see image below. The valve can be set to HOSE or to FLOOR. When using the tools you will want to set this to HOSE.
The tools can also be stored on-board the vacuum, however owners do report that they don’t attach securely and they often fall off or can be easily knocked off.
This vacuum actually has 3 filters. A standard filter (this is the pre-motor filter and is washable), a HEPA filter (this is the post motor filter and cannot be washed), and a carbon filter (it cannot be washed). The standard filter is rinsable and reusable and you should be able to continue to use this filter for the warranty period of the vacuum, which in this case is 5 years. The HEPA filter cannot be rinsed or washed. If it is dirty you should take it out and carefully tap it over a dust bin to remove stuck on dust/debris. According to Hoover the HEPA filter should also last for the length of the warranty period (5 years).
The carbon filter is found underneath the HEPA filter and this filter provides odor absorption. This is a great feature if you have pets in the house. The carbon filter cannot be washed and it may need to be replaced as its odor absorbing abilities wane – it is Hoover Part 902404001.
Nozzle height adjustment is available and controlled via a dial on the front of the floor nozzle – see image below. As you can see setting 1 is for bare floors, setting 2 is for low pile carpet and the additional settings are for deeper and deeper pile carpet. There are 7 height settings in all.
The unit weighs in at about 18.5 lbs which is quite hefty for an upright today. Vacuums tend to be getting lighter as consumers are looking for machines that are easy to lift and move about. But this is not always the case and we do continue to see some uprights tipping the scales over 18 lbs.
The nozzle width on this machine is 15 inches so you get a reasonably wide cleaning path on every stroke of the vacuum. The vacuum also has soft wheels to ensure no marring of floor surfaces and it comes with a soft bumper to help protect walls or furniture from scrapes or scuffs.
Additional features on the UH72630PC include a headlight, a bottom release dust canister with a capacity of 1.42 liters (not large but not too bad a size) and a thermal protector which will stop the machine from overheating by shutting it down. In addition, the vacuum carries a reasonably lengthy (at this price point) 5-year warranty.
Vacuum Cleaner Manual
The manual for this vacuum is limited in terms of details and usefulness but it is helpful in some areas. It provides information on assembly, basic operations, working with the tools, maintenance, troubleshooting, service and warranty. You can see a copy of the manual here: Hoover WindTunnel 3 UH72630PC Manual
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