Big sucky monster (Hoover Turbopower U2090)

Member Name: amonet

Product:	Hoover Turbopower U2090
Date:	05/06/01 (243 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: large, good power

Disadvantages: may not cope with dog hair, pipe comes out a lot, stairs can be a problem

This Hoover is an upright sucking monster. It's large and bright yellow. Apparently it's available in different colours, but the shop I bought it from only had BRIGHT YELLOW. Not bright yellow but BRIGHT YELLOW.

It stands upto my hip height (I'm five five or five six) and at it's widest at the base is probably the width of two of my feet end to end.

I paid £50 for it, apparently brand spanking new. However, when I got it home, it wouldn't suck anything. Not even enough to fake a love bite.

I called the freephone helpline number which is actually on the Hoover itself (good job as I'm forever losing paperwork) and they sent a chappie out the very next day to have a look at it.

Firstly, the belt had fallen off - and I'd only used it the once. It didn't suck, as I mentioned, so I knew this wasn't my fault. He reattached the belt and it whirred nicely. Still wouldn't suck though.

So he opened up the bottom and removed the filter. It was FULL to bursting of dust, dirt, dog hair and carpet fibres. I may have dust and dirt in my house like everyone else, but I don't have a dog and none of my carpets are the colour of those fibres.

Perplexing of course - he deduced that this had either been used in the shop I bought it from (funnily enough, they wouldn't let me test it as "it would be used if we let you do that") or it was a second hand vacuum (which the shop claimed it wasn't). He cleaned it all up, got it working and went on his way.

I spoke to the shop. They then decided that it HAD been used previously and was sold at the low price of £50 not because it was on offer as they alleged, but because it had scratches on it confirming prior use. Factory use is the term they used.

Of course I was annoyed and won't be shopping there again.

However, this isn't a bad machine so I decided not to kick up a fuss and have kept it. The H
oover chap himself has reported his findings back to his bosses so I'm assured that someone somewhere will do something about these fibs. As my Hoover works, as I won't be shopping at the same shop again and as I will demand to test the next one I buy, I'm not overly bothered about the repercussions of this incident.

I don't have a dog, although I do have a cat and two children. I'm happy that this machine sucks up all that needs to be sucked up and generally have no complaints about it's sucking power.

Yes, I'm enjoying seeing how many times I can use the word "suck" in one opinion.

Most of the time one or two passes over offending items of fluff or dirt or whatever is enough to get it all up. It's also got a nice and large head (that is, the big bit that sits on the floor) so it covers a decent sized area while in use. My arms don't ache from having to push it backwards and forwards several times over a single patch.

Its reach is decent too - I think it's quite a tall model, so it cleans a fair distance away from you. I don't have any back twinges from bending over while Hoovering.

It comes with the usual attachments - the nozzles and little brushes. I've only used the little brush bit on the stairs so far. There is a pipe attached to the back for using with these nozzles and brushes, which you can also use on it's own. For some reason it pops out of the back of the Hoover very easily which I find truly annoying. There isn't anything to stick that sucker in the hole and stop it from popping out - no fasteners or anything. You insert pipe and twist it. No latch. Hence it comes out a lot when you are doing the stairs.

As for doing the stairs, here it's size doesn't help me. It's also quite heavy, although nowhere near as heavy as a Kirby for example, so combine that with it's enormous sucking head and it's gymnastics on the st
airs time. I have to hold the Hoover with one hand while I use the pipe piece, with or without attachment on the end, balancing it on a lower step and trying not to allow the pipe to pop out of the back. I make the bloke do the stairs.

Along walls etc it does well - as long as you are Hoovering with the wall, if you get what I mean. As long as this Hoover is running in the direction of the wall, it won't miss a spot. If you Hoover at right angles to the wall, it will miss at least 2 inches of carpet. This is an inconvenience at best - I just use the pipe if I need to.

Generally I'm happy with this Hoover. If I had more cash, I'd probably buy a different model next time. I've had no problems with it since the one I mentioned when I first bought it and I'd recommend it to anyone with similar circumstances at home.

Footnote: we babysat a dog for a week. During that time I have to say this machine didn't cope very well with all the doghair. I had to run it several times over the same spots and it still left hairs behind that I had to pick up by hand.

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