Hoover Savvy Bagless Upright Vacuum Review

February 12, 2010 | by Ethan (email) |

A recent Consumer Reports survey said that 75% of women responded that they did most of the household vacuuming. In my house, it’s more like 50-50 (you can ask Jocie). For our entire marriage, we’ve only owned one vacuum- the Hoover Savvy Bagless vacuum. Overall, it gets the job done but it’s not top-of-the-line. Read on for a complete review of my experience over the past 4 years.

Hoover Savvy Vacuum Overview

The Savvy Bagless Upright, model #U8174900, is still apart of Hoovers vacuum lineup even though they’ve introduced newer, more advanced models. It’s available from Walmart as well as online retailers.

The Good:
This vacuum is still going strong after 4 years and lots of use. Bagless design means less operating expense and a HEPA filter traps dirt, dust mites, ragweed and common grass pollens. Cleans carpet fairly well.

The Bad:
Substandard performance on bare floors. Heavy to lift. Looses suction quickly as waste canister fills up.

Overall:
A good, no-frills vacuum that lasted 5+ years with appropriate maintenance.

Hoover Savvy Vacuum Review

General Information

This is an upright vacuum powered by a 12 amp motor. The carpet/bare floors/off switch is situated conveniently on the handle. There is a generous, 31′ cord length that wraps up on the backside. The nozzle width (vacuum head) is 15″ wide.

Carpets & Bare Floors

The most important feature of a vacuum is how well it cleans carpets. If your vacuum isn’t doing that, it’s time to find a replacement. The Hoover Savvy vacuum works well on a variety of carpets- area rugs, berber and medium pile carpet. The nozzle control knob allows you to adjust the vacuum for different carpet heights. If you find the vacuum tough to navigate, try a higher setting.

Even on its lowest setting, the Hover Savvy vacuum struggles on bare floors like hardwood, linoleum, and tile. You can go over the same area several times and still not pickup all the dirt.

We don’t have any pets but dog-sit on occasion. This vacuum performs just as well with pet hair as other household dirt.

Bagless Dirt Collection

Bagless vacuums have some inherent benefits and disadvantages. On the one hand, you don’t need to change vacuum bags or make sure to have a ready supply. It’s one less thing to purchase and lowers the operating costs. However, emptying the waste canister is a messy job. Dirt and dust quickly form a cloud so make sure you empty outside.

I also take the opportunity to clean up the HEPA filter. There’s a handy twist-knob that removes excess dirt and prolongs the lifespan of your cartridge.

Maintenance

I’ve replaced the Hoover vacuum belt once. It’s an easy job but be careful not to break the plastic screw housings. Check out my post for full details. I’ve also disassembled the powered hand-tool for cleaning when it quit working.

Additionally, you should perform simple cleaning, replace the agitator brush, edge groomers and HEPA filter from time to time.

Attachments

The Hoover Savvy comes with these attachments that store nicely within the vacuum itself.

• Dusting Brush – This is the attachment with the bristles. It’s great for furniture like a buffet, table or lamp. Dust quickly gathers on the bristles so I remove it often for cleaning.
• Furniture nozzle – This looks just like the dusting brush but without the bristles. It’s good for upholstered furniture, clothes, car interiors and carpeted stairs.
• Crevice wand – Basically an extension with a tapered end. It’s great for corners and where carpet meets a wall.
• Wand – fits onto the hose and acts as an extension for the other attachments.
• Powered hand tool – This is a cool little attachment. It’s sort of like a mini vacuum that’s great for upholstered furniture and carpeted stairs. It can get bogged down especially with long hair. Don’t be afraid to take it apart for cleaning.

Misc

Hoover includes a light that acts as an “embedded dirt finder”. A red light means there’s more dirt while a green light means it’s clean. Don’t worry about the light. It’s usually red for carpet and green for bare floors. It’s not a reliable dirt finder.

There’s a lot of buzz about handling these days. Dyson commercials show vacuums that pivot and turn with ease. The Hoover Savvy is old-school and has only the four wheels. I’ve never found it that onerous to navigate. This vacuum is a little heavy to carry up and down stairs but the motorized brush makes it easy to push and pull.

What do you think? What vacuum would you recommend?
Image courtesy of michael.aulia