Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Hoover Recalls Upright Vacuum Cleaners Due to Fire and Shock Hazards U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Office of Information and Public Affairs Washington, DC 20207 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 27, 2010 Release #10-248 Firm's Recall Hotline: (888) 891-2054 CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772 CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908 Hoover Recalls Upright Vacuum Cleaners Due to Fire and Shock Hazards WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product. Name of Product: Hoover(r) WindTunnel T-Series(tm) Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaners with Cord Rewind Feature Units: About 108,000 Importer: Hoover Inc., of Glenwillow, Ohio Hazard: The power cord is not properly routed or securely seated in the cord rewind assembly allowing the power cord to be pulled loose. This poses fire and shock hazards. Incidents/Injuries: Hoover has received three reports of minor burns to carpet and furniture and one report of a minor burn to a consumer's hand. Description: This recall involves Hoover(r) WindTunnel T-Series(tm) Bagless Upright vacuum cleaners with the cord rewind feature. This feature enables the cord to wind inside the vacuum for storage. The following model numbers and manufacturing codes are included in the recall. Model Numbers / Manufacturing code ends with... UH70110 UH70120 / HO9A O9A UH70200 UH70205 / JO9A KO9A UH70210 Vacuums with the manufacturing code KO9A followed by a green dot are not included in this recall. Vacuum cleaners with the cord rewind feature sold after November 2009 and with any other manufacturing code are not included in this recall. The model number and manufacturing code can be found on a label on the lower rear part of the vacuum cleaner. Sold at: Mass merchandisers, department stores and independent vacuum retailers nationwide and online from August 2009 through May 2010 for between $100 and $160. Manufactured in: Mexico Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled vacuum cleaners and contact Hoover for a free repair. Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Hoover toll-free at (888) 891-2054 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's Web site at www.hoover.com/tseriesrewindrecall To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the recalled product, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10248.html

Hi Lucky1,

A thumbs-up to you for the heads-up.

Venson

Here's a picture.

Carmine D.

Yet another reason to go with a Dyson, Electrolux, or Bosch if you want a bagless machine.

Hertz wrote:

Considering no dyson uprights despite their exorbitant prices come standard with a cordwinder, this HOOVER T series for $130, which tied with dyson's DC28 for $600 in the latest edition of Consumer Reports [March 2010] as equal in product performance and handling, and comes with an automatic cord rewind, are reasons to buy it.  IMHO  A cord rewind recall is easy, free, and quick to repair since it already has one.

Carmine D. 

CarmineD wrote:
One the first point, this looks like a good value vacuum for the price. On the second point, I've never used an upright with a cord winder; one reason James Dyson gave for not using cord winders on his machines (also likely cost / benefit - to him) is that they frequently have reliability issues (as proved by the recall).

M00seUK wrote:

Hello M00seUK:

HOOVER is one of the first upright brands to use cord winders.  It's track record for reliability of the winders, up to this particular model, is pristine.  Sir James kow towed manual rug height adjustments for years in favor of self-adjusting head nozzles.  He put these concerns to rest once and for all with TOL dyson DC28 which uses manual rug height adjustments.  I put more reliance on the actual track record of the HOOVER winders, which to HOOVER/TTI's credit, were voluntarily recalled, than Sir James' proclaimations about avoiding them.

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
Yeah, I would agreed that JD's decision on these points was likely more to do with cost at the time: "people don't want cord winders (which often are the first to break) " and "height adjusters aren't useful to most people". Both statements are true for people like me, but not everyone.

M00seUK wrote:

I respectively disagree M00seUK.  Sir James Dyson does not make product feature decisions based on their respective costs.  Look at a few of his products:  10 inch fan priced at $300.  6 minute operating handheld priced at $270.  Electric Hand Dryer priced at $1400.  Lights priced at $900.  Dysolv carpet cleaner for $12.  The premise sounds good.  Excellent retailer spin by dyson.  But, no, I can't accept/believe that prohibitive costs have ever served as a reason for dyson to keep typical industry wide features from becoming standard for his products.  Not with dyson having 500 full time engineers on board whose payroll overhead expenses have to be factored into the prices of all his consumer products.  Sir James has shown time and time again he has no qualms about pricing his products 200-300 times higher than the industry competition. 

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
Um, no - you've jumped to the wrong conclusion. I didn't mean that people *won't* pay extra for these features. I meant the J.Dyson *thinks* (either rightly or wrongly) that most people don't *need* these features and that Dyson needn't go to the cost / trouble of including them. Of course Dyson makes decisions on cost (to them) as a feature that might not be priority for most people will eat in to their margin.

M00seUK wrote:

Hi M00seUK,

The Dyson DC28 rated well in our Consumer Reports and is probably the first of Dysons that merited a higher rating over other Dyson models.  Besides a better brushroll, it had, at last, a height adjustment. 

Conveniences like height adjustment for upright vacuums and canisters with power nozzles, lights for illumination in badly lighted areas, cord reels and speed/suction adjustment are boons. 

Speaking of cord reels I have new vacs that have them and forty year old vacs that also have them.  They're all working.

Venson