13 out of 13 people found this review helpful.
Does an adequate job
Date of Review: Jul 2, 2005
The Bottom Line: Yes, but there are better.
We bought the Hoover 2105 Slider and a few days later bought the highly rated ( on this site ) Eureka 96D Quick-Up. The easiest way for me to describe the Hoover is to compare it to the Eureka.
Price:
Hoover $50, Eureka $30
Battery life:
Both units were fully charged overnight for at least the 16 hour recommended time. They were both operated until the batteries were almost but not entirely discharged. The Hoover has a 7.2V battery versus the 6V of the Eureka but run time was about 20 minutes for both. The Hoover uses a single motor for vacuum and power brush so the power brush cannot be turned off which may exhaust its higher capacity battery faster. The Eureka has separate motors for the brush and vacuum. We turned of the rotary power brush of the Eureka for linoleum, hardwood, tile, etc.
Cleaning ability:
The Eureka wins easily. The Eureka with its power brush picks up dog hair remarkably well. The reason may be the design of the power brush. The Eureka power brush is mounted on 2" pivoting arms which allow the power brush to self adjust in height. The brush bristles are also longer. By comparison, the Hoover has a fixed position brush with bristles about half the length of the Eureka. The fixed position brush is a disadvantage if you have carpets of varying thicknesses. The short bristles do not reach down very far and the fixed brush tends to let the Hoover sink into the carpet. Pushing it is more difficult.
The head of the Hoover is slightly wider than the Eureka.
Other Differences:
The Hoover does have an advantage. The very low swiveling head does allow it to get into very low places into which the Eureka cannot reach. The problem is that the swiveling head stays straight by virtual of a right and left detente which are not always strong enough to keep the head straight. It is sometimes necessary to manually return it to the straight position even under ordinary circumstances. The Eureka head moves up/down put cannot swivel.
The Hoover does turn off automatically if the handle is returned to its upright position which is convenient.
The Hoover dust container is very small but strangely enough that was not so bothersome. The Eureka has a larger dust container ( about four times larger ) but emptying the Eureka and replacing the filter in it is more awkward since the filter fits tightly and does not go back in as readily as the Hoover's.
The Hoover is quieter than the Eureka.
The Hoover assembles very quickly. The top portion of the handle snaps in place. Plug the charger into the lower handle and you are ready to go. The Eureka requires a bit more assembly. The plastic grip has to assembled onto the metal handle. Pull back a tab on the body of the unit and slip the metal handle in and release the tab. The fit is not as good as the Hoover. The Eurekas metal handle does have a little wobble, the Hoover does not.
The Hoover battery pack is under a cover in the lower handle which requires a screwdriver to access. The Eureka has a battery pack on the upper back of the unit which pulls out for replacement. The Eureka charger also has a place to charge a second backup battery pack while the units main batteries are being charged.
Both the Hoover and Eureka work with the upper handle removed.
Conclusions:
While we do have a few places that are low and the Hoover is able to clean them, it is not as efficient as other machines in normal daily tasks.
