Our In-Depth Review
Design
The Hoover Rewind UH70120 is an upright vacuum model with powerful suction.
The two elements that stand out on the positive side for this Hoover upright vacuum are the WindTunnel Bagless cleaning system and the very handy cord rewind.
The WindTunnel system as Hoover describes it ‘removes embedded dirt and minimizes scatter on carpet.’ It has some powerful suction so dust doesn’t get kicked away.
The other feature we were enamored with was the cord rewind. All you have to do is step on the lever (which we sometimes thought was the power button) and the cord gets sucked up just like it was dust on the carpet.
A negative design element is that the brush bar will always be on. The rotating brush bar actually can propel dust and debris forward instead of sucking it into the dustbin.
Performance: Using the Hoover T-Series Rewind
The Hoover Rewind UH70120 tested to mixed results. To sum it up quickly, on carpets and rugs it does a good job, but it performs poorly on hard floors.
Let’s go into a little more detail on a few other aspects as well. The boxy design of this Hoover upright also makes it difficult to clean edges and corners.
One thing that was a bit puzzling to us as we tested was the filtration system. When we operated the Hoover vacuum, there was a strong odor, almost like hot plastic. It didn’t seem to be as bad on the second or third use though.
Then we used our laser particle scanner to test to see how much dust was escaping and our tool registered zero particles emitted from the Hoover. Maybe it just had to get warmed up first and it will be fine from now on.
Performance on Carpets
Do you have a home filled with carpeting? Then this vacuum might be just right for you. The Hoover T-Series Rewind features powerful suction and a nice brush bar for cleaning up all manner of dirt, large debris and pet hair from short and long pile carpeting.
We dumped flour to simulate particulate matter on the carpet and then made a few passes. In the open carpeted areas, the white flour was completely cleaned up off the floor.
You could see it gathered on the bottom of the WindTunnel Dust bin. The only complaint is the Hoover can’t get at these small particles if they are butted up against the wall.
We tried getting at this mess head on, but to no avail. Then we went from the side, running the vacuum right along the edge of the wall, but the flour still was there. We had to use the crevice tool to get the edge clean.
Next up was the large particle test where we used crushed crackers. The Hoover Rewind cleaned these pieces up nicely. The larger chunks were sucked up with one pass. We didn’t see any of the crackers get kicked away from the machine, nor did we find any left on the carpeting after we made one complete back and forth pass.
Once again, the edge of the carpet where the crackers were placed didn’t get completely clean. There simply is too large of a gap between where the brush bar is placed on the bottom of the vacuum cleaner.
We measured about a half-inch of plastic on the front and the side of the vacuum before there is an opening for the spinning brush bar. That means about a half inch of carpeting won’t get effectively cleaned by the Hoover T-Series WindTunnel Rewind.
The last thing that we did was suck up pet hair with the Hoover. It was cleaned up right away. The exhaust of the WindTunnel comes pouring out directly in front of the vacuum though, and some of the pet hair that was just puffed up and sitting on top of the carpet was blown away before the vacuum could get to it.
Performance on Rugs
On the rugs it did a wonderful job for both larger area rugs and for smaller entryway rugs. We put large particles on the rug and they were cleaned up easily. We also noticed that the suction felt very powerful, but it didn’t really lift the rug off of the ground.
You could have the vacuum half on the rug and half on the floor and nothing happened to the rug. This is a big positive. With the smaller entryway rug, we had to keep a foot on it to prevent the rug from sliding back and forth as we pushed the vacuum over it.
Performance on Hard Floors
The Hoover Rewind UH70120 did not do a good job on hard flooring. There are several limitations to this vacuum for cleaning hard floors, but the number one problem is the brush bar always rotates. On many upright vacuums, you can deactivate the brush bar to clean a hard floor.
You can adjust the height of the brush bar with the Hoover WindTunnel, but you can’t turn it off. Even when it is on the setting, “Lo Carpet, Bare Floor” the brush bar spins. By the way, we know how to spell low, Hoover spells it “LO” on the vacuum.
White flour was tossed onto the hardwood floor. The vacuum cleaned up the entire mess on the open floor space, but once again left a little bit by the edge. None of the dust was kicked away or spread out. We also didn’t see any dust come out of the exhaust.
With the larger particles, we noticed the largest parts were kicked away by the brush bar. The smaller particles tended to get pushed and blown away by the exhaust that comes from the front of the vacuum.
It took a long time to clean up all of the larger particles. In addition to the kicking away of the particles, we ended up having to move furniture to get at the debris that was sent across the floor. It made a bigger mess.
One more item of note is that the boxy design of the Hoover Rewind doesn’t allow it to get into the corners and under cabinets easily. In the kitchen, we had to use the on board tools to clean underneath the cabinet overhang.
Edge Cleaning
The Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Rewind is a poor edge cleaner. All you have to do to see this is look at where the brush bar is located underneath the head of the vacuum. It is too far back.
There is too much space between the edge of the machine and the brush bar for it to effectively clean the edge of a room. You better not mind using on board tools if you want the edge of each room to be totally clean.
Attachments / Onboard Tools
There is a crevice tool that is strapped to the side of the vacuum with the 12-inch extension wand. Put the wand on the hose, then the crevice tool for added reach. The suction is very powerful with this narrow airway in tight spaces.
The other tool is the dusting brush. Some people might call this an upholstery brush, but it is most effective for dusting off hard surfaces like coffee tables or shelves.
The last tool, which is snapped right onto the front of the machine when not in use is the air powered brush bar. We loved the power and cleaning capabilities of this on board tool. It does an excellent job on upholstery. We poured flour on a chair cushion and it totally cleaned it up.
The hose that attaches all of these tools isn’t very long and doesn’t have a lot of reach. This is a big negative, as you can’t reach as far as you would like.
We tried to reach up to an eight-foot ceiling with the crevice tool and 12-inch extension wand, and it was a stretch to get this far up. The hose was so tight the whole vacuum started to tip over if stretched too far.
Filtration
We were impressed with the filters on the Hoover Rewind. Many vacuums claim to be HEPA, but with our laser particle scanner, we can effectively test these claims.
HEPA stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air. To earn this designation, particles 0.3 microns in size or larger aren’t supposed to be detected exiting the filtration system of a vacuum.
The laser particle scanner detected zero particles on the Hoover T-Series Rewind. This means that if you suffer from allergies due to dust, pollen, or pet dander the Hoover is right for you.
Ease of Use
For overall ease of use, the Hoover Rewind UH70120 is pretty straightforward. The power button is right by the handle that you push with. The cord rewind switch is easy to depress with your foot. That means no bending over.
The only switch that is hard to manipulate is the brush bar height. You have to push down first and hold it down while spinning the dial to the carpet height setting.
The on board tools are all stored nicely right on the vacuum for easy access. The hose isn’t long enough though for some cleaning situations.
Getting Started
Open the box, grab a Phillips head screwdriver, and attach the handle to the base of the vacuum. Then you need to snap on the dustbin and all of the on board tools. When we first started vacuuming, the machine smelled pretty bad.
It was like burnt plastic, but this odor went away after a few uses. Maybe we just had a machine that needed to be warmed up, but it was pretty awful at the beginning.
Maneuverability
The Hoover WindTunnel UH70120 has two black rear wheels for maneuverability. The square shaped base of the vacuum doesn’t fit into many tight spaces.
It does have a lower head so it can get under some furniture, but not very far. Overall, this is a pretty pedestrian design as far as maneuverability is concerned.
Ease of Use on Stairs
The air powered brush bar is the best way to clean stairs with the Hoover Rewind for carpeted stairs. It did an excellent job getting the stairs totally clean.
The only problem is the hose doesn’t give you a lot of reach. In addition to the short reach, the vacuum doesn’t sit on the stairs easily. The base of the Rewind is 13.5 by 13.5 inches, so it doesn’t fit on a stair landing easily.
You will have to hold onto the vacuum with one hand and use the on board attachments with the other. This can be awkward and not that easy to do. Also, the Hoover Rewind is not the lightest machine.
Noise
The Hoover Rewind UH70120 vacuum is noisy. An average machine is about 80 decibels, and the Hoover can reach a level of 85 decibels on our noise meter.
You won’t be able to talk to anyone when you are using the Hoover Rewind because it is very loud.
Maintenance
A nice feature on the Hoover Rewind is a green/red bar on top of the WindTunnel Dust bin. When this bar is mostly red, it is time to either empty the dustbin, or clean the filters.
If anyone has long hair in your home, sometimes this hair will wrap around the inner cylinder of the dustbin.
You might have to reach inside to pull out some of the dust in this case.
Make sure you are emptying this dustbin directly above a trash bin. The dust should fall straight down when you depress the grey plastic tab.
There are two filters on the Rewind. The first one is located directly above the WindTunnel Dust Bin.
Flip the lid up to access this washable HEPA filter. Take it to the sink and rinse it out.
Let the HEPA washable filter dry off for at least 24 hours. We recommend standing this filter on its edge so both sides of the filter will dry out completely.
The second HEPA media filter is located below the dustbin. Slide it out and hold it over the trash bin. Tap out the dirt and you are ready to insert it back into the vacuum. Do not wash this filter out with water.
We don’t recommend blowing air on this filter unless you want a face full of dust.
For even more detailed information for other possible maintenance situations, download the manual linked to in the sidebar on the right side of the screen.
Value For Money
You can probably find a Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Rewind UH70120 vacuum for just over $100. This is a pretty good deal if you ask us.
It’s powerful and cleans carpets effectively. Just make sure your home is ideal for this vacuum’s limitations.
Final Vacuum Verdict
What would be the perfect place for the Hoover T-Series WindTunnel Rewind Plus?
First, your home should mostly covered with carpets or rugs.
Also, if you have problems with dust, pollen, or pet hair allergies, the HEPA filtration system can alleviate some of these symptoms.
It also is pretty affordable for those on a tighter budget. It definitely isn’t for someone with a lot of hard floors or carpeted stairs to clean.
