( 14 reviews )
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Posted: May 20 2009
NOTHING in this world is PERFECT, and that includes this vacuum cleaner. In a perfect world, nothing would ever get dirty and need to be cleaned. In a next-to-perfect world, I would be able to afford a good cleaning service and never have to vacuum again! That said, this is, without a doubt, the BEST vacuum cleaner I've ever used. I've use a LOT of vacuum cleaners in my lifetime -- I started vacuuming my mother's floors when I was 5, and I'm now 56. I've used Kirbys (you know the ones: Buy a vacuum cleaner, or buy a car), I've used the much-touted (by the advertisers) and ridiculously expensive Oreck, I've tried the sadly disappointing Robotic Vacuum cleaner.... I can't begin to remember all the names of all the vacuum cleaners I've used, there are just too many, and I've used every type there is, too: canisters, uprights, bagged, bagless, etc. Simply put, NONE of the other vacuum cleaners I've tried, came close to doing as thorough a cleaning job as this inexpensive Hoover Empower does. It finds dirt you didn't know was there! Also, it seems to almost propel itself across the floor somehow, even though it isn't advertised as self-propelled. That really helps me a lot, because I have an extremely bad back and neck (degenerative disk disease, spondelosis, bone spurs all up and down my spine, numerous herniated disks, and a big painful bony overgrowth in my neck), so I can't handle the strain of pushing most vacuum cleaners. (This is why I've tried so many, including the useless Robotic, and the almost-useless light-weight Oreck... I was trying to save my severely painful back and neck.) This Hoover Empower vacuum cleaner is light enough that it doesn't kill me to move it from room to room, but sturdy and well-built enough that I don't expect it to fall apart any time soon. I also love the fact that you don't have to constantly be buying replacement bags and filters! My husband is confined to a wheelchair much of the time, and with my painful back, I'm not up to going out shopping for vacuum cleaner supplies very often -- and a vacuum cleaner with a full bag and filthy filter is useless. The only problem with this vacuum cleaner that I have found, is that it really is a very dirty job to empty it. (It also isn't real easy to empty, IF you don't know what you're doing. PLEASE don't be dumb like we were -- read the instructions on how to empty it! We thought we were too smart to have to read the instructions before emptying, and as a result, we almost broke it, the first time we tried to empty it. So please, read how to do it, first.... it really isn't hard to do, IF you know exactly what you're doing,and are aware of how it must line up on both sides with the groove thing, before you try to push it back in after emptying, or else it will get STUCK FAST halfway in, and that's how we almost broke it, trying to get it UN-stuck! I say "we," because both my husband and I did this, independently of each other, before we read the instructions and compared notes on what to do, and more importantly, what NOT to do, when emptying!) Now that we know HOW to empty the Hoover Empower properly, that part really is easy, but it is STILL VERY MESSY. I only do it outside in the back yard, with a big trash bag for catching all the dust and filth, and then I still have to brush myself off real good, before going back inside the house. Despite that one drawback, I still much prefer a bagless, over any bag model. The Hoover Empower definitely cleans our house much more thoroughly than a cleaner with a bag can ever do, and, as I said, we don't often get to the store to buy more bags, and when your vacuum's bag is too full to use, it's useless. (I hate to admit it, but we are also on a super-tight budget now that my husband is on disability, and there have been too many times in the past when we couldn't vacuum and sorely needed to, but we just didn't have the money to buy even a cheap set of bags.) BOTTOM LINE: No vacuum cleaner is perfect, but this one is the closest to perfect of any of the numerous brands I've tried over the past 50+ years. Overall, it's a lot easier to use than any other cleaner I've had, and, best of all, it gets my floors -- both the hard floors and the carpets -- noticeably cleaner than they've ever been before.
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Posted: Apr 27 2009
If you're looking for a simple vacuum that performs extremely well without a large price tag, then this may be the vacuum for you. It's a vacuum that isn't trying to be anything more. If you're looking for something fancy with technology pouring out it, look elsewhere. Where the EmPower 4600 succeeds is as an upright vacuum. It has a powerful 12-amp motor that really picks up the dirt. Where it fails is with the wand attachments, as they don't work very well. Also, don't be fooled by the hush mode. It doesn't sound that much quieter than the regular mode. In fact, it's a rather useless feature. If you must have a hush mode, I'd skip this vacuum, but I don't plan on vacuuming at three in the morning, so it's a moot point for me. All-in-all, almost a perfect vacuum for the price, except for the needless hush mode feature and the imperfect wands. Outside of that, this thing works exactly as a vacuum should and does so very well. Give this one a try! I certainly recommend it.
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Posted: Feb 8 2009
This vacuum does have great suction power and is good at removing dirt and dog hair from my floor. However, after 1 1/2 years the wheels which you need in order to properly push the machine back and forth have broken off. They are attached with a plastic type part, which broke on one side. Even though the manual says there is a 2 yr warranty, there is no service centers within an hour and a half drive from my home(and I am not in a rural area) so even trying to get warranty service seems unlikely. I use it about twice a week. Now it is difficult to move over any rug and hopefully isn't scratching the floor. Needs to be replaced soon now.... I am really disappointed since my last vacuum lasted 15 years , so this lack of quality is really disgusting. I wonder if all vacuums are made so cheaply now???
