Introduction

Front

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Side

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Handle

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Hose

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Cleaning Tools

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Controls

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Dirt Container

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Underside

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Overall Cleaning

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The {{product.name}} doesn't have a true specialty area that customers can rely on. It didn't excel in any one of our cleaning performance tests and its best numbers came in debris and pet hair pickup.

Long Carpet

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Despite a strong power brush that should do well at picking up dirt from high carpet, the {{product.name}} pulled in only 24.3% of dirt from the carpet. Considering how mediocre this vacuum performed in other areas, its high carpet dirt pickup was disappointing to say the least.

Short Carpet

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The {{product.name}} was more effective on short carpet as it sucked up 49.7% of the dirt, which is on par with most other vacuums in its price range. But at less than a 50% success rate, this machine will leave a good amount of dirt behind on short carpet.

Wood Floor

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Because customers can't turn the power brush off, the {{product.name}} did poorly on hardwood as the brush blew the dirt around instead of sucking it up. Not being able to turn the brush off is a major design flaw that not only hinders performance, but can do major damage to a customer's hardwood floor.

Pet Hair

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The {{product.name}} did a solid job on pet hair as it didn't leave to much behind and almost none was caught in the power brush.

Debris Pickup

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With 70% of debris pulled in on hardwood and 61% sucked in on long carpet, the {{product.name}} rose to the occasion in debris pickup. Though it broke up a lot of the macaroni and rice with its power brush and pulled in only 50% and 64% of the two, respectively, it did well with coin pickup. The Wind Tunnel Rewind handled pennies (70%) and dimes (80%) better than most vacuums.

Dirt Holder Capacity

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The {{product.name}} can hold a fair amount of dirt as we filled its container with 0.58 gallons of cork. This was about the same amount as other vacuums its size.

Handling

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The {{product.name}} offers only basic handling capabilities as there is no hand wand or swivel technology. The vacuum is easy to push on most surfaces, though, and the power brush doesn't get caught on high carpet.

Cleaner Controls

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On of the {{product.name}}'s best attributes is the power brush height dial at the front of the vacuum's base. Users can set it to high carpet, middle, or bare floor, but should note that the height only changes when the handle is in vacuum position. There is a power button on the Wind Tunnel Rewind's handle and foot pedal at the bottom right of the base that releases the handle into vacuuming position. Just below the dirt container on the left is the power cord retract button and the power cord outlet is on the right side.

Cleaning Tools Use

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The {{product.name}} comes with a turbine tool, crevice tool and pet hair brush. All three can be attached to the hose, which is released by pressing the silver button at the bottom of the vacuum's right side.

Power Cord

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At 19.83 feet long and retractable, the power cord increases the {{product.name}}'s usability around the house.

Hose Use

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The {{product.name}}'s hose is five feet long and only extends nine inches from the user's hand. This limited reach makes it hard on the user to clean walls and ceilings with this vacuum.

Dirt Holder

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This vacuum's dirt container is pretty straightforward and you can remove it by flipping up the silver tab at the top. It's pain-free to empty as well as users can release the dirt from the bottom of the container by pressing down on the side button.

Filter

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The {{product.name}}'s filter is located at the top of the dirt container and just as easy to remove as the container. Users can open the top of the canister and pull on the filter's cloth tab to remove it.

Weight

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The machine may be a bit bulky, but at just less than 17 pounds, it's in the middle of the pack when it comes to weight. Though you don't want to be carrying the vacuum up and down stairs regularly, it's not as hefty as some other vacuums in its price range.

Noise

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In pumping out 73.8 decibels, the {{product.name}} isn't the noisiest vacuum out there and doesn't belt out the dreaded screeching sound that comes along with other vacuums.

Energy Use

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The machine is just above average when it comes to energy consumption with 1284 watts used, which is too much when considering its overall poor performance.

Eureka AirSpeed AS1001AX Comparison

Though the Dirt Devil UD20005 ($40 MSRP) and {{product.name}} ($129.99 MSRP) are both inexpensive and aren't all that reliable, customers will get value for the extra money spent on the Wind Tunnel.

The {{product.name}} will never be mistaken for a high-end Dyson and doesn't do particularly well in any one area, but it still trounces the Dirt Devil UD20005 in dirt pickup. The Wind Tunnel Rewind didn't pick up less than 24.3% in any test, while the Dirt Devil bottomed out at 11% on high carpet. Where the Dirt Devil did have an advantage, however, is in debris pickup with 72.8%, much more than 60.5% for the Wind Tunnel Rewind.

The edge in usability goes to the {{product.name}} because of its retractable power cord, power brush height dial at the bottom of the machine, and turbine tool. Both have dirt containers that are easy to empty and remove and short hoses that make it tough for users to reach tight spaces.

The Dirt Devil only weighs 10 pounds, but somehow pumps out a whopping 79.33 decibels, easily outdistancing the {{product.name}}'s 73.8 decibels.

Shark NV352 Navigator Lift-Away Comparison

These two vacuums are comparable in price as the AS1001AX is $110 MSRP to $129.99 for the {{product.name}}. But that's where the majority of their similarities end.

While customers will get middling performance with the {{product.name}}, they get much more bang for their buck with the AS1001AX. Both pick up 24.3% of dirt from high carpet, but the AS1001AX pulled in 97.2% and 79.7% on short carpet and high carpet, respectively. The {{product.name}} only sucked up 49.7% on short carpet and 60.6% on hardwood flooring.

The vacuums have similar usability ratings, as both have power brush height adjustment capabilities and easy-to-remove dirt containers. They also have solid handing and both weigh in the 16-17 pound range. The {{product.name}} does have a retractable power cord that adds appeal for users.

One area where the {{product.name}} has an advantage over the AS1001AX is noise levels. The {{product.name}} produces less than 74 decibels while the AS1001AX pumps out almost 77.

Comp 3

Though the Shark NV352 Navigator Lift-Away ($170 MSRP) costs about $40 more than the {{product.name}}, it's just as big of a letdown in performance.

If the {{product.name}} struggled on high carpet (24.3%), then the Shark NV352 Navigator Lift-Away fell off of a cliff with only 10% dirt sucked up. The Shark NV352 Navigator Lift-Away did, however, perform better on both short carpet (70.5%) and hardwood (76.7%).

The Shark NV352 Navigator Lift-Away doesn't offer the carpet height adjustment that the {{product.name}} does and its dirt container isn't nearly as user-friendly. The Shark NV352 does have an edge with its hose, though, as it extends 80 inches, which is a big help to users with high ceilings.

The {{product.name}} is a little below average in noise with 73.8 decibels and the Shark NV352 Navigator Lift-Away is a touch above average with 75 decibels.

Overall Verdict

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There are certainly worse-performing vacuums than the {{product.name}}, but most of them cost far less than its $130 price tag. The Wind Tunnel is an upright machine that picks up dirt with the frequency of a lightweight canister vacuum. Though customers will like its carpet height adjustment settings, they won't be fans of the fact that they can't turn the power brush off. The power brush decreases the vacuum's productivity on hardwood dirt pickup and will likely damage a user's floor over time.

The {{product.name}} does offer some other features that will appeal to customers, such as a dirt container that's easy to remove and a retractable power cord. These items aren't enough, however, to cancel out the vacuum's overall poor performance. Like all other vacuums, the {{product.name}} has weaknesses. The problem is that it doesn't have good qualities to draw a customer to purchase it.

Usability