Vacuum Reviews

I liked this vacuum at first until the front blew out and I had to replace it under warrenty which was fine. The first one came with a foam filter and it was easy to clean, but the replacement came with a hepa filter which I found totally annoying. It was pleated and a terrible thing to try to clean. I also found that the replacement filter was twice as expensive as the foam and seems to only be available by mail. The company should have left well enough alone. I also have a problem with the handle being loose. I loved the light weight easy push, but I just can't stand that crazy filter......

We just got a beautiful large rug for our apartment, which is mostly hard wood floors. I had a hard time trying to find a vacuum cleaner that was smallish, yet worked well on carpet AND hard floors. None of the lightweights, handhelds or stick vacuums seemed to have the crucial double motor (one for the vacuum, one for the brush). When I came across this model, I thought it was probably too good to be true, but in desperation, I bought it anyway. I got it home, and it picked up (IN ONE PASS)all of the dog hair that had been piling up on the rug for almost 2 weeks. I brought it over to the hardwood and it worked equally as well. My roommate and I were AMAZED. I'm not sure what the other reviews are talking about, but we both agreed it was one of the quietest vacuums we'd ever heard. My dog didn't bark at it once! The attachments worked equally well... finally got the dust off the curtains, corners, lamps, window sills and every other dusty place we didn't realize we had. It was almost fun to see how great it worked! People have complained about how if the filter gets dirty, it loses suction, but that is true with any vacuum, unless you have $400 to shell out on a Dyson. The only reason I gave it 5 stars instead of 4 is because the vacuum tends to topple over when using the hand tools, which is really no biggie at all.

This purchase was to replace a useless cordless electric lightweight (Rowenta) which stopped working completely after 1 year. This has the most power of any lightweight I have owned. I like the wheels so that the machine does not scrape my wood floors. It picks up debris very well from wood floors, even between the cracks. I was able to use the extension to remove gnats which came in and were attracted to my ceiling. I was surprised that it had enough power to do this. Only negatives - initially, found the cup difficult to empty. After a few tries, it seems to be easier. The machine is noisy and a little on the heavy side but worth the tradeoff to get real power in a convenient little machine.

I am amazed that this vacuum made it to market. It must have been pushed by the marketing dept and not the research dept. It works great for the first minute or two, until there is a inch or more of dirt against the 3x3 inch grill on the one side. All the air has to go thru the dirt in this one small area and the air flow goes to next to nothing and all suckion stops. If you want a bagless, get one with the grill vertcally between the two compartments. This gives a large enough space for the air to go thru and the wind action keeps the dirt from piling on the grill.

The little upright Dirt Devil has the same type of grill but it is just used for small clean ups so the dirt cup gets emptied often.

This vacuum works good for picking up animal hair but its lousy for picking up embedded dirt thats not seen.The Hoover Windtunnel is much more effective,even the hoover bagless without the windtunnel technology will out perform the Eureka whirlwind.

Need a Vacuum buy this one.... simple enough!!!

I purchased this vacuum put it together placed it in the center
of my floor that had sawdust all over the floor and turned it
on. WOW, did I get a surprise. The air from the exhaust blew
sawdust everywhere.I called tech support and they said it was
so powerfull that this could happen. Because of the poor design
I packed it up and returned it. I'm still using my old shop
vac that has the exhaust coming out of the top the way I feel
it should. I would not purchase this vac for my wood shop.

We'd rate this thing zero stars if we could. All the features in the world can't make up for the fact that it doesn't [pick up] anything. ... In addition, the hose broke on the first day and it makes a lot of noise for not doing anything. It has been nothing but headaches since we opened the box - poor/incorrect instructions, assembly steps more difficult than necessary, clunky, tippable, short hose, ambiguous cord storage, no tool storage, etc. However, as a trash can, it's got decent wheels and a nice handle.

I received the above Shop Vac ... today. It was shipped disassembled and without the necessary nuts, bolts and instructions for assembly. While it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out how this thing goes together I did have to scrounge through my spare parts drawer to locate the necessary hardware to put this unit together. I'm sure ... would have sent a replacement but I didn't have the time nor want the aggrevation. The vac has good suction (but certainly not 6.25 HP as advertised)It is my understanding that this is Peak HP. To obtain Peak HP the volt/amp input is increased and the HP is measured at the point just before the unit goes up in smoke and melts. Not exactly usable HP. The hose is very short and the floor vac head is not angled at the hose connection which makes it difficult to maintain flat contact with the floor. I gave this unit a low 2 star rating because of poor engineering and packaging of product.

GOOD

1. Good suction, this is easily this best thing about this vacuum. If you worry about suction; don't.
2. Bags- good sized, cheap(third party Sears 8 pack)and easy to find.
3. Plenty of tools and such. Plenty long cord.
4. Manually adjustable height. Don't fall for automatic; how often does it have to change?? plus you can put some extra power into flat carpet and such.
5. Not a bad edger. Yes you will have to run along baseboard once in a while but the machine does a pretty good job.
6. Price; reasonable for the unit.
7. Vacuum sensor on front panel. Mine doesn't have it(old model) and its a good idea; but not so much for bag changing as to tell if any of your seals are leaking which will eat away at your suction power.
8. Almost forgot to mention IT HAS BAGS!!!! Folks you have to start to realize bagless vacs are inferior to bags. You may save some money but what do you think happens to that filter in the tank???? It gets clogged up(lose suction) and dirty(needs replacing; big $'s usually; and you sure don't want to try to clean it) The best "filter" for the exhaust air of a vacuum is a disposable bag. Plus most of the cheap vacs use terrible "filters" if you can even call them that.

BAD
1. Broke the top cord wrap hook within week. Now I have to be careful otherwise it will fall out and drop the wrapped cord.
This really pissed me off. Its a nice idea because it twists for easy release but its cheaply done.
2. One wand extension constantly falls off the holder (annoying. The left one. Owners know what I'm talking about.)
3. Yes, the bristhles on the brush tool are too short.
4. The hose drives me nuts. Its not long enough or flexible enough making walls, ceilings, couches, etc. extremely difficult and uncomfortable. You do have to constantly hold the vacuum and it does feel like its following you and right on your rear all the time.
5. Filters. Its only really has one and it looks like a green srubber you use with your sink. Come on; its a joke. Lets just say it traps some dust but if you have allergy problems move on to next unit. I smell dust while I vacuum. I'm sure its OK for most of us and I don't see any blow out.

Truth is this is a good cheap vacuum thats why I give 4 instead of 3 stars. If you want a good machine then spend some decent money for goodness sake.
Why anyone would want a cheaper vacuum is beyond me. You might as well pick it up by hand.

P.S. I've been noticing a lot of folks rate vacuums right after they get them I also noticed that those who have owned them a while have more to say and actually have time to find the problems. Lets wait a few months before writing that 5 star review. Any new vacuum is gonna seem great when your old one is shot.

Well... Here's an update.
Replaced the agitator and belt.
Easy.

If you read my former big review I broke the top cord wrap.
I ordered a new one. Much better design; only cost a few bucks.
Snapped in place; newer ones shouldn't have this problem.

2 new belts, 1 agitator, new cord wrap hook, delivered(1 day) 28 bucks.

We have burber(sp?) carpet so it knocked out a lot of the bristles and I replaced the belt cause I was there. (lost the extra one that came with vac.)

Cleaned out the agitator area LOTS OF DIRT!!!

I still think for those of us with less than 5 cats this vacuum works great. I'm really amazed by those who complain it doesn't work or lacks suction. Like I said in my original review for me suction is the smallest issue of all!!!!

I've had this vac at least 4 years and besides some minor annoyances it works fine, especially for the money.

After eight months of use, we are very pleased with our WindTunnel Plus. Some of the best features include:

1. Convenient placement of controls - power switch on handle, and foot pedal to lower handle operates easily.
2. Long power cord really speeds up cleaning.
3. Picks up pet hair or long hair without trouble.
4. Really cleans edges well - again a time saver.
5. On board storage of attachments is very handy and well designed.
6. Very light and easy to push/pull.
7. Not too high or bulky; reaches under beds and some furniture.
8. Filter bags are reasonably priced and easy to find. Allergen and motor filters are washable. Compare with a competing model with $... replacement cost vs washable.

We have had no problems with using attachments. It does not tip over. Hose does not clog. Goes from carpet to hardwood floors, and can clean throw rugs if care is taken to avoid sucking in the fringe.

If you are considering a bagless model, remember that the dirt cup must be emptied and a certain amount of dust escapes. After trying both, we really prefer the disposable bag. Removing the dust either way is unpleasant, but the bag requires attention less often.

Overall, based on price/value, this model gets 5 stars.

I own a small home and figured a little canister would be perfect. This vacuum has excellent suction on hard floors, but make sure you pre-sweep. The opening on the hard floor attachment is large but narrows to a steep bend only a couple centimeters wide. This means anything bigger than light debris will get stuck and choke the vacuum. This is not a practicle idea for those with kids. (Never seen a kid to make a 'light' mess with 'small particles'. I have three, so I *know*). I can sum the carpet cleaning abilities in one word... UUUUGHHHHH! The brush is *air* powered, not electronicly driven. This creates a huge problem. I own a Newfoundland (130lb shaggy black dog) that constantly sheds. The brush is not strong enought to fully pick up the hair, which then clogs the little plastic turbine that powers it. This can take hours to clean. The canister has a 'trap door' release that works great at first, but after a couple of large loads gets stuck and forces you to manually remove the contents of the canister. GROSS! Recently my vacuum has aquired a smell of coroded batteries after ~10 min. of cleaning, and three COMPLETE (removal of filters, scrubbing, etc.) cleanings have not done away with it. Overall, I am glad I bought this thing on sale. It is a waste of money for anyone even with *minimal* carpeting (like me). I won't be buying anymore Euro-Pro Products!!

After waking up another morning barely able to breathe (welcome to Texas!), I got a little obsessive and decided it was time for a new vacuum. After reading hundreds of online reviews, I decided my top 3 choices were... the Dyson Animal (2 cats) the Westinghouse 1551 (the original Fantom), and the Shark Pursuit. I eliminated the Dyson based on price and looked everywhere for the westinghouse... unfortunately I couldn't find any retailers who carried the product. I didn't want to order online because I wanted to be able to return the product if I didn't like it. so that left the Pursuit. Let me clarify...as far as I can tell, the Pursuit and the Stealth are the same product. I brought my little canister home and started on the living room... I had to empty the canister at least 3 times! I was soooo pleased! :) The amount of hair I picked up was literally disgusting. But I was also encouraged and couldn't stop sucking up cat hair! It actually brought back the bright navy color in my fiance's couch! We had been talking about having it reupholstered but now it looks so much better I think we can put it off for a while... And I'm SURE we picked up hair from the previous owners' two dogs... we have been here 2 years. (!!!) I was disappointed, however, in how it worked on the floors... I wasn't altogether pleased with the floor tools. So I brought home the Pursuit upright and the Ultimate Roadster upright... both were great for the floors, but I couldn't get under the furniture and when I tried to clean the upholstery the hoses would contract and pull the main unit up against me. I guess it shows how great the suction is, but it's NOT exactly easy to use this way. SOOO... after even more searching, I found the greatest thing!!! Linen's and Things www.LNT.com carries this product in their stores and online for $129.. WITH a MOTORIZED power head!!! it's GREAT!!! well worth the extra $30!!! NOW the floors get REALLY clean, and I can suck all the junk out of the upholstery too! YAY!!! So, here are the specifics for the model I'm keeping-- The Shark Pursuit canister, model number EP724M... The main unit is 10.3 amps and the power head (the floor brush) is 1.7 amps... still a total of 12 amps for cleaning the floors, slightly less for the above floor stuff, but I can't really tell the difference, and it's probably a good thing considering the suction power.

pros: -Cleans great! good little sucker, especially for the price!

-easy to maneuver

-my house smelled much fresher after using it, so I guess the HEPA filter is doing it's job....

-FABULOUS for cleaning upholstery, etc... I even sucked cat hair off the curtains (be careful!)

-the air powered turbobrush did get clogged alot, but since I bought the motorized powerhead I don't have to worry about that.

Cons-- I agree with everyone else, the filter is very difficult to clean... the dispenser somehow traps all the hair around the filter, so you have to reach in and pull everything out. I'm considering trying a few things, like waxing the inside of the canister, etc... to see if I can't get this resolved. I also plan on buying a second hepa filter at the suggestion of another reviewer and switching out so I'll always have a clean one. I also have been vacuuming the filter with my old hoover upright and that seems to help alot, too. PLUS, my upright uses hepa bags so the mites and yuck stay where they belong. (this vac was good for sucking dust, but not much else)

The cord is quite short, but I have lots of outlets so it's not a huge problem for me.

Doesn't come with the little pet hair turbobrush, but I found them to be incredibly noisy-painful even- I'm going to order one from another company (about $30)to see if theirs works better.

Somewhat inconsistent product quality-- I recommend buying local and if you have a problem with one exchange it for another one before you give up entirely. of the four I tried, one smelled funny when I turned it on... If I had decided on that one, I would have exchanged it.

OH! by the way... I started this project on Sunday, and Monday morning woke up much less congested..(even though we have a HEPA air purifier in the bedroom) Tuesday morning even better... looks like it's working! I think I'm going to vacuum the mattress again..... ;) byebye dust mites!!!

When it case to buying a vacuum cleaner, I was looking only for canister. This is partly influenced by my european background and by the fact that I live a small apartment. Looking for canister in US is a challenge, considering absolute domination of uprights; lookin for good canister is even harder.

I bought this vac after trying DirtDevil vacuum with HEPA filter, which was a big dissapointment, both in suction and absence of good carpet brush.

This vacuum picked up lots of dirt after DirtDevil! I was quite surprised. I don't know yet how this fellow will behave on maintanability front, but so far I consider this as a great buy!

As to troubles with cleaning HEPA filters: well, you have to pay the price for having a clear air! You will need to clean filter by "tapping" it after each use and also you will need to rinse all three filters roughtly once a month or two or when experience rediced suction power. Also you will probably need to carefully clean spinning brush from hairs after each use, but I'm sure this is true for all turbo/power brushes.

Pros: moderate price, turbo brush, terractable cable, very good suction, HEPA filtering, still handle, compact design.

Cons: you will need to change brushes going from a carpet to a bare floor, handle may be a bit short for really tall people (probably above 6 feet).

In short - I would absolutely recommend this vacuum for small-mid-sized appartments.

I bought this Vac to keep near the cat box as my cats appear to actually throw litter onto the floor for fun. Its not very powerful but will get some of the litter. Now I find myself using a broom in-between BIG vaccuming as this doesnt do the job well enough. Buy this if you need an item to put you into the free shipping price category. (its like getting it for free)

I recently replaced my old dustbuster (which would no longer hold a charge), with this new one. I bought this unit because it uses the old style (and much cheaper) filters (which I had a few left over). What can I say, it works.

For the price and size of this black and decker, I think that you get exactly what you pay for. I use it instead of a dustpan, for spilled odds and ends, lint on rugs and various other tasks. [It]has more than payed for itself. I think that we have to be reasonable and know that if you are planning on doing some major cleaning, skip this and get out your kirby!

This vacuum cleaner is ALWAYS getting clogged. It was difficult to assemble. That makes replacing the belt extremely frustrating (yes, in one year it has needed several replacements). The onboard tools fall off.

Dirt Devil should pay me for the time and trouble this awful piece of junk has caused me. Buy something else.

I don't know why this vaccum has gotten these bad reviews. The people must be vaccum abusers or something. I've had this vaccum for years and neglect it often and it is still doing great. If it clogs they are super easy to get out and just today, about 4 years after I purchased it do I need to buy a new belt. For the price you won't find anything better. The attachments are great and it keeps my house nice and spify. We allmost sprung for a new one but I popped the hood and it was just a belt that needed replaced. (It's the first time I popped the hood after 4 years too) To get a clog out of the tube you can just take it off and give it a shake, if that doesn't work I put the end of my broom through it and the clog is gone. For a cheaper vaccum this one really does the job!!! I've even sucked up legos! This is the only one you will need.

This vacuum turns on a dime. A wonderful vacuum. It made our traffic areas stand tall once again. I haven't used all of the attachments, yet. But, the hose is great and extends to the ceiling. I'm a shortie - so I need all the help I can get! All of the attachments have tight fitting places for them to stay put. The light is great and it is quieter than my old vacuum (but it still scares the cat!). I love this thing! BUY IT NOW!

i have worked on this vacuum several times, always something new.1st it was the retractable cord, no prob. made a new guard for it, works great, 2nd it's main mtr stopped, thermal fuse goes bad, replaced works great. 3rd brush stops spinning, red light comes on. brush mtr going bad, repaired brushs inside mtr. relubed bearings in brush. works great. to get parts for this go to [mfg. website]they still have parts for it.
tim

I purchased this vac less than 2 yrs. ago. I have been very pleased with it. I sent in my registration form. I thought I was getting the best on the market at the time. You can imagine my surprise today when I found out the company is out of business. The vac was running fine and suddenly just quit. I have no idea with is wrong. It just will not start again. I called the hot line to find a repair shop close by, but was advised on the telephone that the company has no office at this time. I am really ticked off. Now what do I do. Who out there repairs these vacuums? Response from anyone will be appreciated. Thanks for letting me air my feelings.

I have just received my reconditioned Fantom and it looks like new! I bought it as a replacement for my old dead Fantom. I understand Fantom has gone/is going out of business. I will mourn their demise. I have 5 chhildren ranging from 1 yr to 13 yrs and this vacuum deals with their debris - no problem. It is the only bagless canister I could find when I moved here from europe and I was desperate to find a Dyson equivalent. This is it. I hope somebody else at least takes over the technology and design, otherwise I'm just going to have to buy in bulk now, while they're still avaiable.

What a dissapointment! This vacuum was good for about two weeks, now the rubber belt has stretched and it will not spin the brush-bar. The hose from the cannister to the wand attachment is too short, so I am constantly hauling the cannister towards me. Also if you want to vacuum blinds, you have to lift the entire cannister off the floor with your other hand - not convenient. The bag is small and requires replacement often. It is easy to move from carpet to bare floor, but all the other problems make this a poor choice. Too bad, my twenty-year-old hoover worked better. This one is headed to the landfill.

I have owned the S3630 for 3 years. Performance is OK. BUT shortly after I got it the plastic handle clip broke, then the headlight bulb went and I couldn't find a replcement in any store. Next the 2 small wheels on the motorized power head kept falling off (they seem to just clip into the plastic and won't stay put). Also if you try to buy replacements for the dust filters, you're out of luck,unless you special order from Hoover and who needs the hassle? It cleans well on the whole. I do find that dog hair tends to cling (thro. static) to the body and power head and is hard to remove. It's a pricey disappointment!

Very impressed with the suction, and the filtration. Love the way you can turn the roller brush on/off with a easy to use handle switch. I have always been a canistor user and found the Hoover to exceed my needs. You can use either filtration or regular replacement bags. It's peace of mind to know that Hoover
remains the only manufacturer of Vacuums Cleaners in the US that have their own Factory Repair Centers and great service after the sale. They are also located in the Internet. Try finding that when you buy a Fantum or Regina. I did and they're a joke.

This vaccuum cleaner is horrible. The hose pulls out of the canister, the cord will no longer retract (after just one year!) The suction is disappointing. I have to say I will never buy another Hoover.

This vacuum has excellent suction and seems to have decent filtration, but somebody at Hoover needs to sweat a few details. Ergonomics on this machine are absolutely dreadful; the ease-of-use factor is extraordinarily poor. Here's why:

The canister has two buttons on top of it; one is the on/off switch, and the other is for the cord rewind. Both are black plastic, with moulded-in markings that are absolutely unreadable. The result is that one is forever pressing the wrong button, retracting the cord when one wants to turn the machine off.

The attachment system is downright strange; all attachments insert INTO the wands instead of slipping OVER them, as is the case with every other vacuum I've ever owned or used. One must operate a lock button every time a tool is put on or taken off. The lock system holds the tool in one fixed, unchangeable position; there is no possibility whatever of swivelling a tool to get to a hard-to-reach area. The tools themselves have no swivelling capability, either, with the exception of the seldom-used hard floor brush. The angle provided for the dusting brush and upholstery tool by Hoover's design is the only one available; Hoover does not even sell upgrade tools that can swivel.

The dusting brush is especially bad; the lack of swivelling capability means you can't choose a different tool angle to readily dust, say, the tops of books while they're still in the bookcase. You have to take out a few books, dust them, return them to the bookcase, then go to the next few books. Sorry, Hoover, June Cleaver doesn't live at my house! Also, the brush's bristles are stiff plastic, not horsehair, and tend to leave fine scratches in varnished surfaces if you aren't careful. There is not a horsehair brush available as an upgrade, either.

The upholstery brush has little rubber 'fingers' that will not glide readily across fabrics; I have to use the dusting brush on my nubby-weave upholstery.

The strangest part of this vac's design is the suction control- a little plastic slide, to allow suction to be adjusted so that you don't suck curtains, etc., into the attachment you're using. The control is on the wands, not the end of the hose, as it is on most vacuums. This means you MUST use a wand when you want light suction, making vacuuming lampshades, etc., a strange, arm's-length process.

Yes, this vacuum picks up dust. But the design is so quirky and non-intuitive that I would not buy another- unless Hoover completely redesigns its tool system, and marks those darn buttons clearly.

I have had the Hoover Powermax Deluxe Canister vacuum S3607 since October 30, 2002. This vacuum is wonderful. I am a college student and bought this for my fraternity house after past experience of similar models that I use at my parents house. They are Hoover TurboPower 5000- S3577, Hoover Powermax S3603-040, and Hoover Powermax Runabout S3614. This vacuum is extremely easy to use, quiet, has good filtration, made well, and most importantly the cleaning power is superb!! I buy vacuums according to cleaning performance then I look for features- this vacuum is the best I've used and seen. I have used many different vacuum models over the years from different brands. I have used commercial vacuums from different work places in restaurants and have had a house cleaning job that I do on the side. The machine is very lightweight, has a low profile power nozzle that fits under beds, bureaus, desks, chairs and most any furniture with a 3 inch clearance. The double brush agitator is very powerful; it does an excellent job of grabbing deep down dirt for the suction to grab, grabbing pet hair and leaves carpets very well groomed.
I love the attachments- it is better to use the wall/floor brush on large areas of flooring rather than the carpet head due to the special design made for floors. If you decide to use the carpet head on floors you should unplug it from the hose so it is only suction on the floors and not a rotating brush. With any vacuum I found it is better to use straight suction on a floor and not a rotating brush. The agitators are made strictly for deep down cleaning of carpets not on hardwood or tile floors. The upholstery nozzle is phenomenal, the rubber fingers cause static on the rug causing deep down dirt to pull up better and grabs hair faster. It is very rare to see this technology on other vacuums most manufacturers use plastic or bristles on upholstery attachments.
I have noticed in other reviews of this product that people have had problems with cracked bag compartment doors. I have not had this problem with any of the four machines of this type that I have used. My recommendation is make sure the bag is installed CORRECTLY. Hoover makes many of the parts for this machine with a break-away feature- if the part is pushed back too far, it will come off. You have to make sure that you realign the hinges on both sides and push it back it in, you will hear it click into place. The bag slides into a bag holder make sure that is correctly notched into place, the bag collar is pushed forward all of the way onto the holder and all parts of the bag are below the seal where the door will shut. Also there is no need to firmly open, push, or slam any parts back into place. All of the locks open easilly and shut easilly, no hard touch is needed. I have used other vacuums that need parts practically slammed into place; not the case on the Hoover Powermax Deluxe.
I bought this vacuum as an addition to my roommates Hoover Caddyvac upright. Although the Caddyvac did a decent job, my dust allergies were still bad and needed a more powerful vacuum, that could also get into more places. The S3607 accomplished and surpassed my expectations for these tasks, and whenever my allergies perk up, I run my Powermax and it is a life saver. Also for time, it takes me 5 seconds or less to switch from vacuuming my rugs to having a dust brush on for dusting the back of my TV (an example)
2 comlaints:
1. The wheels on the machine are cheaply designed and made- the rear canister wheels have very little traction on hard surfaces, they tend to skid rather than roll because there is no rubber coating on them. The rear powernozzle wheels have axles that over time may get warped, the wheel(s) may have to pushed back on the axle.
2. The bag check indicator due to Hoover's strong suction is not very reliable- some work some do not. It is better to just open the door every so often and check the bag yourself. If it feels 2/3 full or you have vacuumed up very fine material like powder or fine dust the bag should be replaced to maintain full power.

Vacuum tip:
To maintain cleaning power of any vacuum it should be checked periodically. The agitator should be free of all strings, carpet threads, hair or anything else that may tangle around it. Bag should be checked every few uses, although the bag holds 5 quarts the power of this machine picks up a lot of dirt very quickly, this thing finds dirt that other vacuums I have used do not. The belt and power head should be checked atleast once a year, even if belt is not broken, it may be stretched, also dirt may get trapped in different areas, that should be cleaned out. Both filters should be washed or replaced every few months-dependant on usage. They are about $1.00 for the post motor filter and $.25 for the micro filter and are available from an authorized Hoover service shop.
Good luck with your Hoover Powermax I have no doubt you will love yours as much as I love my 4. Our oldest Powermax was bought on September 26, 1997, not one has had to go to the shop yet. I recommend it to anyone. I have mainly rugs and rarely use it on hard floors because I love to use a canister compared to an upright anyday.