On December 1, 2009:
While the Hoover is very pricey and somewhat "plasticy" it does a great job at what it's supposed to do - clean carpets. On some very badly stained carpets it did better than the large rental cleaners. It's hard to say how well it does it's job, but it really does. Cons: While I'd give it five stars based on cleaning, there are a few things that make this vacuum less than perfect. Its construction feels very flimsy. It's hard to call a thirty pound device flimsy feeling, but there is something about it. When you have a cleaner this heavy it would be nice if it wasn't made out of such thin feeling plastic. I guess it's sturdy enough, there's just a bit of flex to some of the parts (like when carrying a full clean water reservoir). Guzzles detergent - This thing sucks detergent down like a wino in a winery. But it cleans well. Minor issues with my cleaner: Has an intermittent leak in the detergent tank (only when carrying - I think the valve sometimes doesn't seal properly when you pull it out) and one of the blue LEDs on the handle panel is out. This may be just my bad luck - but nothing worth having it serviced or returning it.