January 2, 2006 Erik left for the Officers Basic Course at Fort Lee, while the kids and I stayed back in (Home Sweet Home) Liberty. That week I had to purchase a vaccuum cleaner. It was my first real purchase without Erik's input. I knew I wanted to get a Hoover, because my Grandma Rosenberger has had hers for my entire life (at the time I was 26) and it worked great. I also knew that it needed to have a really long hose because our house in Liberty has 2 staircases that connect and I didn't want to lug the vacuum to the landings. I wanted it to be self-propelled to make it easier to push, and I wanted it to have the options to sweep carpet and hardwood. It Definitely had to be bagless. I also wanted it to have a light, just because, and besides I don't even know if they make them without lights.
I went to Wal-Mart, with both kids (6 mo. and 4yrs. at the time) which means I had a limited amount of time to choose. I inspected the vaccuums and wanted the Dyson. But with it being my first major purchase without Erik, I thought I would have some restraint and found the Hoover Saavy that met all of my needs and was just under $200It was really hard to get the box into the cart with both kids and such, but we made it. I took it home, and was very excited. It was perfect! It had an extra hose add-in and attachment for the staircases, the hardwoods could be vaccuumed before dusted! I loved it!
June 2006 We moved to Georgia, met back up with Erik and brought the vaccuum with us. It was my first purchase victory vaccuum! The honeymoon ended last March(2008) when it got a funny smell, and then would only suck dirt when I pulled it backward in reverse! Then it wouldn't switch from barefloor to carpet:(
Since we try to do EVERYTHING ourselves, Erik got on-line and diagnosed it as a problem with the handle. We ordered a new handle for $30 and the new handle came in April. We have a little SHARK sweeper for light cleaning that we used in the meantime. We changed the handle and it still didn't fix the problems.
In May, I took it to Jeff's Vaccuum Repair in Augusta, he said he could fix it. Two weeks went by and they said the part was on backorder, but the gave me a loaner. I used the loaner and checked in with them each month, until October when they called and said the part is not available and the boss wants the room cleaned out! They asked me if they should just throw it away? I told them not to, I was getting a second opinion. So, I returned the loaner and picked up our vaccuum. I was angry that they were just going to throw it away after keeping it for 6 months and didn't notice that when I picked it up they had lost the new handle that was attached to it! I contacted Hoover and they said that guy was not one of their certified dealers and assured me that the part was available, and gave me the name of another guy, Bryan.
In the meantime, I borrowed my neighbor Donna's vaccuum (just before they packed it for their move to Japan) and as I was standing in her kitchen asking her about how she liked her vaccuum I somehow broke the handle so it wouldn't stand up straight. Needless to say she really did love her vaccuum. So I gave her $60 which was the cost of a brand new one just like the one I had broken, and I kept hers. The story should have ended here, but I really wanted the Hoover to survive.
I took it to Bryans, and it took about 2 months to get the part in. In January, he called, it was fixed, and I picked it up and paid $56. When I got home I used it and it was just as wonderful as I had remembered.
Then I got it out a few days later and all the same problems were back! I took it back to Bryan's, dropped it off and he called back a few days later. The motor has a problem and it is what is shorting out the board that he had just replaced. Now I am trying to figure out where to cut my losses.
I still have Donna's old vaccuum and Erik used some Super MEGA Gonzo Glue to fix the plastic piece that I broke. It works good. I just had a sentimental attachment to the Hoover which definitely did not stand up to the old Hoovers like the one my grandma has.
