Hoover Linx BH50010 Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner - Lightweight, Powerful, Grey - Perfect for Hard Floors, Carpets & Pet Hair Cleaning

BE PREPARED TO REPAIR TO LESSEN DESPAIR.There should be a rule that no review can be done on a vacuum cleaner until it has undergone 6 months of daily use. My guess is that many of the 5 Star Reviews on the Linx would drop considerably.I loved the Linx for 4 months. It was sweet. Then, without warning, the roller stopped working. I've treated this machine gently. It was only used for ten minutes a day, with roller brush, on two 5' X 8' rugs and two ottomans where cats like to sleep. I emptied it daily and cleaned the foam filter once a week with compressed air.Repairing appliances is one of my many hobbies so I preceded to "fix it." The first problem was evident as soon as I disconnected the swivel head. There are two one-inch long male pins that plug into the female connector plug of the main housing. These pins were dangling. (SEE: UPLOADED IMAGE) I removed the small cover that holds the spring-loaded release button and found the reason. The male pins are held in place by paper thin plastic clips. This is inexcusable for a plug that connects two bulky halves of a vacuum cleaner and is under constant stress when in use.Both of these puny and fragile retaining clips had broken.After testing and experimenting, I discovered that the brush would work only if the handle was twisted all the way to the right or left. This indicated a short circuit in the wiring.Taking the swivel head apart to expose the motor is not an easy task. (SEE: UPLOADED IMAGE) Once this was done, all tested okay using lead wires with alligator clips on one end and bare wire on the other end. This meant that the problem was in the female connector plug inside the main housing.When the cheap retaining clips holding the male pins broke, this allowed the pins to swivel freely from side to side. This motion expanded the female connecting plug preventing a good connection.Fixing this problem is simple. Apply a good layer of electrical solder to the pins and then grind them down using a Dremel or grinding wheel until the pins slide into the female connecting plug securely with no play. This works.Next, I applied aircraft epoxy to secure the pins back into place. After it dried, I applied a second coat. Every consumer in America keeps epoxy on hand, right? After the epoxy dries, make certain that the spring loaded clip that holds the swivel head to the main housing will fit down in place between the pins. If not, use a Dremel to lightly remove enough hardened epoxy to allow proper fit.Total time in repair: 2 hours. Next time, it will take only 1 hour.When doing my initial shopping, my first mistake was assuming that 4.5 Stars based on 1,740 reviews meant that this vacuum was a jewel. OOPS!I immediately began reading all the 1-Star reviews. This is something I should have done before buying this vacuum. Lo and behold. Many other poor souls have suffered the same problem.Maybe my review will help another DIY'ER repair a broken Linx.Here's the drawback: Once a DIY'ER gets inside of an appliance, in most cases, it voids the warranty.There's no two ways about it. The Linx is delicate. It is not designed for general housecleaning. It is for minor touch up jobs for no more than 15 minutes at a time. If you are constantly bumping into walls and furniture legs, it won't last long. The same goes for aggressive twisting of the handle. The durability of the plastic tabs on the swivel assembly is limited. For some unknown reason, the dirt cup has developed hairline fractures all around the middle. I had to apply duct tape around the middle before it cracked into shards.Duct tape and epoxy are essentials in the world of cheaply made products we live in today.If I kept every box for every appliance, I'd have to own a warehouse for storage. Even if I did have the original box to return the Hoover Linx, it would take weeks to get it repaired plus a bunch of wasted time packing, shipping and running around.There's something very familiar here. You know how printer companies sell their printers at a bargain and then make a fortune selling ink at a premium?I added up the cost of repair parts for the Linx. OVER $460.00. And in some cases, you can't buy just the part you need, you must buy the whole assembly. My little voice is telling me that Hoover thinks that if a customer is willing to spend $150.00 for the Linx, they'll be hooked and will gladly pay forty bucks every now and then to keep it working. What are the odds I'm right?After years of fighting with NiCd batteries losing power and dying, the Linx was exactly what I was looking for. And yes, it is running like new again and I love it. And if need be, I would probably pay $50.00 to keep it running.There used to be a day back when products were made in America, there was pride in product testing by qualified engineers. Trusted companies offered excellent customer service and stood by their products. Today, most products are made in China. Good luck reaching customer service and getting a timely and satisfactory solution to your problem.Two things I will not do: 1. I will not suffer through the frustrating process which Hoover has the audacity to call customer service.2. I will probably never buy another Hoover product.Why probably? It seems that every vacuum I've purchased over the past 20 years has had to be re-manufactured and upgraded in some way to make it work like it should. Buying any vacuum cleaner is the lesser of all evils.Adequate pre-market consumer testing of quality American made products in real life situations apparently vanished with the Hula-Hoop and Lava Lamp. Although, mine are still working fine. However, the motor for the Hula Hoop is wearing out.7-MONTH UPDATE 6/19/13We've all heard futility described as trying to put a square peg in a round hole. Take a look at the two round male pins on the swivel head that plug into the female port of the main housing on the Linx.You can't see the female plug without performing a major disassembly or cutting away a nice chuck of plastic.After fighting with a loose connection on the roller brush for months, I finally went into the main housing of the Linx to expose the female plug. Unless you are familiar with cutting plastics with a Dremel, rebuilding with epoxy, electrical repair like soldering and heat-shrink insulation, don't even attempt this. If you are an avid DIY'er, go for it.I couldn't believe what I found.The female plug consists of two SQUARE ports to accept the round male pins.Can you believe it? Hoover is actually putting round pins into square holes.This is NUTS! No wonder there was a loose connection. A secure connection is impossible with this design.I received an email from an Amazon customer who stated, "I've lost control. What do I do?"Unless you have the abilities mentioned above, you have 4 options:1. Send it back to Hoover.2. Give it away.3. Throw it away.4. Use it as a door stop.All of the thin plastic retaining stops on the swivel head will eventually break off. When this happens, you will lose control.I had to install heavier gauge wire from the brush motor to the male pins because the swivel action had worn through the insulation and broken the original wires. I replaced the weak pins with modified auto electrical connectors that work.The swivel action is a pain anyway. I roughed up the plastic and secured the swivel head into place with epoxy careful not to impede the up and down movement. That's all the movement most folks need in a feather-weight vacuum anyway.I've owned the Linx for 7 months and have made 4 major repairs before finally correcting all of the problems that should never have been problems to begin with.Hoover was so very close to making an outstanding product. Instead, for whatever reason, they opted to sell an expensive product designed to fail early on. That's just plain wrong.IMHO, every Linx owner should get a letter of apology from Hoover and a 50% rebate.UPDATE: 7/22/14I have now been using this vacuum cleaner for 20 months. Since making my last repairs, I have not had one bit of trouble. It works great and I've just purchased a new battery.Hello HOOVER,Forget the bells and whistles and get back to the basics. Make a good, simple product that will last and your customers will love you for it.UPDATE: April 12, 2019We are at almost 4.5 years now! The vacuum still works, but the motor is now very, very loud. I can't figure out the issue, but assume daily use it taking it's toll. The vacuum is showing some wear and tear on the handle (hasn't broken, just the rubber grip is peeling off a little), and the screws that hold the roller cover on the bottom are starting to strip (from removing the cover to clean the roller brush periodically). The batteries still hold a fair amount of charge, but less than before, obviously. I'm going to keep using this vacuum until it dies, but have begun looking for a replacement since the motor is making noises now. I'm considering just getting another so I can keep using the extra batteries. However, the lack of a hose and/or crevice tool is still a problem. In any case, this is a good vacuum and worth the cost! I'm very impressed by how long it has held up with daily use!UPDATE: July 18, 2017It's approaching three years and I'm still using this vacuum (with the original two batteries) every day! It still works great! Everything is still functional (still has great suction, roller still works, there's no breakage on the handle or body)! The only thing to fail was a small adhesive strip with a brush on the bottom that fell off after about a year or two - this doesn't affect the vacuum's functions though. The batteries are holding less of a charge - only about 15 mins now after almost three years of daily use. The loss of capacity is probably due to never removing the batteries from the charger once full (I just can't remember to do it). Since I only use this for light vacuuming, the loss of time hasn't really been a problem since I never need to fully use both batteries anyway. My favorite parts about this vacuum: powerful suction (picks up heavy things like pet food/crystal cat litter/pine needles), swappable batteries (change the battery and just keep going!) and it's upright (no need to lay the vacuum down while moving things/furniture). My least favorite parts: no hose or crevice tool (I can't clean everything with just this one vacuum). My original review and update below still stand! I'm still happy with this vacuum and would recommend it!UPDATE: August 15, 2015This vacuum is still working perfectly! I've had no problems with it at all. The two batteries are still holding a sufficient charge. I still think it is best suited for light vacuuming, but it can handle heavier jobs if needed. It picks up pet hair and long hair with no problems (just need to empty the bin and clean the roller head a little more often). The only thing I wished it had was a hose attachment so I could get those areas along baseboards, corners, etc. I’m still very happy with my purchase, and recommend this vacuum for daily use!Original Review:This is a great stick vacuum, and I only wish I had purchased it sooner! I’ve been in need for something to use for daily vacuuming to pick up crumbs, dust bunnies, and small bits of debris that getting tracked in daily. I always dread getting the big vacuum out and having to deal with the cord, so I was vacuuming less often than I should. I’ve been considering getting a Roomba, but I wasn’t convinced that it would work with our household (afraid the kids would try to ride the vacuum and crush it). Instead, I decided to try the Hoover Linx and couldn’t be happier!This isn’t a perfect vacuum, but the ease of use more than makes up for any of its shortcomings. It is basically a cordless vacuum that works great for doing daily light jobs. You may still need a regular corded vacuuming for heavier jobs, but if you are using this one daily you probably won’t need to use the regular vacuum nearly as often. I’m planning to buy this vacuum as a gift for some relatives that are still struggling with corded vacuums!Pros:-The most important of all: there are no cords to deal with! This is the best feature of the vacuum and the main reason to get it.-The vacuum is very easy to maintain. It is quick and easy to empty bin and to clean the filter (just rinse with water). If you have someone with long hair in the family, you might have to clean the roller brush more often, but that’s typical of any vacuum.-The vacuum is very lightweight. It’s easy to move from room to room, or up/down stairs. It’s light enough that my 4-year old can use it with ease. (On a side note: If you have a toddler/preschooler who wants a toy vacuum to play with, get them this one instead and they can actually vacuum while playing!)-This stick vacuum is not as loud as a regular vacuum. I can still speak with people near me while vacuuming without having to shut the vacuum off. I can’t do that with my regular vacuum.-The vacuum head is flat/thin enough that it can fit under most of my furniture. This is great for being more thorough during quick vacuuming.-The vacuum is relatively small and stores upright.-The suction is very good as long as the battery has enough charge. It’s very quick to vacuum tile/hard wood floors. On carpets, the roller brush makes it a quick job, but it might require a couple of passes for heavily soiled carpets. I recommend having a fresh battery before starting on carpets.Cons:-The battery life is short (about 15-30 mins). You're going to need at least two batteries, so purchase a spare battery now. Using the roller brush will use up battery power much faster. With two batteries, I can always finish whatever vacuuming I need done. The battery takes a couple of hours to charge, but it is always ready to go before I need it again.-The vacuum will lose suction before the battery dies. Although there is an indicator light for the battery charge, there is still a noticeable decrease in suction power once the indicator lights get to the last couple of settings. It’s not too bad if you are doing a light job, but you will definitely notice the loss of power on heavier jobs. Again, just get an extra battery and have it ready.-The vacuum will need maintenance, but it depends on how much you vacuum. If you are just using it for light vacuuming then the maintenance is pretty low (just empty the bin once in a while). If you use it for heavy vacuuming then you may have to empty the bin multiple times before you are finished. This vacuum is made for doing light jobs, but it can handle heavier jobs too, if need be. (I bought the vacuum right before Christmas and used it daily to clean up pine needles from the Christmas tree. It handled it like a champ!)-There is no detachable hose for vacuuming spaces/corners that are too big to fit the vacuum. This vacuum is best for open areas. There is a handheld version that uses the same batteries, so you might want to get that for tighter areas or cleaning things like lampshades, etc.Looks like it could be good, but what it doesn't say is that it comes with a flat-two pin plug, not something suitable for UK. Have tried two adapters so far, neither of which works, but I'm sure I'll come up with something sooner or later. For moment - cannot charge it. If it had said - not suitable for UK, or adapter supplied, or adapter needed (and give specs) that would be better. I think once I've got it working it will be good and will do another review then (yes, could cut plug off and fix to UK type, but would invalidate warranty so prefer not to do that yet!)When this was delivered to me , I charged the battery over night,next day i put the battery in the vacuum, did not work.I called hoover they were not too helpful, they asked for my receipt which I sent to them.Now they are asking me to cut the cord of the charger, and take a picture of the cut cord and label from thecharger and send with reply to their e-mail. I am 78 years old, and so tired from the run around.Let's be very honest here, the suction power for this is weaker than Dyson (which I owned, and its battery died), and the operating time is not as long. However, for the price I paid for it, I am satisfied. This is useful for me to do a quick cleanup every now and then, and use my central vacuum system every couple of weeks for a more thorough cleaning.Compare to Dyson this is what I liked1. Exhaust is now blowing the air in your face, which is common for stick vacuums and it's not pleasant2. weight is more balanced instead of top heavy, and can stand on its own without a rack. This makes it more maneuverable, and easier to use.3. battery can be removed and charged separately, and is easier to replace if the battery goes bad.4. priceJust received it today. It was able to pick up so much dog hair in the area rug, AFTER it had been vacuumed that morning using a central vacuum. Was shocked to see how much it removed. Very pleased with the auction and with the rollers ability to pick up stuff off the floor.It’s super easy to empty, just push a button and the lid releases making for easy dumping of crumbs, dog fur etc.Battery life is about 20ish minutes or so. Not horrible but would be nice if it lasted longer.Only used once so far, will update review if anything negative pops up.This vacuum is a great product for its size it is very durable and does a good job. this is the second one I have owned the first one the battery wasn't lasting so it was time to buy a battery I decided to buy a whole new unit then pay the price they wanted for the battery. i was glad I did the newer one vacuums much longer than the older model. For the size it does a good job and is easy to empty and keep clean. They made improvements on the battery life however they removed the light from the vacuum and make you pay more on their Signature vacuum. Overall I would recommend this vacuum. My wife likes that light and because they have removed it from this model I would not buy it again. As a vacuum for a small place, it is great.