Hoover released the Elite in the late 1980s simply as their bottom-of-the-line lightweight upright, but by the early 90s, the Elite was so popular it had become their top-of-the-line cleaner. It is not hard to see why. This commercial model shares all the same features as the originals: an energy efficient motor which creates just enough tool suction and great airflow, a tool caddy for the hose and attachments, a great brush roll which has now become the standard, and a large filter bag which can now be upgraded to HEPA. The cleaning performance is above average. It deep cleans carpets better than most, and the pet hair pick up is fantastic. For a lightweight vacuum this is one of the best. The Elites were made in Ohio their entire run, and production ended in late 2012. Some Hoover distributors still have them in stock, but it will become increasing difficult to find one new. Maneuverability Very lightweight and easy to push Ease of Maintenance This is one of the most difficult vacuums to change a belt on. Once you learn the procedure it's pretty easy. Bag changes are a breeze however. Suction Performance The Elite uses a direct-air fan, which creates lots of airflow for carpet cleaning but below-average suction for the hose. Carpets will be very clean but you will have just enough suction to finish the job with everything else. Don't expect to be able to run a turbo-tool with the Elite. Durability Don't pick up anything large or hard; the fan may crack. With good care these vacuums last 10 years or more.

bagintheback

USA

My Hoover bagged upright is a workhorse. It is used every single day. We have two Labrador Retreivers living with us and the Hoover is a champion at vacuuming pet fur out of carpet which many machines don't do very well. It does edges well and fits under many furniture pieces. It also does a good job on my marble floors. The only complaint I have at all is every now and then I have a little trouble with installing a fresh bag. The only maintenance has been replacing the belt from time to time and putting in new bags. All in all I am very pleased with the performance of this Hoover upright bagged vacuum and would buy another when this one needs replacing.

BocaBarbara

Boca Raton, FL

This unit is a happy surprise, bearing up the old Hoover reputation as a true work-horse. It works especially well on both floors and carpets. We were happily surprised to find that it was not heavy to use, as some other Hoovers definitely are. (We've had Hoovers that required both hands and back-bending power to make them move!) We found the price a bit high in comparison to other vacuums We found that the bags filled up rather quickly - more a problem of our carpets than the size of the bags, I suspect. We'd recommend it for small homes and, especially, for apartments. I

Mefein

Daytona Beach, FL