Others say...

"Good for one year only"
I had this vaccum last year and at first I was very happy how it operated perfectly out of the box. I had planned on using this every 3 months to keep my carpets clean. At about a year after purchasing it it just stopped working.

At first it just kept on dispensing hot water without control. I stopped and checked if I had the water tank improperly attached but it isnt. A week later I tried it again and it stopped dispensing water all together.

I dont know if I just got a bad one but I suggest getting something else other than this vaccuum.

"Hoover steamvac duo a great dirt extractor"
I just bought this item refurbished from Big Lots for only $80.00! I figured I had not much to lose and they gave a 30 day return policy too. I am surprised how great a job on my carpets this dirt extractor did. Certain spots of my carpeting, like where the dining area carpet meets the kitchen tile are really trashed, and had'nt been cleaned in several years(professionally), and this little extractor really brought the carpet back to life. I used near boiling water(the hotter the better) with the Hoover cleaning solution and a tablespoon of borax(a cheap anti-allergen, to help kill dust mites). The waste water was black of course. Then I rinsed it with clear, nearly boiling water (in the cleaning solution resevoir). The carpet totally blends with the better parts of the rest of the carpeted room now. I know other reviews say 'this and that' about its design or performance being a hindrance, but hey, I think it did better than the professional carpet cleaners mostly because it has a rotating brush. Also, I've never seen the professionals get down and scrub a deep spot, they usually just spray it with spot remover and charge you extra(but the spot is still there). One really needs to scrub some stubborn spots with a brush or sponge no matter how the carpet is being cleaned. Size of the extractor is great. It manuevers well! I have a townhouse so my space is a premium and the areas are tight. Its compact so it stores easily too. You could spend alot more money for a bigger, bulkier gadget, but this extractor worked fine. Like most other extractors for home use, you have to stop and empty the waste resevoir and refill the cleaning solution tank, this is true here too. Is it a hindrance? well, I think its easier than hooking hoses up to one's faucets like my old dirt extractor needed(I had to take apart my kitchen faucet!). I didn't spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on it, and I don't intend to use it all day everyday like a professional, so for home use its perfect. You can't beat if for the money. Hindsite, I wouldn't labor over whether to buy an extractor or not, its the best $80 I've spent in a long time.

"It works for me"
Flimsy construction, but it does the job. I used to have a Little Green machine, but the suction was bad and you are on your hands and knees to use it. This model is used upright like a vacume cleaner, but folds down small for storage. The solution and discharge tanks are easy to clean and insert easily into place. There is only one strange feature - sometimes the rotating brushes in the base don't work. I have found that this unit is very particular about being turned on in a specific sequence. Handle up - turn on power - foot pedal to recline the handle. If you recline the handle before turning on the power, the brushes won't spin.

"Good little machine, could be better."
Overall I am satisfied with this steam cleaner. My house has mostly hardwood floors. I use it for my carpeted stairs and hallway, area rugs, furniture and car upholstery. I shopped around and considered getting a larger model, but I came to the conclusion that I didn't need some big bulky machine, or the big price that came with it.
I decided to go with the smaller machine instead. When it arrived and I took it out of the box, I was surprised at how small it really is. Once I got over how cool it looked, I filled it up with cleaning solution and tried it out. It worked great on all my area rugs and the carpet. It picked up way more dirt than I expected. It actually kind of grossed me out, I didn't think my
rugs were that dirty. The only thing I didn't care for was that it seemed to leave everything a little too wet.
Next, I tried it out on the couch and chaise lounge. The motorized hand tool didn't seem to work as well as the manual one, maybe it was just due to the fact that I have microfiber furniture. The hose can be quite cumbersome, as it doesn't stretch very far, (maybe they make an extension, I haven't checked into it) I found myself lifting the entire unit onto the
furniture to reach the back.
I am very happy with this machine. I have used it many times, and it is holding up just fine. I love that the handle folds down
and it fits in a very small space. It is perfect for my house and I believe it would be great for an apartment also. If you don't
need one of those huge cleaners, don't waste your money. This one will get the job done just as well, for less than half the price!



"A good investment, for certain purposes"
I got my Hoover F5520 SteamVac Duo about 6 months ago and have used it several times. Out of the package, I had it going in a few minutes with just a glance at the instruction sheet. The operation is very straightforward, and I haven't had any problems with either the clean water reservoir or the dirty water reservoir leaking or being difficult to handle. It also cleans really well - I did my entire dining room (the reason I bought the thing in the first place) the first day, and the difference in the carpet's appearance was striking. It works great on new spills, and I found the two cleaning solutions included to be very useful.

Overall, I only have 3 cautionary comments about the F5520: First, it has a very narrow face, only 8 or 9 inches wide. This means it takes a lot of passes to do a whole room, although it's okay on a small spill. Second, it is Really Loud, much louder than my regular vacuum; my ears ring after using it, so that means I don't use it as much as I might otherwise. Third, I find that when pushing it from place to place, my hand depresses the water squirter (on the underside of the handle), so that I have to go back and suck up all the water between the spots I was cleaning. This happens even with the vacuum unplugged.

In general, I would recommend the Hoover for an apartment or home where spills are small, and for occasionally doing one room at a time for overall wear. It's a good quality product for a great price, and very easy to use.