The Hoover WindTunnel 3 takes on dirt and dust (pictures)

The telescoping wand extension and crevice tool give the 12-foot hose an extra 3 feet of reach. The pet turbo tool and pet upholstery tool (pictured) work extremely well.

With this dial, you can select whether you want to use the vacuum on your floors or use tools with the wand and extension hose.

If the system check indicator turns red, there is something wrong with the vacuum cleaner. Most of the problems are easily fixed, such as rinsing the filter or emptying the dustbin. You can refer to the manual for further instructions and troubleshooting tips.

Like the Dirt Devil, the Hoover features a pedal that turns the brushroll on or off, depending on the floors you're vacuuming. This pedal is easy to operate and within reach of your left foot.

This height adjustment dial allows you to set the type of flooring you plan to vacuum. The dial will raise or lower the vacuum/brushroll height accordingly.

The Hoover's dustbin is larger than some of the others we've seen but it's easy enough to empty and remove. Sometimes, however, you may encounter problems reinstalling it, as it can be stubborn.

Every brand's dustbin features different design touches, though the basics of each are the same. The Hoover's bin opens by pressing on a lever that opens the bottom hatch.

As with dustbins, each brand's turbo or pet tool brings a little something different to the table. The Hoover's turbo tool uses rubber blades on a roller to scrape pet hair off of furniture and stairs and is a highly effective tool.