Numatic Henry

...read around dooyoo and ciao. Numatic is the company which manufactures Henry and his siblings. Yes, he has family; James is yellow, and is a smaller, more compact and cheaper version of Henry. Then there’s Charles. He’s blue, and he is a wet and dry vacuum cleaner. Then to end the range, we come to George. He is Green and has the ability to shampoo carpets and upholstery. You may also find other models including Basil, Edward, Bertie and Wendy in ...
...now, a bit of history. Numatic machines were originally developed in 1974 for the industrial market. Since then, machines have been developed for the commercial and domestic markets; Henry was developed in 1981 specifically for people wishing to purchase a Numatic for their homes. With a staggering 5 million Numatic machines in use each day, 4 million of which are estimated to be Henrys, Numatic is one of the world’s largest and best-selling producers ... more

Question – What’s the connection between Marmite and Henry? “What?!?!” I hear you cry. Now hear me out people. As they say “You either love them (him), or hate them (him). Me? I’m un-decided. Yes he is a powerful vacuum cleaner, but he isn’t perfect. He does have his imperfections, but these are noticeable, and do make a difference.

First, let me dispel a few myths, and answer some questions that I have noticed as I have read around dooyoo and ciao. Numatic is the company which manufactures Henry and his siblings. Yes, he has family; James is yellow, and is a smaller, more compact and cheaper version of Henry. Then there’s Charles. He’s blue, and he is a wet and dry vacuum cleaner. Then to end the range, we come to George. He is Green and has the ability to shampoo carpets and upholstery. You may also find other models including Basil, Edward, Bertie and Wendy in use around the world – Numatic is an international company. Additionally, some people think that Henry is the bona fide named cleaner, and other named cleaners are impostors. Henry is the original; the others possess less or more features, and their prices change accordingly. Well, the person who invented the idea of putting a face on a vacuum cleaner and giving them names has made Numatic, and themselves I dare say, millions.

So now, a bit of history. Numatic machines were originally developed in 1974 for the industrial market. Since then, machines have been developed for the commercial and domestic markets; Henry was developed in 1981 specifically for people wishing to purchase a Numatic for their homes. With a staggering 5 million Numatic machines in use each day, 4 million of which are estimated to be Henrys, Numatic is one of the world’s largest and best-selling producers of cleaning machines.

Now, I don’t actually own a Henry, but I use one at the school where I work, and I have gained enough experience to be able to write this review.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Well, it’s the only vacuum I know with a face and a name, but that aside, Henry is a fine machine. The top part is black. This houses the 1100w motor and the rewindable cable. The base comes in a variety of different colours. The normal and most popular colour is Red, but some retailers sell Yellow, Blue and Green ones too. This has the face on front and the hose appears to connect to the nose. There are also three additional versions of Henry; “Henry Micro” with the special ‘Microtex’ filter suitable for allergy sufferers. This version has gained the British Allergy Foundation Seal of Approval. “Henry Turbo” has an electric powered brush, which is much better and more efficient than basic suction cleaners. It presents the same benefits as an upright, without having to push the extra weight. Finally, there is the green “Henry Hound”. This has an electric powered brush to cope with pet hairs, but also an “Odourtex” filter, with activated charcoal, to remove the smells associated with pets. Please be aware, that in most retailers, only the normal, red Henry is on sale. You may have to research retailers that sell the other versions and colours that I have explained above, and expect to pay slightly higher prices, as their supply is not as large.

So when you get your Henry home and open the box, you should expect to receive: - Henry, the flexible hose, three-piece metal tubing, the floor tool, a dusting brush for dusting, a crevice tool for getting into difficult corners, a small tool for doing the stairs and hard-to-reach places, and a small connector to connect tools straight to the end of the hose, as opposed to using the curved metal ‘handle’ tube to connect the two. This may be easier in smaller, cramped areas such as the car, to make them more easily accessible. The curved tube has a black ring on it, which you twist to open a hole and reduce the suction to the equivalent of that produced by an 850w motor, if you find it too powerful. One problem here is that there is no on-board tool storage on Henry. This can be annoying, depending on the frequency of the use of the tools.

The instructions, I’m told, are easy to follow, being mainly pictorial. However, all you need to do is put the bag in, by opening the two catches on either side of the motor head, lifting the head off and removing the filter. Insert the part of the bag with the rubber membrane over the black connector in the base until it’s secure (there are also pictorial instructions on the bag to aid the process). Then put the filter back onto the base and the motor head, and close the catches. If the catches don’t close snugly under the rim of the base, and thus do not form a sealed chamber in which to create a vacuum, then when switched on, Henry will make a high pitched noise, and there will be no suction at the nozzle end. This process is the same for replacing full bags.

Next, screw the hose onto the connector where Henry’s nose is, connect the curved tube to the hose to form the handle. Then connect the two straight tubes and the floor tool, and away you go!!! The cable is stored in the motor head, and a manual cord rewind system is employed; it’s not automatic like those of its competitors. This can be a dis-advantage, if like me as a cleaner, you need to keep productivity high, and reduce the time spent not working. The on/off switch is on top and is a push button switch. Previously, it was a flip switch at the back, but the new switch is more accessible and easier to use.

EASE OF USE

Now here’s the real test, how does Henry perform? (As a vacuum cleaner!!!) Very well, I’m pleased to say although I must admit, I was just slightly disappointed with Henry’s performance after extended periods of use. If only one bit of Mr. Dyson’s claims about his cleaners can be believed, it must be that they maintain constant levels of suction. I can vouch that this is true, being the proud owner of TWO Dysons, however, I was dubious as to whether the suction loss in bagged cleaners was as severe as Mr. Dyson insists. Henry proved that this is most certainly the case. Well with himself anyway. After having vacuumed three or so average sized classrooms in the school where I work, I found that the suction had decreased rapidly. The bags do indeed clog quickly, and when a new one is inserted, the suction is once again strong. I find myself emptying Henry every week or so now, but this is largely due to the amount of vacuuming I do at work. If in use in a normal home environment; vacuumed two to three times weekly, the bag will obviously require changing less frequently. Another whinge coming on, but you don’t know when to change the bag. Competing machines have indicators and flashing lights, but with Henry, you have to judge it on weight. Empty, Henry weighs approximately 6.6kg. His bags hold 9 litres of crap, so the weight of the machine increases greatly when full. If not, just lift off the motor head and filter and press the bag lightly. Emptying Henry is simple, as explained earlier. It is very much more hygienic than a Dyson, because you flip a card flap over and insert it into the hole, so the dust can’t escape.

Henry has 4 wheels; 2 fixed at the back, and two swivel castors at the front. This makes him highly manoeuvrable, but if you pull him over his cable, he trips over, and needs to be lifted over it. Henry is very quiet, especially compared to a Dyson, but I have noticed that the older Henrys are quieter than the newer Henrys. That may be because Henry’s motor has evolved and become more powerful over the years. However, they are still very quiet; providing one explanation for his popularity in schools, hospitals, offices and hotels.

I have only used Henry in a school and an office; they are commercial cleaners at heart, and are designed for these environments. Being commercial cleaners, they bring the benefits of robustness and reliability to the domestic market, but they also bring dis-advantages too, such as sparse features which aren’t generally required in the majority of commercial applications, not to mention the fact that this helps to keep costs as low as possible for businesses. I do know people who own Henrys in their homes, and say his performance and reliability are good in domestic applications too. He picks up nearly everything he is faced with; at 1100w, his suction is powerful. Remember though, that a powerful motor doesn’t necessarily mean good suction, a good design which optimises the airflow through the machine does. Therefore, you could find that a machine with an 800w motor perhaps, but a good airflow provides better suction than a 1600w motor machine with a poor airflow, say.

On stairs, Henry can be tipped backwards to sit on a step, but you are advised to stand in front of him, to prevent him falling down the stairs. When used in the car, the small black connector connects tools directly to the end of the hose, making confined areas more accessible. If you decide to undertake a spot of D.I.Y, Henry will cope with everything; Dust, Masonry, Plaster, Wallpaper etc. although Henry can sometimes become a wee bit constipated. By this I mean his tubes block up if you attempt to suck up large objects. You can hear the suction diminishing at the nozzle when this is the case. Apart from that dis-advantage, Henry is perhaps better equipped to deal with a wider variety of applications (and abuse!) than most other machines.

Now I have whetted your appetites, if you decide that Henry must become your soul mate, you’ll find that prices vary. Henry is sold at the following stores, to name but a few, and at the following prices. (Gathered on Thursday 15th July 2004 from each stores’ website).

John Lewis = £93.00
Currys = £93.95
Comet = £93.95
Powerhouse = £94.99
Miller Brothers = £96.99
If you buy Henry from a website such as express-cleaning-supplies.co.uk or vaccumcleanersdirect.co.uk amongst others, the prices are lower but they sometimes do not include delivery or VAT.

CONCLUSION

To be honest, I was actually expecting a lot of Henry. I had read most of the reviews on dooyoo and Ciao, and thought that Henry would be a brilliant little sucker. However, when I used him, I was just slightly disappointed. I found the lack of on-board tool storage, and the suction which, although powerful, diminishes quickly; fairly big, noticeable dis-advantages. Henry is certainly a robust, reliable choice with buckets of character. Despite his few downfalls, but then nothing is ever perfect, I would certainly recommend Henry becomes part of your family or business.

© newquayboy 2004

P.S. This review is also posted on dooyoo under the same title by me!!!
 

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