OK, I admit it, I abuse my vacuum cleaners. Report me to the authorities if you like.
I don't use vacuum cleaners to remove the odd bit of dust on my carpets, no, I expect them to suck up everything... guinea pig poo, sawdust, hay, rubble, soil, grit, dead leaves, cat and dog hair to name but a few. Basically, I expect the performance of a commercial cleaner for the price of a domestic one.
I used to have an Electrolux Chic 1300 cylinder vacuum cleaner. Unfortunately it didn't like the abuse I gave it. It finally decided it had had enough when I used it to hoover up the rubble in my attic (before laying loft insulation).
This vacuum cleaner cost about £70 and lasted 4 years.
About the time I blew my Electrolux up, my mother in law bought a Henry as this had been recommended to her by her decorator who had one himself, using it to hoover up the mess he had made in customers' houses. After she used it a few times, she asked me if I would like it as it was too powerful for her. I jumped at the chance!
The Henry HVR200cylinder cleaner is a friendly little red chap with a permanent grin and two eyes (see picture of product to see what I mean). My mother in law was right - he is powerful! I'm not sure quite how Henry manages to be so powerful as it (well 'he' to his friends) is only 1000 watt (bearing in mind my previous one was 1300 watt), but somehow this cleaner manages to pick up heavy items others leave behind. The motor runs quite quietly for such a powerful machine (no, don’t say that, he might hear you!)
Henry's total cleaning range is 76 foot (23 metres) and he only weighs 6.6 kg using a handy carry handle. The hose is about 6 foot long, so with the addition of the extension tubes, you should be able to clean most staircases without needing to carry Henry up the stairs. The wheels run very smoothly and I find this cleaner falls over very infrequently (unlike my previous one). He is a compact chap, so fits into a small space for storage. There is a manual cable rewind facility which is very easy to use and Henry comes with quite a few tools to cope with every job. The main attachment has the usual setting to use the brush and to hide the brush. It also has a setting to reduce power (oh, I forgot to tell my mother in law that - tut tut). The extension tubes are made from stainless steel and Henry has a crush proof hose. You can probably already appreciate why professionals use this cleaner.
The dust bags are cheaper than most others at £4.99 for 10 (rather than an average of £4.00 for 5). The bags are quite easy to change, but as they have a rubber seal you have to push hard to get them on. They are not reuseable. Henry has a commercial grade filter system which you get to by unclipping two plastic clips around Henrys middle and lifting the black lid. Henry has a two year guarantee and costs £108.00 from Argos, but you can get it cheaper elsewhere by shopping around.
I have been impressed with this vacuum cleaner. It has handled all the nasty tasks I have given it with ease. However, it sometimes does not do too well on the simple tasks. It does not like picking up small bits of fluff from carpets. It rarely clogs up (which my other one did ALL the time) and it is very manoeuvrable. Henry is slightly more expensive than some cylinder cleaners, but if you demand a lot from your cleaner, it is well worth the money. I used to help out with a dog club and they had a Henry too, proving how many commercial outfits actually use this little chap.
My mother in law found Henry a bit too strong for her liking, but she was used to a clapped out upright and didn't get the hang of the power adjuster. I would only recommend this hoover for people who are going to work Henry hard, it will not be worth paying the extra if you want a quick tidy up round the house. It is particularly suited for houses with lots of hard surfaces like wooden floors or tiles, and enjoys being worked hard.
If you do buy a Henry, be nice to him!
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Aug 26th, 2001
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