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Author Topic: Which Henry!  (Read 6314 times)

Offline NWDave

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Which Henry!
« on: February 21, 2021, 04:52:19 pm »
Ok so moving on from my quest to replace our Dyson - I am looking to get hold of a Henry in the main for hoovering the cars and to clean up my DIY tasks - and we are talking builders dust all be it on a now and again basis!

I have seen so many different types of Henry with double switches, single switches and of course due to our European friends 700w and before the EU legislation 1200w variants.

Can any one advise which model to go for that is the most reliable and will suck a golf ball through a yard of hose pipe!!! - as those with children will know all too well how much rubbish they drop into the cars carpet and bits that gather in the seats!
I am also fairly handy so can fix any bits if they fail and the parts are available! I also am not bothered about attachments as long as I have the thin nozzle to get into the nooks and crannies of the car and a brush attachment for aggregating the carpets - I am happy!

Many thanks for your help in advance!
They told me to go for it - by time I got there - it had gone!


Offline dysondestijl

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Re: Which Henry!
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2021, 11:41:43 pm »
Hi again Dave, hopefully I can be of assistance to your second vacuum-hunting quest too.
My advice to you is again be cautious.
Over the past couple of years, the Henry has shrunk in size, it has moved from a 9L capacity to a 6L capacity, the machines dimensions are physically smaller, the motor has reduced to a small, plastic made 620w device, which is irreparable when it fails. Despite all of this, the cost of the Henry has increased and is now selling for more than it ever has in its 40 year history.
If you want something made by the Henry company (Numatic International), I would encourage you to look at the James- lighter than the Henry, due to the manual cord reel, which is mega easy to change should it ever become damaged. It can take a larger dust capacity, and yet it’s cheaper to buy.
OR you could look at an alternative manufacturer altogether. There are decent, rugged alternative machines from the likes of Karcher (avoid the mega cheapo £50 models though, look for one that’s in the region of £100+).
Alternatively, a supplier used by many on this forum, manufactures a Henry “lookalike” cleaner- same bags, same tools, same design as the Henry, but at a reduced cost- but you’ve probably never heard of the brand, as they’re a distributor, rather than a consumer retail outlet- it’s called the Ovation.
Again, hope this helps- don’t hesitate to ask any questions!

Offline NWDave

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Re: Which Henry!
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2021, 10:44:19 am »
dysondestijl - thank you ever so much for taking the time to get back to me on this!

I pressed on with my research and came across the 'Charles' which as you probably know is a Wet & Dry Vac.

After more research I called Henry and was told that 'Charles' (CVC370) has been rebranded Henry Wet & Dry (HVW370) - 9L capacity and a 1050w motor as it does not need to conform to the EU regs. Argos have them selling for a shade under £140 - which to be fair looks a bargain!

So what experience do you or any other readers have with 'Charles' or 'Henry Wet & Dry'?
It looks like it ticks most boxes if not more!?
They told me to go for it - by time I got there - it had gone!

Offline dysondestijl

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Re: Which Henry!
« Reply #3 on: February 22, 2021, 11:37:51 am »
Hi Dave, yes if you are looking for a wet and dry machine, the Charles will serve you well. As you stated, the Charles is also available as the “Henry Wet & Dry”, depending where you purchase it from, as both are currently available.
It sounds like that’s the machine for you!


Offline NWDave

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Re: Which Henry!
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2021, 12:38:43 pm »
 :thumbsup:
They told me to go for it - by time I got there - it had gone!

Offline MVacs

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Re: Which Henry!
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2021, 12:50:19 am »
Alternatively, a supplier used by many on this forum, manufactures a Henry “lookalike” cleaner- same bags, same tools, same design as the Henry, but at a reduced cost- but you’ve probably never heard of the brand, as they’re a distributor, rather than a consumer retail outlet- it’s called the Ovation.
Again, hope this helps- don’t hesitate to ask any questions!

We’ve actually discontinued the Ovation the last week or two. The UK distributor has decided to sell them on Amazon singly for about the same price they sell them to the trade in 5s. It’s part of their new business model to pull back from the trade and concentrate more on their retail channels. So we voted with our feet, returned the last three we had and pulled them.

But they remain a decent Henry type machine for under £100. Might even be £89 now.

Offline NWDave

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Re: Which Henry!
« Reply #6 on: February 23, 2021, 03:43:25 pm »
MVacs - thank you for the reply - I actually bought a Charles yesterday - should be with me by the end of the week!

Ill try to post some of my findings after living with Charles for a bit!
They told me to go for it - by time I got there - it had gone!

Offline dysondestijl

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Re: Which Henry!
« Reply #7 on: February 23, 2021, 10:42:33 pm »
Alternatively, a supplier used by many on this forum, manufactures a Henry “lookalike” cleaner- same bags, same tools, same design as the Henry, but at a reduced cost- but you’ve probably never heard of the brand, as they’re a distributor, rather than a consumer retail outlet- it’s called the Ovation.
Again, hope this helps- don’t hesitate to ask any questions!

We’ve actually discontinued the Ovation the last week or two. The UK distributor has decided to sell them on Amazon singly for about the same price they sell them to the trade in 5s. It’s part of their new business model to pull back from the trade and concentrate more on their retail channels. So we voted with our feet, returned the last three we had and pulled them.

But they remain a decent Henry type machine for under £100. Might even be £89 now.

The cheek! B*stards. A lot of manufacturers are doing that now. Samsung do it, Miele do it, Hotpoint do it. They sell direct to the customer at almost trade price, sometimes less. Madness

Offline Parwaz7862

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Re: Which Henry!
« Reply #8 on: February 25, 2021, 08:57:55 pm »
If I were you I'd look for a refurbished older henry, the newer Henry's aren't what they used to be. They really have gone downhill in terms of quality because the motors don't last as long as they used to, some people report motors burning out within the first few weeks to under 2 years!

In addition, the build quality has also dropped. The plastic isn't as robust. The hoses split a lot easier (mine constantly unscrews from the black connector end) and the floor tools have gone cheaper as well and no longer use metal soleplates. They have a cheaper budget feel to them now compared to the good old style heads numatic used

The 1200w Henry's are decent vacuums and the older Henry's with the red henry names are even more robust

Offline NWDave

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Re: Which Henry!
« Reply #9 on: February 25, 2021, 10:47:05 pm »
Evening Parwas7862 - thanks for getting back to me - the good news is I have sourced a just over 2 year old Charles which is the Wet & Dry monster that has from what I can see some great reviews and to satisfy my obsession the power is great too!

Ill be using it to in the main hoover the cars and to clean up my DIY tasks and the occasional liquid accident... joys of having children! I also read you can use them to unblock … we shall see!

Because of its age and because its been used lightly I hope it lasts as long as most others and fits in with your advice!

I will keep you all posted on how it performs!

Thanks once more  :tiphat:
They told me to go for it - by time I got there - it had gone!

Offline Parwaz7862

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Re: Which Henry!
« Reply #10 on: February 25, 2021, 11:02:29 pm »
Good choice, now you can suck up water too! Hopefully it lasts longer than the Henry's do

Offline NWDave

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Re: Which Henry!
« Reply #11 on: February 25, 2021, 11:09:54 pm »
Thank you - I will let you know!!!
They told me to go for it - by time I got there - it had gone!

Offline NWDave

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Re: Which Henry!
« Reply #12 on: May 10, 2021, 08:50:29 pm »
Guess who's back!!  :D

So as promised I am pleased to report back on my purchase!

Having used Charles for quite a few different tasks, in the main hoovering up after a building work and also hoovering the car, I have to report its been excellent and not missed a beat.

I am not sure if the fact that its a wet and dry means the motor is sealed differently to Henry but I would imagine it is and will therefore give years of service!

Best £70 GumTree purchase I ever made!
They told me to go for it - by time I got there - it had gone!

 

 

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