Wonderful - much better than my Dyson! (Henry Vacuum Cleaner HVR200 p)

Member Name: angelahorn

Product:	Henry Vacuum Cleaner HVR200 p
Date:	29/08/05 (1111 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Long hose and flex, simple to operate, doesn't clog easily, massive bag capacity, good suction.

Disadvantages: No on-board tool storage.

My first 2 vacuum cleaners were Dyson uprights, and I had a variety of problems with them over 7 years, but I liked them because they looked cool and I liked the Dyson theory. Eventually our cleaner bullied me into getting a Henry because she hated the Dyson so much - said that most houses she worked at had Dysons, and they were too complicated and v. expensive. I resisted for ages, but then we moved to a house with loads of stairs and hard floors so we needed a cylinder vacuum cleaner. I gave in and got the Henry and was very pleased with it.

Our Henry performs much better than either of our Dysons (DC04 and DC01) for most tasks - strong suction, great bag capacity, and it is really, really useful having such a long flex, hose and wand. We have very high ceilings and I can use the dusting attachment to vacuum dust off the lights, picture rails and cornices. The attachments stay on really well *as long as you put them on firmly* - when I first got it I didn't push them on well enough and they kept falling off, so just give them a good shove and you'll be fine.

You can use Henry with or without a bag, but if you use it without a bag then the cloth filter thingy can get clogged up and you may have to wash it. The bags last for ages as they are huge, and it does make emptying the machine a much cleaner job if you use a bag.

The main disadvantage is that you have to carry the attachments around with you - there is one hook to clip one on to the machine, but surely it wouldn't be too difficult for the manufacturer to make this easier? I find it easy to store as the wand just comes apart into three pieces.

As with any cylinder vacuum, you don't have the benefits of a brush bar which 'beats as it sweeps as it cleans'. You need an upright for this. On the other hand, the excellent suction seems to make up for it. If you want to raise the pile of a carpet, you can just put the Henry's floor brushes down (as if you were vacuuming a hard floor) and push hard against the pile. Gets pet hairs off better than a cylinder then, but it is hard work.

The Henry seems to be very robust. Its beauty is that it is very simple. There are no fancy gadgets to go wrong. The attachments are solidly made. No frills, but it doesn't need them.

I recommend Henrys to my mates now. Before buying it I didn't belive that something which costs £90 could outperform vacuums that cost over two hundred quid so well, but this does.

Summary: There is a reason most professional cleaners use Henrys - they're great!

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