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Numatic Hetty Vacuum Cleaner
by micbec
There comes a point where you finally decide that you are not going to pay the extortionate prices that some vacuum manufacturers charge. Yes, some vacuums may have super duper technology that has the ability to create mini scale twisters, that if were full size, would have the power to tear down a small town. That is all good and well, ... but what happened to simplicity? Many vacuum manufacturers believe that the more scientific jargon they speel out to us, the consumer, the more products they will sell. Unfortunately, the harsh reality is, we are suckers for this type of thing. I was very close to completely blowing over £350 on a Dyson vacuum and I am really pleased that I didn't. I ended up purchasing a Numatic Hetty for just under £90, and it is the best vacuum I have ever bought. You do require hoover bags for this model and they retail for about £4 for 10 but you can purchase aftermarket bags for even less.
Numatic Hetty Vacuum
First is first, unpack Hetty from the box. Inside the box I had; 1 Hetty Vacuum, 1 Standard black hose, 1 extra length of black hose, 3 hoover bags, 4 small head attachments, 3 pieces of metal hose, (one with the ordinary hoover head on it) to make up the piece you will use to hoover up and the top part of the hoover complete with retractable power lead, which I do believe is 4metres in length, I might be wrong. Setting up the vacuum is incredibly simple, I honestly believe that you could do it with your eyes shut! First, I took the pink Hetty body and attached the standard black hose with the screw on attachment to her. Then place the top, with the retractable power lead, on the pink Hetty body ensuring that the two clips either side of the top are in the open position. Simply locate the word "Hetty" on the black top and line the words up with the smiley face on the body. Simply shut the clips either side and your done, but make sure the lid is securely fastened as you don't want to be caught by surprise when you go to pick it up by the handle. Build the metal hose and attach it to the black hose by simply sliding them together. You are now ready to vacuum!
Ease of use
If you live in a bungalow this vacuum is perfect for you, if you live in a standard house with at least one set of stairs you may find it a little difficult to manoeuvre. The Hetty model is quite a small vacuum and is very lightweight. Thanks to it's small caster wheels underneath, you will find it incredibly easy to move, although she does get stuck easily on door frames or when you are turning a corner. The retractable power lead is a very handy feature as it neatly hides away the power cable. It's flexible hose makes it really easy to get into hard to reach areas where some vacuums may fail and thanks to the switch on the hoover head you can easily switch from brushed, for hard floors and no brush, for carpets. Also, with a fold down handle on the top you can easily carry her around with you. Unfortunately this is where the good points end. Yes, this vacuum is easy to manoeuvre, light weight and has a smiley face but if you live in a standard house with stairs your face will not be smiling. Lets say, you have vacuumed all the rooms downstairs and you are now about to challenge the stairs. At this point you need to add the extra piece of black hose to Hetty, so you don't have to carry her up the stairs with you. Putting the extra black hose on is slightly tedious and annoying because it's flexible and goes into any shape it feels like. Anyway, once you have done this you are now free to vacuum the stairs. As you hoover, you will make your way to the top in relative ease and before you know it, it's done! But your happiness is short lived. You now have to walk back down the stairs, unplug the hoover, reel the power lead up, detach the extra hose and carry with the other black flexible hose, along with the metal hose, up the stairs, using almost all your body to balance it on. Now, I'm no genius but that seems very dangerous to me, so, if you don't want to break your neck I would suggest taking it up in stages. This way is safer but it adds an extra ten minutes on your cleaning duties. For me the only downside to this vacuums ease of use is, it's ability to hoover stairs and that you have to carry most of it up in stages to avoid the chance of tripping. For those reasons I give Hetty a 4/5 rating for ease of use.
Performance
This is the main issue for me when it comes to hoovers. How well do they perform? I have had hoovers which have been nothing but dreadful for picking up visible particles, let alone what is deep within the carpet. But, Hetty is in a different league. I'll start with the suction power. When you switch Hetty on you automatically start on a low suction power, which I think is powerful enough. This setting, I think, is mainly designed for rugs or mats etc. So, you start at low suction, and you have the option to increase it to high by simply flicking a switch. When you flick this switch you feel the difference! It feels like you are giving your carpets a really good clean. In regards to loss of suction, I have had my Hetty for over a year now and it still performs the same as what it did when I first bought it. This vacuum is bagged and this usually puts people off, let me tell you it's not a problem, in fact I now prefer bagged hoovers because it seems much more hygenic. All the dust and particles you have vacuumed are now safely in a bag and thanks to this it reduces the chance of you inhaling these particles. The bags hardly need changing because of their size, so you won't be forking out on bags very often. For performance I believe this vacuum is brilliant and will serve you well for many years to come. 5/5
Design / Look
The desgin of this hoover is simple and easy which means set up can be completed swiftly. It is a nice looking hoover and doesn't look out of place, the only downside to it's design is it's shape. Without the hose it would be easy to store away, but because of the hose you will find yourself cramming it under the stairs for storage. Overall it is a fantastic looking hoover, oh, did I mention? It has a face! I give design a 5/5.
Conclusion
Overall this vacuum is going to give you lots of joy over the years which will hopefully overcome it's awkward shape and how time consuming it can be to just hoover the stairs. I am happy with it and when the time comes to change I will not hesitate in buying another Numatic vacuum. 5/5 overall.
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Numatic Henry
by ellie666982
Henry Hoovers can appear to be a little clichéd due to the references to them in popular culture, and that their only truly notable feature is their stuck on facial features. But there is more cause for 'Henry's' fame than just the cute design, they are actually very nifty little hoovers.
The hoover comes with a range of ... various different nozzles, which can be interchanged to vacuum almost anything. From nooks and crannies to large expanses of bar floor, there is a different nozzle to hoover up as efficiently as possible.
The suction is also brilliant. The normal suction is very strong and can efficiently pick up dust etc. with minimal effort. There is also the option to use an extra strong suction, which is easily done by just flicking a switch, and this has excellent pick-up.
If I had to fault the Henry Hoover, I would say that they quite a bulky and cumbersome design. This wouldn't really be a problem but when hoovering stairs, it is hard to balance the large barrel shape on a step. But its shape just adds to its classic appearance.
All in all, a very efficient little machine!
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