The best cleaner for dogs hair but with one weak point !!!

I had used the same Hoover Constellation and Hoover Junior for the last 40 years (YES, 40 yrs and still going strong), which were, as people who have used them will agree, the greatest vacuum cleaners ever made. The Constellation combined with the Hoover Junior almost bankrupted the Hoover company because they didn't break down and lasted too long, so that people did not purchase enough new vacuum cleaner for the company to survive. Hoover eventually stopped production of those two everlasting models and started to earn money again.

But all good things must come to an end and I decided to trade my trusted two old Hoovers for a modern Henry Hound, which actually performs the functions of both the cylinder Constellation and the upright Junior combined in one vacuum cleaner, the Henry Hound. First complained: the Hoover Constellation used 500W and had the same good suction as the Henry Hound with 1200W. Why do modern vacuum cleaner use so much electricity?

But the Henry has one other weak point. The handle is made from flimsy plastic. The plastic bends and when you push forward and back over your carpet, you get the feeling of using a cheap plastic hose/rod. I think the Henry is let down by this handle and I hope that Numatic will change this handle to a more solid one.

Otherwise I am pleased with the cleaning result. The attached 24V power brush takes up all dog and cat hair and the carbon filter suppresses the smell you get when you vacuum areas where animals live.

Would I recommend this cleaner? Yes, and ask Numatic to have another think about this terrible weak plastic handle and either use stronger plastic which doesn't bend or better still use metal for its construction in the future. I give it 4 stars because of the flimsy handle.

Cheaper to purchase than to hire,recommended.

We needed our carpts cleaning and intended to hire a carpet cleaner until we were quoted £45 for 48 hours + £10 for cleaning fluid + a hefty deposit.For the cost of purchasing a Vax and using it three times,it was more sensible to purchase one,which is what we did.The Vax requires some minor assembly when you first remove it from the box,clipping the parts together and fitting some screws,it all takes less than 5 minutes.You use one capful of the cleaning solution to a tankful of water.This water tank sits on the upright handle of the cleaner.As you push the cleaner you pull a lever on the handle which releases the cleaning fluid down to the cleaning head.The dirty water is then sucked up and deposited in the tank situauted above the wheels of the cleaner.As a rule of thumb,it uses one tank of water for every average sized room carpet you clean so it's economical.Both water tanks clip in and are a doddle to remove and refit.We cleaned three carpets within an hour of opening the box and were pleased with the results.Recommended to all who need a carpet cleaner at a reasonable price.

dyson dc11 a daimond

I love this dyson i have always had the dyson from the 02 which died after many years use i then went for the dc07 which is still going strong but with 6 kids carring the machine upstairs daily was back breaking so brought the dc 11 for the bedrooms and very pleased. As 99% of people looking for a new hoover are mums this is fantastic for kids mess crumbs etc, and pet hairs i have a westie who dosnt go upstairs but amazing the amount of dog hairs this machine picked up on first use i always thought every room in my house was a ok except for childrens toys i had to empty machine after first room because its brush can get places a upright cant i was very shocked, the only down side it is heavy but if like me you benifit from one downstairs one up then you wont be dissapointed, the rewind like rewinds on everything takes a bit of doing but will work if no tangles in wire putting away and clicking together takes time but after the firast few times becomes second nature. Go on mums you wont be disappointed a extra pair of hands just plug in and go.

Don't Buy

This is by far the worst vacuum I have ever owned, has absolutely no suction, wheels fell off.... Had better looking carpets with a £20 cheap'o vacuum cleaner, don't waste your money on this one go for a dyson or Henry

Great for first 12 months!!

I bought this model of Vax brand new off ebay 12 months ago, for a bargain £34.99 plus postage. I was very impressed with the suction power and it really seemed to get the carpets and furniture very clean, the Hepa filter is great when you have a cat and allergies, it lifts the fur from cushions with little effort. Only complaint during use is the heavy weight of the tubing and hoover, but I suppose to make it lightweight would add mega bucks to the cost (titanium hoover anyone?!).

Writing this review now because approx 12months after purchase my Vax has blown a fuse or something! Cleaned it out thoroughly the other day, came to hoover up some cat hair today and it ground to a halt with a horrid burning electrical overheating smell and has now completely died on me. So, I guess £35 odd quid for a years use is pretty good value (glad I didnt pay £100!), but I just wish manufacturers would make stuff to last these days.

Off to look for a new hoover.....

James gets an OK but has minor design weaknesses!

Being very happy with our big red Henry, but finding it a bit on the heavy side for my wife to lug upstairs, I decided on the slightly lighter/smaller (and less expensive) James so it could be kept upstairs permanently.

No problem with performance which is fine, with really powerful suction, but the cord storage channel at the top (there is no hidden re-wind mechanism as with Henry) is annoyingly blocked by the motor input fixed power plug (removable by unscrewing retainer clip, but hardly feasible to do that every time it is used!). Wrapping the lengthy cord round the top is therefore obstructed and impractical. Also the adjustable airflow control vent is placed on the underside of the pipe handle making finger control adjustment 'blind' and less satisfactory than Henry's which is more sensibly on the top side.

Henry's brush and pipe kit is easier to use with the James not just bacause of the air vent point, but also because the James brush design moves less smoothly over thick carpets, (even allowing for air vent adjustment and brush retraction), and the James pipe attachments are of a more"plasticky looking" quality.

To sum up: James is from a good stable, does its job well, and but for the design faults mentioned would rate another star(but not Henry's five!!).