New Henry's - Original, Compact & Professional

[delaneymeegan]

 


 


I'm wondering when Numatic is going to redesign Henry and put the motor in the BASE of the unit, so he isn't so top heavy.  With the dirt compartment on TOP, it would be easier to empty.  


Also, he needs to have a bagless insert for those who chose to use such an option.  


It would be good if he had a built-in turbo dust collector to cut down on bag use.


And where is Henry electric floor brush, or OPTION for one? 

 

[turbo500]

delaneymeegan, you have to remember that manufacturers will respond to trends in the market. Powernozzle's have never been popular in the UK and probably even less so in mainland Europe where hard floors are more common. There's only a very small number of manufacturers that actually offer a powernozzle here and they're comparably very expensive. I'd guess about 80% of the cylinder market here is straight suction machines and about another 15% turbo brushes. Give or a take.

Whereas compact machines and vacuums with on board tools are big sellers, powernozzle's aren't. So it's only natural that any modifications that Numatic make are tailored to the market dempands that they're aiming at.

Don't forget also, as Nar mentioned above, Numatic dominate the commercial market here. You can't walk down a high street and not see one being used in a shop, bank, cafe or office. Lots of schools and hotels use them too. Powernozzle's make the machine heavier to use and it's another part to potentially break. The simpleness of Numatic cleaners is their strongest point. It makes for a more reliable cleaner overall, which is essential in the commercial market and one of the biggest reasons for their successful crossover into the domestic market.

Putting the motor underneath would require a complete redesign of a vacuum that has remained largely unchanged but hugely successful since the late 70's. Numatic continue to be the biggest vacuum seller in the UK. Whilst they've made design modifications to keep up with market trends over the years, such as twin speed, HEPA bags and now tool storage, the basic design of the machine has remained very much unchanged and rightly so. Henry inparticular is quite iconic over here, if Numatic were to start changing that, they would risk a decrease in sales. The Numatic brand itself is not well known, but you mention "Henry hoover" to someone and they instantly know what you're talking about, even though Henry is only 1 model out of the whole range.

"Also, he needs to have a bagless insert for those who chose to use such an option"

Does he really? Why? It wouldn't add to the performance and again is another part to potentially go wrong. Tell me, how many bagless commercial vacuums do you see in the US? Have you ever seen a Dyson or Bissell or something being used in a shop or a hotel or a school? Bagless don't do well in commercial environments and as Numatic are largely a commercial cleaning company, it would be a pointless move. People who want bagless will buy bagless vacuums, although I have to say I have seen an increase in people moving back to bagged vacuums in recent years (thankfully!).

 

[delaneymeegan]

Redesign

 


 


I think if they took the iconic Henry tub, as he looks now, and rearranged the inside ONLY, people would not care.  


 


A Henry that is easier to empty, who could complain about that?  With his bag/dirt chamber on the top, all one would need do is lift it off to empty.  No need to first remove a heavy top, put it down, detach the hose, then remove the dirt or bag, then replace everything.


 


It's true, all canisters should have NON obtrusive tool storage, and I applaud the recent improvements.  It could be better though.


 


As for pns, they should offer the choice to add one by putting a receptacle on the front and offering a pn and electric hose sold separate.  It's reasonable to believe that more Henrys will be sold in other places than just the UK.  I'm seeing them on Ebay and have considered buying one too, in the U.S..  The lack of a pn is a negative.  It isn't a big deal to install a receptacle on the machine.   I'm surprised too Henry doesn't have an electric furniture brush.  Brits have a lot of stairs and those work great on that.


 


I wonder how feasible it would be to install a dual voltage motor in these.  So all one would need to do is slide a switch to get it to work on 230 or 115 volt.  That would streamline manufacturing and make a single Henry usable for more markets. I wish the U.S. and Canada would convert to 230 volt.  It's a better system.


 


Numatic has slapped Henrys face and colors on many versions over the years.  It would be foolish to think they are still making the same vacs as they were 30 years ago.  The changes haven't been as extreme as say Hoover or Electrolux, but they have changed, and they will no doubt continue to make improvements.  Any change has the possibility of losing customer.  It also has the chance of greatly increasing customers.  Failing to make changes can bring similar results.


 


I think it's a neat vac and I keep going back and forth about possibly adding one to my collection.  I like his simple flex retraction system.  Numatic seems like a good company and one Brits, I'm sure, are proud to call their own.


 


 

 

[sebo_fan]

“I think if they took the iconic Henry tub, as he looks now and rearranged the inside ONLY, people would not care.”

Its not about the customer - if the base of the unit fails to cradle a dust bag cleanly and doesn’t impede the suction air flow, why change it?

“As for PNs, they should offer the choice by putting a receptacle on the front, offering a PN and electric hose separate. The lack of a PN is a negative, it isn’t a big deal to install a receptacle on the machine…surprised it doesn’t have an electric furniture brush.”

Um, because the company aren’t making a solely designed home vacuum here. Its a commercially based vacuum so its simplicity all the way.

They would not fit optional this and that only for something else to break off and damage their reputation for solidity. Numatic are a tub vac company and that's what they're known best for worldwide despite other private label appliances that might be processed under the Numatic name.

"Numatic has slapped Henrys face and colors on many versions over the years. It would be foolish to think they are still making the same vacs as they were 30 years ago. The changes haven't been as extreme as say Hoover or Electrolux, but they have changed, and they will no doubt continue to make improvements. Any change has the possibility of losing customer. It also has the chance of greatly increasing customers. Failing to make changes can bring similar results."

Nope, you're assuming Numatic is the same as Electrolux, Hoover and other DOMESTIC brands. There are very few changes to a Numatic Henry in my opinion sold in the 1980s to the models we see now. Numatic also sell worldwide, and a bit like SEBO use private labels to their machines and models. Some Numatics are not sold with the smiling faces, particularly in the commercial market where bigger capacity models are available.

Until you actually get one Delaney you won't really know how much worth a Henry vacuum can provide. It is simplistic cleaning at its core, nothing too fancy and nothing too stylish that will make others coo over the vacuum if they see it. Henry is a great suction vacuum at the end of the day. Buyers won't look on it as a Miele sledge alternative.

To ram home the idea that Numatic are more of a commercial vac company, look at these versions. Where are the domestic equivalents from some of the other brands you mention?

 

[vintagerepairer]

As above, very well said Sebofan. Clearly one "issue" Numatic have to address is that when using a Henry or whatever cleaner of theirs you own, in a domestic setting, the chances of it ever wearing out are none existent. Thus they have to constantly find ways of keeping the same product more up to date than the one someone may already own. It’s about making a consumer lust after a new purchase without making the product either over engineered or of a quality that will fail far too soon.

As regards the Henry 160 being a Henry top on a James sized based, that would make it a regular sized Henry. The James is the exact same size.

 

[rutger]

I think Numatic are to applauded for having an excellent product & refining it so that (a) it's an improvement & (b) actually listening to what the customer wants.
In so many ways if the rest of British industry had done this & not had a "take it or leave it" attitude, we might still produce rather more than we now do.

 

[alexhoovers94]

The James has a shorter bucket, if you put it next to a Henry it is not wuite as tall, it was just a thought was all...

 

[vintagerepairer]

Alex I stand corrected as I had no idea at all Numatic were now using a different base on James. I can even see the difference in the photos. I wonder why this is? The bag capacity will be the same so you’d think the Henry tub would be made the same way.

 

[sebo_fan]

Numatic could well be making the compact model with a smaller dust bag.

Also in response, or rather to back up with Benny has said, an example of another model I owned springs to mind also by Numatic - the Charles wet and dry model. I owned one for a few years. I adored the power and I appreciated the massive 15 litre dust bag, more so that ONE bag seemed to last a year and a half when used solely as a home vacuum.

But oh how I missed the Bowler hat manual cord winder! Again whilst this reiterates that Numatic can make a good vacuum, I didn't half lust over having the hand cord winder instead of having to manually wind up the 10 metre cable after every use with Charles, and like the James vac I also had, Charles also had the awful difficult to remove aluminium tubes compared to Henry's easier stainless steel ones.

 

[tomvacuum10]

Is the Compact a different size?

If the Compact is the had the base of a smaller Numatic like the James, would it not have the 'dip' in between the castor wheels? I think that it is a completely different size to the 300 that we are used to using. I may be wrong though. I found a photo of a Henry with a smaller 180 type base. It looks different to the 180 (compact)in the photo of all three vacuums. I have a photo of the James base (and annotations thanks to Snapchat ) and also the Henry I found on Google images. (Sorry about the photo of the Henry, I forgot to crop it)

Thomas.

 

[turbo500]

James is a 180, the new Compact is a 160.

 

[tomvacuum10]

160*

Sorry, got confused between 160 and 180.

 

[delaneymeegan]

 


 


 


So, do we think Henry will ever get a sophisticated remake?  Something complete with a variable speed digital read-out on his forehead.  Perhaps a gas pump wand with numerous finger-tip controls?  A dirt sensor.... on a 2 speed power nozzle?


 


Now, I'm joking because I know a vacuum should <span style="text-decoration: underline;">not</span> have electronics in it.  It's just silly and a waste.  Still, Henry needs to be reshaped so he doesn't take up so much room in Brits limited closet space.  Also, Brits have more stairs in their homes, and a vacuum that can't be set on stair steps seems awkward.


 


I had a Eureka Mighty Mite a while back, and when the hose is removed, it can be set ON END like an Iron, on an upper shelf, with one hand.  It was about 50% larger than an iron.


 


I'm really sensing that Brits like the IDEA, or perhaps the PERCEPTION, of simplicity, at least in regards to vacuums.  I emphasize <span style="text-decoration: underline;">perception</span> because, Numatic is clearly a diversified company with sophisticated marketing.  It's not like Numatic has thoughtlessly been making the same models for the last 30+ years.   "The trusty brand just trudges on" kind of attitude.  


 


As I said earlier,  Henry may still exist after 30 years, which is rare for a company to keep a model that long, at least in the U.S., but he is in <span style="text-decoration: underline;">name only</span>.  He's been redesigned numerous times now.   Also, all these other brethren in the gang: James, Charles, Hetty, Rutger, etc. There is slight variations between most.  That's marketing.  That's creating the illusion of many choices.  Hoover, Kenmore, Eureka, and similar U.S. brands have done the same in the past. Not the names of Royalty, but they've attempted to create a hierarchy of sorts. 


 


It's interesting because, in the U.S. we'd see a product company try and make a product seem, and in some cases actually BE, more sophsticated.  Numatic has done the opposite.  Essentially painting a cartoon face on a product is almost mocking it.  In the U.S., I think it would probably be a laughing matter to have such down playing of a product.  I think Numatic could compete in the U.S. with the models that don't have the cartoon face on the front.  Perhaps, that's why we don't see that many Henrys here.


 


Frankly, when I look at the Numatic vacs that don't have the cartoon face and name on it, it seems like something I would buy.  It really should say "Numatic" on the side, and perhaps have a model number after the name.

[this post was last edited: 5/8/2016-04:41]

http://https//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk91h_dHVrc

 

[vintagerepairer]

"Still, Henry needs to be reshaped so he doesn't take up so much room in Brits limited closet space. Also, Brits have more stairs in their homes, and a vacuum that can't be set on stair steps seems awkward."

Thank you for this. There is nothing I like more than being told about what I have and what I need.

 

[vacuumlover]

might as well have my input..

Dare say this'll end badly but oh well,

Personally I think that the new tool storage looks horrid. It just doesn't fit with the machines' design well at all. Yes,I know that "tweekage" is needed and modifications are needed for a company to advance its products and all,but that,it's just ugh.

 

[turbo500]

"Just ugh", is that a technical description, Emma? .

Delaneymeegan, the whole point of the Henry shape is that it's a face with a hat. It looks like a person. Change the shape and you lose the characterisation. In the case of the Eureka above, it's a generic shaped vacuum with a face on the side of it. Funny because despite your criticism, even though I gather you've never actually owned or used one, it's still the biggest selling vacuum in the UK, the most widely recognised and the most popular commercial vacuum in Europe. So it can't be that difficult to store or awkward to use.

[this post was last edited: 5/8/2016-11:42]

 

[vacuumlover]

Funny how you'd say that I've never owned let alone used one. Because oddly enough there's one right next to me in my room. Oh deary me I must be in the wrong house!

Also,I never criticized that its "awkward to store and use." At least not in this thread.

 

[alexhoovers94]

Ahh yes, I forgot about the dip in the front of a James type bucket, well that knocks that idea out of the window, lol.
I can't wait to get a compact, although, seems silly paying the same price for a smaller Henry than just the regular one, but I definitely don't want to miss out on the compact model.

I just bought one of the last few Jacks, I will never use it and don't plan to, but it will be a money magnet in years to come.

Alex.

 

[turbo500]

Emma, I wasn't talking to you there, I was talking to delaneymeegan. Edited to make it clearer.

 

[rutger]

delaneymeegan, Henry doesn't have to sit on the stairs. The hose is long enough that I can reach halfway down the stairs with the little chap sat on the "landing"/area at the top of the stairs & then I put him at the foot/ bottom of the stairs & do the other half upwards.
We have a small house & the several Henry type's we have are accommodated just fine.