Henry vacuum cleaner died, replace or repair?

twiglet98

My second Henry vacuum cleaner died in mid-use yesterday. It's about 3 years old, from John Lewis. It's only been used once or twice a week, all the floors are carpeted and we have a lot of pets, also live in a farm cottage so a lot of mud and grit comes in. I use disposable paper dustbags. It wasn't sucking properly, the hose didn't appear to be blocked, then the motor stopped and it won't switch on again. No burning smell but it felt unusually hot.

No luck with freecycle, I can't really afford to replace it unless I use Tesco vouchers, I have £47.50 in Nectar points but I'm not sure I trust Argos for electricals. Wondering if it's worth taking it to the little domestic appliance shop in town to see if they could fix it? Would it be better to look for a 2nd hand one in the paper? I'll get by with dustpan and brush for a while so no desperate urgency! Are Dysons really all the ads would have you believe? We don't have health or allergy issues and the main attraction of the Henry is the 10 metre cable, so I can do all of downstairs from one plug, then the same upstairs.

staffie1

Might be worth seeing if it can be repaired as it hasn't had heavy usage. The brushes wear out quite quickly on the cheaper motors - they can sometimes repair them but if the motor's died, you have to get a new one. Just get the repair guy to have a quick look - he should be able to tell you if the motor's packed in.

olias

We have dogs and so always have lots of muck to hoover up. We found that the bags in our henry were always getting clogged up, and so just used it without any bag in. I think because of the sort of stuff you were hoovering up, the clogging up was possibly causing the motor to have to work harder and so it burned out.

If you get another henry, try using it without the bags.

Olias

Sammy-Jo_2

This might sound really obvious bit have you checked your details of purchase as JL often extend the guarantee on electrical products to 3 years? You get the first 12 months as usual manufacturers warranty and then a further 24 months JL warranty. I purchased a vc about 2 years ago and they have guaranteed it up to 5 years. This was a special promotion and NOT an extended warranty that I paid for.

staffie1

olias wrote: »

If you get another henry, try using it without the bags.
Olias

...not a great idea, this. The bag is there for a reason (unless of course you don't mind blowing filth all around your house).

roddydogs

Henry only lasting 3 years?

olias

staffie1 wrote: »

...not a great idea, this. The bag is there for a reason (unless of course you don't mind blowing filth all around your house).

You've still got the filter, just not the bag. I've used mine that way for years and never had a problem with 'filth all round my house'!

Olias

SUESMITH_2

i've had my henry for many years so surprised yours has only lasted 3, do you think its maybe worth writing to the manufacturer? henrys are usually v reliable

totalsolutions

Due to using a bag and the overheating you mentioned sounds like the over temp. cut-out has activated and tripped off the power. Look for a reset button (if fitted) or leave to cool down. All motors need a cool air flow to regulate temp. I you have a bag then it needs constant replacement, where Dysons don't.

pineapple

Dyson seems to have a bad press. They look cheap and plasticky to me. I am surprised the Henry didn't last longer. Contract cleaners seem to use them a lot. I always thought that was a good recommendation in itself. But me I have a Miele Cat and Dog. Pricey but the best I've tried.

aboard_epsilon

there is no way its going to last, if you dont use bags in it ..yes it has a filter ..but this is a course filter ..meant to protect the motor in an emergency if the bag busts .,.

all the best.markj