I just want a really good vacuum cleaner that doesn't cost a fortune.

[arbitraryarsehole]

I'm so sick of my cordless dyson. It was great when I got it but now struggles to pick up a crumb and claims to be blocked all the time (it's not blocked). I can't afford to spend that sort of money these days, just want something reasonably priced and effective! Corded too. Please tell me about your reliable vacuum cleaners?!

Yup, Henry. We just got a robot one which is nice for keeping things ticking over but it will never replace our Henry.

For obvious reasons they're not designed for pile carpets, but if yours works that's great.
I'm only giving the benefit of my prifessional experience.

Henry, every time. Dysons are shit. I kept falling for the hype, I must have had about 6 of them! They all died. I tried a Shark Lift-Away but that died too. So now I've gone back to Henry. The one I had before lasted about 12 years and only died when DH did something to it (I don't actually remember what). Current Henry going strong and came with lots of attachments for different floor types. As long as you use the right brush head it works fine on carpets.

Henry Xtra has all the tools you need. You can buy extra long hoses if needed for the stairs.

Another vote for Henry here, I have a Henry and I love him, he's so dependable. Plus he has a cheeky smile🙂

@HouseOfGoldandBones - I appreciate your professional opinion, but you might want to reconsider given the overwhelming support on this thread for Henry and the number of people who have had bad experiences with Shark 🤷‍♀️

I agree @StrawberryPot , my Henry works great on the large deep pile rug I have.

Don't agree about carpets. They suck everything and anything which is the point hence why any decent trades person use them.

I had a Henry for 20 odd years. It was brilliant. Then I got a Miele cat and dog last year and honestly this is so much better. We have 3 in the house with long hair plus a Maine Coon cat and a Border Collie and it’s brilliant at picking everything up!

We have a Dyson that we love for ease, and a good old Henry sat there as back up when the Dyson inevitably needs a clean/refurbish/replacement. Both give the same result, the Dyson (wireless) just does it with much less effort from us! Shark was neither easy or efficient at its job (the one we had anyway, so I've not wanted to spend more than a Henry for something that worked less than a Dyson).

I'm not sure how I could possibly do that

If we had space to store it (him?) we'd have a Henry, but since we don't we have a corded Shark and it deals more than well with a cat who sheds so much fur we could weave a new cat daily. The anti-hair wrap is some sort of magic too.

I'm baffled by what the PP's are sucking up that results in blocked pipes

I'm in my 70's with arthritis and can carry my corded stick Shark in one hand. I hadn't realised how much fur my little BSH shed until I had the antiwrap. I've had 2 Dysons in the previous 30 years but too heavy now.

Do you have this attachment for your Henry?
www.argos.co.uk/product/4588267?clickPR=plp:5:7

It picks up all the hair on my rugs and carpet, it's especially for pet homes.
I have a small dog and I have long hair so I needed this to pick up all the hair.

Well
My Henry extra arrived yesterday and despite having only a couple of hours earlier doing a quick run around with the shark cordless it picked up so much. Cord is plenty long enough and it's nicely manoeuvrable. A little heavy and cumbersome on the stairs but it's gone for me. Not for everyone though I'm sure.
Looking forward to using all the attachments today and seeing how full the bag is at the end of the day. Sad I know!

The shark is now gone, never to return

The day we got our Henry, dh had one last go round with his beloved (fucking shit) dyson cordless that I’d hated for 8 years.

We powered up henry and christ, all
you could hear was shit coming up from the carpets for ages. The house had never felt so clean. That dyson was shit and anything bigger than a spec of dust left it unable to cope.

I thought dh would need therapy though. He looked crestfallen.

My Miele came with a 10 year guarantee for an extra 30 quid. After various different makes not lasting 3 years I expected to have to claim on the guarantee but it wasn’t needed. It’s now 13 and whilst it was more expensive to start off with its way way cheaper than replacing every few years

Hetty. Brilliant!

Exactly the same here. Was talked into the Shark after my cordedDyson gave up. This one has a light so you can see all the muck that it doesn't actually suck up. Doesn't seem to improve with a filter wash or emptying.
I miss the satisfaction of seeing the carpet lift slightly in the knowledge that everything was coming out.
Think I'm going to order the Miele Cat & Dog.

Thank you all, this is hugely helpful! I've gone for a temporary cheap Argos vacuum, that has good reviews. Will save and get a Miele or one of the others at a later date.

Ha ha ha...

OP: What vac should I get?
Almost everybody: A Henry
OP: I've got a cheap one from Argos.

Good luck with that hoovering OP!

One of those automatic robot vacumns for each floor.

I know cordless ones are easier to use - but Henry still reigns supreme. There’s a reason so many professional cleaners use them.

OP I literally just bought a Bush from Argos and it is total crap. Too sucky to move it across the carpet yet wierdly doesn't pick anything up. I would strongly recommend you think again!