Sorry that I didn't get to you earlier, but that $390 Henry Xtra was exactly what I had in mind. Would like to hear your thoughts when it arrives!
160-size Henry models (like your Xtra) are what I generally recommend just because smaller canister units tend to maneuver better. The larger 200-size models do give you a little extra capacity and cord length, though the standard 160 is absolutely sufficient for most peoples' needs.
A cheap optional upgrade I'd recommend is a Weesel Werk Parquet Floor Brush, one of those universal fit tools I previously mentioned. This tool has no wheels (just brushes) and can be freely moved around like a swiffer mop. Good for both tight spaces and large areas in my experience.
https://www.amazon.com/Wessel-Werk-AX-AY-ABHI-31339-Floor-Brush-Attachment/dp/B008MM5IBE
The standard hard floor combo tool included with the Henry is totally fine, but I definitely find myself preferring the parquet-style brush.
Nice choice!
If you want a great bare floor tool I recommend this Wessel-Werk Bare Floor Attachment $26. There's nothing wrong with the Sanitaire bare floor attachment but the front of the brush loses contact with the floor if you don't hold it at the correct angle. The Wessel-Werk brush is also called a turn-and-clean, it has a ball swivel joint so it swivels in more directions and maintains floor contact better.
While they've certainly declined like all small businiesses local vacuum stores still exist. You could even try vacuums at Sears when they were still around. Miele, Simplicity, and Sanitaire are all sold in-store, it'd be nice if your local stores carried all 3.
The Miele C1, Simplicity Jill, and Sanitaire Mighty Mite all come with a combo floor tool good for hard floors and rugs, and 3 standard tools crevice, dusting brush, and upholstery tool. I mentioned that the Simplicity and Sanitaire are a standard size so you can buy a turbo head which has a spinning brush that makes it easier to clean rugs. Miele has a proprietary size so you either buy their tools or a cheap adapter to use standard tools.
Wessel Werk makes some of the best tools, they make accessories for Miele and Sebo and many other vacuum brands. This Wessel Werk Turn & Clean Brush $17 is one of my favorite hard floor brushes because it has a double joint that pivots on 2 axis
The Numatic Henry HVR160 would be my suggestion as well, which is a semi-commercial canister made in the UK that's perfectly suited for hard floors and area rugs. They're among the most powerful non-central vacuums out there, so it'll basically be like a significantly less bulky and better filtering version of your shop vac.
I think it'd be worth getting an attachment like this that you can easily lift up for large debris as well.
https://www.amazon.com/Wessel-Werk-AX-AY-ABHI-31339-Floor-Brush-Attachment/dp/B008MM5IBE/
Although the HVR160 already offers a good cord length and bag capacity, you could also go up to the larger HVR200 if you want a little extra (26' vs 33' cord, 1.6 vs. 2.3 gal bags).
It's not really something that can be fixed, since it's just a result of the way the floorhead is designed.
You might be able to hook a hard floor tool up to the wand, but I'm not sure if the Hoover Windtunnel Air uses the standard 1.25 inch attachment fitting.
With the brushroll on the Kirby has the airspeed for carpets but not the focused power for hard floors. I'd recommend getting a hard floor brush like this Wessel Werk or this Hoover floor tool and using it with the hose and wands. You'll need to wash the outer bag and fill tube to get rid of the smell, it's a fabric so that's normal.
Some Dyson's without height adjustment struggle on medium to high pile carpets and they don't have very aggressive brushrolls but you should clean the washable filter every 2 months and change the hepa filter in the ball once a year to make it work at it's best.
Both are excellent choices. I'd personally favor the Henry HVR160 for the following reasons:
Biggest things you lose versus the Miele are the pedal cord winder and motor speed control. It's kind of a choice between the Henry's range & practicality versus the Miele's quality of life features.
Regardless of which machine you pick, I'd highly suggest grabbing a dedicated hard floor tool like the Wessel Werk D330/Miele Parquet Twister.
https://www.amazon.com/Wessel-Werk-AX-AY-ABHI-31339-Floor-Brush-Attachment/dp/B008MM5IBE/
https://www.amazon.com/Miele-Parquett-Twister-SBB-300-3/dp/B001F9Y9FC/
Here's the Sebo Turn & Clean brush u/WhatsMyPasswordGuh mentioned.
I have the Sebo Adapater 38mm to 1.25 inch and then I use 1.25 inch Wessel Werk tools like the Wessel Werk Turn & Clean Brush.
FYI, I stumbled upon Sebo Premium Parquet Brush with 1.25 inch adapter so it Premium Parquet that works on non-Sebos.
A basic canister vacuum with a good hard floor attachment is gonna do the trick perfectly. While suction power certainly plays a part in vacuum performance, the most critical factor is the design of the vacuum's floorhead.
My recommendation would be the $60 Bissell Zing (bagged) paired with a $20 Wessel Werk D330 Parquet Nozzle. Based on my experience running this nozzle on one of my own canisters, I think it'd be exactly what you're looking for. Not only does this tool have Swiffer-like maneuverability for getting into tight spaces, but the suction path is pretty great for larger debris.
If you aren't already familiar with canisters, the technique to suck up larger debris off hard floor is to lift the back of the nozzle and pull it towards you, almost like sweeping a broom into a dustpan. I'd still be careful with stuff like paperclips though, as those are perfectly sized to get themselves stuck in any vacuum's hose and cause a clog.
https://www.bissell.com/zing-bagged-canister-vacuum-cleaner-2154A.html
https://www.amazon.com/Wessel-Werk-AX-AY-ABHI-31339-Floor-Brush-Attachment/dp/B008MM5IBE
Use these HEPA bags with it as well, they'll last a very long time without losing suction and prevent dust from leaking into the vacuum's motor.
https://www.amazon.com/Simplicity-Jack-Jill-Vacuum-Cleaner/dp/B004RJ0IPC/
You'd have to go with a battery setup if you wanted an electric nozzle on a Henry. Either the $400-500 Wessel Werk EBK-360DC or $500-600 Lindhaus PB14e L-Ion would be what you're looking for. That said, you could likely afford a solid upright (ex. Hoover ONEPWR HEPA, Hoover Hushtone, Lindhaus Activa, SEBO Dart) at that price range.
IIRC, brick and mortar dealers with a Steel City Vacuum Company account can get Henry parts. Otherwise, eVacuumStore has a few replacement parts (hoses, wands) for Numatic/NaceCare models.
If you're looking for an extra hard floor tool or a hand turbine, Wessel Werk tools are available on a few different websites.
https://www.amazon.com/Wessel-Werk-AX-AY-ABHI-31339-Floor-Brush-Attachment/dp/B008MM5IBE/
https://www.amazon.com/WesselWerk-Designation-Premium-Vacuum-Hardwood/dp/B096MYFD8M/
Item | Current | Lowest | Reviews |
---|---|---|---|
Wessel-Werk Floor Brush Attachment | $21.80 | $21.80 | 4.3/5.0 |
WesselWerk Designation Floor Brush Premium Vacuum… | $34.95 | $34.95 | 4.3/5.0 |
^Item Info | Bot Info | Trigger
Is this the correct Wesselwerk D330 Bare Floor Attachment for my machine?
Wessel-Werk Floor Brush Attachment https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008MM5IBE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apan_glt_fabc_A8ANR7SKPZ9KNFS98Z9J?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I'd suggest one of the $60-80 budget canisters from the recommended list (Bissell Zing Bagged or Eureka Mighty Mite) and buying some high quality attachments for cleaning the floors. Later on, you can upgrade to to a nicer canister like a $300 Henry that'll let you use the same tools.
Hard Floor Tools
Rug Turbine Tool
While I'm not a central vac expert, I suppose that there is a chance that the hose could've developed a leak somewhere. You'll probably want to get a central vacuum technician out there just to check up on everything and make sure that the internal piping doesn't have any issues.
I believe most central vacuum accessories use the standard 32 mm/1.25 in fitting. If you want to try out a cheap, well-regarded floor tool to see if your vacuum uses the universal fitting, I'd suggest ordering this $16 Wessel Werk D330. With hard floors, you basically just need a tool that can effectively deliver suction to the floor. As an alternative, you could also get the $35 RD285 Designation, which is what I use (and really like) for my hard floors.
By reference you mean like a link to go buy it?