I'm a maintenance technician at a sports centre and have a lot of experience of repairing Numatic vacuum cleaners. I thought it would be worth mentioning how robust their kit is. Our staff are not gentle in their handling of our cleaners but they stand up to it very well. The big bonus for me is that parts are readily available, reasonably priced and the machines are very easy to dismantle and repair. No frills, just a solid and simple design well executed.
Thanks Paul, that's great to know and in fact having changed the motor in my 18 year old Henry I should have mentioned this ua-cam.com/video/yO7nfqiABMw/v-deo.html Thanks for the comment 👍
Hello Paul I agree Numatic are superb I have a Henry for dry and the nhl 15 for shampoo they are very well made and wouldn’t go for anything else best regards Mark from Billericay 👍👍🇬🇧
We have a vax carpet machine dual power pet something or other, we never overfilled it all the water leaked into the electrics my motor and everything and it’s just smokes and blew up after the first use! Rang vax customer service was shocking
Placing my order now for a George. I have been searching high and low for reliable and consistently sound reviews. George is the one. Thank you for helping with my decision making ✨✨
I use the size 1 and 1/0 Mustad hooks to freeline for snook ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxzXmlErSqVAEGWFEKO530BvTqFDw53QW3 and they have been fantastic. The points are super sharp, and the hook is small enough to blend with my baitfish, yet large enough to land fish 30" or more. I also use these hooks when I'm pier or surf fishing with my kids. They tend to catch tons of smaller snapper, whiting, and catfish, and we get far fewer gut hooks with these Mustad in-lines, which means more of them survive after release. I was actually using these hooks when I caught my friend too, but I think that had more to do with the bait I was using ;-)
You missed a very important PRO for George, repairability. I have a George, about 15 years old. I have also used a upright Vax very similar to the one you reviewed. I found the Vax a lot less labour intensive than George and it did do a good job on carpets but when the Vax broke after a couple of years of to be honest fairly light use, it was stuffed and needed replacing. George on the other hand is very easy to repair, all the accessories can be bought and even a part bought today would fit my 15 year old machine perfectly. Numatic supply every kind of part you would need to fix anything wrong with George and for a very reasonable price, they are also super easy to fix yourself, no need to send it away or pay for someone to do it. In my mind this makes George the best machine, sure it has some drawbacks (noise, weight, bulk etc) but as you point out it is truly an all in one machine that will tackle any job and once you buy it you have a machine that will last a lifetime.
Yes that's a very good point. I took this for granted having replaced the motor on my 18 year old Henry previously ua-cam.com/video/yO7nfqiABMw/v-deo.html but you're absolutely right, I should have listed this as the main pro point.
Agree, i had few VAXes over time and they basically made to last 2 years so you can buy a new one or buy expensive wierd parts for it, George is good with parts. Even VAX customer service agreed they are not good quality its part of making money strategy
That's the difference the Numatics are made from a rugged polythene type plastic that has a bit of flex to it whereas the others are like toffee brittle Look at plastic milk crates virtually indestructible, just had an idea.
After years of buying pointless disappointing vacuums cleaners, I saw your review and decided to go ahead with purchasing George. I also purchase the Airflo brush separately and I think this is the only hoover anybody will ever need for a home be it small or large. No more issues like the brushbar not picking up large grains, dog hair being blown away by the exhaust from the hoover, and having to switch between different hoovers to get to different places (and the stairs omg). George and the Airflo brush combo is the only kit one needs to clean everything. I have a VAX kit with different attachments and it attaches perfectly to George's metal pipe. I have used it several times to clean all my cars and my house and the satisfaction I got was an amazing feeling. I wish I had known this 10 years ago.
Another informative video, I like the fact Charlie goes into detail demonstrating the different solutions in real-life scenarios. George looks like the way to go for our specific environment. Great Job, thank you!
Since my brother started his car valeting business, and purchased his first newmatics machine hw hasn't looked back. I use it for our carpets at least twice a year and love it. Never let him or me down. I've used the bissel machine from my daughter and never got the same results. And it bit the dust long b4 the George has. I'm Buying my own George in the comming weeks as I think it's handy to have around the house all the time.
Agreed mate. What George did on the car seats was extraordinary. Admittedly it's not the best for whole carpets but then you'd be sensible to get a professional in for that (the Vax is hopeless because it just gets clogged up). For spot cleaning eg drink spills or dig mess, it can't be beaten and also for cleaning hard floors.
I tried to get my George working yesterday. I've had the original for 20 years and my cleaners do all my dry vacuuming. The replacement clean water tube didn't fit tightly enough to form a seal and I taped it with box tape, but then the pump stopped working. I'll refix it in dry mode to clean the filthy old 25 year old Volvo but replace it with another George. My elderly dog is peeing occasionally on the carpet so it needs repeated cleaning. I considered having a contractor in but feel that a replacement machine is the best way to go. Thank you for your video because you cleared up my dilemma over Vax or Numatic. I had an old Vax before I got the Numatic and it was an improvement last time.
Yes George is perfect for spot cleaning the carpet after those little accidents. Don't touch the Vax with a barge pole. Mine is broken now because my father in law managed to snap the mechanism that keeps it vertical when not in use, the first time he borrowed it. It's a gimmick in my opinion.
Thanks for doing the comparison, very interesting. I have a Delongi Penta wet and dry with hard floor(rubber) and carpet cleaning attachments (clear). It has two tanks for clean and detergent water (detachable) plus the usual large tank for dirty water/dust. It also can be used as a normal Vac like Henry. I purchased it in 1999 and its still going strong even though its been used for cleaning out ash from pellet fires annually and wet cleaning leaves and grit out of spouting! No faults with it so far so a great purchase.
I’ve been using the George for years now as it’s got great suction and is great for cleaning my taxi interior, only problem I had was when the wet vac pump didn’t work when switched on so I dismantled it and sprayed pump with wd40 and assembled it again and hey presto worked again and it’s been fine since. I always recommend numatic products 👍👍👍
I worked for an industrial cleaning company for many years (cleaning pub/office carpets) using an industrial style (twin vac) carpet cleaner the George wet n dry vac was a handy back up for smaller jobs like (Domestic upholstery/narrow staircase/spot cleaning) Great video btw
Thanks - yes I agree industrial cleaners are the way forward. I'll be doing a video on this in January as I have a mate who runs an industrial carpet cleaning business. Interested to hear you had George as a backup. 👍
Hi Charlie, I can fully recommend George. We use one for the sole purpose of cleaning car interiors! We have had some shocking second hand cars to prep for our forecourt and the results we achieve are fantastic time and time again so much so that we have purchased one for the home. great professional review.
Hi, my family have been involved with floorcare sales and repairs for years. The George is a fantastic machine that can adapt to all sorts of uses as your video shows. Personally I use prochem products to get best results from my George.
Thanks Julian. I agree, and that plasticy piece of rubbish Vax has already been broken by my clumsy father in law. Vax is a gimmicky product backed up by slick advertising
I have a Vax Platinum and a George, as well as a Dupray steam cleaner. I had a lot of really old carpets. The Vax is extremely powerful and lifted a lot of dirt easily. I love the George, though with time the water pump jammed and the water hose grip detached. The Vax is a bit heavy to carry up and downstairs and requires a lot of emptying, but in my opinion does a deeper clean than the George since the carpets are agitated. I also used the Vax on a hand woven carpet, lightly and with no solution, once over brought the colours back. Numatics are great for getting water out of carpets in the event of a flood (we had tropical storms). I have also owned a couple of great Karcher steam cleaners, but currently prefer the Dupray Neat, a real pleasure to use.
Thanks for this Sim. I hear what you say about the Vax, but personally what all this has taught me is that the George rocks when it comes to hard floor cleaning and sucking stuff out of carpets - the fish tail nozzles are much better than the Vax equivalents. If however I had a whole room or house to clean I'd get a professional carpet cleaning company in. Thanks for the heads up on the Dupray. I'll check that out 👍🏻
I use a Numatic Henry Wash for my mobile car valeting for wet work and a Charles for the normal dry use. Both are similar machine, absolutely bombproof, and just suck up anything in its path. Both get thrown in and out of vans all day and kicked out, couldn’t be without them.
Using george for nearly 8 years. Simple, good all rounder. Carpets, hard floor upholstery, car interior. Once just changed motor, after +-4 years, cost including labour,~80quid for aftermarket motor. Used different many brands carpet shampoo.
I have been using a George for about 10 years now. Would highly recommend! In fact i now have two one i keep just for wet vacuuming . Think i have the whole family 😁 Henry, Hetty for the wife,and James i usually take to work with me.
You're like me Paul. I love them, and funnily enough that plasticy but of rubbish Vax broke at the clumsy hands of my father in law the first time he used it. They're a gimmick backed up by a multi million pound TV advertising campaign. Numatic don't seem to spend anything on advertising. I guess the product sells itself.
I had that platinum cleaner for a week then returned it, the main roller bar is far to aggressive and is what is pulling out all of the carpet fibres. I ended up with rolls of damp carpet pile everywhere. It was also terrible at extraction compared to my older machine as I could empty 4 or 5 clean water loads for each one extracted so all that water was just staying in my carpets for days. The water tanks as you say are also too small, constantly having to stop for refills. In the end I went for the machine 1 below the platinum in the range which has much larger tanks and just has the spin brushes and no roller bar. The difference in performance is night and day. No rough pile left, no balls of damp carpet pile and perfect 1-1 extraction.
We've recently got a George in addition to one of the bigger-sized Henry we already had and find both to be so effective as a kit. Two people can blitz through a house in no time at all.
Numatic all the way! Their products might not be too sophisticated but ARE reliable without gimmicks and the most important bit, you can easily do DIY REPAIR which is good for the environment. The same reason why I love Xiaomi Roborock robot vacuums.
I live in the United States and I work at Salvatore’s Grand Hotel Russell’s Steaks Chops & More and we have two Henry Vacuums which we’ve had for a long time now and we just got George. He’s absolutely amazing!!!!
Hi Heather, great to hear from you. Humbled by all the comments but particularly when they come from overseas! Yes, Henrys are awesome. George is a true game changer. And the parts are all available so if anything goes wrong you just take him apart, replace the bit and he's as good as new.
Many thanks Charlie, not only have learned some very interesting facts about George ,but also you have highlighted the problem I have had with the Vax Platinum Power Max , as you showed in your video the Vax head becomes clogged with carpet fibre, fur, hair and debris and is so hard to clean out. I watched the company's promotional Vax video after I'd first used the vax, followed the video to the letter, and as I tried to replace the brush head the drive belt slipped into the inside of the machine and no matter how I tried, I couldn't retrieve it. had to send it back. Your method with the jet washer looks like the best method to get the dirt out of the machine head. I will be checking out your other helpful videos.
I have the Vax machine, and agree with most of your points. The build quality is much better than their vacuums, but I don't know WHY on earth in the water tanks they didn't use stainless steel screws. One use, and they rusted immediately. Overall I'm very happy with the machine as it does well clearing up after the dog.
Thanks Ed. Yes, lots of problems with this machine. Personally I'd use George for hard floors and spot cleaning because the fish tail nozzle is so good and for large areas of carpet I'd get a professional in.
We bought a Vax carpet cleaner but it’s only been used once. We are OAP’s, disabled and we didn’t realise how heavy it’d be so my daughter did it for us. It was good but as you said, the cleaning of it afterwards was frustrating. I’m now thinking of getting a George wet and dry instead. Thank you for a very enlightening and interesting video.
Another excellent review Charlie. Me and my wife sat in bed this Sunday morning and watched it together! Middle age eh? We are in exactly the same boat as you as we have a hard kitchen floor and a dog but also two teenage boys. We also have a Henry (two in fact) and a Vax carpet cleaner (the Pet focussed one) but not the Platinum. We have experienced all the issues with the Vax and had not considered a George. We were impressed with the performance George had to offer and will be giving it some thought. One other aspect that I would add about Numatic machines is that they are very easy to service and repair with all items being easy to source (motor brushes etc) but I don’t expect the Vax to be so straightforward. It’s a good design, as you say, but too complicated. Numatic aim their devices at commercial markets too so they are much more rugged and easily repaired. Thanks for the very helpful video. Keep them coming. 👍🏼
Hi Paul, thanks so much for that (and for watching my vid 👍) Yes, I got so caught up in the editing of the vid (it was an absolute monster to put together for one reason and another) that I didn't think to mention the blindingly obvious point you made about maintenance, which I should have, given I did a video showing how I repaired my 18 year old Henry ua-cam.com/video/yO7nfqiABMw/v-deo.html If you can stretch to another vac, you'll find the way George cleans your kitchen floor an absolute game changer!
We have a bissel carpet cleaner although we only have 3 out of eight rooms carpeted and don't use it often. It does a decent job when used. We have a cheap pull around vacuum for our laminate and tiled floors 👍👍
So pleased you did this video! I too have the Vax Platinum but couldn’t understand why the heads seemed SO filthy after just ONE round of shampooing two small rooms. The rotating brush heads do seem to pull up dirt (amazing how a light carpet kicks up so much BLACK fluff!) but then this machine spits it out ferociously against skirtings and leaves more of a mess to clean up ggggrrr! I’ve just taken mine apart to clean the heads and it still cannot clean the whole head because of the small inlet for water so after only two uses, it looks old and dirty. Not happy with that. Mine also leaked and has spilt black water all over the place when I moved it. When I lifted it to descend the stairs, it leaked again. It’s incredibly heavy, even when empty, to cart around. And clunky. It needs a separate cupboard to house everything. I love the idea of it all being incorporated with the George and they certainly are robust. I would be so interested in seeing how the George performs. Too pricey to buy one and just hope for the best. I wonder if people rent them out? This is a great video, thanks for going to such lengths.
I'm afraid IMO the Vax is a gimmick backed up by continuous slick advertising on TV. Mine broke soon after I did this video. My advice - for spot stains George cannot be beaten. For whole carpets get the professionals in. Their products are next level.
I’ve just come across your video and with regard to the VAX I can only speak about my own experience that every single VAX I’ve ever owned including my current machine leak at the back. As to cleaning hard floors LOL I’ve tried that with the attachment that comes with the machine it just leaves the floor very wet. The only draw back to the George machine is that older people (which includes myself) or those who have mobility issues may find it’s a bit too much to use
Thanks for that Gloria. Yes I'm afraid the Vax is a very flawed machine bolstered by very persuasive TV marketing. My father in law broke mine soon after this video. I have a friend who runs a carpet cleaning business. The difference is extraordinary. One pass and even the filthiest carpet is clean. So my advice would be George for hard floors although it is hard work. It's also brilliant for spot cleaning carpets and valeting cars. For cleaning large areas of carpets, get the pros in!
I have a George I first got it about five years ago when I did car valeting. We had tiled floors that were similar at our old house it did take a lot of scrubbing with the George it was great at it. Our new house was a selfbuild. We went for Amtico on all of the downstairs and it's been brilliant. We have two golden retrievers coming in and out. Just vacuum then mop with the ecloth mop. We did get a central vacuum system put in when we built the house and it's been the best investment ever! So convenient.
I've had a George for years. Id say they are more for spot cleaning and small areas. I used to keep mine in the cupboard in wet mode ready to clean up spills/mess from the children. For a decent carpet cleaning machine you need to pay quite a bit more for something that works well.
They done that change on the bag inlet to stop help prevent water from shooting up past the float and into the motor, I just cut the bottom bit off and still works perfectly without having to worry about it spraying up
Bought one today on the basis of this review. I agree George is best I've had many hard floor cleaners. I recently wasted £350 on tineco steam c5 which is dreadful if you have pets. Despite Tineco, bissel and vax claims if you have pets you don't get a proper clean unless you vacuum first and eventually leak dirty water from back of machine and need to clean roller and underside of machine after every use. George has none of these problems. No need to vacuum first as sucks up everything, fur does not clog up machine. It is quite heavy though.
I’ve owned two of the Vax machines. They work well but not for long sadly. The first Vax bits just keeps breaking and every time I replaced something, another thing broke. The seal on the waste tank was a dog to keep in place. When it went to the skip after the irreplaceable wheel fell off , there were lots more in the skip all broken. The replacement from Vax was faulty on delivery. The steamer died after a week. Had George for two years now. I have abused it big time including unblocking the kitchen drain pipe and lots more. Still working as good as the day I got it bar a leaky solution pipe that the dog bit. Fixed that with a dremmel and a cable tie rather than buying a replacement. Yes, I have sucked up dog sick with George tool
I'm afraid Phill the Vax is a total gimmick backed up with Uber slick TV advertising. I agree George is bullet proof. Occasionally the spray nozzle blocks but it's easily unblocked. Dog sick and car valeting is what it loves most!
Best review for hard floor & carpet cleaning I ever watched. Brilliant. Been driving me bonkers I want a carpet cleaner that deep cleans but does hard floors to. Thanks.
Get some floor sealant for the Kitchen floor tiles and give it about two or three coats ...that why your only need to mop the floor now and again and no crap will git in the grout ...or just seal the grout and not the tile
What a fantastic video! I have both the Vax platinum washer and the George. I find the George to be a pain to use and isn't great as a capet washer but it's really good with it's smaller fishtail tool. It works well as a mop but is too much effort The va works well but is unreliable so I keep the George as a backup lol Keep up the great work!
I use ear defenders when shampooing floors due to the length of time and high volume of the motors. I also added a spring to the spin scrubber on the Vax to make sure it presses down on the carpet.
• Pressurized water Sprayer (£10) • Brush to agitate carpet (£5) • Guild 16l (£50) wet & dry vacuum to suck up the water Perfect setup for those on a budget with limited space
Purely by chance, yesterday I borrowed my daughter's Vax to clean my other daughter's carpets. So far, it looks lovely. It was in a right state... The George looks interesting though. Couldn't get the spinning brush to work at first and when it did, no solution. I must admit I looked on UA-cam and will need to look again!
I bought a Wet & Dry last year before starting my home renovation. It has a nifty dust-extraction facility for power tools which has come incredibly handy for the past 12 months. Brilliant. I have a Bissell carpet cleaner that I've used intermittently for 8 years, and it's still going strong.
Henry is that long in my house, I think my brother is talking to it. George might be joining the family this year. Cheers Charlie. Great informative video
@@CharlieDIYte flawed design if you ask me in relation to carpet just a brute force cheap as chips design. You done well to explain and show all its shortcomings. The harsh thing is we as consumers never see the fail rate that you just commented. Is it 100 per 1000 units or 4 per 1000 you never know. George is the way forward thanks for all the effort you put into your channel 👍🏼
George all the way. Had a Bissell upright previously.- much less versatile and also had leaks whilst standing - and same carpet clogging. The uprights might be alright for a certain carpet in a regular shaped room. But George is a superhero with multiple superpowers. And great to do the car too. Numatic just boss this stuff. - I get the idea you think so too. 👍😄
I certainly do, Rod. I was quite happy to be blown away by the Vax, but wasn't surprised when I wasn't! I have an 18 year old Henry still going strong although I did replace the motor recently ua-cam.com/video/yO7nfqiABMw/v-deo.html a Henry Xtra, and now George, so I am a bit besotted by them!! Was your Bissell the one that could be paired down to a smaller unit for upholstery and stairs? As you say, much less versatile whichever way you look at it. 👍
Can’t remember the Bissell model. It was a while ago. It did have a hose attachment but that leaked even worse than upright mode and a huge pain to set up (never did understand it exactly). The Bissell was used twice. First time was just a mess - just a wet carpet. Decided to give it one more chance but just the same. I have a two storey office and have a Henry on each floor, a Henry at home and a George that moonlights between the two. Henry #1 i inherited with the office about 17 years ago and still going strong.
I had a Vax all in one bought 30 years ago and it died 5 years ago. The replacement was crap, felt flimsy compared to the old one. Got a Hetty as she was on special offer. Might have to give her a George to keep her company soon as we're having hard floors being put in.
George is a beast. Disadvantages if you can call them that are mainly just the cord not having a reel mechanism, but the accessories are fantastic quality - stainless steel base to the standard vacuum attachment which you don't get on their standard Henry models and we cleaned the kitchen floor with it at the weekend and it did a fantastic job. That Vax on the other hand has now broken at the clumsy hands of my father in law. He's snapped something so it no longer stands up properly. Complete rubbish, which people are conned into buying through those slick advertising campaigns on the TV at the moment.
Used mine for the first time today. I found the hard floor attachment was good for scrubbing the carpet then changing to the fish tail. Unfortunately the nozzle for the fish tail got a mind of its own and was spraying more side ways than on the carpet where I was extracting.
You could also get an old electric floor scrubber so your not manually scrubbing. Their more aggressive than pretty much anything on the market or at least the crosswave or floormate
I'm onto my second George first one was little used, I only have two settees, and stair carpet but the pump lasted no time at all, Too expensive to replace. Easier to buy a new machine, How ever I will say that my sister's Vax carpet brought my stair carpet up like new even after I had just previously cleaned it with George. Husband struggled to shampoo his car with George. My verdict is that George is OK and excellent vacuum but I will be buying a vax for my next Shampooing machine,
I had the opposite experience. My FIL broke the Vax just after I did this vid whereas, barring a few blocked nozzles, George is still going strong. My advice - for large areas of carpet get a pro in but for spot cleaning George still rocks, but each to their own. 👊
Wish I had found you earlier! Received my VAX today, it’s going back, useless at cleaning rugs with any raised design, couldn’t remove a yogurt spillage from kitchen rug. I have deep pile carpets in bedrooms, got stuck & clogged. Oh & brush head doesn’t always move 😡
Unfortunately Louise, Vax are tricking the nation by bombarding us with those annoyingly slick adverts on TV. This vacuum is a plastic gimmick. My father in law broke it soon after I made this video. He is clumsy but god knows what he did but something has snapped so it won't stand up properly now. For a deep pile or something with a raised design that fish tail nozzle on George would do the job. It's not particularly good if you're coaching a whole carpet bit of I were you, I'd get a professional company in to do this anyway.
Have been looking for a replacement for an old Van which has developed persistent faults. This video has been really helpful. George it is - not least because I have an identical kitchen floor...! Many thanks
The Vax in this video is pretty crap really. My heavy handed father in law borrowed it and snapped a small plastic lug off it so it now doesn't stand up properly. George ever day for me. Particularly as all the parts are replaceable whereas something goes wrong with the Vax and it's off to landfill.
I have a Vax that is similar to the George. Great as a vacuum cleaner, almost too good sometimes especially with a new bag in it. Works really well as a carpet/upholstery cleaner too. The only issue I have with it is that when it goes near a mat or join between carpet and wooden floor it falls over like a football player tackled by a blade of grass. It is so top heavy it is ridiculously hilarious. The George type design is still a great compromise if you only have space for one device that does two jobs well. Great vid as usual.
Numatic products are awesome. Simple, solid, clever, work really well, British made, last forever and great customer service and spares if you need it. Every office cleaning company I’ve ever seen has used a Henry or a George. I’ve also seen loads of tradesmen using them, including builders.
Agreed, and in marked contrast to the Vax which is a plasticy piece of rubbish. My clumsy father in law managed to break it a couple of months ago so it doesn't stand up now. I see they've just brought out a new Vax model too 🤦
Another great video Charlie, could have listened to much more of it. Also well done for highlighting the ear protection you wore and not worrying about some sarcastic comments about it. There's nothing funny about tinnitus and you have probably helped save some poor person from hearing loss and/or tinnitus by being so upfront about it and validating that it is fine to wear ear defenders if you want to. I have the Vax and wear ear defenders too when using it as it is outrageously loud. I really appreciate how thorough, unbiased and honest your reviews are. Keep up your stance on never selling out :)
Thanks so much for that. Yes, not at all bothered what people think about me wearing ear defenders. Just wish I had used them years ago. I have a Bosch belt sander that I think did most of the damage, when I sanded all the floors in my London pad with it, in my early 20s. Thanks for supporting the channel. Can't tell you how much I appreciate it 👍
I'm now waiting on my 5th vax to be collected for repair / replacement. Thank god for the 6yr warranty. Absolutely terrible design, too much stress placed on the motor due to the way the dual brush works. Also the clutch mechanism when you tilt it back fail as well (that's what's happened on my latest failure) . So far 3 burnt out motors and 2 clutch issues (the clutch issues mangle the inside of the machine). The hose attachment sometimes stops working as well for some reason (happened on everyone i had), had to remove and then reattach. Cleaning the machine after use is also a pain. I actually bought a bissell at the weekend which is superior to the vax in every way.
It's a terrible machine. Mine broke as soon as I had done this video when my hand fisted father in law borrowed it and snapped the tilt mechanism so it no longer clicks into the upright position. A case of a shoddy gimmick backed up by slick TV advertising, I'm afraid. My advice to you, Bissell or George for spot cleaning and if you've got whole carpets to do, get the professionals in.
Thanks for this review - very helpful. Mum still has the Vax equivalent of the Henry from the 90s and it's still doing an incredible job, but today it looks like Henry takes the win!
Yes they made things well back then. Unfortunately they're cheap and break easily these days. That Vax broke a few weeks after I did the vid when my father in law borrowed it.
I have the VAX, bought it a while ago off the back of a Which? Review but only used it recently and agree it’s garbage, it didn’t remove stains and has left the carpet very fluffy, just like yours. How did you resolve the fluff issue?
I'm afraid it is, Christopher. The nation has been conned into buying these things by the deluge of slick TV ads. My father in law broke mine soon after making the video so it doesn't stand up properly now. The fluff sort of settled down, but it is in a well trampled area. I think George is generally the answer for general vacuuming, cleaning hard surfaces and spot cleaning carpets. If you've got a whole house of carpets to clean, you're best getting a professional in.
To be fair, I can wet and brush the carpets at home with a hand, twice a year or straightaway after something has been spilled won't kill me... Or use drill with attached brush on my car seats and mats... All I need is just one very important thing - powerful water extractor with good size tank... That's the game changing tool
Hi Charlie, Hope you're doing well. Great, very informative video, as always but had a few questions to put to you as you seem to be the perfect person to ask; 1) How is the George holding up, when did you last use it? A fair few reviews online (Amazon UK) mainly attribute a failure of the main pump assembly after the 3rd use/9 months or so in, whichever comes first. Additionally, have any of the metal parts rusted/corroded? Has any part become unusable due to standard wear & tear? 2) Would you recommend using the George (dry) as a general and occasional DIY "shop-vac"; i.e. - hooking it up to the dust extraction port(s) of an orbital sander for plaster/wood, tile cutter or a circular/miter saw when cutting timber/treated wood? This would be with the HEPAflo bags mind. (Just seeing if I can kill two birds with one stone!) Thanks a ton! :)
Hi buddy, thanks for that. I can't say I'm a massively next user of it to be honest - I used it mostly for wet vacuuming the kitchen floor and carpets but to date the only issue I've had is that the brass spray nozzle on the main assembly can get clogged up when you haven't used it for a while. I wonder if that's what they're talking about? However a quick dunk in some hot water seems to unclog it. Either way, I bet a quick call to Numatic and they'd sort out any issues. Yes you could definitely use George as a shop vac. A combination of the cyclone and hepa bags would give it all the protection it needed. I definitely recommend a cyclone though if you're going to use it as a shop vac as discussed here ua-cam.com/video/9RfHpm2vf40/v-deo.html It's a game changer!
Have both myself, have a Henry for general vacuum work and George for carpet cleaning, just purchased a vax smart wash- almost identical to machine here but for carpet only and without doubt the vax is better to clean carpets, more weight to push into the carpet, two brushes for agitation etc, much less hard work and leaving carpets less wet, however the George is easier to maintain and repair, and no doubt last much much longer and there built over here. Overall both good machines but if I had only 1 I’d go for the George, longer lasting and more versatile.
Thanks Richard. I have a mate I play footy with who's a professional carpet cleaner. His kit is off the scale and has made me realise for whole carpet cleaning you get the pros in. For spot cleaning George rocks. I'd never buy another Vax. So many complaints about the build quality.
Hi I have this Vax and used it for the first time last week and found it to be really good. It is rather heavy, but once your on the go it's ok. I plan to do our tiled kitchen floor shortly and hope it does the deed, though might give the steamer its first job. Thanks for putting a nice video together.
After 10 months of trying to use the VAX Glide Wet & Dry, I have finally returned it. It's been back once and the battery has been replaced once. The problem? Intermittently, it would not suck up the dirty water! Just spread it around the floor. I spent most of the time cleaning it out and ensuring no blockage. I even tried vacuuming before cleaning! Finally, I returned the machine. However, VAX offered only 75% of the cost price, I was furious as it was within the 12-month guarantee. I complained bitterly and their last and final offer was 90% of the cost price! Never again!
I'm afraid Penny they're a flawed product backed up by slick TV advertising. Mine broke when I lent it to my father in law straight after doing this video. Plasticy gimmicks IMO.
Your video was excellent. I won’t but the George however, it’s a little expensive for me & a bit ‘faffy’ changing from vacuum to wet & dry. I’m looking at the Hyundai wet & dry. Carpet & upholstery too! X
You're welcome. Also brilliant for spot cleaning carpets. It's reasonably hard work to clean the floor because you're doing a fair amount of scrubbing but George is definitely a better option than any Vax. A decent stream cleaner is good for the grout, too.
Yep, it's manual scrubbing all the way with the grout in spite of all the grout protector I've put on it over the years. The Karcher stream cleaner was a game changer with the grout though.
Ugh I hear you.I have a large large kitchen in the country with a big dog. Despite “shoes off” policy at the door and dog retained in utility till his feet are wiped, I have to clean the floor everyday. The important thing you mentioned briefly about the vax is it dropping its dirty water back on the floor when idle - and sometimes it spits it out the front of the machine - its one step forward and two back! I don’t have the carpet cleaner - just wet and dry. I despair of it. I bought the duprey steamer which seems ok for the ingrained muck, but I’m left with dirty water on the floor. I need something to suck up and didnt want to spend 3k on vac steamer. George seems to be the main contender. Where to put all this machinery?
I’ve had my George for about 10 years now and it’s never let me down. I’ve used it for carpets, sofas, car interiors and it’s been a real workhorse. It’s still going strong and if it packed up tomorrow I wouldn’t hesitate buying another. I always use rug doctor liquid but after watching this I may try using something different. Great review as always Charlie. 👍🏻
Thanks buddy, and if it did pack up tomorrow, you could just order spare parts for it - something I forgot to mention in my video which is pretty stupid considering I've replaced the motor in my Henry ua-cam.com/video/yO7nfqiABMw/v-deo.html 👍
I have both George and the Vax. I prefer the Vax for carpets because it does such a good job. The steamglide is good on my laminate floors and the vax is great on carpets. I mainly use George for wet vacuuming the car but was impressed by the hard floor cleaning performance too
Watched this video last week and, as a result, welcomed George to the family this week. He's got a hard day's work ahead of him tomorrow so let's see if he's still got that smile on his face after that. By the way, can you not do any more vids until I've been paid again please; you really 'sell' a product a little too well for my bank balance! Only kidding - you keep 'em coming.
Thanks so much for that. I know it's tough on the bank balance but it's an awesome investment in that it's so robust it will last for years and if something does go wrong on it (which is another positive I forgot to mention) you can simply get a replacement part, which so few other manufacturers do.
Great review! I wish I'd watched this before i bought this vax,cause quite frankly compared to my old vax cleaner that was a fraction of the price this one is terrible! That brush bar at the front is neither use nor ornament! Very dissapointed in this expensive purchase 😥
I'm afraid Andrea I agree. They've produced an average product and made everyone buy it with relentless, slick TV advertising. My father in law borrowed it soon after this vid and promptly broke it, so it doesn't stand upright anymore.
Glad to find this Charlie thanks although wish I had found before I purchased my Vax platinum power Max. As you said there is no info on using the Vax on hard floors which is a shame. In my experience, I have found it good on carpets and ok on hard floors. It is heavy though so George looks better for ease of use but I think that I would be too lazy to fiddle around with changing the George tank - that’s my bad. I like the Platinum Power Max but think that due to the weight it would not be ideal for people who didn’t have fairly robust health.
Thanks Cathy. A fair assessment, that. My father in law has somehow broken the Vax. It won't stand up now without flopping over. George ever day for me but there is a convenience to the Vax that some people will like (except when you have to clean all the brushes after washing the carpet) 😏
Hi,you should do a camparison between a charles and george one,im into car detailing charles looks good for my budget,but know from experience having all rounder *george* for home could be good,what do you think? ?
I have had 3 vax PPP in 3 years, bought the first, other 2 were replaced under warranty,. The machine has fatal design flaws, including a belt tensioner that completely fails and is not replaceable. Great upright cleaning performance when it's working. Tiny water tanks. Best thing about the vax is the warranty process, they never seem to argue; I wonder why. Top tip.... Never use detergent to clean your carpets, the dry detergent acts as a glue which causes your carpets to become grubby 3 times quicker. Use bicarbonate soda instead.
It's a gimmicky product backed up by slick advertising. Mine broke soon after making this vid when my father in law borrowed it. My advice - George for spot cleaning and for full carpets, get the pros in.
What I'd really like to ask is how does the suction compare for extracting the water from carpet? I see that the hand-held tool is clearly superior on the George, but did you notice whether the large fishtail also had more suction and extracted more water from the carpet than the vax main head? I recently tried and sent back a Bissel Revolution 2X because it leaked. My experience of it seems like it is almost exactly the same experience as you've had with the vax. The handheld barely had any suction on it, it was almost impossible to clean around the brushrolls and it was so loud I needed ear defenders. The only downside to the George is of course there's no carpet agitation built in, but I could just do kind of what the pros do and brush a pre-spray in before extracting. Though I'd have to use a manual brush whereas they use a separate electric brushing machine. Thank you for the video, it was just what I was looking for.
George is superior to the Vax in almost every way. Don't buy the Vax. You'll have a similar if not worse experience than the Bissell, and my father in law has broken mine somehow when he borrowed it soon after making this video. The water extraction with the fish tail is very good. As you say with no agitator you have to pre treat and then I use a soft scrubbing brush to agitate, and I typically use the snap fish tail rather than the large one as you can apply a lot of pressure with your hand for maximum extraction. Basically it's a spot cleaner. If you wanted the whole house done I'd get a pro in, but for hard floors and spot cleaning, George takes some beating.
Smart move Matthew. The Vax is a plasticy gimmick. Mine broke soon after making this video at the hands of my admittedly clumsy father in law. It's been totally propped up by all those slick ads we're bombarded with on TV. I had the George out again at the weekend to clean the kitchen floor and some carpet stains around the house. For spot cleaning carpets it's second to none. If I wanted to clean entire room carpets, I'd probably get a professional in anyway.
Agreed. You wouldn't use George for massive areas of carpet but then I'd always say you spot clean nasty messes with George and get a professional in to clean a whole carpet properly.
I had the Vax Rapid power advance (purple machine) and I didn't get the same problem you've had so maybe the machine you have/had is faulty or perhaps the design is getting worse. The solution mixer didn't use it all in one go (though still think it used more than it needed so I'd have to buy more!). I didn't have any leaks but I agree the worst thing is trying to clean the damn thing after use, absolute nightmare! Our machine did get a fair amount of abuse but it's still working as it should. The small opening on the spot cleaner is a bad design, gets clogged easily. Moving to a smaller place soon so may have to try the George, looks less complicated and more robust though maybe a little more effort needed using it.
I'm a maintenance technician at a sports centre and have a lot of experience of repairing Numatic vacuum cleaners. I thought it would be worth mentioning how robust their kit is. Our staff are not gentle in their handling of our cleaners but they stand up to it very well. The big bonus for me is that parts are readily available, reasonably priced and the machines are very easy to dismantle and repair. No frills, just a solid and simple design well executed.
Thanks Paul, that's great to know and in fact having changed the motor in my 18 year old Henry I should have mentioned this ua-cam.com/video/yO7nfqiABMw/v-deo.html Thanks for the comment 👍
Hello Paul I agree Numatic are superb I have a Henry for dry and the nhl 15 for shampoo they are very well made and wouldn’t go for anything else best regards Mark from Billericay 👍👍🇬🇧
Who's
Yep Numatic are an example of the “the best of British” used them in very harsh wet waste handling operations in my company of 25years - brilliant!
We have a vax carpet machine dual power pet something or other, we never overfilled it all the water leaked into the electrics my motor and everything and it’s just smokes and blew up after the first use! Rang vax customer service was shocking
Placing my order now for a George. I have been searching high and low for reliable and consistently sound reviews. George is the one. Thank you for helping with my decision making ✨✨
You've made a wise choice. That Vax is plasticy rubbish backed up by slick TV advertising. Mine has now broken at the heavy hands of my father in law!
Never thought a wet and dry review would be so interesting to watch. Many Thanks.
Thanks Dave. It was a beast to put together but I got there in the end!
@@CharlieDIYte thanks for such detailed review! Enjoyed your video!:)
I use the size 1 and 1/0 Mustad hooks to freeline for snook ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxzXmlErSqVAEGWFEKO530BvTqFDw53QW3 and they have been fantastic. The points are super sharp, and the hook is small enough to blend with my baitfish, yet large enough to land fish 30" or more. I also use these hooks when I'm pier or surf fishing with my kids. They tend to catch tons of smaller snapper, whiting, and catfish, and we get far fewer gut hooks with these Mustad in-lines, which means more of them survive after release. I was actually using these hooks when I caught my friend too, but I think that had more to do with the bait I was using ;-)
You missed a very important PRO for George, repairability.
I have a George, about 15 years old. I have also used a upright Vax very similar to the one you reviewed. I found the Vax a lot less labour intensive than George and it did do a good job on carpets but when the Vax broke after a couple of years of to be honest fairly light use, it was stuffed and needed replacing. George on the other hand is very easy to repair, all the accessories can be bought and even a part bought today would fit my 15 year old machine perfectly. Numatic supply every kind of part you would need to fix anything wrong with George and for a very reasonable price, they are also super easy to fix yourself, no need to send it away or pay for someone to do it.
In my mind this makes George the best machine, sure it has some drawbacks (noise, weight, bulk etc) but as you point out it is truly an all in one machine that will tackle any job and once you buy it you have a machine that will last a lifetime.
Yes that's a very good point. I took this for granted having replaced the motor on my 18 year old Henry previously ua-cam.com/video/yO7nfqiABMw/v-deo.html but you're absolutely right, I should have listed this as the main pro point.
Agree, i had few VAXes over time and they basically made to last 2 years so you can buy a new one or buy expensive wierd parts for it, George is good with parts. Even VAX customer service agreed they are not good quality its part of making money strategy
You simply cannot beat Numatic machines. Quiet, robust, effective, great value for money and made in the U.K.
Agreed. They're the Land Rovers of the vacuum world 👍
And the Vax and Dyson are the Fiats, every Dyson I've used in a customers house I've managed to break and now won't touch one.
@@robmtnet3000 agreed...it must have taken Dyson years to develop a plastic that you can break just by looking at it!
That's the difference the Numatics are made from a rugged polythene type plastic that has a bit of flex to it whereas the others are like toffee brittle
Look at plastic milk crates virtually indestructible, just had an idea.
I know this is an old comment but in the car world the least reliable vehicle on the planet is a land rover 😁
After years of buying pointless disappointing vacuums cleaners, I saw your review and decided to go ahead with purchasing George. I also purchase the Airflo brush separately and I think this is the only hoover anybody will ever need for a home be it small or large. No more issues like the brushbar not picking up large grains, dog hair being blown away by the exhaust from the hoover, and having to switch between different hoovers to get to different places (and the stairs omg). George and the Airflo brush combo is the only kit one needs to clean everything. I have a VAX kit with different attachments and it attaches perfectly to George's metal pipe. I have used it several times to clean all my cars and my house and the satisfaction I got was an amazing feeling. I wish I had known this 10 years ago.
Another informative video, I like the fact Charlie goes into detail demonstrating the different solutions in real-life scenarios. George looks like the way to go for our specific environment. Great Job, thank you!
Since my brother started his car valeting business, and purchased his first newmatics machine hw hasn't looked back. I use it for our carpets at least twice a year and love it. Never let him or me down. I've used the bissel machine from my daughter and never got the same results. And it bit the dust long b4 the George has. I'm Buying my own George in the comming weeks as I think it's handy to have around the house all the time.
Agreed mate. What George did on the car seats was extraordinary. Admittedly it's not the best for whole carpets but then you'd be sensible to get a professional in for that (the Vax is hopeless because it just gets clogged up). For spot cleaning eg drink spills or dig mess, it can't be beaten and also for cleaning hard floors.
I tried to get my George working yesterday. I've had the original for 20 years and my cleaners do all my dry vacuuming. The replacement clean water tube didn't fit tightly enough to form a seal and I taped it with box tape, but then the pump stopped working. I'll refix it in dry mode to clean the filthy old 25 year old Volvo but replace it with another George. My elderly dog is peeing occasionally on the carpet so it needs repeated cleaning. I considered having a contractor in but feel that a replacement machine is the best way to go. Thank you for your video because you cleared up my dilemma over Vax or Numatic. I had an old Vax before I got the Numatic and it was an improvement last time.
Yes George is perfect for spot cleaning the carpet after those little accidents. Don't touch the Vax with a barge pole. Mine is broken now because my father in law managed to snap the mechanism that keeps it vertical when not in use, the first time he borrowed it. It's a gimmick in my opinion.
Excellent Charlie, clear thorough and honest, this was very informative !
Thanks. Don't touch the Vax. Complete gimmick - mine broke soon after doing this video 😉
Thanks for doing the comparison, very interesting. I have a Delongi Penta wet and dry with hard floor(rubber) and carpet cleaning attachments (clear). It has two tanks for clean and detergent water (detachable) plus the usual large tank for dirty water/dust. It also can be used as a normal Vac like Henry. I purchased it in 1999 and its still going strong even though its been used for cleaning out ash from pellet fires annually and wet cleaning leaves and grit out of spouting! No faults with it so far so a great purchase.
Thanks Allan. That Delongi sounds awesome 👍🏻
I’ve been using the George for years now as it’s got great suction and is great for cleaning my taxi interior, only problem I had was when the wet vac pump didn’t work when switched on so I dismantled it and sprayed pump with wd40 and assembled it again and hey presto worked again and it’s been fine since. I always recommend numatic products 👍👍👍
Thanks Alan. It's the best option out there for your taxi, in my opinion 👍
@@CharlieDIYte Even if it's a Fake Taxi? ;)
I worked for an industrial cleaning company for many years (cleaning pub/office carpets) using an industrial style (twin vac) carpet cleaner the George wet n dry vac was a handy back up for smaller jobs like (Domestic upholstery/narrow staircase/spot cleaning)
Great video btw
Thanks - yes I agree industrial cleaners are the way forward. I'll be doing a video on this in January as I have a mate who runs an industrial carpet cleaning business. Interested to hear you had George as a backup. 👍
Hi Charlie, I can fully recommend George. We use one for the sole purpose of cleaning car interiors! We have had some shocking second hand cars to prep for our forecourt and the results we achieve are fantastic time and time again so much so that we have purchased one for the home. great professional review.
Hi, my family have been involved with floorcare sales and repairs for years. The George is a fantastic machine that can adapt to all sorts of uses as your video shows. Personally I use prochem products to get best results from my George.
Thanks Julian. I agree, and that plasticy piece of rubbish Vax has already been broken by my clumsy father in law. Vax is a gimmicky product backed up by slick advertising
I love George, been using for few years now, my plastic bits ended up completely useless after a year but just got a metal replacement for £15
Thanks Jake. It rocks, doesn't it!
I have a Vax Platinum and a George, as well as a Dupray steam cleaner. I had a lot of really old carpets. The Vax is extremely powerful and lifted a lot of dirt easily. I love the George, though with time the water pump jammed and the water hose grip detached. The Vax is a bit heavy to carry up and downstairs and requires a lot of emptying, but in my opinion does a deeper clean than the George since the carpets are agitated. I also used the Vax on a hand woven carpet, lightly and with no solution, once over brought the colours back. Numatics are great for getting water out of carpets in the event of a flood (we had tropical storms). I have also owned a couple of great Karcher steam cleaners, but currently prefer the Dupray Neat, a real pleasure to use.
Thanks for this Sim. I hear what you say about the Vax, but personally what all this has taught me is that the George rocks when it comes to hard floor cleaning and sucking stuff out of carpets - the fish tail nozzles are much better than the Vax equivalents. If however I had a whole room or house to clean I'd get a professional carpet cleaning company in. Thanks for the heads up on the Dupray. I'll check that out 👍🏻
I use a Numatic Henry Wash for my mobile car valeting for wet work and a Charles for the normal dry use. Both are similar machine, absolutely bombproof, and just suck up anything in its path. Both get thrown in and out of vans all day and kicked out, couldn’t be without them.
Had my George for a very long time, fairly indestructable
Using george for nearly 8 years. Simple, good all rounder. Carpets, hard floor upholstery, car interior. Once just changed motor, after +-4 years, cost including labour,~80quid for aftermarket motor. Used different many brands carpet shampoo.
I have been using a George for about 10 years now. Would highly recommend! In fact i now have two one i keep just for wet vacuuming . Think i have the whole family 😁 Henry, Hetty for the wife,and James i usually take to work with me.
You're like me Paul. I love them, and funnily enough that plasticy but of rubbish Vax broke at the clumsy hands of my father in law the first time he used it. They're a gimmick backed up by a multi million pound TV advertising campaign. Numatic don't seem to spend anything on advertising. I guess the product sells itself.
I had that platinum cleaner for a week then returned it, the main roller bar is far to aggressive and is what is pulling out all of the carpet fibres. I ended up with rolls of damp carpet pile everywhere. It was also terrible at extraction compared to my older machine as I could empty 4 or 5 clean water loads for each one extracted so all that water was just staying in my carpets for days. The water tanks as you say are also too small, constantly having to stop for refills. In the end I went for the machine 1 below the platinum in the range which has much larger tanks and just has the spin brushes and no roller bar. The difference in performance is night and day. No rough pile left, no balls of damp carpet pile and perfect 1-1 extraction.
Nice comment, buddy, thanks for that 👍 What you say about the main roller bar makes perfect sense.
I had a platinum and used it once. The faff involved in unscrewing the roller bar to clean it is ridiculous. I got a Henry Wash which I love
Probably the best all rounder I've come across...Excellent results with both carpet and hard floors...Excellent.
We've recently got a George in addition to one of the bigger-sized Henry we already had and find both to be so effective as a kit. Two people can blitz through a house in no time at all.
They're great aren't they 👌
Numatic all the way! Their products might not be too sophisticated but ARE reliable without gimmicks and the most important bit, you can easily do DIY REPAIR which is good for the environment. The same reason why I love Xiaomi Roborock robot vacuums.
I live in the United States and I work at Salvatore’s Grand Hotel Russell’s Steaks Chops & More and we have two Henry Vacuums which we’ve had for a long time now and we just got George. He’s absolutely amazing!!!!
Hi Heather, great to hear from you. Humbled by all the comments but particularly when they come from overseas! Yes, Henrys are awesome. George is a true game changer. And the parts are all available so if anything goes wrong you just take him apart, replace the bit and he's as good as new.
Many thanks Charlie, not only have learned some very interesting facts about George ,but also you have highlighted the problem I have had with the Vax Platinum Power Max , as you showed in your video the Vax head becomes clogged with carpet fibre, fur, hair and debris and is so hard to clean out. I watched the company's promotional Vax video after I'd first used the vax, followed the video to the letter, and as I tried to replace the brush head the drive belt slipped into the inside of the machine and no matter how I tried, I couldn't retrieve it. had to send it back.
Your method with the jet washer looks like the best method to get the dirt out of the machine head. I will be checking out your other helpful videos.
Thanks Mary. Yes I find if you take it outside and give it a good jet wash that's the best option but it does clog up a little too easy, as you say.
I am using a Karcher Puzzi 10/2 when I have to wash carpets or upholstery and for vacuuming I use a Miele
I have the Vax machine, and agree with most of your points. The build quality is much better than their vacuums, but I don't know WHY on earth in the water tanks they didn't use stainless steel screws. One use, and they rusted immediately. Overall I'm very happy with the machine as it does well clearing up after the dog.
Thanks Ed. Yes, lots of problems with this machine. Personally I'd use George for hard floors and spot cleaning because the fish tail nozzle is so good and for large areas of carpet I'd get a professional in.
We bought a Vax carpet cleaner but it’s only been used once.
We are OAP’s, disabled and we didn’t realise how heavy it’d be so my daughter did it for us.
It was good but as you said, the cleaning of it afterwards was frustrating.
I’m now thinking of getting a George wet and dry instead.
Thank you for a very enlightening and interesting video.
Hi Yvonne. George is quite a physical vac to use too but brilliant for spot cleaning. For anything larger, I'd get a professional carpet cleaner in.
Another excellent review Charlie. Me and my wife sat in bed this Sunday morning and watched it together! Middle age eh?
We are in exactly the same boat as you as we have a hard kitchen floor and a dog but also two teenage boys. We also have a Henry (two in fact) and a Vax carpet cleaner (the Pet focussed one) but not the Platinum. We have experienced all the issues with the Vax and had not considered a George. We were impressed with the performance George had to offer and will be giving it some thought. One other aspect that I would add about Numatic machines is that they are very easy to service and repair with all items being easy to source (motor brushes etc) but I don’t expect the Vax to be so straightforward. It’s a good design, as you say, but too complicated. Numatic aim their devices at commercial markets too so they are much more rugged and easily repaired.
Thanks for the very helpful video. Keep them coming. 👍🏼
Hi Paul, thanks so much for that (and for watching my vid 👍) Yes, I got so caught up in the editing of the vid (it was an absolute monster to put together for one reason and another) that I didn't think to mention the blindingly obvious point you made about maintenance, which I should have, given I did a video showing how I repaired my 18 year old Henry ua-cam.com/video/yO7nfqiABMw/v-deo.html If you can stretch to another vac, you'll find the way George cleans your kitchen floor an absolute game changer!
Charlie DIYte cheers Charlie. 😊👍🏼
We have a bissel carpet cleaner although we only have 3 out of eight rooms carpeted and don't use it often. It does a decent job when used. We have a cheap pull around vacuum for our laminate and tiled floors 👍👍
So pleased you did this video! I too have the Vax Platinum but couldn’t understand why the heads seemed SO filthy after just ONE round of shampooing two small rooms. The rotating brush heads do seem to pull up dirt (amazing how a light carpet kicks up so much BLACK fluff!) but then this machine spits it out ferociously against skirtings and leaves more of a mess to clean up ggggrrr! I’ve just taken mine apart to clean the heads and it still cannot clean the whole head because of the small inlet for water so after only two uses, it looks old and dirty. Not happy with that. Mine also leaked and has spilt black water all over the place when I moved it. When I lifted it to descend the stairs, it leaked again. It’s incredibly heavy, even when empty, to cart around. And clunky. It needs a separate cupboard to house everything. I love the idea of it all being incorporated with the George and they certainly are robust. I would be so interested in seeing how the George performs. Too pricey to buy one and just hope for the best. I wonder if people rent them out? This is a great video, thanks for going to such lengths.
I'm afraid IMO the Vax is a gimmick backed up by continuous slick advertising on TV. Mine broke soon after I did this video. My advice - for spot stains George cannot be beaten. For whole carpets get the professionals in. Their products are next level.
Thank you for the great review. All the popular car detailers have a numatic. Your review has helped me decide on the George. Thank you Charlie.
You're welcome Shez. You'll love George. Good choice 👌
I’ve just come across your video and with regard to the VAX I can only speak about my own experience that every single VAX I’ve ever owned including my current machine leak at the back. As to cleaning hard floors LOL I’ve tried that with the attachment that comes with the machine it just leaves the floor very wet. The only draw back to the George machine is that older people (which includes myself) or those who have mobility issues may find it’s a bit too much to use
Thanks for that Gloria. Yes I'm afraid the Vax is a very flawed machine bolstered by very persuasive TV marketing. My father in law broke mine soon after this video. I have a friend who runs a carpet cleaning business. The difference is extraordinary. One pass and even the filthiest carpet is clean. So my advice would be George for hard floors although it is hard work. It's also brilliant for spot cleaning carpets and valeting cars. For cleaning large areas of carpets, get the pros in!
I have a George I first got it about five years ago when I did car valeting. We had tiled floors that were similar at our old house it did take a lot of scrubbing with the George it was great at it. Our new house was a selfbuild. We went for Amtico on all of the downstairs and it's been brilliant. We have two golden retrievers coming in and out. Just vacuum then mop with the ecloth mop. We did get a central vacuum system put in when we built the house and it's been the best investment ever! So convenient.
Yes if we ever redo this kitchen I think we need something much more practical. So is George retired now then?
Charlie DIYte not quite retired 😂 I still use him or washing our own car seats plus upholstery in the house also rugs.
@@stevenrooney6525 Glad to hear it 😉
I've had a George for years.
Id say they are more for spot cleaning and small areas. I used to keep mine in the cupboard in wet mode ready to clean up spills/mess from the children.
For a decent carpet cleaning machine you need to pay quite a bit more for something that works well.
I agree with that Phillip, or get the pros in every once in a while 👍🏻
They done that change on the bag inlet to stop help prevent water from shooting up past the float and into the motor, I just cut the bottom bit off and still works perfectly without having to worry about it spraying up
Good thinking. 👍
Bought one today on the basis of this review. I agree George is best I've had many hard floor cleaners. I recently wasted £350 on tineco steam c5 which is dreadful if you have pets. Despite Tineco, bissel and vax claims if you have pets you don't get a proper clean unless you vacuum first and eventually leak dirty water from back of machine and need to clean roller and underside of machine after every use. George has none of these problems. No need to vacuum first as sucks up everything, fur does not clog up machine. It is quite heavy though.
I’ve owned two of the Vax machines. They work well but not for long sadly. The first Vax bits just keeps breaking and every time I replaced something, another thing broke. The seal on the waste tank was a dog to keep in place. When it went to the skip after the irreplaceable wheel fell off , there were lots more in the skip all broken. The replacement from Vax was faulty on delivery. The steamer died after a week. Had George for two years now. I have abused it big time including unblocking the kitchen drain pipe and lots more. Still working as good as the day I got it bar a leaky solution pipe that the dog bit. Fixed that with a dremmel and a cable tie rather than buying a replacement. Yes, I have sucked up dog sick with George tool
I'm afraid Phill the Vax is a total gimmick backed up with Uber slick TV advertising. I agree George is bullet proof. Occasionally the spray nozzle blocks but it's easily unblocked. Dog sick and car valeting is what it loves most!
Love my Henry looks like it’s getting a friend called George 😂👍
YES! Go for it, you won't be disappointed!!
Need a hetty so they can have a 3 way..
@@Run187 I-
*what the fuck*
Best review for hard floor & carpet cleaning I ever watched. Brilliant. Been driving me bonkers I want a carpet cleaner that deep cleans but does hard floors to. Thanks.
You're welcome. Just be careful with the Vax though. I think it's a gimmick, and my father in law broke this one straight after I finished the video.
Get some floor sealant for the Kitchen floor tiles and give it about two or three coats ...that why your only need to mop the floor now and again and no crap will git in the grout ...or just seal the grout and not the tile
I've been using grout sealant for years and it still doesn't stop the grout sponging up all the dirt. I think I need something stronger.
What a fantastic video! I have both the Vax platinum washer and the George. I find the George to be a pain to use and isn't great as a capet washer but it's really good with it's smaller fishtail tool. It works well as a mop but is too much effort
The va works well but is unreliable so I keep the George as a backup lol
Keep up the great work!
If you already have a carpet cleaner, but you want to do some wet and dry cleaning, I would recommend you go for the Numatic Charles!
I use ear defenders when shampooing floors due to the length of time and high volume of the motors.
I also added a spring to the spin scrubber on the Vax to make sure it presses down on the carpet.
• Pressurized water Sprayer (£10)
• Brush to agitate carpet (£5)
• Guild 16l (£50) wet & dry vacuum to suck up the water
Perfect setup for those on a budget with limited space
Fair point!
Purely by chance, yesterday I borrowed my daughter's Vax to clean my other daughter's carpets. So far, it looks lovely. It was in a right state... The George looks interesting though. Couldn't get the spinning brush to work at first and when it did, no solution. I must admit I looked on UA-cam and will need to look again!
Thanks Janet. Yes, for jobs like that, provided you can get it to work, it'll do a good job. 👍
I bought a Wet & Dry last year before starting my home renovation. It has a nifty dust-extraction facility for power tools which has come incredibly handy for the past 12 months. Brilliant. I have a Bissell carpet cleaner that I've used intermittently for 8 years, and it's still going strong.
Henry is that long in my house, I think my brother is talking to it. George might be joining the family this year.
Cheers Charlie. Great informative video
You're welcome mate 👍🏻
I like George and I am going to buy it. One more reason is the design of the device and the tools are classic of 80s!!!!!
Fantastic review and reasoning too.
Thoroughly explained and shown in the video.
Thumbs up.
Thanks. It's George every day for me. The Vax broke soon after making this video. 👍🏻
@@CharlieDIYte flawed design if you ask me in relation to carpet just a brute force cheap as chips design.
You done well to explain and show all its shortcomings.
The harsh thing is we as consumers never see the fail rate that you just commented. Is it 100 per 1000 units or 4 per 1000 you never know.
George is the way forward thanks for all the effort you put into your channel 👍🏼
As always Charlie, another no nonsense video. 👍George has it.
Thanks Don. It does, doesn't it, and I forgot to mention the ease of maintaining and repairing it 👍
George all the way. Had a Bissell upright previously.- much less versatile and also had leaks whilst standing - and same carpet clogging. The uprights might be alright for a certain carpet in a regular shaped room. But George is a superhero with multiple superpowers. And great to do the car too. Numatic just boss this stuff. - I get the idea you think so too. 👍😄
I certainly do, Rod. I was quite happy to be blown away by the Vax, but wasn't surprised when I wasn't! I have an 18 year old Henry still going strong although I did replace the motor recently ua-cam.com/video/yO7nfqiABMw/v-deo.html a Henry Xtra, and now George, so I am a bit besotted by them!! Was your Bissell the one that could be paired down to a smaller unit for upholstery and stairs? As you say, much less versatile whichever way you look at it. 👍
Can’t remember the Bissell model. It was a while ago. It did have a hose attachment but that leaked even worse than upright mode and a huge pain to set up (never did understand it exactly). The Bissell was used twice. First time was just a mess - just a wet carpet. Decided to give it one more chance but just the same. I have a two storey office and have a Henry on each floor, a Henry at home and a George that moonlights between the two. Henry #1 i inherited with the office about 17 years ago and still going strong.
I had a Vax all in one bought 30 years ago and it died 5 years ago. The replacement was crap, felt flimsy compared to the old one. Got a Hetty as she was on special offer. Might have to give her a George to keep her company soon as we're having hard floors being put in.
George is a beast. Disadvantages if you can call them that are mainly just the cord not having a reel mechanism, but the accessories are fantastic quality - stainless steel base to the standard vacuum attachment which you don't get on their standard Henry models and we cleaned the kitchen floor with it at the weekend and it did a fantastic job. That Vax on the other hand has now broken at the clumsy hands of my father in law. He's snapped something so it no longer stands up properly. Complete rubbish, which people are conned into buying through those slick advertising campaigns on the TV at the moment.
Used mine for the first time today. I found the hard floor attachment was good for scrubbing the carpet then changing to the fish tail. Unfortunately the nozzle for the fish tail got a mind of its own and was spraying more side ways than on the carpet where I was extracting.
Sorry to hear that Matthew. Sounds like it needs adjusting. Failing that give Numatic a call. I'm sure they'll resolve it for you. Still loving mine.
@@CharlieDIYte definitely a great bit of kit.
You could also get an old electric floor scrubber so your not manually scrubbing. Their more aggressive than pretty much anything on the market or at least the crosswave or floormate
That's a good idea Dustin as using George on these floors does involve a lot of scrubbing.
I'm onto my second George first one was little used, I only have two settees, and stair carpet but the pump lasted no time at all, Too expensive to replace. Easier to buy a new machine, How ever I will say that my sister's Vax carpet brought my stair carpet up like new even after I had just previously cleaned it with George. Husband struggled to shampoo his car with George. My verdict is that George is OK and excellent vacuum but I will be buying a vax for my next Shampooing machine,
I had the opposite experience. My FIL broke the Vax just after I did this vid whereas, barring a few blocked nozzles, George is still going strong. My advice - for large areas of carpet get a pro in but for spot cleaning George still rocks, but each to their own. 👊
Wish I had found you earlier! Received my VAX today, it’s going back, useless at cleaning rugs with any raised design, couldn’t remove a yogurt spillage from kitchen rug. I have deep pile carpets in bedrooms, got stuck & clogged. Oh & brush head doesn’t always move 😡
Unfortunately Louise, Vax are tricking the nation by bombarding us with those annoyingly slick adverts on TV. This vacuum is a plastic gimmick. My father in law broke it soon after I made this video. He is clumsy but god knows what he did but something has snapped so it won't stand up properly now. For a deep pile or something with a raised design that fish tail nozzle on George would do the job. It's not particularly good if you're coaching a whole carpet bit of I were you, I'd get a professional company in to do this anyway.
Have been looking for a replacement for an old Van which has developed persistent faults. This video has been really helpful. George it is - not least because I have an identical kitchen floor...! Many thanks
Vax *
The Vax in this video is pretty crap really. My heavy handed father in law borrowed it and snapped a small plastic lug off it so it now doesn't stand up properly. George ever day for me. Particularly as all the parts are replaceable whereas something goes wrong with the Vax and it's off to landfill.
I have a Vax that is similar to the George. Great as a vacuum cleaner, almost too good sometimes especially with a new bag in it. Works really well as a carpet/upholstery cleaner too. The only issue I have with it is that when it goes near a mat or join between carpet and wooden floor it falls over like a football player tackled by a blade of grass. It is so top heavy it is ridiculously hilarious. The George type design is still a great compromise if you only have space for one device that does two jobs well. Great vid as usual.
The George is a great wet & dry machine
Agreed 👍
Numatic products are awesome. Simple, solid, clever, work really well, British made, last forever and great customer service and spares if you need it.
Every office cleaning company I’ve ever seen has used a Henry or a George. I’ve also seen loads of tradesmen using them, including builders.
Agreed, and in marked contrast to the Vax which is a plasticy piece of rubbish. My clumsy father in law managed to break it a couple of months ago so it doesn't stand up now. I see they've just brought out a new Vax model too 🤦
Many thanks for your time sir. You must be very passionate to arrange and produce this helpful video
Thanks Chris. Really appreciate that. 👊
Another great video Charlie, could have listened to much more of it.
Also well done for highlighting the ear protection you wore and not worrying about some sarcastic comments about it. There's nothing funny about tinnitus and you have probably helped save some poor person from hearing loss and/or tinnitus by being so upfront about it and validating that it is fine to wear ear defenders if you want to. I have the Vax and wear ear defenders too when using it as it is outrageously loud.
I really appreciate how thorough, unbiased and honest your reviews are. Keep up your stance on never selling out :)
Thanks so much for that. Yes, not at all bothered what people think about me wearing ear defenders. Just wish I had used them years ago. I have a Bosch belt sander that I think did most of the damage, when I sanded all the floors in my London pad with it, in my early 20s. Thanks for supporting the channel. Can't tell you how much I appreciate it 👍
I'm now waiting on my 5th vax to be collected for repair / replacement. Thank god for the 6yr warranty. Absolutely terrible design, too much stress placed on the motor due to the way the dual brush works. Also the clutch mechanism when you tilt it back fail as well (that's what's happened on my latest failure) . So far 3 burnt out motors and 2 clutch issues (the clutch issues mangle the inside of the machine). The hose attachment sometimes stops working as well for some reason (happened on everyone i had), had to remove and then reattach. Cleaning the machine after use is also a pain. I actually bought a bissell at the weekend which is superior to the vax in every way.
It's a terrible machine. Mine broke as soon as I had done this video when my hand fisted father in law borrowed it and snapped the tilt mechanism so it no longer clicks into the upright position. A case of a shoddy gimmick backed up by slick TV advertising, I'm afraid. My advice to you, Bissell or George for spot cleaning and if you've got whole carpets to do, get the professionals in.
Thanks for this review - very helpful. Mum still has the Vax equivalent of the Henry from the 90s and it's still doing an incredible job, but today it looks like Henry takes the win!
Yes they made things well back then. Unfortunately they're cheap and break easily these days. That Vax broke a few weeks after I did the vid when my father in law borrowed it.
I use a George for mostly vacuuming and for above floor washing and use a vax upright for general carpet washing.
Yes, the best of both worlds, that. 👍
I have the VAX, bought it a while ago off the back of a Which? Review but only used it recently and agree it’s garbage, it didn’t remove stains and has left the carpet very fluffy, just like yours. How did you resolve the fluff issue?
I'm afraid it is, Christopher. The nation has been conned into buying these things by the deluge of slick TV ads. My father in law broke mine soon after making the video so it doesn't stand up properly now. The fluff sort of settled down, but it is in a well trampled area. I think George is generally the answer for general vacuuming, cleaning hard surfaces and spot cleaning carpets. If you've got a whole house of carpets to clean, you're best getting a professional in.
Really well done plan to buy a George as only have space for one appliance and car and sofas need attention. Well structured review thanks
Us George’s are the best 😊
To be fair, I can wet and brush the carpets at home with a hand, twice a year or straightaway after something has been spilled won't kill me... Or use drill with attached brush on my car seats and mats... All I need is just one very important thing - powerful water extractor with good size tank... That's the game changing tool
Hi Charlie,
Hope you're doing well.
Great, very informative video, as always but had a few questions to put to you as you seem to be the perfect person to ask;
1) How is the George holding up, when did you last use it? A fair few reviews online (Amazon UK) mainly attribute a failure of the main pump assembly after the 3rd use/9 months or so in, whichever comes first. Additionally, have any of the metal parts rusted/corroded? Has any part become unusable due to standard wear & tear?
2) Would you recommend using the George (dry) as a general and occasional DIY "shop-vac"; i.e. - hooking it up to the dust extraction port(s) of an orbital sander for plaster/wood, tile cutter or a circular/miter saw when cutting timber/treated wood? This would be with the HEPAflo bags mind. (Just seeing if I can kill two birds with one stone!)
Thanks a ton! :)
Hi buddy, thanks for that. I can't say I'm a massively next user of it to be honest - I used it mostly for wet vacuuming the kitchen floor and carpets but to date the only issue I've had is that the brass spray nozzle on the main assembly can get clogged up when you haven't used it for a while. I wonder if that's what they're talking about? However a quick dunk in some hot water seems to unclog it. Either way, I bet a quick call to Numatic and they'd sort out any issues. Yes you could definitely use George as a shop vac. A combination of the cyclone and hepa bags would give it all the protection it needed. I definitely recommend a cyclone though if you're going to use it as a shop vac as discussed here ua-cam.com/video/9RfHpm2vf40/v-deo.html It's a game changer!
Have both myself, have a Henry for general vacuum work and George for carpet cleaning, just purchased a vax smart wash- almost identical to machine here but for carpet only and without doubt the vax is better to clean carpets, more weight to push into the carpet, two brushes for agitation etc, much less hard work and leaving carpets less wet, however the George is easier to maintain and repair, and no doubt last much much longer and there built over here. Overall both good machines but if I had only 1 I’d go for the George, longer lasting and more versatile.
Thanks Richard. I have a mate I play footy with who's a professional carpet cleaner. His kit is off the scale and has made me realise for whole carpet cleaning you get the pros in. For spot cleaning George rocks. I'd never buy another Vax. So many complaints about the build quality.
George is a legend. Excellent it doing renovations and also for car but you plenty of room for acessorys
Couldn't agree more, Stan. Just unfussy, gimmick free no nonsense design 👍
Hi I have this Vax and used it for the first time last week and found it to be really good. It is rather heavy, but once your on the go it's ok. I plan to do our tiled kitchen floor shortly and hope it does the deed, though might give the steamer its first job. Thanks for putting a nice video together.
Thanks Charlie. I must say i really like the George vacuum. I wish we could get them in South Africa.....love Georges lovely face too
Yes, sadly they don't seem to supply them extensively overseas 🙁
Where did you get your kitchen units from? They look great
A local company (Pineland in Cleobury Mortimer, Worcs) makes them by hand.
After 10 months of trying to use the VAX Glide Wet & Dry, I have finally returned it. It's been back once and the battery has been replaced once. The problem? Intermittently, it would not suck up the dirty water! Just spread it around the floor. I spent most of the time cleaning it out and ensuring no blockage. I even tried vacuuming before cleaning! Finally, I returned the machine. However, VAX offered only 75% of the cost price, I was furious as it was within the 12-month guarantee. I complained bitterly and their last and final offer was 90% of the cost price! Never again!
I'm afraid Penny they're a flawed product backed up by slick TV advertising. Mine broke when I lent it to my father in law straight after doing this video. Plasticy gimmicks IMO.
Your video was excellent. I won’t but the George however, it’s a little expensive for me & a bit ‘faffy’ changing from vacuum to wet & dry. I’m looking at the Hyundai wet & dry. Carpet & upholstery too! X
... thats why NUMATIC is a professional vacuumcleaner!
And they offer repair for many years, included spareparts.
Exactly!
Thanks very much for this review. I have a very similar floor to you (plus a dog) and have spent ages looking for the best cleaner. George it is!
You're welcome. Also brilliant for spot cleaning carpets. It's reasonably hard work to clean the floor because you're doing a fair amount of scrubbing but George is definitely a better option than any Vax. A decent stream cleaner is good for the grout, too.
@@CharlieDIYte got a perfect 2nd hand one for £140. Doing a good job. Thanks!
I used to use Universal Stone and an old toothbrush to get the floor grouting clean.
Yep, it's manual scrubbing all the way with the grout in spite of all the grout protector I've put on it over the years. The Karcher stream cleaner was a game changer with the grout though.
Henry and George been kicking for years. 🤣 I'm 30 remember my mum having one
The only vacuums anyone should ever buy 👍🏻
Ugh I hear you.I have a large large kitchen in the country with a big dog. Despite “shoes off” policy at the door and dog retained in utility till his feet are wiped, I have to clean the floor everyday. The important thing you mentioned briefly about the vax is it dropping its dirty water back on the floor when idle - and sometimes it spits it out the front of the machine - its one step forward and two back! I don’t have the carpet cleaner - just wet and dry. I despair of it. I bought the duprey steamer which seems ok for the ingrained muck, but I’m left with dirty water on the floor. I need something to suck up and didnt want to spend 3k on vac steamer. George seems to be the main contender. Where to put all this machinery?
I’ve had my George for about 10 years now and it’s never let me down. I’ve used it for carpets, sofas, car interiors and it’s been a real workhorse. It’s still going strong and if it packed up tomorrow I wouldn’t hesitate buying another. I always use rug doctor liquid but after watching this I may try using something different. Great review as always Charlie. 👍🏻
Thanks buddy, and if it did pack up tomorrow, you could just order spare parts for it - something I forgot to mention in my video which is pretty stupid considering I've replaced the motor in my Henry ua-cam.com/video/yO7nfqiABMw/v-deo.html 👍
Thank you Sir! This was very informative, educational and entertaining for me. I'm thinking about getting George so I had to look it up.
Thanks, I appreciate that! You won't be disappointed with George. Great bit of kit. 👍🏻
I have both George and the Vax. I prefer the Vax for carpets because it does such a good job. The steamglide is good on my laminate floors and the vax is great on carpets. I mainly use George for wet vacuuming the car but was impressed by the hard floor cleaning performance too
Watched this video last week and, as a result, welcomed George to the family this week. He's got a hard day's work ahead of him tomorrow so let's see if he's still got that smile on his face after that.
By the way, can you not do any more vids until I've been paid again please; you really 'sell' a product a little too well for my bank balance! Only kidding - you keep 'em coming.
Thanks so much for that. I know it's tough on the bank balance but it's an awesome investment in that it's so robust it will last for years and if something does go wrong on it (which is another positive I forgot to mention) you can simply get a replacement part, which so few other manufacturers do.
Great review! I wish I'd watched this before i bought this vax,cause quite frankly compared to my old vax cleaner that was a fraction of the price this one is terrible! That brush bar at the front is neither use nor ornament! Very dissapointed in this expensive purchase 😥
I'm afraid Andrea I agree. They've produced an average product and made everyone buy it with relentless, slick TV advertising. My father in law borrowed it soon after this vid and promptly broke it, so it doesn't stand upright anymore.
Glad to find this Charlie thanks although wish I had found before I purchased my Vax platinum power Max. As you said there is no info on using the Vax on hard floors which is a shame. In my experience, I have found it good on carpets and ok on hard floors. It is heavy though so George looks better for ease of use but I think that I would be too lazy to fiddle around with changing the George tank - that’s my bad. I like the Platinum Power Max but think that due to the weight it would not be ideal for people who didn’t have fairly robust health.
Thanks Cathy. A fair assessment, that. My father in law has somehow broken the Vax. It won't stand up now without flopping over. George ever day for me but there is a convenience to the Vax that some people will like (except when you have to clean all the brushes after washing the carpet) 😏
Bought the Vax before watching this...... 🙈
I'm happy with it though ☺
That's good to hear, Charles. Glad it works for you 👍🏻
Hi,you should do a camparison between a charles and george one,im into car detailing charles looks good for my budget,but know from experience having all rounder *george* for home could be good,what do you think? ?
I have had 3 vax PPP in 3 years, bought the first, other 2 were replaced under warranty,. The machine has fatal design flaws, including a belt tensioner that completely fails and is not replaceable. Great upright cleaning performance when it's working. Tiny water tanks. Best thing about the vax is the warranty process, they never seem to argue; I wonder why. Top tip.... Never use detergent to clean your carpets, the dry detergent acts as a glue which causes your carpets to become grubby 3 times quicker. Use bicarbonate soda instead.
It's a gimmicky product backed up by slick advertising. Mine broke soon after making this vid when my father in law borrowed it. My advice - George for spot cleaning and for full carpets, get the pros in.
What I'd really like to ask is how does the suction compare for extracting the water from carpet? I see that the hand-held tool is clearly superior on the George, but did you notice whether the large fishtail also had more suction and extracted more water from the carpet than the vax main head?
I recently tried and sent back a Bissel Revolution 2X because it leaked. My experience of it seems like it is almost exactly the same experience as you've had with the vax. The handheld barely had any suction on it, it was almost impossible to clean around the brushrolls and it was so loud I needed ear defenders.
The only downside to the George is of course there's no carpet agitation built in, but I could just do kind of what the pros do and brush a pre-spray in before extracting. Though I'd have to use a manual brush whereas they use a separate electric brushing machine.
Thank you for the video, it was just what I was looking for.
George is superior to the Vax in almost every way. Don't buy the Vax. You'll have a similar if not worse experience than the Bissell, and my father in law has broken mine somehow when he borrowed it soon after making this video. The water extraction with the fish tail is very good. As you say with no agitator you have to pre treat and then I use a soft scrubbing brush to agitate, and I typically use the snap fish tail rather than the large one as you can apply a lot of pressure with your hand for maximum extraction. Basically it's a spot cleaner. If you wanted the whole house done I'd get a pro in, but for hard floors and spot cleaning, George takes some beating.
Once cleaned and dried you better put some non-slip protective layer (wax) to slow down next dirt/bacteria build up
Awesome video, huge thanks. Great info for George buyers!
Thanks. Love my George. That plastic Vax rubbish on the other hand 🤦 My clumsy father in law borrowed it and broke it within minutes.
We where tempted to invest in a vax but now we just invested in a George due to this video
Smart move Matthew. The Vax is a plasticy gimmick. Mine broke soon after making this video at the hands of my admittedly clumsy father in law. It's been totally propped up by all those slick ads we're bombarded with on TV. I had the George out again at the weekend to clean the kitchen floor and some carpet stains around the house. For spot cleaning carpets it's second to none. If I wanted to clean entire room carpets, I'd probably get a professional in anyway.
I like the numatic George because it doesn't leave wheel marks on the carpet and my Vax dual v carpet washer does
Agreed. You wouldn't use George for massive areas of carpet but then I'd always say you spot clean nasty messes with George and get a professional in to clean a whole carpet properly.
I had the Vax Rapid power advance (purple machine) and I didn't get the same problem you've had so maybe the machine you have/had is faulty or perhaps the design is getting worse.
The solution mixer didn't use it all in one go (though still think it used more than it needed so I'd have to buy more!). I didn't have any leaks but I agree the worst thing is trying to clean the damn thing after use, absolute nightmare!
Our machine did get a fair amount of abuse but it's still working as it should.
The small opening on the spot cleaner is a bad design, gets clogged easily.
Moving to a smaller place soon so may have to try the George, looks less complicated and more robust though maybe a little more effort needed using it.