When Louis Hooghuys started building mechanical organs around 1880, his first instruments were provided with a barrel system (the book system was only patented in 1892 by the French organ manufacturer Gavioli).

The barrel organs were available in various sizes: from the small and portable ones (mostly with 33 keys) to larger instruments with up to 123 keys for use on the fairground and in dance halls. Hooghuys had some standardized models which could be adapted according to the client's wishes. Like most other organ builders, Hooghuys probably had a printed catalogue, but no copies seem to have survived the times.

Old factory pictures indicate that large instruments had façades that were typical of those days; therefore, it isn't surprising that these are often very similar with façades from other (primarily French) manufacturers, like Limonaire and Gavioli. Since Hooghuys did countless repairs to and restorations of organs built by others (also by Gebr.Bruder, Riemer, Frati, Poirot, Anciaume, …), it seems probable that at those moments, he got some of his inspiration for the design of his façades.
Characteristic of Hooghuys organs are the sometimes life-size figures on the façades; as far as we know, at least two such figures have been preserved in a private collection – although this can't be proved with absolute certainty, since other manufacturers (e.g. Limonaire) sometimes also used such figures.

A special mention should be made of the numerous small barrel organs that were delivered to clients in Binche (B); in Binche, these instruments – locally called "violes"– are still quite popular, and Hooghuys must have sold ánd maintained several of these organs. It is interesting, for example, that in Hooghuys' work ledgers there is a tune composed by the "Chef de Binche" (no further indication given), and that Edgard Hooghuys composed a march with the title "Binche en avant". There is also a picture with a group of revellers from Binche on which the 'chief' is pictured with a small Hooghuys barrel organ.