|
Thread Number: 32710
/ Tag: Recent Vacuum Cleaners from past 20 years
Opinions on Oreck XL's |
[Down to Last] |  |
| Post# 358403 8/30/2016 at 07:48 (2,789 days old) by wyaple (Pickerington, OH) | ||
I'm beginning to see these show up in the thrift stores in the central Ohio area for around an $18 typical price. I have read various comments, ranging from "these are great" to "worst machine ever." In attempting to ascertain this model's performance, I have found something around 80" of water lift and over 100 CFM for airflow. I know the Orecks have soft brush rolls and can lay flat. So my big question is, how bad are they and why?
Bill | ||
| Post# 358407 , Reply# 1 8/30/2016 at 08:39 (2,789 days old) by Blackheart (North Dakota) | ||
Ya know
I really don't feel that Orecks are all that bad. Especially when you compare them to most big box store vacuums. Sure they're a little shrill but they are simple, light and they clean alright. I have noticed that some models came with a white brushroll which has extremely soft bristles, but if you install a stiffer...i'm assuming CWP made red one it does much better. I've actually got a Teal 4090 on the way from ebay, I kinda missed having a "classic" style Oreck.
| ||
| Post# 358408 , Reply# 2 8/30/2016 at 09:26 (2,789 days old) by dysonman1 (the county) | ||
In my opinion, almost any vacuum removes more dirt from the rug than an Oreck. They have very poor suction and airflow. Most of the cleaning comes from the brush, the suction just moves the dirt to the bag. I wouldn't waste my time plugging in an Oreck, when a Bissell for $48 from Wal-Mart will clean circles around it.
| ||
| Post# 358420 , Reply# 3 8/30/2016 at 11:30 (2,789 days old) by wyaple (Pickerington, OH) | ||
|
So all the YouTube videos are wrong then?
When I see regular users vacuuming with their XL, most videos appear to show generally OK performance, at least with view-able surface dirt. Does anybody who owns one and regularly uses it have any comments? Of course if I get one, I'll be sure to measure it and post the results. I'm very curious as to how a very lightweight machine works.
Bill | ||
| Post# 358423 , Reply# 5 8/30/2016 at 12:29 (2,789 days old) by panasonicvac (Northern Utah) | ||
I don't know why the Carpet and Rug Institute would rate the Orecks on the Gold level because I don't think they are that good on carpets. I will agree that they are ok but there are better machines out there. I also do perfer Orecks better than dysons or Garry which in my opinion that Garry is the worst vacuum ever made.
| ||
Post# 358428 , Reply# 6 8/30/2016 at 14:23 (2,789 days old) by gottahaveahoove  (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640) |
||
They were popular in the beginning due to their light weight
'Weighing only 8 pounds". People liked them for that..
I have a friend who bought a very expensive "Top of the line". She's an older woman. Once, she broke something in her kitchen and asked me to 'help her clean it up'. I had to run this "Top of the line" cleaner....hm it was ok. At the last place where I worked, they had one. I, too, had to use it once or twice. The handle was completely blocked with debris. When I took it apart to unclog it, it read, WHEN it blocks.....do....etc. Not IF, but WHEN. I was given one after I helped clean out a friend's home. I quickly 're-gifted' it to someone who'd appreciate it., Do I bash"? No. They do seem to do better on low pile carpet. Best of luck with yours. | ||
|
Post# 358436 , Reply# 7 8/30/2016 at 15:35 (2,789 days old) by Vinvac (Dubuque IA) |
||
Orecks,
I have the Oreck XL21 and love it. Many here have a bad opinion of the Oreck. Mine is very different. The XL21 I have is a very good vacuum. Not overly loud, grooms the carpet and has good airflow. My sister owns the same vacuum and it is still running well. Any vacuum that can stand up to my sister has to have some merit. She also has a central vac unit with the Turbo Cat power brush. I vacuumed her living room with the central vacuum and was not impressed. So I dug out the Oreck. Her carpet is not a low pile carpet and I was amazed at the amount of dirt the Oreck pulled up. You could hear the dirt going up thru the fan on the Oreck. Now, had her central vacuum been using an electric power head the results may not have been the same. Her vacuum is a Haydan bagless unit... The biggest complaint I have with the Oreck is the cost. But really not out of line when you compare them to Hoover, Riccar, Lux, Meile and other light weight uprights similar in style. But in my opinion they are all over priced. | ||
| Post# 358437 , Reply# 8 8/30/2016 at 15:44 (2,789 days old) by human (Pines of Carolina) | ||
My former girlfriend had an Oreck. I was never at all impressed with its performance. One time she borrowed my Kirby Heritage I to do some 'deep cleaning' and the next thing I knew, the Oreck had disappeared from her apartment. She told me later she'd pitched the Oreck in the trash. When I jokingly asked her if I'd just lost me a Kirby, she said "yes" and it turns out she meant it. We parted company a year ago and I've haven't seen that machine since.
| ||
| Post# 358440 , Reply# 9 8/30/2016 at 16:50 (2,789 days old) by bearwise (Bakersfield, CA) | ||
|
I have to agree that they are ok machines and work best on low pile carpets. Anything thicker and it's like dragging a sleeping cat by the tail...no fun at all. One positive...you get a decent arm workout :) | ||
| Post# 358454 , Reply# 10 8/31/2016 at 06:08 (2,788 days old) by vacerator (Macomb Michigan) | ||
|
Yes, light, and appreciated for being made in America. Now Oreck is just another choice from TTI. | ||
| Post# 358461 , Reply# 11 8/31/2016 at 09:20 (2,788 days old) by singerman (Missouri) | ||
Well | ||
|
Post# 358465 , Reply# 13 8/31/2016 at 10:52 (2,788 days old) by gottahaveahoove (Pittston, Pennsylvania, 18640) |
||
|
My "lightweight" cleaner is the | ||
| Post# 358472 , Reply# 14 8/31/2016 at 12:13 (2,788 days old) by panasonicvac (Northern Utah) | ||
|
I have a neighbor that has a XL21, I used to like it at first because it was so fun to use but I got bored with it very quickly. One thing I didn't like cleaning with it was it was a little hard to push because they had very high pile carpet but I thought it still cleaned good, another thing I didn't like was it definitely spew dust around where the fill tube was and close to the fan chamber, I also didn't like changing the bags because it was a mess to pop out, and I don't like the handle on the XL21 because I thought it was very uncomfortable to use (One time I got a blister from it). After that I switched over to their central vac with a Lindhaus powerhead they later upgraded because it was much better to use.
Just my overall experience. | ||
| Post# 358533 , Reply# 16 9/1/2016 at 07:44 (2,787 days old) by wyaple (Pickerington, OH) | ||
|
Maybe I Shouldn't Have Passed This One Up
Saw this at a thrift store two weeks ago, looked in very good condition. Can anybody date this machine based on the label? Would it be either December of 2005 or May of 2012?
Bill | ||
| Post# 358539 , Reply# 18 9/1/2016 at 08:39 (2,787 days old) by Rainbowd4 (TN ) | ||
|
Date It's positively not from 2012. These were available even back in the mid nineties, and probably earlier, but yours is from '05 it seems. | ||
| Post# 358542 , Reply# 19 9/1/2016 at 10:38 (2,787 days old) by vacman117 (Chicago, IL) | ||
 | ||
| Post# 358588 , Reply# 21 9/2/2016 at 09:56 (2,786 days old) by kirbyvertibles (Independence, KS) | ||
Oreck seem to be like Kirby meaning collectors either love it or hate it. Personally I love both. Some Orecks are great some not so much. I have some authentic vintage DEEEEEP shag carpet and my orecks look at it and say "um no" but I love them for shorter carpet and even though I hate an upright on tile floor I will say the Oreck isn't bad on the bare floor.
| ||
|
Post# 358636 , Reply# 22 9/3/2016 at 00:32 (2,786 days old) by Durango159 (State College, PA) |
||
I have used about 15 different Oreck upright units of various models: Commercial XL, 2 XL-21 series, pivoting head model, Dual Stack Commercial, several XL Ultras. Every single one that I have used has given me an allergic spasm within just a few minutes of use!!! Many of the units had just returned home from their included service annual checkups from Oreck or were refurbished by collectors or new!!
Additionally, these units weigh 8-9 pounds, I think the Dual Stack Commercial unit may have weighed around 15 pounds. All of them feel like pushing bricks across the carpet. The brush roll does nothing to propel them at all on any of the models that I've tried. I have found cleaning mediocre. The XL-21 does a better job but still not great. Noise is loud on most of the models I have found. The filtration issue I think comes from poor sealing around the bag and not being powerful I think the brush roll kicks a lot of dirt up into the air and the airflow isn't powerful enough to catch it all. In comparison I have Hoover Celebrity canisters, Eureka B bag canisters, Hoover A bag convertible with vinyl bag, and have used TONS of vacuums over the years none of those Hoovers or Eurekas would be rated very well for filtration but I have never experienced any sort of allergic attack to them during use!! The Oreck and also the Garry Vac give me the same allergic reaction!!! I have tried the Riccar SupraLite and although a little loud, it glided itself across the floor with ease, the floor looked very clean, construction seemed significantly better than Oreck and I had no issues whatsoever with filtration and being able to actually use the vacuum!!! Oreck had a power nozzle canister years ago known as the DutchTech series. There was a green unit and a white TOL unit. The second generation of these canisters came equipped with a Wessel Werk EBK 340 power head. Very nice, powerful cleaning canister vacuum cleaners!! If you ever see one of these, I highly recommend it. They are very powerful and quiet with great filtration. But their uprights I can not recommend at all!!! | ||
|
Post# 358637 , Reply# 23 9/3/2016 at 00:37 (2,786 days old) by Durango159 (State College, PA) |
||
|
Also I agree with DysonMan1
Bissells may not be the best cleaners either but for $42 I believe is the going price for the bagged Bissell PowerForce vacuum at Walmart, it will clean circles around any of the Orecks I have used over the years!!! The Bissell is also lighterweight, more pleasant sounding, better filtration-- I feel. The Bissell is significantly easier to manuever and push around the room but you can also feel its power on the carpet! Orecks are just stiff overall to push whether on or off!
Unlike an Oreck that has to be carried around the house due to its wheel design, the Bissell has great wheels to tip the vacuum bag and pleasantly roll around the house from room to room! I heavily recommend the Bissell bagged PowerForce upright over an Oreck!!! A few years ago there was a royal blue colored Bissell Powerforce-- really stunning color that machine was!! | ||
|
Post# 358680 , Reply# 26 9/4/2016 at 01:02 (2,785 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC) |
||
|
the battery powered Simplicity Freedom works really well-love using it a the vac shop-soon I will be getting one-a great partner to my Volt powernozzle.Same vacuum but configured to be a powernozzle to be used with any canister or central vacuum-the Volt really works-Love mine! | ||
| Post# 358691 , Reply# 27 9/4/2016 at 12:06 (2,784 days old) by Blackheart (North Dakota) | ||
|
Oreck
The 4090 i ordered from Ebay arrived yesterday. I started it up right after assembly to clean my rug....then realized it had a broken belt It actually did pick up some surface litter despite that. It's no powerhouse...but it does a respectable job and grooms very well.
View Full Size
| ||
| Post# 358696 , Reply# 28 9/4/2016 at 13:57 (2,784 days old) by wyaple (Pickerington, OH) | ||
|
I'll definitely pick one up the next time | ||
| Post# 359299 , Reply# 29 9/14/2016 at 14:35 (2,774 days old) by Blackheart (North Dakota) | ||
|
A week's worth of dirt
In order to find out if they are really effective or not I ran the Oreck 4090, pictured above 6/7 days in a week (I skipped Sunday due to feeling ill, and having to work)
I live in a 1 bedroom apt, it's just my cat and I, only my living room and bedroom have carpeting, there's also a rug by the door. In my opinion it did rather well, and i'd feel comfortable using an oreck (older or newer) as a sole vacuum (along with a companion canister). Sure it's not a tandem air, kirby, or sanitaire but i do feel it does a respectable job. Here's some shots of the debris it gathered in it's week long run, some of the grittier particles were still caught in the folds, especially the bottom. | ||
| Post# 359336 , Reply# 31 9/15/2016 at 07:33 (2,773 days old) by wyaple (Pickerington, OH) | ||
|
I'm Always Amazed When People Have Such
Varying opinions and experiences with nearly the same machine. For this simple XL model, it's "supposed" to have high airflow and at least medium water lift, so I get confused when one group can't seem to get these to work well and another group has great results for over 10 years.
I never use a vac to pick up debris, only dust and dirt that humans normally can't pickup by hand. And all my machines are kept squeaky clean, brush rolls included. If your cleaner is clogged, brush roll has enough hair to cover someone's head and bag is jam-packed, you're not getting the best cleaning experience possible. Bill | ||
|
Post# 359341 , Reply# 32 9/15/2016 at 08:39 (2,773 days old) by kloveland (Tulsa) |
||
 | ||
|
Post# 359457 , Reply# 34 9/17/2016 at 03:10 (2,772 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC) |
||
|
Maybe like Simplicity--Oreck should try to come out with a cordless Oreck.The dealer I frequent carries both Oreck and Simplicity-the Simplicitys outsell the Orecks.Customers really like the cordless Simplicity.I am getting one in the near future. | ||
| Post# 359467 , Reply# 35 9/17/2016 at 08:56 (2,771 days old) by vacerator (Macomb Michigan) | ||
|
But TTI already has a cordless Dirt Devil. | ||
|
Post# 359519 , Reply# 36 9/19/2016 at 00:32 (2,770 days old) by Durango159 (State College, PA) |
||
|
A Simplicity Supralite will zoom itself across a room if in upright handle and turned on!! They will run away from you quick if switch is on when the unit is plugged in. An oreck doesn't have that power.
Orecks are lightweight to carry but hard to push I've noticed. The Simplicity's maneuver easy and clean fantastic. | ||
| Post# 359607 , Reply# 38 9/19/2016 at 19:36 (2,769 days old) by Kirbyloverdan (Egg Harbor Twp . NJ aka HOOVERLOVERDAN ❤️) | ||
The XL 21  | ||
| Post# 361306 , Reply# 41 10/21/2016 at 20:30 (2,737 days old) by panasonicvac (Northern Utah) | ||
|
Well I got a call earlier today from this same neighbor that wanted me to come vacuum for her. Turns out the lindhaus powerhead wasn't working so I had to use her other vacuum. They don't have the XL21 anymore, they now have a black XL2 they got not too long ago. Wow that thing was TERRIBLE. It was VERY HARD to push on their rugs and medium pile carpet. It was okay on cleaning carpets, I think the XL21 did a little better job than the XL2 but I can't remember. I thought the worst part was I was disgust on how much dust and dirt was blowing out on the neck of the nozzle, I even vacuumed up a few screws accidently and a huge dust cloud came out of the neck.
I haven't used a Oreck in years but now I gotta say that Oreck is another brand I would say to stay away from. | ||
| Post# 361679 , Reply# 43 10/30/2016 at 00:27 (2,729 days old) by panasonicvac (Northern Utah) | ||
|
The XL2 was bought a year ago refurbished from a nearby Oreck dealer, that thing looked like brand new to be quite honest. All the wheels were fine, they weren't stuck at all. The neck of the nozzel was also fine, gaskets were fine, no cracks, and all screws were tighten in place (This was when I replaced the belt on the Oreck to make sure underneath was fine). I always check to make sure a vacuum is in good shape before I would clean a house with it or give my overall final thoughts on a vacuum when I test one out. Even after inspecting the Oreck including replacing the bag and belt on it, it really didn't make much of a difference when I went to cleaning with it. I would still give credit to the XL21 because I remember that thing wasn't hard to push at all on area rugs compare to the XL2 but neither of them would outclean their Central Vacuum.
| ||
| Post# 361734 , Reply# 45 10/31/2016 at 11:14 (2,727 days old) by sptyks (Skowhegan, Maine) | ||
 For me vacuuming is not a chore, in fact I look forward to it 2 or 3 times a week. I own 4 Kirby's, a Royal metal upright, and a Hoover Windtunnel Air. The Hoover lives in the bathroom since it is the smallest. It is on constant standby for kitty litter pickup as that is where the litter box resides.
I love to vacuum the rest of my home with my Kirby's and Royal which all do an excellent job. I also shampoo my carpets every 3 or 4 months with my Kirby Sentria.
I have never owned an O'wreck and because of all the negative reviews I have read here on VacuumLand and elsewhere, I doubt I ever will.
| ||
| Post# 362949 , Reply# 48 11/30/2016 at 17:17 (2,697 days old) by icee (Indiana) | ||
They are ok
I have an oreck xl signature gold edition, it's basically a normal xl with a diffirent color bag. It does ok lol. It definitly is for low pile carpet. The brushes are fairly soft and suction could be higher. Those with low pile carpet, elderly, or physically handicapped would be fine using it (the later two because its light weight).
| ||
| Post# 362958 , Reply# 49 12/1/2016 at 09:12 (2,696 days old) by kirbyvertibles (Independence, KS) | ||
|
| ||
| Post# 363016 , Reply# 50 12/2/2016 at 19:34 (2,695 days old) by wyaple (Pickerington, OH) | ||
|
I wasn't aware that the XL-21 had a bigger motor | ||
| Forum Index: | 
| Other Forums: |
|
|
|
|
|
Comes to the Rescue!
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}