Opinions on Oreck XL's

[wyaple]

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

 

[blackheart]

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.

 

[dysonman1]

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.

 

[wyaple]

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

 

[kirbysthebest]

Orecks are ok machines

For what they are designed for.   Usually lower pile carpet.


 


I still contend that if someone, say an older adult or physically disabled individual were able to use an Oreck daily, or every other day.  They are able to maintain a carpet better than only using a full sized machine once a month.


 


 

 

[panasonicvac]

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.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

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.

 

[vinvac]

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.

 

[human]

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.

 

[bearwise]

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

 

[vacerator]

Yes, light,

and appreciated for being made in America. Now Oreck is just another choice from TTI.

 

[singerman]

Well

Oreck's are not my personal favorites. They are alright even though I would never want one. If I had to pick a lightweight vacuum it would be a simplicity freedom.

 

[vac-o-matic]

I have plush cut pile carpeting over a premium pad that's getting on in age. When I use my XL21 it brings it back to life! My dog gets two Milk Bones a day, and some of the crums make it into the pile that she doesn't get. The Oreck gets those crums that work their way down into the pile. I had a Simplicity model RSL3 IIRC. I picked one up in a thrift store that was in excellent condition. While it cleaned well, talk about a screamer! Not bashing, just observation/opinion. I quickly flipped it, and don't think it did any better than my XL21, and it's way quieter. Like any vacuum if you keep them serviced, they serve their owners well.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

My "lightweight" cleaner is the

Hoover Platinum.

 

[panasonicvac]

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.

 

[jpow30]

we have 2 oreck commercial in one office that dose pretty good job on med pile carpet it leave good vacuum marks
we have a oreck xl 21 in the other office has low pile carpet we dump it every 2 month or more you may know this but oreck and oreck xl21 have differ fans oreck has 5 blade oreck xL 21 has 7 blade

 

[wyaple]

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

 

[vac-o-matic]

It came off the line on the 52nd day of 2012. Very basic Oreck with the switch on the base, shorter cord, and non-hypo-allergenic outer bag. Everything looks to be in good shape. I worked for an Oreck store part time for over 8 yrs. and know how to date the vacuum. Around Christmas these sold for 199.99 for the upright only, sold a ton of them.

 

[rainbowd4]

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.

 

[vacman117]

The 2200 in the previous picture has been the entry model for the past few years now. Big Lots had them for around $100 about four years ago.

I believe you can still get them on Amazon for around $199..

Chase

 

[daknx1994]

Vac-o-matic is right, it was made the 52nd day of 2012. The C designates it was series C or the third series of that paticular 2200. These were in Biglots for a while but on the box they said remanufactured I remember because I ended up buying one from Biglots. I sold it on to a family member in need of a decent plain Jane vacuum.

 

[kirbyvertibles]

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.

 

[durango159]

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!!!

 

[durango159]

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!!

 

[stormcrash]

Having grown up with them I'm a fan of Oreck vacuums. My current vacuum is an Oreck Graphite model and my parents have an XL2 that's over 10 years old and still runs like a champ. They've always cleaned our medium height carpet well and the bushy bristles on the brush roll groom the carpet really nicely. I've never had a problem with them clogging and while they are loud I find them less annoying than vacuums with a shrill high pitch motor like a shark I used for a year.

In terms of the TTI buyout most of the models are still made in the USA including the whole new elevate line. The Magnesium series is made in china but the classic and commercial uprights are still made in TN. I do think TTI needs to up their game on advertising for the brand and get it back out there more.

I do wish that they would add a headlight to the XL Classic, but I think the new elevate models look quite nice

 

[rvarley]

To original poster - If you've never tried an Oreck, I suggest you try one and form your own opinion. Not having ever used one, I can't comment on the machine, but for my own use cases, a light weight, smaller machine is best. And I do like simple uprights that are plain vacuums without all the silly attachments. My personal fav is the lightweight Riccar or Simplicity. Although loud, they are easy to push, maneuverable and powerful. Mine is top of the line, so it has the low speed switch for hard surfaces and it does great on them. And the cord is the longest I've ever seen on a vacuum. I think Tacony also makes a version which is battery powered which would be interesting to try. Getting rid of the cord makes the task that much easier. Big, heavy, clumsy uprights with a ton of attachments - no thanks.

 

[tolivac]

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!

 

[blackheart]

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.

 

[wyaple]

I'll definitely pick one up the next time

I see one at the thrift stores. Now since I know how to read the year from the serial number, that'll help me decide if it's worth whatever they might be asking.

Bill