Opinions on Oreck XL's

[rise2it]

Oreck opinion

My opinion was that Oreck was the "Bose Stereo" of the vacuum world...massively overpriced due (in part) to the insane amount of advertising done...what should have been an $89 vacuum that sold for $300. (..and their customer's loved them, at least when they first got them..)

 

[tolivac]

It was said that--by the vac shop owners I know-the Orecks and other lightweight uprights were liked by older or elderly folks because they are easy to pick up and push-esp with the "handplane" handle on the Orecks.When I use one-I feel like I am pushing an old Stanley handplane.That handle does have those merits-you can exert some push with little effort on your part.

 

[panasonicvac]

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.

 

[stormcrash]

Sounds like there's something quite wrong with that vacuum then. The XL2 is from the early/mid 2000's so that vacuum is probably about a decade old and in need of a tune up. While you shouldn't have sent a screw up the vacuum, it sounds like the gaskets on the tube collars are bad if there's dust coming out. The wheels may be stuck too if its that hard to push vs a 21. The 21 is newer and a higher end model but it sounds unfair to judge based on what appears to be a machine in very rough shape

 

[panasonicvac]

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.

 

[luxkid1980]

I have an Oreck XL Classic that I bought refurbished at BigLots a few years ago and it's been great! The only maintenance i've done is to replace the bags and I replaced the belt once. I like the very simple components of this vacuum. It cleans my medium pile carpet and hard wood floors very well. I'm not sure how the vacuum could possibly get a poor review. Its a simple vacuum and it gets up dirt very well. It doesn't need all the silly contraptions that some newer style vacuums seem to come with these days..HEPA filters. The Oreck dust bag filters the air. What more do you need? Thus far, my Oreck has been trouble free and it only cost me $99. Also, the vacuum isnt hard to push, no more than a vacuum should be. Besides...vacuuming is a chore. You have to put in some effort to vacuum with any machine, except maybe the robot ones. If you find one at a thrift store at a good price, they are worth it. Just spend some time to clean it up and replace the maintenance parts (brush roll, belt, bag, etc.)

 

[sptyks]

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.


 


 

 

[luxkid1980]

I still consider vacuuming a chore, because what is a chore? It's a task that we routinely do; be it daily, weekly, etc. There are many chores that I like.. including vacuuming I also like washing clothes..though I hate folding them afterwards! Oreck XLs are great vacuums for what they are intended to do.. get dirt off the floor. They are not great at vacuuming the couch or a chair

 

[daknx1994]

Things just don't seem to add up. I feel some people on here stick their nose up at a vacuum just because of a few others thoughts. If you have never owned one or really used one (and I am not talking about just a few minutes using one), don't comment on it. Orecks are hard to kill and actually do a pretty damn good job. If I had to give up all of my vacuums and keep one, it would be my Oreck's. They are lightweight, easy to use, and do not give me a headache like other vacuums. So if you do not have any sound experience using one, don't comment. I don't go around saying things about brands that I have never used or damn near owned.

Rant over, long day at work.

 

[icee]

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).

 

[kirbyvertibles]

Those that have only used the lower end models with the smaller motor really need to try the bigger ones like the XL21 and newer. If you think the basic Oreck is meh just ok, you will love the bigger ones.

 

[wyaple]

I wasn't aware that the XL-21 had a bigger motor

I'll have to re-adjust my sights for that model then. Maybe the larger motor won't be such of a screamer as the standard XL.

Bill