Oreck HEPA Cordless Upright Bagged Vacuum Cleaner BK95520PC

[niclonnic]

I got this vacuum for Christmas. It is a cordless, bagged upright from Oreck. That's right; I am now the owner of a BAGGED vacuum cleaner! I never thought I'd see the day when I actually own one.

The vacuum has a futuristic design and is very lightweight (even with the battery installed), which Oreck is known for. However, there are no attachments, so this is a floors-only machine. It features some brilliant LED headlights, which are the brightest I've ever seen on a modern vacuum. Compared to my old Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Lift-Off (which I don't have anymore), the lighting on the Oreck is a lot more even.

The vacuum is powered by a removable and rechargeable 20V max, 6Ah ONEPWR lithium ion battery, which takes about 3 hours to charge. Just a few minutes of vacuuming depleted 1 light out of 4.

Since it's a bagged vacuum, there's no messy dirt cup to deal with or filters to wash. The bags feature HEPA filtration and can hold up to 4 times more dirt than a typical bagless vacuum. In addition, they have a SaniSeal system which prevents the dirt from flying out of the bag while changing it. Hopefully, this will be better for my allergies. The vacuum came with 4 bags, one of which was pre-installed for convenience.

I tested it out, and it is pretty powerful for a cordless vacuum! It doesn't scatter debris on hard floors, and on carpets/rugs, the brush roll causes surface dirt to dance around. I was surprised at how good the agitation is. And when I touched the bag, I could hardly feel the dirt in there.

However, there are some cons with this vacuum. The lack of attachments means I can't get into crevices or corners, vacuum up a small spill or do stairs. The bags are consumable parts which could get expensive over time.

There is a squeegee on the bottom near the brush roll which prevents scattering, but it makes a loud scraping noise when I run the vacuum across my laminate floors. In addition, it causes the vacuum to skip/hop on rugs. But I suppose that's a minor inconvenience.

So far, I think it's a great cordless vacuum that performs just as well as a corded unit.

 

[huskyvacs]

Oreck vacuums never had attachments, that's why most premium models came with a Oreck Buster for free, that you would use for above the floor cleaning (also could be sold separately).

What kind of filtration is that bag meant for? This is the first time I've ever seen a purple vac bag!

The vacuum looks like they took their Oreck Axis model and modified it slightly to be cordless. Looks like the bag shrunk to account for the balance between airflow and battery life.

I might have to try one someday when it's cheap, still hunting down a Magnesium.

 

[bagintheback]

Hoover sells their version for $299, which is tempting. I haven't seen any real real pictures of this model yet so this was fun to see! Thankfully this looks like any other Oreck they've been selling for the past few decades. The brush roll looks a little narrower than the corded ones, but I could be wrong. CC bags are huge and cheap. They've been for sale since 1997 so they're everywhere. Does the motor sound similar to Oreck's usual 4amp?

My XL Classic finally died last week after 17 years of pretty regular use. Your Oreck will definitely outlast the original battery, so it's just a matter of them offering replacements. Congrats!

 

[ctvacman]

Love mine

I’ve had mine for awhile and love it for what it is, it could replace a full-size vacuum I think.

 

[tolivac]

Wouldn't the battery on the bottom front bump into things or make it hard to get under furniture?It would be interesting to try it-the vac shop here doesn't stock these machines.Like my Simplicity Freedom cordless.I have been having problems with the chargers-sometimes they work well-other times they burn out.Has happened a few times-voltage at my place normal.The chargers have been replaced under warranty.

 

[niclonnic]

@huskyvacs As I've stated in the OP, the purple bag is meant for HEPA filtration. The fact that the outer bag is smaller means that the filter bag doesn't fully fit in the compartment; it must be tucked in to a degree.

@bagintheback The motor on this Oreck does sound different than their typical 4-amp motor; it's quieter and sounds like a jet engine when being turned on.

@tolivac The battery MIGHT bump into objects, so I'll have to be careful when steering the vacuum under low furniture.

 

[tolivac]

The advantage of the Sinplicity-Riccar models is the battery is on the back of the handle.It is in a slimmer case.It would be neat to try the Oreck,though.What is with the striking purple bags?

 

[kloveland]

Very nice.

Looks very sharp! Now if they could only make a cordless Electrolux canister. The cord winder could be removed and a big battery pack placed in its butt.

I looked at the Hoover version. It seems to be about the same. Kind of odd seeing the Hoover logo on Oreck CC bags from the 90s.

 

[niclonnic]

About the bags...

Since I'm frequently being asked about the "striking" purple bags, I'll answer to everybody at once: They are high-quality HEPA filtration bags with 5 layers of filtration. Because of this high quality, the bags are pricey at about $30 for a pack of 6.

Oreck has color-coded their CC bags for identification: purple for HEPA (superior, 5-layer), green for anti-allergen (select, 2-layer) and blue for antimicrobial (standard, 1-layer).

 

[luxlife]

Do they still make the bags with the charcoal?

Riccar offers nothing with charcoal in bags for their lightweight. I’d ditch my Supralite for this machine in a heartbeat if Oreck makes odor control bags that actually work.

 

[huskyvacs]

Thanks niclonnic for clarifying the bags. I knew they were HEPA, just didn't know why they were purple. This must be a new thing Oreck has been doing, I have not heard of color-coded bags until today. They certainly are pretty!

 

[niclonnic]

luxlife

The bags with charcoal are no longer being made. But there is a silver lining: the purple HEPA bags have a layer of charcoal in them. I completely forgot to mention that while describing the bags.

 

[luxlife]

Ok thanks Niclonnic!

Please let us know what you observe with the bag’s performance and potential odor issues. I’m so tired using cover ups for pet hair and dander.

 

[tolivac]

So the purple color has a meaning-a color code system.Are the "purple" HEPA bags made for other Oreck upright vacuums-yes pricey but worth it.And Oreck bags are large like Kirby,Royal metal,Simplicity-Riccar bags-all hold a lot of debris!So price really isn't so much of an issue.Sevral quarts-to a couple gallons?I have some Oreck upright bags-for Magnesium-not purple but sort of tan color and have the charcoal in them.Do the purple bags fit the Magnesium-thats the Orecks I use.One with a pushbutton start at the back of the handle-bag housing-other has the "remote" start with the battery operated RF switch in the handle top.Like both machines.With these don't need a "broom" or stick vacuum.

 

[blackheart]

yes!

About time you got a bagged vacuum!

 

[lesinutah]

Riccar/simplicity

If you get rid of the simplicity cordless I'd be Happy to take it off your hands. I know exactly your answer to that statement so no reason to say it.

 

[vacuumdevil]

@niclonnic

Thanks for sharing your experience.
I too recently got one of these in the form of a Hoover.
Have to say the idea of a cordless Xl-21 vacuum is fantastic!

 

[tolivac]

Interesting and nice vacuum.Isn't this one the same as the Oreck version?The powerhed looks the same-bag looks the same,and the undermount battery.Sounds like it bumped into the chair you were vacuuming around.Looks like the main diffrenc is the name on the powerhead.I might like to get this or the Oreck version.

 

[niclonnic]

Interesting...

That Hoover looks exactly like my Oreck, but with the Hoover name. I wonder why that is?

The answer is fairly obvious. In 2013, Oreck was sold to TTI, the parent company that also owns Hoover and Dirt Devil/Royal. That's why we're seeing an Oreck dressed up as a Hoover.

https://www.hoover.com/onepwr-hepaand-cordless-upright-vacuum---kit/BH55500PC.html

 

[vacuumdevil]

@niclonnic I'll be very clear about this when I publish my review video later.

But my understanding is the differences are Brush roller stiffness, color, warranty.

@tolivac I don't see how anybody could justify paying double for the oreck version now.

 

[gottahaveahoove]

Alex, as always,

nice presentation.
Enjoy your new "Hoover".

 

[niclonnic]

Update + Under the Hood

I'd like to give an update on this Oreck vacuum, after a little over a month of use.

It's still performing admirably on both carpets and hard floors. I'm still on the original bag, and it has lots of room left in it. I imagine it'll take quite a few months for the bag to fill up.

The battery lasts about 15-18 minutes on a single charge, which I find pretty reasonable. However, additional ONEPWR batteries are crazy expensive! They cost $170 each, directly from Oreck.

A couple days ago, I unscrewed 7 Torx screws and removed the bottom cover because I needed to untangle the brushroll. I found some interesting things underneath.

The belt is called an "Endurolife" belt, and it's made out of Kevlar, so it should theoretically last longer than a typical rubber belt. However, I found some fibers sticking out of it, which makes me question the belt's longevity.

There's also an electronic circuit board which controls the vacuum, along with a micro-switch that prevents the vacuum from turning on when it's locked in the upright position. This is a safety feature, so that the vacuum doesn't "run away" or do anything undesirable when standing upright. It MUST be reclined in order to be turned on.

 

[vacuumdevil]

@niclonnic thanks for posting this picture!

We are now able to confirm that there is no difference between brush rollers and inner mechanics between the Oreck and Hoover variance.
I'd like to mention if you need replaceable batteries go with the Hoover branded batteries. They can be gotten for much less.

 

[huskyvacs]

I think Oreck and Kirby are the only modern day vacuums I know of that still use wood brushrolls on their vacuums. It's amazing how similar it looks inside to Oreck XL's, just with more computer tech. Good to know they are still really easy to work on. I always loved them for their "one tool repair" aspect - you could fix the entire vacuum with just a Philips screwdriver.

 

[vacuumdevil]

My full review on the Hoover version.

 

[tolivac]

How does this vacuum compare to the Simplicity Freedom Cordless vacuums?Would like to add this Hoover version or the Oreck one to my collection.So far the dealer near me doesn't have these in stock.

 

[tolivac]

I have no problems with wood brushrolls.They work fine for me.

 

[vacuumdevil]

@tolivac I would say the Hoover/TTI machine is of higher quality then the Riccar/simplicity. Having the battery down low makes it maneuver a little bit then there's the lifetime belt which is a big improvement!

 

[tolivac]

Good-glad to see some opinions on these vacuums.I might order one myself than have the dealer do it.I like the plug in tool type battery packs.This has an advantage over the fixed Riccar/Simplicity batteries.Is the Hoover one really the same vacuum as the Oreck one-other than in names?So want to try these!The battery location doesn't seem like a real problem-since its the same thickness as the bag.