Oreck owners out there

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at your local Oreck store but VERY $$$$$$$ You can get the Sanitaire cheaper.
I used to knock all Orecks untill Rick Asquith gifted me a few. OMG I love them ( not my favorite for deep cleaning but I do love them ) I have since got into the really early Orecks from the 60-70's and have 3 of them.
 
Im sure its the same thing. Oreck has added a chunkier handle grip, reversed the cord clips, changed cord, hood decals, and bag. Brush roll just might be different.


I will tell you.... Once you go sanitaire, you cant go back! My first sanitaire I had got me on the hook, and I wont retire my TOL S677D for anything. Its still the best vacuum cleaner I have ever used.
 
One with a headlight

I'm looking for one with a headlight. So it's like once you go with a Macintosh you won't go back to PC?
-Jayson
 
Sanitaire

Ok so go with a Sanitaire I take it. But there are several variations. I've seen widepath, and ones that look like the old Eurekas. I'm confused someone help me here...
-Jayson
 
Heavy duty sanitaires are what you want. Not the bagless plastic ones they have.

All their metal hood ones are the same practically. Some have different outer bag set ups, some have different brush rolls.


Below are the pictures of the 3 sanitaires I have owned. I currently have the left most one, which is Sanitaires Top of the line model.

The only difference between this one and the others, is the handle grip has the power switch. The others have the switch on the base. The handle grip is also D shaped, rather than the straight pole of the others.

It sports a Vibra Groomer One. Personally I like the VGII and III better, but they are all some of the best brush rolls made. Certainly my favorites.

brandon_w_t++3-27-2011-19-24-54.jpg
 
I like my Orecks as well, great for vacuuming carpets quickly and "relatively" well. They make the cleaning time profitable and much easier on your back if you have a large amount to do often.

I've had a fair number of them over the years, they aren't the most durable for really hard use - winter can be a very efficient "Oreck Killer" depending on the severity of the conditions but overall employees seem to like them well enough.

I offered one to my mother recently who currently uses a Kirby G3 but she turned it down, "I like the Kirby." Being able to "drive" it in and out of the hall closet where it hibernates is a good feature, carrying it isn't an issue as they have vacs on both levels of their home.

The one I'm using now is a 40th anniversary edition I found at a garage sale face down in the dewy grass one morning. "We don't know what's wrong but it won't pick up dirty any longer and although my mother paid a fortune for it, we just need to get rid of everything so if you're willing to take it, you can have it for free." Thanks! Pulled the piece of scrap-paper out of it and it's been fine ever since. I put a new (after-market) brush roll on it recently and am rotating it back in to service now that the winter sand, salt and grunge is pretty well finished.

My son has an earlier version in his room that we were given by Roger in AZ four or so years ago. I pulled it out of the box when it came and he loved the color combinations (gray, black, white and silver-chrome) so I asked if he wanted it and it's been in there ever since.
 
Not re-badged Sanitaires....

Actually, those uprights are made by Perfect, which are sold under their name as well only with a different color of trim, the ones that I've seen have been kind of a pastel blue. The Orecks are handsome I think, but as usual, very over priced compared to what you can pick up Sanitaires for. The two top models 101/102 have VG1 brushrolls and have a lifetime warranty on the fans. I have sold a few, even with our outrageous pricing, and not one has come back for any issues. I have sold them with all the bag options, dump, dirt-cup, and the one that uses the Hepa disposable bags. I too like a headlight, so haven't purchased one myself. I will say the dirt-cup model seems to be a better setup than the Sanitaires, and has a bigger capacity and so far none have come back broken.
 
What can a Sanitaire pick up?

What sort of things can a Sanitaire pick up? I'm currious to know. Wonder what would break on of these things too.
-Jayson
 
Rick, you are a genius! Thanks for the details!

At first I thought they were Koblenz rebadges.

What are the motors in them? I understand Perfect sometimes uses out-of-date patent designs. Like the Electrolux metal tank.

Thanks again
 
A sanitaire will suck up anything and everything in the path. Its the best deep cleaning vacuum next to the Tristar, that I have.

I have sucked up pennies before, but I would not recommend it. They can break the Lexan fan.


But fans are a dime a dozen practically, and very very easy to replace (like a 5 minute task)
 
Brandon, I have never seen one disassembled so not sure of the motor, other that it is a 7amp like the Sanitaires. I was suprised to see the VG1 brushrolls in them, you would've thought Eureka would have patented those way back when. That's my favorite brushroll of any of my uprights, killer for deep carpet cleaning! The Orecks have a built in magnet bar across the front of the machine, nice feature! Our commercial rep told us that our handle bail is stronger metal than the Sanitaires, and find it interesting that ours has a lifetime warranty on the fan which makes me wonder if it's of a different material than the Sanitaires, or just a selling feature. The first one I sold was to a man who used to bring in his Oreck about every six months, beat to death by his wife. He had free tune-ups yearly, but would pay for one in between because they had 5 kids, 3 dogs, etc. and his wife was OCD about vacuuming and ran it into and under everything and never cleaned the hair off the brush roll. I showed him the new commercial and explained it would be hard for her to tear one up, and he walked out with it that day. The only thing they've ever done is change the belt, so I guess it's holding up well. That's probably been two years ago when we first started selling them.
 
I have..

a black Oreck XL something. It is a 2008 model, and its above middle of the line, but not top of the line. It is black with white writing sticked in the bag, and all it says is 'Oreck'. It is a two speed with LED lights and I absolutely love the vacuum. It is so easy to maneuver and use, and lightweight! I can vacuum all of my bathroom and kitchen rugs with it as well! And the fact that is doesn't scatter dirt around my hard floors is great! Unfortunately, I paid full price ($550) for it brand new at an Oreck Store, which is obviously WAY to much, but I really wanted an Oreck at the time.. But all in out, I really like them!
-Chase
 
Guilty

I have a thing for the oreck, Ive got 2 of them, one of the cheap target ones and then the XL. They do fluff the rugs nice, but not to good at deep cleaning. I use them moslty between heavy vacuuming.
 
*Coming from a Riccar Dealer...* (those who hate Oreck, take

I love my XL21. Yes, i deal and love my Riccar Supralites but the XL21 is a LOT of fun. It is a more than decent machine for getting the job done as well. Low speed is awesome on bare floors, and High speed is actually really good on just about all carpets. I have yet to put the machine on a carpet that it didn't "pull itself" on. Overall i don't think it is worth the outrageous $799 or whatever, but the machine is worth it if you can get one on ebay for like $100- $200. I found mine for $50 and put a new brushroll into it.

myvacsrock++3-30-2011-11-24-44.jpg
 
I have an Oreck 9100 XL I bought new back in I think like 91. Still runs like new only thing I have replaced is the roller/brush thing.
 
Oreck..

You can argue all day about how bad or good an Oreck is, but no one can argue that Dave Oreck is a marketing genius, he took a cheap little quick broom that Sears was selling for 29.95 in 1963 and turned it into the success story of the century, the Oreck of today is not a bad machine, no it wont deep clean like say a Miele upright, but it does a DARN good job, and nothing fluffs up a rug better, for years I was anti Oreck, but I did service in there Winston Salem store part time and found out, they really are well built, and the newer ones do a fine job,
 

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