Oreck XL-21 vs Gold Forever

[anontemp123]

If the choices are limited to Oreck upright vacuums only, which would be better for the following:

5000sqft medium pile carpet vacuumed daily
Additional 4000sqft low pile carpet (rolled out, not fixed carpet) vacuumed weekly
Quality of vacuuming should be like at home

I am looking at home vacuums because the requirements for the end result are more like home use than commercial use. (Bare feet and people are sitting, sometimes food and crumbs are present, etc.) Ignoring warranty concerns, are the commercial Orecks still a better fit based on the volume of vacuuming? (For example, maybe the longer cord is worth slightly worse performance.) Appreciate any feedback.

 

[oreck_xl]

Honestly, I really couldn't say Oreck is a brand to be sought anymore. 20 years ago, they made a good vacuum, but since old man David walked away and TTI took control this is no longer the case. A much better choice in an 8 pound upright would be the Riccar Supralite. It's the same 8 pounds, sturdier build quality, better bag docking system, etc. The R10S has two speeds, METAL brushroll and a 4 year warranty.

 

[anontemp123]

I am looking at used 10 year old vacuums. Are those still not up to previous quality from 2 decades ago?

 

[oreck_xl]

I am compelled to ask - WHY? Even if you do find a 10 year old Oreck you will have trouble getting parts as time goes along. Oh sure, belts and bags will be readily available for some time to come but certain parts for the XL-21 have already been discontinued. The idea was a good one - offering a 21 year warranty with free annual tune ups had the company not changed ownership. Riccar went back to the drawing board and "built a better mousetrap" with their 8 lb. upright. But if you're hellbent on an Oreck, good luck.

 

[panasonicvac]

I do humbly apologies but I completely agree with Oreck_XL here. If you're looking into collecting one of those Orecks, then why not just buy both of them? But if you're looking into using one of them for yourself to clean personally, there are better options honestly. The parts for both are no longer made other than the maintenance items like what Oreck_XL has pointed out here. Not to mention that the warranty for both the XL21 and the Gold Forever CANNOT be transferable. Believe me, I've worked at an Oreck dealer or two before. The Oreck Elevate Command is a direct replacement for both the XL21 and the Forever Gold with improvements such as a stronger belt, soft start motor, the vacuum would shut off if you picked up a shoelace that you shouldn't have, etc. You ought to look into that model instead if you're dead set on an Oreck.

https://oreck.com/collections/upright-vacuums/products/elevate-command-vacuum

Or even better is a Riccar Supralite, any model but I'd highly recommend to look into their Entry model. FTR, the R10S has a 3 year warranty.



But what you might like the best and this would be my personal recommendation, I would look into the Sanitaire SL635A if you want the best lightweight upright vacuum on the market today.

https://www.sanitairecommercial.com/products/professional-upright-sl635a

 

[huskyvacs]

Orecks shine on low pile carpet and medium pile, that is what they were made for. Pretty much every Oreck is the same other than cosmetics, they just update the design every so many years with a new model. I have the Oreck Axis and it uses the same motor as the XL21.

Repairing an Oreck is not some difficult endeavor. They have been made the same for the past 30 years vastly unchanged. They can also be totally dismantled with just one Philips screwdriver. You can find any part you want for less than $10 in numerous quantities on eBay or any vacuum store.

Also Riccar is just a shadow of it's former self anymore. They sold out to China and just make rebadged vacuums now with generic molds. It started when they started selling rebranded Hoover Windtunnels. Pretty much their entire present lineup is old Simplicity vacuums.

PS: If you want to know something really funny - the newest Riccar upright - it's just a rebranded Oreck anyway. lol

https://www.amazon.com/Royal-Lightweight-Bagged-Vacuum-UR32200PC/dp/B08DL9KRWG

 

[anontemp123]

Appreciate the passionate responses.

 

[ralph123]

Huskyvacs: Are you confusing Riccar and Royal?

 

[panasonicvac]

That's what I was thinking as well, Riccar and Royal are not related brands. Riccar is owned by Tacony Corporation and Royal is owned by Techtronic Industries which also owns Oreck after Oreck themselves went bankrupt back in 2013. That explains why the Royal is so similar to an Oreck. And why they no longer make parts for either the XL21 or the Gold Forever. You can find parts that either a warehouse or a dealer would carry but that doesn't mean that the parts are still being made. Also not all Orecks perform the same. Example is both the Oreck Elevate Command and Conquer uses the same motor that both the XL21 and the Gold Forever uses which can handle most if not all types of carpeting. But the Elevate Control uses the same motor that the Royal including the Oreck commercial models use which can handle small to medium pile carpeting. Not to say that they can't handle higher pile carpeting because they could but based on experiences, they would have a difficult time handling that pile of carpeting.

 

[anontemp123]

Do the Riccar/Simplicity have manual height adjustment like Kirby, or no adjustment like Oreck?

 

[panasonicvac]

No they do not. That's one of the reasons why I'd recommend that Sanitaire over any Oreck or Riccar lightweight upright. But honestly though if you're looking for a new overall vacuum cleaner, I'd recommend to look into a Sebo X Series. This video shows why the Sebo is a better option to buy over a Oreck or even a Kirby.

 

[mieles5380leo]

I understand your desire for an Oreck. To me there’s just an allure about the machines that draw me to them. People think I’m crazy for having the Orecks I have. If you had to choose between an XL21 or the Forever Series Gold like the title of the thread says, choose an XL21. They were arguably the best upright Oreck ever made and there’s plenty of low priced good condition ones on eBay and some still have their original paperwork. You can also find parts fairly easily for them as well. I don’t have an XL21 but I have serviced and used many and I have a Forever Gold (which is basically a descendent of the XL21) and it works really well. I revived it from being a completely torn down bones machine and brought it back to life. It had no handle, switch, or upper handle tube. The baseplate was held on by one screw and the bumper was ripped out of the bottom. The motor was locked up too and it was very dirty. It’s now completely clean and in tip top shape running at peak performance. They’re tougher machines than you’d think. Your heart wants an Oreck so just get an Oreck. I refuse to buy one 2013 or newer. 2012 is still questionable but 2011 and older will get you a good Oreck in my opinion. They still had their quality and this was pre TTI times.

 

[panasonicvac]

I agree

If it HAD to come down between the two, my vote would also be the XL21. That was a more common model, parts would be easier to find, it had features that the Forever Gold doesn't have, and I just personally like the looks of it more.

 

[anontemp123]

I wanted to give an update on this situation. The XL-21 wasn't very easy to find used at a reasonable price. The vacuum is lightweight, built well, but you have to be an enthusiast to maintain it. I didn't want to always be "on call", so I went looking for alternatives that have local service/parts centers. Our volume is a lot, if you recall, so any vacuum will need servicing. Only the Sanitaires have easily replaceable fans, though, so I didn't knock the Oreck for that.

The Sanitaire SL635A doesn't "self-propel" like some of the other vacuums, whether it's real self propel like the Kirby or the brush roll type like Supralites or even the XL-21. The unit itself is heavier and takes a bit of oomph to move around. By far the best availability for parts in my area, though.

The Sebo X series is also a bit heavy and too expensive for our current budget.

(BTW, does Electrolux rebadge Supralite and Sebo vacuums and markup the price by hundreds? I could swear the models were the same.)

After everything, I am looking at Supralites now. I will post a new thread to ask questions about these. Lesson learned: Might want to actually listen to the person with username Oreck_XL when asking about Oreck XLs.