Oreck XL 3500 Canister Vacuum

[lux1521]

I just got a Oreck XL 3500 canister vacuum. It's design is very cool but in an odd way. As I inspected the machine there are places where I think "wow, that's clever" and others where I think "what were they thinking!". I thought I'd share some photos and my thoughts on this machine with everyone. If anyone has any information on this model or other old Orecks I'd love to hear about them.

Below is the canister with the huge 17 inch wide power nozzle.

 

[lux1521]

One cool part is how you get to the motor. With only 4 screws a pannel can be removed from the bottom and the motor can be removed with no other screws or bolts. You can see where a cord winder would go but this machine does not have one. It has a long removable cord. I'm not sure if that is the orignal configuration. It has a fake button that looks like a cord rewind button but does nothing and is unmarked. The motor itself looks like nothing special. It is a ball/sleeve type and it's quality seems unimpressive. Atleast it has two stages. The white square in front of the motor is a mystery to me. It seems to have a spring under it and is normaly covered by a vent.

 

[lux1521]

As far as actual use goes I don't have any bags for it yet and the PN needs a new belt, so I'll know how it performs next week sometime. As far as features go it has a "Power Eye" that seems to act as a full bag indicator. It has a pre motor filter and an after motor filter. The bag connector slides out for easy connection to the bag. The suction seems to be about average (and thats without a bag). The power nozzle is a bit odd due to its size and the extentions don't stand up straight but lean back slightly when locked in place. The ball joint is cool and makes the dirt path very short. Overall a very intersting machine. I'll be intersted to see what everyone thinks, and hear other peoples experiences with older Orecks.

 

[ian88]

Interesting machine, whats the build quality like? from what I gather most Orecks are big on "features" and "gimmicks" but have very little to offer in the quality department.

 

[tolivac]

I wonder if that Oreck canister vacuum was built by another company for Oreck.Thought they do have contractors building some of their machines.

 

[hoovercelebrity]

Cool!

Those have always intrigued me... I've always wanted to play with one.

I want to say that a fellow collector has one of those--either Corey or Reggie. Don't remember.

I have a brochure for one of those somewhere, or remember having one anyways... If I ever get around to finding it, I'll post it.

For bags and belts, call an Oreck store. That'd be your best bet. From there, call other vac shops. Someone is bound to have them.

Congrats on your find!

 

[ohio_tuec]

An interesting machine indeed. And now somewhat hard to come by. Most people who buy Orecks buy the upright. Oreck discontinued this model in 1998 in favor of the current DutchTech series. In my opinion, the Celoc 3500 is way better. I have one also, which somebody brought into my dealership as a trade-in, because Oreck no longer manufactures bags for them. IIRC, the cleaner unit is made by Douglas (a division of Scott-Fetzer company, which still makes other products for Oreck), and the power nozzle is made by Oreck. The belts are still available, it uses the same belt as the CAP-175 PN, that goes with the commercial PT-57 canister. In the few years I have been at Oreck, I've seen maybe 3 or 4 of these come into the store. Congrats on your find!

 

[petek]

Can you take a picture of the bag chamber...must be some bag that will fit in there..looks pretty square LOL

 

[lux1521]

Hey, thanks for the comments and advice. I found some bags and a belt online at hescoinc.com. I'm sure most of you have been there before. I should have it up and running sometime next week.

I have done a little testing and the build quality seems somewhat inconsistent. The bag cover wants to crush in when you cut the suction off but it always bounces back perfect. The motor seems to be mid range in quality but I'm wondering if its original or a replacement. The brush roll uses real ball bearings and sits in rubber blocks and seems to be a quality product. The original PN motor seems to have been replaced by a GS type. I know Oreck used a metal incased motor on the big foot and expected one in this machine. Overall it seems to be quite nice although a bit bulky.

I'll also have a few more pictures tonight(if my camera batteries charge), including the bag chamber.

 

[compactc9]

Actually many of those p/ns used the plastic GS motors. The CAP175 that I have has the original GS motor.

 

[lux1521]

Ok here is the picture of the bag case.

 

[luxg]

Looks very much like the inside of the Kenmore Canisters.

 

[ian88]

Looks like ya bog standard Panasonic or Hitachi job, not a bad thing ;]