Oreck XL 40th Anniversary

[kirbyman65]

One of my family members recently sold their house in Palm Springs. They were nice enough to grab there oreck for me after it sold. It was in good condition other than a ripped outer bag. So I decided to buy a non original cloth bag for $20 off amazon. It doesn’t look as nice, but it works. I had to do some diy work to attach the bottom clip. But it ended up working fine. Believe this one was produced in September 2010. I put some before and after photos down below.
-Jack

 

[panasonicvac]

Being the 40th Anniversary model, the company started back in 1963 so that means this would've been made in 2003. I can confirm it if I see the info sticker up close.

 

[kirbyman65]

 

[kirbyman65]

Looks like I read the serial number instead of the date code!

 

[panasonicvac]

Yup it was made on the 52nd day of 2003.

 

[cheesewonton]

If you are patient and stalk eBay regularly an original outer bag will turn up in the fullness of time.

Oh, look!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1871795024...52mIvFVhvtfn0ZskAzr/lARCw=|tkp:Bk9SR4LXtdmWZg

 

[Absolute Rainbow]

XL is Roman for "40", making this model very funny to talk about.

 

[cheesewonton]

XL just means eXtended Life.

 

[Absolute Rainbow]

XL just means eXtended Life.

So that's what that model officially means.

 

[cheesewonton]

So that's what that model officially means.

David Oreck called nearly all of his vacuums "XL something". Remember the breathless ads loudly proclaiming "the eight pound Oreck XL blah blah blah" ? With a few exceptions when David Oreck owned the company everything was an XL something or the other.

 

[Absolute Rainbow]

David Oreck called nearly all of his vacuums "XL something". Remember the breathless ads loudly proclaiming "the eight pound Oreck XL blah blah blah" ? With a few exceptions when David Oreck owned the company everything was an XL something or the other.

XL this, XL that... So hilarious!

 

[cheesewonton]

XL this, XL that... So hilarious!

Eh, they did what they were advertised to do, were dirt simple, easy to repair and most proved to be durable under hard use by housekeeping and hospitality staff. David Oreck's main customers were old women who could not carry a heavy vacuum around and hospitality and housekeeping staff who had to push a vacuum around for eight hours a day and / or drag it around on their cleaning cart and thus wanted as light a vacuum as possible that still did the job.

 

[centralsweeper63]

i like the ide of an oreck, though i findthem FAR more straining to use than a kirby g5. I like the idea though they just become hasrd to puch on any carpet even slightly thicker than flat.

 

[cheesewonton]

i like the ide of an oreck, though i findthem FAR more straining to use than a kirby g5. I like the idea though they just become hasrd to puch on any carpet even slightly thicker than flat.

We have an Avalir 2 but for me it's a wrestling match to use it. Thing doesn't want to turn to go around furniture and there is no sneaking a big honking Kirby under furniture.

 

[centralsweeper63]

Yeah, they don't like low furniture. I hate how when you bump something techdrive makes a horrible grinding noise. I manage a g6 at school sometimes ( I have brought it home now) and it seemed to do fine with all the desk legs. I would just go forward and backward a wee bit. You home will be very different to mine though and our preferences will vary.

 

[huskyvacs]

Yeah, they don't like low furniture. I hate how when you bump something techdrive makes a horrible grinding noise. I manage a g6 at school sometimes ( I have brought it home now) and it seemed to do fine with all the desk legs. I would just go forward and backward a wee bit. You home will be very different to mine though and our preferences will vary.

its the nylon gear drive. plastic on plastic with a bit of light oil. if one was to rebuild the entire gearbox out of metal gears and cogs, and thick grease, I will bet it will be virtually silent. you get used to it. i cant hear a kirby without it. furniture clearance issues you put the hose and floor brush and wands on it and use it like a canister vac.

 

[cheesewonton]

its the nylon gear drive. plastic on plastic with a bit of light oil. if one was to rebuild the entire gearbox out of metal gears and cogs, and thick grease, I will bet it will be virtually silent. you get used to it. i cant hear a kirby without it. furniture clearance issues you put the hose and floor brush and wands on it and use it like a canister vac.

I want to run a rotating brush under the bed. Straight suction isn't enough. A Sebo lays flat enough to do that.

 

[centralsweeper63]

I agree, the hard floor brush provided is miserable on carpets. Excellent on hard floors though.

 

[panasonicvac]

Performance Reviews recently posted a video about why you shouldn't have a brushroll for carpets. I watched it and wasn't convinced. I've already seen proof like from the Hayden SuperSystem informercial video about why a floor brush would be terrible at cleaning carpets.