I know that many people don't really like Orecks because they think that they are too lightweight to do a good job. However, I happen to love mine. It is my favorite modern machine. ( I have many vacuums.) My Oreck is about 3 years old. I have tried to service it and keep it in good shape, but lately it has gotten so hard to push on my area rugs. I have 98% hardwoods and 2 large area rugs. I do use the machine on the hardwoods and it does a beautiful job. I was just wondering if maybe the brushroll needs to be replaced? Could that be the reason for it being hard to push? How often should they be replaced? Are there any more Oreck lovers out there? Tim
My Oreck
- Thread starter timborow
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Oreck
I used to have an Oreck, but, the dirt goes up thru the handle and with 4 dogs, it was constantly getting clogged.
And to me, the 'racket' it makes was totally unbearable. I think there are much better and quieter vacuums out there.
Just my 2 cents worth.
I used to have an Oreck, but, the dirt goes up thru the handle and with 4 dogs, it was constantly getting clogged.
And to me, the 'racket' it makes was totally unbearable. I think there are much better and quieter vacuums out there.
Just my 2 cents worth.
The brushroll should probably be replaced or the end caps turned to the "used" position. Also is the bristels are getting pretty thin you might want to just get a new brushroll.
I like Orecks well enough, my only concern is the fan size. I like the Oreck XL21. Its very quiet, especially for a Oreck, and it has a larger fan and bag fill tube.
I like Orecks well enough, my only concern is the fan size. I like the Oreck XL21. Its very quiet, especially for a Oreck, and it has a larger fan and bag fill tube.
You are right
about the noise. I do wish it were quieter, but it is probably the best upright for bare floors. I would love to have a Riccar, but I just can't afford it right now. Many people have said that canisters are best for bare floors and they are right, but I just like uprights. Tim
about the noise. I do wish it were quieter, but it is probably the best upright for bare floors. I would love to have a Riccar, but I just can't afford it right now. Many people have said that canisters are best for bare floors and they are right, but I just like uprights. Tim
I would agree with that. Not many older uprights do bare floors well though, since the brushroll is alwasy on, they throw dirt around on bare floors. I am going to be getting one of the very first Orecks, XL400 from the 60s, soon and it might do well on bare floors too.
mrcleanjeans
New member
the rubberband man
Change the belt AT LEAST every 6 months,even if it looks OK at a glance.I love Orecks,and yes,the XL21 has a MUCH LARGER fan and fill tube,and a MUCH STIFFER brushroll,and cleans the carpets up to 76% better,besides being quite a bit quieter.The Orecks are not the Barbie Doll vacuums some think that they are,but work on exceedingly high RPMs instead of high amps.
Change the belt AT LEAST every 6 months,even if it looks OK at a glance.I love Orecks,and yes,the XL21 has a MUCH LARGER fan and fill tube,and a MUCH STIFFER brushroll,and cleans the carpets up to 76% better,besides being quite a bit quieter.The Orecks are not the Barbie Doll vacuums some think that they are,but work on exceedingly high RPMs instead of high amps.
brettsomers
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but work on exceedingly high RPMs instead of high amps.
this high rpm effect can sometimes grind dirt further into the carpet. since the airflow isnt too hot. but the SURFACE will look tidy!
this high rpm effect can sometimes grind dirt further into the carpet. since the airflow isnt too hot. but the SURFACE will look tidy!
The Panasonic Jet Flo also gets my vote as one of the best little performers, fairly light, pretty good with smushed in dog hair on the carpet, good on floors and best of all it's pretty quiet. Oh and it's easy to pull the cover off and change bags.
Happy with Oreck
I bought a new Oreck upright when I moved into my new home. House is large at approx 4500 sq ft. All hardwood floors and some area rugs. Lugging a cumbersome upright or canister is just not something I want to do anymore. The Oreck upright works perfectly well, great on bare floors and is easy to cart up and down the stairs. The unit does not marr the wood floors. The salesperson proved it and it was true. This was very important to me as a not-so-old canister vacuum I have did marr the floor when rolled across it.
I also purchase Oreck's cleaning fluids. The house smells very clean without the obnoxious scents of other PINE-type cleaners or similar strongly-scented items. In my opinion, a clean house should smell like nothing - not a pine forest.
I still have a Panasonic Jet-Flo upright from the old house. Can't kill the thing. It lives out its retirement in the basement for cleaning down there. The Oreck is better - and I do have pets. Have not experienced clogging as yet.
NO - I don't work for ORECK. But I am very pleased with their products and service!
I bought a new Oreck upright when I moved into my new home. House is large at approx 4500 sq ft. All hardwood floors and some area rugs. Lugging a cumbersome upright or canister is just not something I want to do anymore. The Oreck upright works perfectly well, great on bare floors and is easy to cart up and down the stairs. The unit does not marr the wood floors. The salesperson proved it and it was true. This was very important to me as a not-so-old canister vacuum I have did marr the floor when rolled across it.
I also purchase Oreck's cleaning fluids. The house smells very clean without the obnoxious scents of other PINE-type cleaners or similar strongly-scented items. In my opinion, a clean house should smell like nothing - not a pine forest.
I still have a Panasonic Jet-Flo upright from the old house. Can't kill the thing. It lives out its retirement in the basement for cleaning down there. The Oreck is better - and I do have pets. Have not experienced clogging as yet.
NO - I don't work for ORECK. But I am very pleased with their products and service!
Same here
Paulg. I really like my Oreck upright. Now the little canister--------well I have seen better. It is really dinky, but ok for dusting or quick clean ups. Have you noticed the bristles on the brushroll wearing down from use on hardwoods and tile? I really think I need to replace mine. Tim
Paulg. I really like my Oreck upright. Now the little canister--------well I have seen better. It is really dinky, but ok for dusting or quick clean ups. Have you noticed the bristles on the brushroll wearing down from use on hardwoods and tile? I really think I need to replace mine. Tim
The
When I went into the Oreck store to buy the upright, they pushed hard on the notion of getting the upright and canister "set". Among the variety of vacuum cleaners I own, I have my beloved Hoover Swingette and the anemic Eureka Whisk portable - so I don't need yet another portable vac. Glad I didn't buy it. They did allow me to purchase "just" the upright.
I do appreciate that they have to maximize their sales - and they did ultimately let me buy exactly what I needed and so I am pleased.
The brushroll on the upright is still good. No noticeable wear on the machine of any type yet. So far so good.
I use the Swingette for the car and the lab. The Eureka Whisk is for furnace filters only - so it sits in the furnace room always. I use a metal 1960's Royal hand-vac for vacuuming furniture.
When I went into the Oreck store to buy the upright, they pushed hard on the notion of getting the upright and canister "set". Among the variety of vacuum cleaners I own, I have my beloved Hoover Swingette and the anemic Eureka Whisk portable - so I don't need yet another portable vac. Glad I didn't buy it. They did allow me to purchase "just" the upright.
I do appreciate that they have to maximize their sales - and they did ultimately let me buy exactly what I needed and so I am pleased.
The brushroll on the upright is still good. No noticeable wear on the machine of any type yet. So far so good.
I use the Swingette for the car and the lab. The Eureka Whisk is for furnace filters only - so it sits in the furnace room always. I use a metal 1960's Royal hand-vac for vacuuming furniture.
I tried it
I changed the brush roll from old to new. It does seem to work better, but still a little harder to push than before. I didn't even know that one could change the position on the brush roll. I guess you still learn something new each day.
Tim
I changed the brush roll from old to new. It does seem to work better, but still a little harder to push than before. I didn't even know that one could change the position on the brush roll. I guess you still learn something new each day.
Tim
The size issue with the Orecks is a real issue. In order to get the same performance that a larger, heavier vacum would have, they use a smaller blower that spins at a higher speed. This is the reason for the vacuum's insane noise, which really bothers somone like myself, who's mildly autistic. Despite the advertising hype, the trick to really good cleaning with a vacuum is not pressure as much as it is air volume. In other words, a vacuum cleaner may be able to lift volkswagen automobiles off a road, but still not pick up a pile of sand off a floor. When you move lots of air, you move lots of dirt. Now, the challenge with an Oreck is to move the necessary amount of air with a dimunitive side and weight.
Slow and Easy
In the sales training to be an Electrolux representative, they taught us to vacuum slowly on the back stroke.
Litter is swept up on the forward push and the bulk of deep dirt is extracted on the back stoke.
The more slowly you move the machine over the carpet, the more dirt is extracted.
We could take a brand new vacuum and follow the person before and still pick up more dirt.
The key to good vacuuming is to plug the cleaner in...often.
When a carpet is new it needs to vacuumed daily (Jason) for several weeks to remove the loose milling before it is embedded at the base of the carpet pile which causes traffic patterns and the rug to wear more quickly.
cbyrvnr is right on in knowing the suction must work in tandem with the design of the floor nozzle to maximize clean ability. For fun, try the floor attachment of different brands on the hose of your vacuum and notice the performance difference.
Some experts feel that is the issue with Dyson. Tremendous and sustained suction, but it ranks below many other cleaners in labratory tests for cleanabilty.
The oncologist told me vacuuming was hard on the spine, so I bought a Hoover Wind Tunnel Self Propelled. It took a while to learn to control it. I felt like I was in a Keystone Cops episode. Now, I can dance with it and have taught it to let me lead!
Kelly
In the sales training to be an Electrolux representative, they taught us to vacuum slowly on the back stroke.
Litter is swept up on the forward push and the bulk of deep dirt is extracted on the back stoke.
The more slowly you move the machine over the carpet, the more dirt is extracted.
We could take a brand new vacuum and follow the person before and still pick up more dirt.
The key to good vacuuming is to plug the cleaner in...often.
When a carpet is new it needs to vacuumed daily (Jason) for several weeks to remove the loose milling before it is embedded at the base of the carpet pile which causes traffic patterns and the rug to wear more quickly.
cbyrvnr is right on in knowing the suction must work in tandem with the design of the floor nozzle to maximize clean ability. For fun, try the floor attachment of different brands on the hose of your vacuum and notice the performance difference.
Some experts feel that is the issue with Dyson. Tremendous and sustained suction, but it ranks below many other cleaners in labratory tests for cleanabilty.
The oncologist told me vacuuming was hard on the spine, so I bought a Hoover Wind Tunnel Self Propelled. It took a while to learn to control it. I felt like I was in a Keystone Cops episode. Now, I can dance with it and have taught it to let me lead!
Kelly
brettsomers
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2005
- Messages
- 1,993
the trick to really good cleaning with a vacuum is not press
very, very true.
very, very true.
I have a few Orecks and some other competing light uprights.I feel the Riccar Supralite is a better performer-greater airflow-and Filtrete bags-Someone needs to make filtrete bags for the Oreck-Would help a lot.Both machines do well on the bare floors.The softer brushroll on the Oreck almost seems to have a "polishing" effect.On an Oreck-or any other that "pushes hard" Belt,probaly worn and no longer turning the brushroll.the Oreck Hi RPM motor wears them fast--thats a good reason they have a sbare on the underside of the Oreck floor shoe.In the little slot.Do the bristles of the brushroll protrude at least 1/16-1/8" in below the nozzle-if not they are worn and you need a new brushroll-best to get a belt with it too.The old belt probably won't trun a new brushroll properly becuasde it too is worn and stretched.I like The "Oreck" style vacs better than the Dysons.Those are more clumsy,heavy,and messy to empty.I don't like the Oreck canister vac that came with the Oreck upright-Mine spews the dust back out as it picks it up.It now just sits in the closet.If you don't want the canister-you can get the Commercial Oreck-similar to the household model but has a 3 wire cord and plug-but no headlight.
