Oreck XL Series (Upright)

I had an Oreck Classic for about five years and it worked fine to pick up dog and cat hair. But, it didn't have enough power on thick, expensive area rugs like the rugs in my dining room and living room. Also, the cord was not long enough and I had to keep plugging into many different outlets. Two weeks ago, I upgraded to an XL Silver and NICE difference! The cord is very long, it has a bright light so I can now see all the spots I have been missing in a long, dark hallway and it has TWO speeds so now my thick area rugs are a breeze to vacuum BUT even the lower speed will suck up bathroom mats (unlike the Classic) so you have to be careful with light weight rugs. Overall, good product. And it came with a five year warranty and three FREE annual checkups/tuneups :-)

I have two Oreck XL's and have nothing to say other than great. No problems whatsoever with the vacuums providing you know what you are doing. If you start off with a sloppy home and expect a high quality vac to whisk away the paperclips, clumps of cat litter and little suzies plastic bracelet you're wrong. You should re consider using a shop vac with 2-3 inch diameter hose for those tasks. Orecks as with all vacuums in their class are all fine when used like they were designed for. Knowledge goes a long way and using that knowledge before posting a negative review on a product gives the impressive you know what you are talking about.

Overpriced to begin with. It worked great for a few months until I had it serviced at which time the belt began to slip off all the time, and still does. Had it serviced a few times, got a new roller brush, new belt of course. The servicing isn't cheap. I moved into a home with a new carpet for which the Oreck XL is worthless. It clogs up all the time. So I used my much cheaper (but better overall) Sears Cannister. I had to use the Sears vacuum until nearly all the new carpet fibers were either picked up or worn down to where the Oreck could function. Now it is functioning, and I think it has good suction. But I'm still having to put the belt back on when it slips off (often). I have to be very careful not to catch a corner of a throw rug or anything else in it ... or the belt will come off. I paid over $800...thought I was getting the best but was not. I could buy 5 or 6 cheaper cannister vacs with that much money...and have a new vacuum every 2 or 3 years. The Oreck bags... Read more

I have an Oreck Upright and the handheld Canister. Both work just as they did the day I bought them. It is an expensive purchase but after talking to the sales rep. at the store. I was provided with enough knowledge that I felt comfortable with making such a large purchase. I have had my share of problems with the belts popping off and when I brought it into the store near me, they explained why the belts were designed to pop off if I got something caught on the brush roll or the internal fan. Apparently if you vacuum up something larger than the fan blades the fan will stop moving, the motor is still turning a will throw the belt off as to not burn up the motor. The bags are expensive but a package has lasted me for 2 1/2 years now which is saying a lot. I get a free bag and belt with my yearly service. I can say that I do not vacuum up things that I shouldn't, things that are not intended to go through a fan system and I handle my vacuum very well. Other than replacing the brush r... Read more

Okay, so even though I realize that in general people that are unhappy with a product will much more readily write a review than people that are happy with it, there is just too much negative in these reviews for me to chance a purchase of this product. I think I'll pass and look for a home vacuum product that perhaps is better liked by the consumers. I appreciate all the reviews that were sent in on this.

Our church has an Oreck XL commercial model. It is totally worthless!! Handling - the only thing I can say good about it is that it is lightweight, so it is very easy to carry around. However, it is extremely awkward while actually vacuuming, due at least in part to the fact that the design is extremely top-heavy, which also causes it to fall down frequently. Quality/durability - cheap plastic construction. Undersize motor does not provide sufficient suction. Whenever it falls (see under handling), a pin connector attaching the cord to the unit comes loose. Every time this happens, it is necessary to remove several phillips screws to take the handle off in order to reconnect the cord. This is simple enough to do, but should not be necessary. Cleaning power - simply aweful, due to the underpowered motor. Value - A cheap Eureka or Hoover is a lot better machine for much less money. If you want a really good vacuum, get a Kirby - more expensive, but much more ruggedlty built, i... Read more

i bought a oreck xl because about 20 close friends go skiing every year and this one time we rented a few hotel rooms, well we were drinking and eating peanuts broke them open and threw the shells on the rug, well we were very loud, long story short police came and made us clean the room peanuts everywhere well they gave us a ORECK VACUUM and told us if we didnt clean up the peanut shells we would go to jail for trashing the room needless to say the vacuum kept us out of jail then they kicked us out of wisconsin dells not just the hotel the whole city true story iwas and am very impressed by this vauum

We've had our Oreck XL for quite a few years now. We're lucky we have an Oreck repair shop close by. The main problem is the drive belt for the beater bar is constantly popping off. I've tried new belts and re-installing the old ones that are not worn out but it makes no difference. We have two dogs which shed and the tube leading to the bag clogs once and a while but it's not really that much of a problem. I would not spend the money on another. You would be much better off spending your money at Target or Wal-Mart and replacing the whole vacuum more often.

This is our second Oreck. Got rid of the 1st one because our kids are rough on vacuums. The belts always came off the old one. We bought a new Oreck XL Gold ($499) series 6 months ago. Belt comes off constantly. Asked oreck to send a new one. They said to send this one in and they would repair it. I asked if they would send me one and I would send them this one. We can't be without a vacuum for 3 weeks. They said "No deal". I am 250 miles from an authorized Oreck service repair shop. Good Vacuum if you are going to use it lightly. Good vacuum for retired. Nice and light weight. Took the Oreck to our hotel where the maids will baby it. Just bought a Hoover wind tunnel $100 so far really impressed. Get on the ball Oreck! Don't rest on your past success!!

12/12/09 Oreck XL Pro from Costco $299-$50 = $249. Great Deal, but coupon ends 12/31/09. Pros: lightweight, exhaust from the rear, bags, under furniture, separate canister, speeds up cleaning. Cons: loud, does not turn so well, can’t turn off “Brush”,pulls left. I have been using a Eureka SmartBoss ($149) for about for years after reading Consumer Reports and seeing it as a best buy. I was really pretty happy with it and it did a good job. My wife is petite and was unhappy with the weight of it. It was also difficult to use the hose attachment for high places like door frames (I have even stood on ladders and held the vacuum high off the floor in one hand while cleaning cobwebs with the hose attachments in the other. Not dangerous at all.) One day my wife was using the hose attachment to clean the stairs and stretched it a little too far, the vacuum crashed down and was highly traumatized. Now we had an excuse to shop for a new one. My wife had liked the Oreck from the ads be... Read more

Keep in mind that one of Oreck's selling points is that it is a "light weight" upright vacuum. So, don't expect it to perform like a super monster big vac. You must have common sense when using any vacuum cleaner. Although most vacuum cleaners can handle small tacks and nails most people know that it is not wise to run any vacuum over such objects. As a light weight upright The Oreck XL upright is more ideal for senior citizens or those who find using larger vacs more cumbersome. But, if you expect it to pick up everything in it's path without any problem you are unrealistic. No matter how big or strong any vacuum is a smart house keeper will pick up nails, tacks, hard objects and pieces of paper which might clog or damage a vacuum. If something gets jamed in the Oreck's intake or if you know the belt is slipping or burning turn the vacuum off immediately and dislodge the stuck object. That is common sense. The Oreck upright will do a good job cleaning most carpets and floor... Read more

Sadly enough, I was contemplating purchasing an Oreck XL, but after reading the reviews, I decided not to.

Our first ORECK was like a sherman tank had it 9 yeard did little but replace brushes and belts. Endorsed them it was a great sweeper.   The replacement XL extended ran 3 months bag fell off cover filthy the franshise dealer would not honor the warranty said we has pet urine in the sweeper , was to order a replacement bag under warranty $50.00 what a conidence the replacement bag is $50 same as the cleaning. When I said I would never buy another one what happened to ORECK of old said that is gone new oreck. And if there is any urine in the loaner sweeper you will pay $50.00 also. Please don't throw your money away as I did. Buy a inexpensive sweeper and if it fails pitch it and start over I wasted $500.00 and have a worthless warranty plus embarsement from a bunch of money grabing snobs. Not the same company of old.

My first Oreck I was soo impressed I have bought a higher up Oreck. I have 12 cats and two dogs in doors. So I needed the best. I was put off at first by some of the reviews but I took upon my self to go into an Oreck dealer and talk about them the first time. They have a good return policy. I think the complaints are coming from people who are entirely abusive to them...I should know having cats and dogs and being satisified. I found out that Oreck dealers are franchised so that may also be why some have poor customer service. Do not be scared! Oreck has always been polite and available to answer my questions or concerns. I am sure there are pushing vac salesman out there...but here locally Oreck is very laid back and seems to be happy just to have you stop in and say hi!

It cleans pet hair ok. That's all the good I have to say about it. It's fragile and the warranty doesn't cover anything. You must look for little things like kids toys, paper clips, etc. or you will regret it. Clogs easily and must be taken apart to unclog it. Avoid it!!!

My family has had our Oreck XL for about 7 years. We've never had a problem with it except when the rod began to detach from the bag piece on about year 4. We stuck a metal "zip tie" looking thing to it and it was good to go. This year the bag broke off of the rod and it is now tied to the vaccuum with a shoe string. ha! I have to say, this vaccuum has been used every day for the past 7 years. My mom owns a home day care. It has been reliable, but things age with time.

I own an XL which has a warranty for 21 years (I paid over $600.00!). The problem is the local dealer where I purchased it went out of business. In order to have routine maintenance (which is required in order to maintain the warranty valid) or service, I must drive 1 hour one way or I can mail the vacuum to Oreck. I think that Oreck should have authorized service dealers especially when there are no Oreck dealers in a particular area. NOT WORTH THE MONEY.

I don't have an Oreck because it was never delivered. When I called to request one be sent at the honored price, and after an hour of speaking with customer service, they agreed to honor the price, but transferred my call to their sales division, which didn't honor the arrangement, but RAISED the price. I asked for them to review and play the recorded phone call honoring the original price, but they said that it might take many weeks to do so. Asking for a supervisor again, they transferred me to someone who asked proof of the original pricing. I FAX'd a copy to him, followed up with a phone call, but I never heard back. Something is very wrong when one supervisor in sales does not honor the decision of another supervisor in customer service. I have written a formal letter to Dave Oreck about this "bait and switch" sales strategy, but given other reports from consumers, I'm not holding my breath, even with documentation.

I do not even own one and I was able to post a review...Hum? What does that say for all of the other reviews I have been reading in my quest for a vacuum.

What a piece of expensive junk. Have spent over 140. on parts in 3 years and thats doing the repairs myself. NEVER purchase this vac or even think of any Oreck product unless you want to have a personal relationship with the Oreck store every 3 months for repairs. Can you imagine a fan blade or housing needing replacement well read on and you will see how often it needs to be done and belts mmmmmm at 3.00 each every 3-5 hrs of use. Stay away from this product

My mother insisted on purchasing an Oreck XL2 a few years back. What a disaster!! It sits so low to the floor that you can't push it with ease. The bags leak at the top and the bag system is difficult to replace. They sell a lift kit--10.50 which should be free--so I'll see if that helps. It is also way, way too expensive!! In the meantime, check out the Eureka Envio Bagless at Walmart for 75.00!! Yes, you have to clean the HEPA filter and collector once a week but it is well worth the time!! It is not lightweight but pushes with ease. This by far the best vacuum I have ever owned and I'm a fussy house cleaner!!

I have had my oreck xl for about 7 years. The only thing I like about it is that it is very light weight. When it was new I immediately missed having a hose that pops out to get nooks & crannies. The suction is good on basic carpet dirt, but just don't pick up anything much larger than a cherrio because you might get a major clog. It's suction strength is in the narrow-ness of the opening! Reaching under a piece of furniture and catching a cat toy or small child's sock means a trip to the Oreck store for a repair. I've wanted a new machine for a long time but just haven't been able to justify it since I paid a lot for this vacuum cleaner. When I do go in for service, the Oreck people act like this is the Rolls Royce of vacuum cleaners, and that I must be crazy to by dissatisfied. Finally, my husband vacuumed up some dog vomit recently and I can't get rid of the smell, even with new bags and lots of baking soda. I thanked him because now I can go buy a new machine.

We've had our Oreck nearly seven years, and experienced several of the problems which have been the basis of negative reviews. The machine does not move well on any kind of rug - we had it in to the Oreck shop to look at and nothing improved though we did pay a considerable amount of money to have them tell us that we could help improve its ability to run: wash off the silver metal bar and apply some floor polish. It works for about a week and then we have to start using great amounts of energy to push it. I will not ever get another Oreck. It could be a good machine, I guess. I think hotels buy it because - well, to be honest, I can't think of any reason any hotel (except the Bates Motel) might purchase it.

I don't like the Oreck AT ALL! Do not buy this unless you want hassle and frustration. I regret buying it every time I use it!

I love my Oreck, I have had it since Feb 06' never had to take it in to the shop, I change the bags every month, belts changed every 3 months, and I only do that as preventive maintenance. I also just replaced the brush too for no reason. I have a 3 year old and a 11 month old, the amount of cherrios I have vacuumed up would be at least 12 boxes full in the lifetime of this machine. I don't know what you all are vacuuming up, but my advice would be to not vacuum up nails, change, anything other then a bare floor. I once vacuumed up a piece of paper and it got stuck in the opening of the vacuum, I had to take apart my Oreck and fish it out. It's a vacuum people just make sure you aren't trying to vacuum up things that you can pick up with your hands. I recommend Oreck to EVERYone.

No problems with ours had it five years service it regular and works fine. No belt smelling. It could be the service center not doing thier job like our service center. They go over the entire vacum, replace worn beater bar etc. you can tell the difference. Our vacuum is a Hepa-cellac

I have purchased 2 Oreck uprights in the past 13 years, the latest 3 years ago. I have been somewhat dissappointed due to the motor fan breaking(made of hard plastic)then the bottom plate cracking after first losing the "squeegie". The bottom plate alone is around $60!!! I just feel that for the amount I paid for my vacuum cleaner, these things shouldn't happen after only 3 years of ownership. Also the hose on my cannister vac cracks so easily--rendering it useless! I also have had the belt-burning experience. It just seems that the quality for the price is NOT there.

Today is it for me, I'm chucking the Oreck XL21 I've had for six years. It's been a constant battle. It stinks, and every year when I take it in for it's tune-up it costs me another hundred bucks. I could have bought a new, cheap vacuum every two years and been better off. The rollers quit working within a couple of hours use each year after the tune-up. The frustration is just too much, and they don't care at all about customer service. They see no problem with selling this vacuum by telling you it will cost you very little for the next 20 years, and then turning around and charging you a hundred bucks for their poor design! INCREDIBLY Irritating!

I also have an Oreck XL that had to be taken in their shop within a year, under warranty. They replaced the brush and said they didn't know what was wrong, but it's working ok now, which it did. Now I'm in the second year and have the burning smell mentioned, coming from the unit. It appears the belt is sliding on the end of the roller brush where it attaches to the brush. After reading the other complaints mentioned, I have to believe that if I took it in for repair, it would only run well for a short time. Along with the burning smell, the unit isn't picking up like it did before. I am hesitant to take it in for repair after reading all the negative reviews. Today, I took out the Hoover Wind Tunnel which is very heavy and it cleaned up much embedded dirt the Oreck did not. Although it was cumbersome to use because of its weight, it did a good job. And the difference between using a vac with a headlight and one without can't be compared. The light showed all the areas that needed to b... Read more

The Oreck XL Ultra is a great vacuum! The best I have ever seen or used in fact! It is light in weight and it is easy to use anywhere in the house! Other vacuums I would have to run over an area multiple times where the XL Ultra picks the dirt on the first try!

I have had the Oreck XL for 12 years, and I use it twice a week in a 2,200 sq ft house in every room. In 12 years, I have spent 108 dollars in maintenance on this vacuum. I replaced the belt twice, I've replaced the beater brush twice, and I had to put a new fan in the unit a couple of weeks ago. Mine was so old that it had the cast aluminum fan which is no longer available. The reason I had to replace the fan is I let my son use it and he vacuumed his garage with it. He said it even picked up the nails. When I got the Oreck back, it had lost most of its suction. $54 for a new fan, belt and brush, and like new again. I can't believe all the people that write about belts burning out every week and so on. I still have my original belt in the spare belt holder under the vacuum. I keep it just in case I do need a spare. If you have any common sense at all, you turn the vacuum off immediately if you start slipping the belt. I have only done this when vacuuming a throw rug and had the corne... Read more

Our Oreck XL is 8 years old and now it needs a new motor. I have only replaced the belt once. It doesn't clean as well as our newer Hoover but it's so much lighter it's worth making a couple of extra passes. We have a 2 story house and my wife wouldn't have been able to carry a heavier machine up and down the stairs.

I agree with the negative feedback in this forum. I repair vacuums and i recently repaired my grandmothers. I took it apart and it literally has a motor that a regular canister vacuum has for the power head. VERY SMALL, this motor supplies the suction, and turns the beater bar as well which makes the motor perform alot less than when not under load. the materials that are used would amount to about a $25.00 vacuum... They are built cheep just like dyson. Anyone who would pay 700 bucks for one deserves to be slapped in the face. i wouldnt buy one used at a thrift store for 50 cents. If you are in the market for a good vacuum take it from a expert. I am in no way affiliated with these companies either this is my personal experience. My first choice is a Filter Queen, they have tons of suction, and do a very good job grooming the carpet. and after a few months of using it you will not have to empty it as often. they really do get carpet clean. my second choice is a miele. they are good an... Read more

I had bought an oreck xl about 6 months ago. I am now trying to sell it on ebay. It works ok until the belt burns out (about every month). The tube also clogs up with carpet from my new semi-shag carpet. It is very loud to use, the loudest vacuum I have ever owned. I would not recommend oreck. I have tried to get some satisifaction from oreck.com, but they do not help if you have purchased your vacuum at a private store. They won't even take it in for a trade for the higher end model! Sounds like nobody wants these vacuums.

Does not clean, does not pick up, clogs easily, smells terrible (burning smell) We tried to resolve issues - here is the letter May 18, 2007 Mr. David Oreck 5000 River Road New Orleans, LA 70123 REF: refusal to stand behind manufactured product. Aloha Mr. Oreck: My wife and I are on our 2cnd Oreck Vacuum machine purchased here in Honolulu. The first one functioned pretty well and we had no real complaints. The second one, however, has been a problem from the start. When we first began using the machine it seemed very heavy and hard to push. We took it to the dealer and were told there was nothing wrong with it it must be our carpet. So we took it home and tried again. I called and questioned the dealer again and was told the carpet must have a high humidity and that is making the machine hard to push. So for nearly 2 years we have struggled with the light weight easy-to-use Oreck and felt more and more that we should have returned it right away. A few weeks... Read more

Most of the household labor saving devices my wife comes home with are crap. The one exception is the Oreck XL! We have a large yellow lab, and have had no problems dealing with her hair with the Oreck. Amazingly light and powerful - just as advertised. Our cleaning people use this as well - so it doesn't get babied I can assure you. Has held up beautifully for years. I rate it well above the Kirby I got my first wife, which was way too heavy.UPDATE:  I don't disbelieve the negative posters regarding this vacuum, but their experience is diametrically opposed to my own.  Our Oreck is still going strong and I would rate it one of the absolute best household appliances we ever purchased.

Sigh...We've had our Oreck XL for three months and have had it in for service three times already. Evidently there is some sort of design flaw whereas the belt gets torn up easily causing the motor to smoke (and stink!) I can't say I'm unhappy about the vacuum cleaner's performance when it actually works, but I'm starting to have minor anxiety attacks every time I turn it on because I'm afraid it will go on the fritz again!

Does what it was made to do. The original Oreck XL deluxes had two main flaws, the plate was designed with hardwood friendly rubber wheels that wore out quickly. Oreck has since addressed and replaced these plates on its newer vacuums. The Oreck XL Deluxe and Oreck XL2 Deluxe have interchangable parts and you can replace the bad plates. They run about $30. The original's second flaw was the power cord's tearing, but that isnt a big deal and can be avoided with careful wrapping. THe new Oreck also addresses this, and with some skill, you can replace the part. I have owned both an Xl Deluxe and an XL2 deluxe, they both have worked flawlessly with a lot of vacuuming, and I mean a lot. Our first one lasted 8 years with no repairs, it had a plate tune up, but that was it. We still use it for the basement, but it smells bad due to incessant dog hair vacuuming, and running it with a full bag, our fault. I've vacuumed screws and plastic all without flaw, people who complain about mot... Read more

I've had my Oreck for a few years. I was surprised to read the negative comments about this product. I will say I've always used it on medium to low pile carpeting and tile. It consistently does a fantastic job and my carpets have always looked fresh and nearly new when finished--even a carpet in my former home that was 30 years old! In my present home, I went through the trials of new carpeting--tuffs of carpet on the floor for about the first six months we lived here. I worried my Oreck might give out from all the strain. I frequently had to empty the bag, even taking it apart to get it clean of all the carpet fragments. But through it all, it held strong and works efficiently to this day. I love that it is a simple and lightweight machine. There really isn't much to go wrong with it, but it is powerful, dependable, and lasts. The hand-vac that came with it is also an amazing tool. It's a powerful little vac! It cost a little more to get the Oreck than some other brand... Read more

I just purchased an Oreck XL with 2 speeds. I got it for half price with a coupon someone gave me. We have Berber carpet. So far so good. After reading all these ratings I'm surprised with all the negative ratings - why didn't you all bring the vacuum cleaners back if they were so bad? You can bring them back within 30 days if you don't like them. Why did you keep them? I also bought the Orbitor for the floors. I have two self-propelled Hoovers at home - neither one works - they were more than the Oreck. They are 2-3 times as heavy. I had a Dirt Devil for one year and it broke - got it replaced free of charge because the motor went out.

I have an old Hoover canister vac which is about 25 years old and still works but really does not have much suction. Our very expensive Kenmore canister started smoking after just 3 years. It finally died. Everything I buy from Sears dies. I was watching QVC one day and saw Mr. Oreck, so I figure I would give the Oreck a try. $299 for two vacums and a light. This machine is great. The first time I vacumed the house the entire bag filled up. The canister is great for dusting. You carry it on your shoulder. The upright is so light you can vacum your house in no time. The great thing is there are Oreck stores everywhere if you need repair. I see way maids use this vacum. It is so light. GREAT MACHINE

This is the worst vacuum in the world. Don't waste your money on it if you have long-hair pets or thick carpeting. My old clunky Hoover, circa mid-1980's, works much better than the Oreck and I've gone back to it. DON'T TRUST ALL THE ADVERTISING!

So far it seems to clean well. The only thing that is no the best is when on HIGH it is loud, but all i do is when in room is turn it to low and it is ok. I thing is add a PREFILTER so it catcher any flying hairs etc, and it will need less cleaning. MIKE

Another way overpriced and overrated product that relies on TV and magazine marketing lies to sell. Oreck is constantly being outperformed by much cheaper vacs you can buy at Target or Wal-Mart! Keep in mind, they charge so much for these because someone has to pay for all those national TV ads, no?

Yep! Belts wear out/break/burn after about 2 hours of use. When the belt is new (for about 20 minutes) the vacuum works fine. Surprising the company can't get this right.

I have had an oreck XL deluxe for 3 yrs and it's had a new motor,replaced 3 beater bars, and I lost track of the belts. I have been so unhappy.Also, I don't like having a separate canister vac for baseboards,though the canister is good.The service at the store has been great. But the vaccum is not able to be used in a house regularly.I even have a carpet rake to get up hair.

I agree with all the other negative opinions. I have owned it less than 1 year and have been to repair shop twice. It clogs all the time and in my opinion is nothing special as far as power etc... BAD CHOICE on my part.... Big waste of money.I've had $40.00 vacs in college that worked better.

Don't fall victim to the hype. Oreck vacuums are cheaply made pieces of junk. They are lightweight for a reason and it's not because they use any kind of special technology. They are just very cheaply made. If you buy one you can expect to change the belt frequently, have the dust bag fall up causing the outer bag to fill up with dirt, the tube will clog up with dirt, the handle will come losse, the switch will fail and the motor will burn out. The reason I know this is becasue I have had all of these experiences with my 5 year old Oreck. If you want a quality vac go somewhere else. A lot of advertising and hype does not make a good product, but it is expensive and that's what you paying for because I can assure you, the vacuum isn't worth the price.