Blackstonia—January 6, 2014
I have been managing and vacuuming a 100 year old 87 unit apartment building for 30 years. My 1st commercial grade vacuum cleaner lasted 10 years but I hated changing the bags and I did not like the way the dirt went through the fan because the plastic blades would eventually wear down to nothing. When the bag-less models came onto the market I bought one, at first I loved it but emptying the canister was a nightmare. About this time I started finding perfectly new looking vacuum cleaners in the trash, mostly Hoovers and Dust Devils. I discovered that the small hoses would become clogged with dust and dirt and people would just throw them into the trash. I would dig them out and clear the debris and I'd have a good vacuum for 6 months or so until the plastic wheels would break off or the other little plastic parts would break off. The other issue I have with the bag-less vacuums is that the expensive paper and sponge filters quickly become clogged with dust and then the vacuum cleaner becomes useless and the new filters clog up with just casual use. Lately these design issues have caused me a lot of delays and interruptions so I started looking for a new vacuum cleaner and I decided that I was finished with the cheap bag-less models. This Oreck is almost their cheapest model and it is is performing flawlessly. It outperforms every Hoover and Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner I have used in the last 30 years. It is easy to carry around because it is very light weight and I can tell that the plastic parts are made of high grade plastic and there are still some metal parts where they are needed. It comes with a 40 foot cord. Using my bag-less vacuum I would have to empty the canister after vacuuming one floor and that process would leave me covered with dust and dirt but with the Oreck I can vacuum all 9 floors of my building without changing the bag which saves me a lot of time and work. I can tell that this is a quality product, well worth the price. I think I'll buy the Oreck UPRO14T Pro-14 with the attachments, it's a little expensive at $500.00 but if it performs like the Oreck U2000R-1 I know it will be a good investment. On the negative side, the vacuum comes with a spare belt that is tucked into a recess on the very bottom of the appliance right next to the beater bar. It looks secure in it's little slot, but if it fell out you probably wouldn't notice that it was gone until you needed it. Read more
Robert Harbick—April 27, 2018
First off you need too know we have a 2-story home, about 30 years old, fully carpeted, with two indoor dogs (Corgis - who have two coats that they “blow” year round!)! We learned a long time ago that dust and dog hair was a real problem, and needed a vacuum that could keep up. Tried several expensive ones with all the “doo-dads” but they would break quickly, loose suction very quickly, couldn’t keep up with the pet hair... You get the picture. Our most recent purchase before the Oreck was one of those “ball” type vacuums that supposedly never loose suction - supposed to be a real “Animal”, and the cost reflected the hype. But it was so lousy at picking up pet hair I would have to “rake” the carpet with a little plastic rake first to get up most the pet hair. It would loose suction and the cannister would fill up so fast I had to empty it after every room. So I broke down and spent some money on a simple vacuum with no gimmicks, just “a vacuum”. The Oreck XL Commercial is the real “animal” in this zoo. It NEVER loses suction. Where none of the other vacuums I ever owned would do a good job of getting pet hair and that powder you spread to make the carpet smell good up in one pass, the Oreck gets all of it in ONE pass. The bag on this vacuum can be changed out in about 30 seconds (when you have too). I probably could vacuum this house twice and still not have to replace the bag as it’s really that big! And the cord is 40’ long! No more constantly hunting for a plug. I plug it in once and do an entire floor. It’s built very simple and tuff since it’s a commercial grade vacuum and very light weight. Oh, the handle is really nice and you can bend it completely level with the floor to vacuum under tables and such. I don’t ussually take the time to right a review since I figure they should make stuff right to begin with. But this vacuum deserves a good review. Read more
B. Burger—July 23, 2013
I bought this vacuum after much deliberation. I decided to go with one of the lower-end models of Oreck. I saw this had a great review and was the one used by most hotel maid staff. I had a Dyson before getting this Oreck and I HATED the Dyson. It was so heavy and the dirt canister filled up quickly and because of the ball I could not get under any of my furniture pieces. And the suction was lousy. This Oreck has terrific suction and I am now able to vacuum up anything that is on my carpets and flooring. It does a great job along edges and corners (where the Dyson failed miserably.) The cord is VERY long which is great, but it is heavy. It's a thicker cord than on most vacuums (my husband told me that's because of the length, it requires a larger amp cord?) and I'd bet the cord in its entire length weighs almost as much as the vacuum! That surprised me, I was not expecting this. I do find that when I'm vacuuming along, I am more "aware" of the cord because of its weight, especially when I have to flip it, to get it over something or move it out of the way. But it's not a huge deal. One great plus is that I can vacuum my entire first floor using only 2 outlets. It is VERY lightweight, as advertised, and the bag was easy to install inside the zippered pouch. It was easy to put together, I think I just had to install the bag and attach the handle and that was it. My only negative (besides the weight of the cord) is that the handle height is higher than on most vacuums. I am 5'5" and it took me a littlw while to adjust to this. My husband really likes this taller height and I've now become accustomed to it and it's not a big deal. At first I felt like I was holding my right arm "up" a bit, when pushing it along. But I've learned to just step back a little, away from it, and let it do it's work. If you are a tall person, this would be PERFECT for you. If you are really petite in height, you may want a different model with a more standard height handle. So overall I would say this is a terrific vacuum, my only negatives are the thickness and weight of the power cord and perhaps the handle height if y9u are short.. Read more
