Customer Reviews

Oreck XL 2000 Upright Commercial 8 lb Vacuum Hypo Filtration

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I've owned two different Oreck XLs over the course of six years and used them 5 days a week for most of that time, so I can say with confidence that I'm well aware of the pros and cons of this model. I wanted a vacuum powerful enough to handle cleaning two or three big houses a day that wasn't too heavy to lift in and out of the trunk several times a day. On those two points, the XL clearly does excel. With an empty bag it's only 8lbs, making it by far the lightest upright vac I've found that can do the job. And when it's functioning properly it performs very well. When it isn't you're going to run into so problems.

Here's the good -

1. As I said, this vacuum is extremely light and highly maneuverable, which does somewhat make up for it's lack of a hose with attachments. It can lay completely flat for getting underneath furniture, and it absolutely glides over hard wood or most carpets. Elderly housekeepers may find this especially appealing, since it's not much of a burden to carry around.

2. I use the vacuum on hardwood, carpet, tile or just about any surface, and it picks up very well on all. While these first two things seem like no brainers, it's amazing to me how many vacuums fail at one or the other. Most vacs will pick up on carpets fine while mostly just scattering or missing dirt on hard floors( I have never noticed any damage from the brush on hardwood floors, and have been doing some floors for several years with them). This one is much better in that department than many of the others I've used.

3. Another major plus for someone like myself is that a good bit of the maintenance this vacuum requires is easily performed at home. Changing broken belts, replacing roller brushes, and even a few minor electrical fixes can all be done quite accessibly with nothing but a screwdriver. Most of those parts are available right here on Amazon and much cheaper than in the store.

Here's the bad -

1. There's no hose and that's a pain. Despite being able to lie flat, there are many areas that are inaccessible without a hose. Got carpet in your bedroom and need to get behind heavy bedposts or end tables? Sorry, you're out of luck, unless you want to buy one of Oreck's fancy canister vacs. It's 2 for the price of...er, 2. On the other hand, it's light enough to do a flight of stairs with easily. But compare that to the popular Dyson brand who advertise their models with stretch hoses as being a very convenient way to vacuum stairs - I've yet to see one long enough to stretch a full flight without pulling the base over and either way you still have to carry the 1000 pound Dyson up or down stairs to do the floors, which sucks.

2. The XL requires a little more maintenance than seems reasonable to me. Granted I use it a lot, but the roller brushes don't really seem to last as long as some other vacs, the belts break or pop off just a little more often, it's self propulsion diminishes considerably with just a couple months use, the cloth bag housing gets snags and rips when going under furniture; basically there's a price for it's light weight and nimbleness which is that everything basically seems to tear up just a little easier. The bag housing also gets stinky easily, and it's a pain to take it off and put back on if you want to wash it. The vac is also prone to falling backward when left standing on it's own if it gets the slightest bump, and this can cause the wiring in the handle to become disconnected easily. It's very simple to reconnect with just a screwdriver, as I said, but annoying all the same. They also tend to be prone to getting shorts in their cords at some point during their lives. The Oreck store charges $40 to replace the cord, which brings us to number 3...

3. Oreck charges quite a bit for most of the repairs in fact, and much like a car dealership they over charge for just about any service( you can get replacement cords online for $17 and it's a 15-20 minute job, where's that exta $23 go?). Also, the consider "normal wear and tear" things not part of your warranty. What falls under that category? Well, pretty much all the most likely things to go out; cords, brushes, belts, wheels, etc. The day I went in and was actually able to use my warranty to get the motor housing replaced I was quite surprised.

4. Lastly, as another reviewer mentioned it is quite loud. Often when I leave after vacuuming and entire house my ears are ringing. That's probably not good. It's definitely more of a Harley than a Honda.

If you do decide to go with the this model one thing you can do that will improve performance greatly and help with some problems I've mentioned is to change the bag regularly. Try not to use it much with a heavy bag in it. A heavy bag puts more stress on the vacuum's connecting joints which can lead to costly repairs. It also tears brushes and belts up faster and if you store the vac with even a half full bag it's going to start to stink a lot sooner, along with whatever room it's in. It's also less stress on your body since you will notice that an XL with a full bag is at least twice as hard to push as on with a fresh bag. I know the bags are expensive but, as with everything else, buy them online where they are much cheaper than the stores.

Overall, I'd say this vacuum is the best option I've found for a residential cleaner, but it has some noteworthy flaws. The person it will serve best is one with a minimal amount of tight spaces and lots of open floor space where it's speed and easy handling can be of the most use.

I have had an Oreck for 18 years and I won't own any other kind of vacuum. I worked for Merry Maids which that is all they use. I have used it on all types of flooring and hauled it from house after house when I was working. Now I am at home all the time and I bought one when I quit working and I won't own any other vacuum. I have raise dogs and I have not found another vacuum that will pick up the hair like the Oreck. I just can't say enough good about it. I keep looking at them and saving for a new one I can't wait to get one. My 18 year old Oreck that I have has a few broken parts but it is still doing it's job and very well. We also had a port a vac which we took with at work so naturally I bought one of those which is also 18 years old it is still working but also needs to be replaced but with those two items you really can't go wrong.

I'm in love--with my new commercial Oreck! In the last 7 years, I have gone through 3 vacuums. My all tile house took a toll on the wheels of all 3 Kenmores that I owned. They did a great job picking up the dog hair, and cleaning my rugs--but not so good on the dust. My old Orecks were non-commercial ones that developed electrical cord problems. That's why I tried tried the Kenmore uprights.
This new Oreck has been terrific so far. I had forgotten how light an Oreck is! I can vacuum my mattresses, dog beds, couch cushions by just lifting the Oreck onto the surface. I do still swiffer after I vacuum, but I'm down to one swiffer cloth instead of three. (We live in southern Nevada with lots of wind and dust storms) It also has a more compact head so it goes under more of my furniture and around tight spaces.
When I read the other reviews before I bought my Oreck, two negatives were mentioned; the loudness and the smell from the bags. First, my Kenmores were just as loud--all tile floors echo much more than carpet, so this was not an issue for me. Secondly, I previously used the almost cloth, super filtration bags and still had a dog hair smell. The Oreck came with an odor reducing tablet so I haven't noticed any odor yet.
Bottom line, anyone who needs a lighter vacuum that cleans well should try this vacuum. It also was half the price of the ones sold in stores.
The dealer I bought from was filled through Amazon so there was no shipping cost and it arrived in a week, with little assembly required. A positive experience all around.

This vacuum has all of the good qualities everybody is lauding. the long cord is handy. It's light weight. It cleans great. However, it is easily the loudest piece of equipment in our house... or garage. It sounds like a jet engine with a loose bearing.

We have lots of Chidren that track sand in the house from the beach. This Vacuum is the only one that holds up under these conditions. Great Product.

On Jan. 15, 2011 "Ready2fly" wrote the most accurate description of this Oreck XL "Commercial" Upright Vacuum: You ARE paying for the TV ads, the name Oreck, "XL" (appearing that it will last "extra long") and words "commercial" written on the front (implying super heavy duty strength)! The fact is while it "IS" light at only 8lbs, it cannot have cost more than 20 buck to make and vacuums like a $39 dollar dirt devil! I just changed the belt on my Oreck XL Commercial (2000 upright) and while you have to unscrew the motor on the bottom to get it on, the motor looks like it is for a toy vacuum! The electrical cord is heavy duty, but that is where the commercial style ends! I just purchased a Hoover T Series "rewind" vacuum for 99 dollars on sale (reg 139) and it is like a tornado, has all the attachment you can use, never needs bags, and is rightfully rated by consumers reports as a best buy. Do yourself a favor, save the money on this and get TWO Hoovers (one for upstairs and one for down) and keep the change for belts or something else you like. This is my opinion I tell everyone as I bought a couple for tenants who love the Hoover rewind too!

If you have pets, this is not the vacuum for you. Regardless of which bags you use, and even if you replace the disposable bag after each use, there will be a smell, (maybe as a result of pet hair even though our dog is a non-shedding breed) which permeates from the bag each time you vacuum. Oreck tells us you can wash the bag but due to the plastic that is attached, you cannot put the bag in the washing machine. We have washed it by hand several times but no matter what we try, the odor remains. The vacuum does a good job of gathering dirt, pet hair, etc., but the odor causes it to be a real detriment. I do not recommend any of the Orecks with cloth bags as all have the same problem.. and it does not make any difference if you use hypo allergenic bags or cheap bags, the result is the same.

I just love my Oreck. I wish it wasn't orange. However, I think they're great machines. I used to have a housecleaning business and I've never liked a vacuum more than on Oreck. I particularly didn't care for Kirby's which my customers seemed to love. Get the light-weight Oreck with all the power!

I was very disappointed with this vacuum. My sister-in-law has an Oreck light weight vacuum around this price range and she raved about it. To be fair I will say that it picks up baby powder well on a low pile carpet but it does not pick up sock fuzz at all. It makes me wonder what else it is not picking up. I thought this vacuum was known for great suction ! Also it does not seem to "glide" as well on carpet (you have to use some muscle) like some of the cheaper vacuums I have used. There is no adjustment knob either. I would hesitate to buy another Oreck.

Very sturdy and well built. Only shortcoming is that the beater brush cannot be turned off, making it unsuitable for hard surfaces.