Oreck XL Ultra Vacuum Review

I have three hairy dogs, a husband who forgets to take his shoes off and a child who runs in and out and all over. I vacuum almost everyday. I have burnt out every vacuum i ever had except my mom's old electrolux. But that thing is bulky and hard to maneuver and the bags cost way too much.  I was so tired of buying a vacuum every two years I was willing to invest a bit more for one that would last.

The Oreck is ok. Despite its claims of being light, I don;t find it noticeably lighter than any other vacuum i have had. I need to have it "tuned up" as they recommend but there isn't any store near me. I have cleaned it and replaced the belt myself, the belt lasted less than a year. So much for my idea of a durable vacuum! I have cleaned out the engine part several times as after a while the engine emits a strange odor. The vacuum starts out with great suction, but as the bag fills, this really lessens.

The bags last a long time, but they get smelly. There are tabs you can buy to deodorize in the bag, they work for 2 or 3 times. The roller gets stuck often with pet hair, human hair and strings from carpet, etc. I suppose this happens with any roller on any vacuum. I often take scissors to it to cut away the hair. pretty unappealing!

One good thing is that it cleans bare floors and carpet without any type of adjustment, this makes my job easier.

all in all, it's just ok.   It has lasted longer than any other vacuum besides the Electrolux, but I have to maintain it. It would be better if there were a store near me to service it.

I would say if you have 500 to spend on a vacuum and you don't live near an oreck service store, go with another "premium" vacuum.