Looks cheap, but...
Written: Jan 20 '04
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Pros: Light, powerful, easy to store and operate.
Cons: Short cord, no attachments, no hepa filtration, bagged.
The Bottom Line: If you want a basic vacuum that will clean well and last a while, you need to look into an Oreck.
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| k_lumsden13's Full Review: Oreck XL2400 Vacuum |
I have owned and regularly used a Fantom Fury for the last 2 and a half years and was pretty pleased with it. However, about a week ago, I sucked up something I wasn't supposed to (Oops!) and broke the belt. Finding a replacement belt for Fantoms in stores is a pain, to say the VERY least, and I ended up having to borrow my mother's Oreck to use until we figure out what we're gonna do with OUR vacuum.
As soon as I got it home, I used it on my son's floor, which had very quickly become a safe haven for things I couldn't even identify. And before you ask, yes, I'm sort of a cleaning fanatic. I vacuum on a regular basis and after going 4 or 5 days without a vacuum, I was nearly insane. I thought using this wimpy Oreck to clean the floors was gonna take forever.
I was pleasantly surprised. Before I even turned it on, I was pleased. The cord is safety coated. Very thick, but also light and soft. It feels indestructible. From what I've read, this is a common feature in the Oreck line.
Ok, so I turn it on and the first thing I notice is the noise. I wouldn't say it's louder than other vacuums, because the noise level is pretty standard. But it's much higher pitched than my Fantom, which almost instantly put me into a panic. I live in an apartment building and vacuum later on at night, so I'm always paranoid about vacuum noise. However, since I've not received any complaints, I guess no one's noticed and I'm just a skiddish freak.
The second thing I noticed was how light it was. This was after nearly pitching myself face first onto the floor. I'm used to pushing my 20+ lb. Fantom around and the Oreck only weighs around 10 lbs. If I hadn't regained control, it would've made for a pretty good Funniest Home Video clip. Even after using it a couple times, I still find myself pushing it around a little too hard.
The suction on this little thing is pretty unbelievable. We have a guinea pig and I'm in a constant battle with pine shavings on my carpet. My Fantom even has a hard time vacuuming them all up. But the Oreck does a nice job of it, sucking up even the tiny little specks of pine dust.
I'm very impressed with the array of things it can pick up. The lip of my Fantom is set so low to the floor that the only way to vacuum up say. whole pieces of cereal is to lift the front end slightly, move over the cereal and set the vacuum back down. I was expecting this with the Oreck. It wouldn't hear of it. The bar is set close enough to the floor to kick up dirt and lift your carpet, but the front lip is raised a bit. It rolled right over cereal and popcorn kernels and sucked 'em right up without me having to do any special maneuvering. Very nice.
This particular Oreck doesn't come equipped with a headlight. And if you've read my review of the Fantom Fury, you know that I don't think very highly of the headlights anyway, since I don't vacuum in the dark.
The cleaning path isn't very wide. You'll see a lot of vacuums nowadays that boast 15" cleaning paths. The entire outter edge of the Oreck is only a little over 12" and the cleaning path (the bar from end to end) is just over 9". But the value of the path size is only comparable to how well the vacuum actually works. I'd rather have a 9" path on a vacuum with excellent suction than a 15" path on a piece of crap.
One of the great things on this vacuum is the edge cleaning. I've seen vacuums that boast about their "edge cleaning power" and basically all this means is that the path extends all the way to the edge of the vacuum so you can get a little suction right up next to the wall. In this respect, my Fantom sucks. What most people don't realize is that you're carpet sinks down right next to the wall and food and dirt get trapped VERY easily in this particular spot. Which is where the Oreck's rule. I don't know why more companies aren't using this little feature. On each side of the vacuum, coming out from the bottom (to the left and right of the bar) are little brushes. When you get up next to the wall, these brushes flick crap out and right into your path for easy cleaning. I'll admit, I had my doubts about how well those little brushes worked, but when I witnessed it actually moving stuff away from the wall, I was laughing. It's the first vacuum I've ever seen that can successfully do that.
It also cleans well on hard floors. I read about the newer Oreck's that automatically adjust from carpet to hard floor. I'm not sure if this particular model does that. If not, I'd sure like to know what the NEW ones are like. I'm constantly disappointed by my Fantom on my kitchen floor. Even on the lowest setting, it won't pick up much. I ran the Oreck where my trash can sits (the worst place for crumbs) and it picked up everything. You know how you can hear the crap being sucked up? Yeah, well, I was actually kinda grossed out.
Ok, now some bad news. At the prices these vacuums are sold for, they sure don't have much in the way of extras. This particular model doesn't have the newer filter technology which is quickly becoming standard on even basic bag vacuums and which I would rather enjoy having. There aren't any attachment capabilities so forget about de-cobwebbing, sucking out your couch or dusting with this vacuum. It's bagged, which may be fine for some, but I hate changing bags and will probably always opt for a bagless. The cord isn't very long at all. With my Fantom, I can plug into one outlet in our hallway and make it all around the apartment without having to switch. With the Oreck, I made it into our bedroom and it unplugged. I'd say the cord is about 20 to 25 ft. long. This bothered me. I don't mind vacuuming, but I hate playing musical outlets.
Anyways, as a family cleaning machine, I wouldn't suggest this. However, if you've got the money to blow and just want a basic vacuum, this is the ticket. It would also be good for an elderly person as it's very light and you wouldn't have to worry about them trying to use an attachment and injuring themselves. But having the cleaning load I do, I need a little more bang for my buck.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
k_lumsden13
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Location: Michigan
Reviews written: 9
Trusted by: 0 members
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