Dyson vs. Oreck XL: Why the Dyson Wins
March 30, 2007 by rrhodes
Filed under Comparisons & Uses, Reviews
Several years prior to purchasing our current vacuum cleaner a refurbished Dyson DC07 Animal, we purchased an Oreck XL Deluxe. I don’t know exactly the differences between their ‘Deluxe’ and non-deluxe model but this one came with the portable vacuum cleaner and attachments.
I had seen the commercials over the years, was impressed with the lightness of the unit plus, how many vacuums do you know that can pick up a bowling ball? Though in hindsight I never have found anything close to a bowling ball that needing vacuuming (please, no emails; I understand why they lift a bowling ball in the commercial).
I found a good deal from a very reputable dealer on eBay and had the vacuum in a week.
It is indeed the lightest vacuum we have ever owned. No problem having the wife or kids carry this one up and down the steps as needed. The handle on it was very well designed in my opinion and overall, the vacuum was easy to use, seemed like it did it’s job well and never hinted at spewing dust when first powered on. Perhaps we finally found vacuum nirvana after killing ourselves toting our Kirby heritage around for so many years?
However, after using the Oreck for several months, some things really began to annoy me.
- No shutoff for the beater bar. Many times I would sneak up on that unidentifiable foreign object on the floor that was about to meet its demise, only to have the Oreck promptly fling it out of the way to live another day.
- The design of the head is similar to a (sideways) shoebox and therefore had trouble fitting under low pieces of furniture, tables and sometimes beds. I wish they would have made the beater bar area slimmer to fit in tight places.
- No attachments on board! At first I thought having the separate portable vacuum would be great for car cleanups, etc. - it is - but what a pain when the dedicated room, floor or house cleaning day came along and I wanted to efficiently (as in quickly) clean an area. Switching back and forth from the Oreck to the portable was a pain. After awhile I learned to do the high walls, etc first with the portable and then the floors with the Oreck but…
- One - I found the portable somewhat of a pain to use. First of all, the thing has to sit on your shoulder to be effective because the hose and extensions are not that long to be useful if carrying the portable in your hand. Of course, the up and down or side-to-side motion you make to vacuum a wall or wall/ceiling joint would cause the strap to slip and the vacuum to try and fall off my shoulder…
- Two - since there’s no way to carry any of the extension tools conveniently I constantly had to try and remember where I last used the tool I now needed - and go get it. This made easily switching tools while doing the job almost impossible. And the frustration of needing a tool only to find it missing and then having to first find the last person who used the tool….. well, you know where this is going. Needless to say, it made for some very frustrating times using the vacuum.
- Three - Doing stairs turned out to be a royal pain in the $&$&. The hose is somewhat stiff so it tends to stick out quite a bit from the portable. Imagine having the portable on your shoulder, trying to bend over and vacuum (while keeping the strap on your shoulder), and then having to fight the hose to get the tool at just the right angle to do the job. Again, very frustrating at times to use. Not to mention the backache from constantly having to bend over while vacuuming. And…
- Four - The cord was never quite long enough. I could not vacuum an entire room with the portable without having to move the plug. And of course the cord is behind me and totally out of my mind as to how much I have left before “tautness” and going into immediate survival mode just trying to keep the now pulled off my shoulder vacuum from crashing onto the floor.
- Over time the Oreck, which in my opinion is very cheaply made, started to show the effects and wear and tear from regular use and the handle started getting loose where it mounts to the vacuum head. I realize now they provide annual checkups on the vacuum so perhaps it’s not that big of a deal.
We eventually got rid of the Oreck - donated it actually - but kept the portable unit. Not sure when the last time we used it was but we have it.
Now, this article is titled Dyson vs. Oreck and I’ve yet to really compare the Oreck to the Dyson. I feel I’ve covered the Dyson vaccums in sufficient detail elsewhere on this site but, will tell you in comparing the two against each other, this is what comes to mind.
Weight: Oreck wins hand down. Eight Lbs vs. almost Nineteen on the Dyson vacuum.
Cleaning Ability: Bare floors can be a pain with some models of Oreck because of not being able to turn the beater bar off. And, plain and simple, the Oreck has a bag. The bag is porous and will get clogged with fine particles as you use it, depleting airflow. It’s a simple,yet important fact. Advantage Dyson.
Ease of Use: Dyson hands down. Yes the Oreck is lighter and easier to tote around but trust me folks, not having all the tools you need to clean an area all at once is a pain. The Dyson keeps the major tools right where I can get them easily. I can transition from vacuuming the walls to the floor to dust-vacuuming a table very quickly with the Dyson and this save me time. Nuff said.
Durability: Though I never broke the Oreck, and both vacuums are plastic, the Oreck is much cheaper looking and just not as sturdy in my opinion. When a friend of mine bought his Dyson several years ago, they included a piece of the ‘plastic’ in the box to should how tuff it was. He simply could not break it with his bare hands. The Oreck we had on the other hand, was made of a much easier-to-break plastic material. I would be leery of our Oreck surviving a tumble down the stairs whereas I know form my friend that the Dyson can (and has).
Cool factor: OK, not a big consideration I know when it comes to a vacuum but hey, in my opinion, the Dyson just looks cool, high-tech and 21st century.
I know Oreck sells a ton of vacuums and a lot of people are happy with theirs. For me and this family, we just never warmed up to actually using it and were pretty happy when we replaced it.
Other Dyson Vacuum Cleaner Articles
- Dyson DC15 Vacuum Cleaner Review - The Dyson DC15 vacuum cleaner uses “the ball” technology to make maneuvering your vacuum much easier. Read our likes and dislikes here. ....
- Dyson DC14 Animal Vacuum Cleaner Review - We’ll review the Dyson DC14 and tell you some of our likes and some of our dislikes. ....
- Dyson DC18 Slim Vacuum Cleaner Review - The Dyson DC18 Slim vacuum cleaner is a compact version of the popular Dyson “full size” vacuum cleaner line. It’s also based on “the ball” technology which makes if very maneuverable. We’ll discuss some of our likes and dislikes of this vacuum. ....
- Dyson DC07 Animal Vacuum Cleaner Review - The Dyson DC07 Animal vacuum cleaner was one of the first vacuums to become popular for Dyson in United States. It is still available today and sells well. We’ll try and explain why with our likes and dislikes in this article. ....
- Dyson Sweepers: These Ain’t Your Grandma’s Vacuums - Days of the “old grandma” vacuum’s are gone. Today’s vacuum cleaners are state of the art cleaning machines and help you to do a better and faster job of cleaning. I’ll help explain why the Dyson vacuum cleaner beats the “older technology” vacuums. ....
Jimmy Reuter on Thu, 26th Apr 2007 2:55 pm
I have both an Oreck XL and a Dyson DC14 Animal. The Oreck has a bag and bags leak out when the vacuum is on. A lot of dust and fine particles can be released from the Oreck while you are using it.
Although it can lift a bowling ball due to the pressure/area trick it is not a strong vacuum. The Oreck leaves a lot of dirt behind and the roller brush is a liability. The Dyson wins the suction contest hands down particularly on bare floors because it travels low and forms a seal with the floor.
The first time I used the Dyson, I had a grinding sound coming from the vacuum in the carpet setting. I called Dyson on a Sunday morning and the service people walked me through the problem that I could fix myself. About 10 minutes after I called Dyson my problem was fixed over the phone.
There is one big drawback to a Dyson. When you first get it and use it you will be dumping the canister several times during the course of your cleaning because the Dyson is picking up so much dirt.
We have a dog and keep his hair cut short because he has a tendency to shed. We had a hair problem in the house and bag vacuums could not handle it. The Dyson not only removes the dog hair but everything else around the vacuum. It makes a suction circle which picks up everything in the vicinity of the vacuum, allowing for a better cleaning job.
The Dyson DC14 is the best vacuum cleaner we ever bought. Despite its price it is well worth every cent.
zollie on Thu, 13th Sep 2007 1:14 pm
try the dyson slim
Tim on Sun, 21st Oct 2007 6:40 am
I have the Dyson slim now for over a month and I gotta say it’s the best vacuum I have ever used. I do have to say that I have not used a Oreck before.
The first time I used my Dyson it teared up a old rug that had a few strands hanging out (pretty much shows how strong it is). But the nice things about the Slim is that the rotating brush that sweeps the carpets can be reset, and what I mean by that is that it can rip up my old rug and stop rotating but you are able to easily unattach the rotating brush and cut the strands out. Then put the whole thing back together without a hitch. I find this priceless since my last vacuum stopped working cause of alot hair accumilating in the brush, which I figured to just toss rather then paying to get it repaired.
With a side not to the Oreck, I have never used it but I don’t think I work ever buy it since it looks like it came out of the year 1970. So on just plain looks, the Dyson wins hands down.
TJ on Sun, 11th Nov 2007 11:17 pm
I would like for anyone who owns an Oreck please go to the local Oreck store. I love mine and never had these issues. Did you know that every vac company says regular maintence is needed? Ask yourself when was the last time you had it looked at? You wouldn’t treat your car that way. Both are investments one is just more inexpensive
As for the webmaster of this website, I can already tell by his complaints he had the Oreck Classic or Deluxe. That makes this an unfair comparisons as most are on the internet in my opinion. I just got some bags today at the Oreck and they are doing an Oreck vs Dyson comparison…it was amazing…I did the demo the Oreck employee just talked about the Dyson and was very polite. American made/owned means the world and keeps America going.
Danielle on Sat, 1st Dec 2007 4:09 am
I have a few questions/concerns.. since you’ve owned both, maybe you can help
-Dyson’s ‘high profile’.. does it fit under tables, etc?
-Emptying dirt cup (is it as dirty as it looks?)
-Oreck’s warranty (hard to deal with?)
-Dyson’s suction (I’ve heard that, while they never lose suction, they don’t actually have that much to begin with (Consumer Reports pretty much said as much)).
-Oreck’s bag (How easily clogged? Do you have to use “oreck” brand bags?)
Thanks
Nathaniel on Thu, 10th Jan 2008 9:30 pm
i have an oreck, i never thought that it was hard to use or cheaply made! I do have to say that a kirby is better than it though.
Maria on Tue, 15th Jan 2008 1:48 pm
My question is, what about when you can’t get the Dyson tech to tell you how to fix it yourself? How the heck do you ship a vacuum to be fixed? And how long of a turnaround do you have, waiting for it to be fixed and sent back?
Although I like the idea of bagless better, I am leaning toward Oreck simply b/c I live 10 miles from an Oreck store in case the machine breaks on me.
sunny on Thu, 21st Feb 2008 11:07 pm
WE have an oreck and it is the best vacuum we have ever owned. The oreck picks up pet hair the best out of all the vacuums we have ever used. And bagless vacuums are actually bad to have because when you empty it in to the garbage all that dust fly back into the air witch is not healthy for you to breath in. The oreck on the other hand, actually seals the bag shut as you pull the bag off so all you do is drop it into the garbage and no dust flys into the air. you do get a hose with all the atatchments it just comes on the oreck canister vac.
Sandi on Fri, 28th Mar 2008 10:25 am
I just sold my dyson slim it is heavy and somewhat combersom to use at times, the suction is good but the cord is short and had to move the plug in every room. I have a bad back and something going on in my elbow the elbow thing just started and it just throbs after using the slim. I just bought the Oreck XL and it is much lighter and appears to self propell on the XL 21 (has the heppa filter and improved outer bag)there is no pull on my back or elbow. The cleaning seems to be good at this point but since it is new I am not sure, I hope it is I have spent a small fortune the get one that does not hurt my back and I am not getting any younger I hope this is the answer for me.
Rick in Tennessee on Mon, 23rd Jun 2008 11:30 pm
I own an Oreck XL, I find it too be one of the most powerful vacuum’s I have ver owned. What I love is that the bag system seal when you remove the disposable bag - preventing dust from enter the air when emptying the vacuum. As far as the outer bag clogging or filling up, it can (and the instruction book even explains) it can be washed! - this renews the outer bag, a small effort when you realize it keeps the vacuum performing at like new condition. It also works great on un-carpeted surfaces, has a strip on the bottom that allows it to go from one surface to another without adjusting! I know someone else on here posted they had bought an Oreck from a “reputable” dealer on eBay - BUT as I learned the hard way, most companies state in thier instruction / warranty guide that the product is warranted when purchased from an AUTHORIZED representative (and Oreck authorized dealers do NOT sell on eBay) so be careful whatever you are buying on eBay - because the fine print states such in instruction books - and most reputable companies honor thier warranty but in all fairness - they require proof of purchase that it was bought from an authorized dealer. The item I bought had full warranty in the description on eBay - but the fine print in the instruction book was just as I stated and the comapany would not honor the warranty, Then I found out the iten I bought had parts that had been substituted with non factory parts and somethings had been “jury rigged: inside - so I can not fault the company whose name was on the product - AND the seller from eBay even refused to respond back when I contacted them! I like the Oreck too - because I know I can ALWAYS find parts like belts and bags as well as service at thier stores. I bought a vacuum at one of the big box stores once and later after the store dropped that line - I could not get bags or service anywhere, at least with Oreck - I can pick up the phone and call and get bags or just order on line or go to one of thier stores. As far as the Dyson - it was fair I guess - but after emptying it twice in the house and dust flying everywhere you will take it back to the store and hopefully get a refund. I know I don’t want to run outside everytime I need to empty a vacuum, especially in COLD weather - which is something a lot of people do not think about because they usually purchase a vacuum in warm weather when they start spring cleaning. Buyers beware (especially regarding eBay & warranty’s) - we are happy with the Oreck. What the heck - you get to do like us - try it for 30 days and if not satisfied - FULL refund!
sunny on Sat, 5th Jul 2008 9:44 pm
yes that is what i love about the oreck it is so light weight. by the way we have an xl21
Jim on Wed, 16th Jul 2008 11:37 pm
For those of you who think the Oreck is cheaply made, try taking a hammer to the housing, youll find that is quite hard to break.
Its also unfair to compare the dyson Animal to the Oreck deluxe, which is a lower end model, stack any dyson against an oreck xl21 and the bb1100 canister or the Ironman which are different from the canister you get with the deluxe model and the oreck will win every time.
Linda on Tue, 5th Aug 2008 8:00 pm
What about the noise? I bought my daughter a Dyson and have used it a few times. But when using the attachments, it is particularly noisy!
I does a better job than the Tri-Star I now own. But maybe I’ll keep my “Compact” instead of buying an Oreck
Dan on Sun, 10th Aug 2008 6:38 pm
Quote Sunny ” And bagless vacuums are actually bad to have because when you empty it in to the garbage all that dust fly back into the air witch is not healthy for you to breath in.”
I disagree. Sure if you empty the canister in your house and inhale the edge of your garbage at the same time. I generally have a full canister of dog hair and dirt , I take it outside to the big garbage can and I don’t put my face in the can when I empty it. I think that arguement is a weak one for bagless vacuums.
Sharon on Mon, 18th Aug 2008 1:08 pm
I have had the 8 lb Oreck Deluxe since 2005 and cannot stand it. I am so done with it. Whether it can pick up a bowling ball or not, it stinks up the house with burning rubber within two minutes of turning it on. It has always done this and it does not help to change the belt (which BTW, it takes a strong man and something to use as a pry bar to get the new belt on). And I only use genuine Oreck belts. The beater bar is cheap unfinished wood and it only takes one vacuuming of a 5 X 9 foot rug to get collie hair stuck in it. The machine does not do a good job on bare floors at all since the beater bar/brush just flings away debris instead of sucking it up. The only good thing is that it isn’t very heavy so if all you want is a machine that is fairly easy to lug up and down stairs, by all means buy it. Just make sure you keep a huge supply of room deodorizers or candles to cover up the burning rubber smell. You also need to plan on half an hour at least to cut the dog hair off the beater bar each time you use it, and not mind having to get a bare floor vac to clean where there are no rugs. I didn’t think it did much of a job on my rugs either.
Don on Mon, 18th Aug 2008 9:34 pm
You must not be emptying your Dyson right if you have dust flying around??? When I empty my Dyson I get a new garbage bag and pull the bag around the upper part of the Dyson and pull it tight. then press the “dump” button. I then spin the bag off the bottom of the canister which seals it (so to speak like the baby diaper pail). I get 25 - 3 gallon Biodegradable plastic trash bags for around $5. 1 Oreck bag cost about $5.00. I can fill the Dyson to the top before emptying it so I think my system works out pretty good.
Chris on Sat, 23rd Aug 2008 6:37 pm
Just so you’re aware, of course the bag is pourous (it has to be) and will fill slowly, but the entire bag is the filter, which is ten times the surface area of the filters inside the Dyson machines. Since the bag is the filter, you get filteration through the majoirty of the bag, most bags have a fill line about 2/3 to 4/3 the way up so you never fill the bag entirely, that will damage the machine. Also its easy to see when the bag is filled to capacity, unlike filters which most people can’t tell when their saturated, unless they check them all the time. So by that respect the ‘Cleaning Ability’ portion of the review is wrong.
james s on Thu, 16th Oct 2008 6:05 pm
Oreck cheates customers. I was told to get a “bag wash” for the outer bag ($9.50)when I brought the Oreck in for its first annual checkup. The bag was clean but the manager insisted I get it washed with “special cleanser” to remove dirt that escapes the inner bag.
What a ripoff!! I am dissatisfied with the cleaner(it has gone through 3 belts in less than six months and clogs very easily.