Nothing beats the 8lb Oreck......

Why I bought the Oreck:
I was tired of cheap vacuums breaking under heavy usage. Yes, we have pets, and yes, we have four children, but that doesn't mean that a vacuum has the right to wimp out on us, does it?

Where I bought the Oreck:
I purchased the Oreck at an Oreck distributor in Mesa, Az. I went into the store twice; once to receive the sales pitch, and then again to purchase the Oreck, after I went home to do some research on it before purchase.

Cool Extras:
In addition to the vacuum itself, I got a free mini canister vac with attachments, free carpet cleaning solution and a package of free vacuum bags. Oh, and a mail in coupon for a free Oreck cordless iron! Not too shabby!

My Oreck's Features:
Standard Upright Vacuum
Large Front Wheels
12" Wide Cleaning Path
Long 30 foot cord
Two different speeds
Side sweepers for edges
Double rotating brushes
Filter Knit Filtration
Stainless Steel Cord Guard
Water/Break Resistant Metaxalloy Motor fan
3 year warranty

Why I love it:
As asvertised, it truly is a light (8 lbs.!) vacuum. It is easy to handle, easy to carry and fits in my closet nicely. I esecially like the full circular handle, which I think would be great for someone who has arthritis, or needs to be able to hold the vacuum handle in their most comfortable position, which can definitely vary from person to person. It has a dull, quiet motor sound, which is not unpleasant to listen to. It is actually pink (I got the last Breast Cancer Awareness version left), which dresses up its appearance quite a bit. Excellent suction, reliable, works well. The slightly oversized front wheels make it almost effortless to push around. It has a super long cord, so I can do some serious vacuuming before having to switch outlets. It gets the crevices between the floor and walls well, with just one sweep. I appreciate this; as I don't have to go back over the edges before I can declare the vacuuming finally complete. Also can be used for bare floors without having to make any adjustments. You can go from room to room quickly and easily.

The vacuum bags are changed from the top of the vacuum, a very simple (but ingenious) method. This makes for less mess, and makes them very easy to access. I'm not sure why all uprights don't use this simple technique, it's great. The Oreck has a Saniseal system, which helps keep dust inside of the vacuum, so you're not stuck breathing it in while you vacuum.

Another thing that is great about the Oreck being so light is that my children love to use it, and I feel comfortable letting them. It's light enough that they can handle it easily without running into furniture and damaging things, and they can move it around to get a good cleaning done. It also has a guard to protect furniture from accidental bumps.

Why I don't:
It has no on board attachments, which stinks. It's quite a trade-off for the durability that you get. The separate cannister makes up for it, I guess. Especially considering that I got it along with the vacuum at no additional cost. The head is bulky, and does not get under furniture at all.

So what's the secret to it's cleaning power?
Simple. The Oreck has double helix shaped (remember the double helix DNA strands in Bio?) brushes that rotate fast, around 6500 RPM. That's almost twice as fast as most vacuums. Dirt doesn't stand a chance! When the salesperson demonstrated this feature for me in the store, it was very interesting when I was able to compare it to a "non-Oreck" vacuum and see the difference.

How can I find out more?
Go check out the Oreck web site, at http://www.Oreck.com. They still have the cannister vac and iron promotions going, if you're interested. I highly recommend it!