Oreck XL Insight Vacuum Cleaner

 

Avg. consumer rating = 89/100 

The Oreck Insight upright vacuum (model U7010ECS) gets very solid ratings from owners and is noted for being exceptionally lightweight and powerful.  It is a bare bones machine however and while it includes HEPA filtration it comes with little else.  It is bagged and performs well on low pile carpet and bare floors but is difficult to push on deep pile carpet.

After some investigation owner ratings of the Oreck Insight were found on several quality online sites.  These are shown in the table below and generate an overall average score of 89 out of 100 or 4.45 stars out of 5 – this is a fairly good score.  You can see all upright vacuum scores in our upright vacuum ratings table if you wish. 

Source	Consumer Ratngs	#Ratings
Amazon	4.5 stars out of 5	28
Sears	4.0 stars out of 5	6
Walmart	5 stars out of 5	2
Home Depot	5 stars out of 5	2

 

Owner comments also reveal some common vacuum likes and dislikes – shown below.

PROS
- Lightweight
- Powerful
- Has 2 speeds
- Easy to maintain
- Low profile nozzle
- Long power cord

CONS
- Some reports it is hard to push on deep pile carpet
- Does not come with any attachments

You can read more customer reviews for this vacuum on Amazon here if you like.

One area to watch out for with this machine is the difficulty in pushing it on deep pile carpet.  While folks with bare floors and low pile carpet don’t report any maneuverability issues, those with deep pile carpet do.  The likely culprit here is the lack of a height adjustment feature resulting in a nozzle head that is just too low for deep pile carpet.  This is a fairly common complaint with Oreck uprights and the company actually sells what they call a “pile attachment” that attaches to the bottom of the vacuum and provides lift to prevent this problem.  We ran into some online documentation that stated the attachment “is available by calling the Oreck Customer Service Department”.  You can find their website at www.oreck.com.

This kind of problem can also be the result of the belt stretching and no longer driving the brushbar sufficiently enough to help propel the vacuum forward.   However in the case of the Oreck Insight the problem likely lies with height adjustment.

Owners also highlight that the unit’s powerful suction can make vacuuming throw rugs a bit tricky, especially around the edges where it will pull them up.  Fortunately the Insight has 2 power settings and the company suggests that the high speed be used for carpet and the low speed for bare floors or throw rugs.

The Oreck Insight is a bagged upright that is powered by a 3.5 amp motor.  Most full size vacuum motors these days are 9 to 12 amps but bear in mind that amps have little do with cleaning power and relate to how much electricity the motor uses.  As most owners agree this Oreck has more than ample suction power. Also, as mentioned above, the suction power on this unit can be dialled down.

While the vacuum is designed to clean both hard floors and carpet it does not have a brushbar that can be turned on and off.  A number of owners report that the brushbar pulls the vacuum along and the unit almost feels self-propelled.  Some owners like this while a few feel that the machine is being pulled away from you and you have to fight it.  The brushbar is motor driven.

There are side brushes on the nozzle which help with edge cleaning – like up close to baseboards for example (see image below).  These don’t work as well as going over edges with a crevice tool but in the absence of such a tool they do a reasonable job.

Which brings us to a key point – the Insight comes with no attachments or tools.  Most uprights today have a hose to which you can attach the likes of an extension wand, turbo brush, crevice tool, dusting brush, etc.  The Insight has none of these.  Most owners are well aware of this before they purchase the machine so this doesn’t seem to be much of a consumer issue but it is one you should know before you buy.  There are few bells and whistles and the unit also does not have a bag change indicator,

The power cord does not have an auto-retract feature and is manual wrap.  It is also 30 feet in length which is respectable for an upright.  As a result there are no complaints about having to plug and unplug the vacuum when moving from room to room.  As we’ve mentioned in other articles we are proponents of long power cords and feel that a minimum of 30 feet is best for a full size upright.

At about 9 lbs the Insight is a very light upright even though it is slightly heavier than the Oreck 2100RHS which we recently reviewed.  There are a number of consumer comments alluding to the fact that the machine is so light that - when compared to a heavier upright - it is helpful for people with bad backs or those with trouble lifting.

This is a bagged vacuum and it has the Saniseal bag docking system which makes changing bags very easy.  The disposable bag slides into the bag dock door and then snaps into place.  The Saniseal system also seals the bag opening when the bag is removed.  This prevents the escape of dust and debris.  The bags also provide HEPA level filtration.  This ensures that the likes of dust mite feces, mold spores, ragweed, pollen and other allergens are removed from the air.  Technically speaking HEPA filtration will remove 99.97% of all particles 0.3 microns or larger from the air.  This level of filtration is popular with allergy and asthma sufferers.

Other vacuum features include a vacuum handle grip that has received the Arthritis Foundation’s seal of approval, a 12 inch wide cleaning path (respectably wide), an Endurolife belt which never requires changing (according to Oreck), and an LED headlight.  The vacuum nozzle also has a low profile which helps when vacuuming under furniture. The handle lays back almost horizontal (see image to right) which also helps tremendously when you have to reach far under tables, beds, etc.

The Oreck XL Insight carries a lengthy 5-year limited warranty and is ETL listed.    ETL is a group that performs electrical and reliability tests on products to ensure they meet US product safety standards. They also audit the manufacturing site and require that the applicant agrees to future factory inspections to ensure continued adherence to the standards.