The item went together perfectly with all its pieces and parts. I used it to clean some wood stairs and it worked beautifully. It is easy to use, is lightweight, and the operation is fantastic.

When you need a portable easy to use vacuum that gets the job done....I find Oreck to be the best. Super great suction, easy to move around...I just added an extra long electric cord....picks up cat hair...easy to change bags....I've tried all sorts of large vacuums and after a while they all get clogged up...but this one always works....only draw back is it scares the xygfg! out of my kitties!

No mention of having the wrong plug on it. For American market.

This arrived with an American plug. Fortunately, I had a suitable adapter with the correct voltage. Unfortunately, within moments of switching on, sparks came out of the canister. I have returned it to the seller. They have responded courteously and promptly and have said that as soon as they receive the item back, they will refund the purchase price - and the return postage price which was £74.05!

Once again, the Oreck XL is unbeatable for its utility and the affordable price. Very versatile and simple to use, empty and use again.My first XL lasted 19 years, and I expect that this one will do the same. They have partially solved the “short hose problem” that appears in lots of reviews, by creating a rigid wand that extends at a click of a button. I wouldn’t want to vacuum my entire house with the Oreck XL, but for small to medium jobs in the workshop or around the house (or car), it’s a wonderfully useful tool.

I purchased the first version on this vaccum in '99. It burnt out about a month ago, AND I used it all the time! It kept it's suction well, too. As long as I had it, it held its integrity. The ONLY reason I have had to buy another one is because I attempted to use the vaccum as a make/shift leaf remover on the lawn. Leaves are light, right? NOT!They clog easily inside the tubes. They clog the entrance into the filter unit. I should have paid attention to the motor RPM's increasing. I didn't. I was too busy shaking free the leaves inside the tubes and the openings AND continued to pick up leaves at the same time. I heard this high pitched, Wrrrr, then the motor froze up. The smell that comes from the smoke of an electric burn started. I knew what I had done.I didn't attempt to restart it after I let it cool down on the patio. I threw it in the trash to be picked up.I was angry at myself: Forestt Gump said, 'Stupid is as stupid does.'(I just wrote this confession to let everyone know that a 70yr old man doesn't have all the marbles inside the circle anymore. I did it IF anyone else has had this kind of experience to feel that they're not the only one. LOL....and I would like you to share your incident w/me, too....so I can laugh at you.-------I have tried this unit. It is excellent. The plastic is as sturdy as the old one but not as heavy: thank you. Its suction is great. I have a cat window bed w/deep pile carpeting that has to be cleaned everyday. (She's an outside Service Feline: a calico. I have a pic of her on my profile if you wish to check this classy calico of 15 yrs. She's sassy, too; the way I like my women!).They have added a floor suction brush/vacuum w/the long handles so you don't have to been over in the long runs, BUT the free moving swivel is very difficult to handle because it is too loose so the floor brush/vaccum defeats its purpose, but you can use the hand vac unit which is motionless and you will get the job done.Now, that all said, I bought this because it is a hand vac; not a traditional upright vaccum. That's what it was created to be used as. I like this 2nd version. The suction is great and the filters haven't changed from the old unit, so if you have any filters left over from the old unit you will be able to use them on this one.Oreck as a new circular carryer for hand held vaccum's now. The price to buy this unit has been the least expensive I have ever bought. Think about it. 16yrs of use, 365 days, circa 20-30min and you are going to come up w/the best deal I think you can find. Oreck developed their vaccums for industrial use primarily and they have kept the same integrity w/their home versions also. I had one of those for 13 years.No, I am NOT a rep. No, I am ot being paid. I wish I was. Oreck, are you listening?P.S. The hand vaccum I have had since '99 came as a bonus if you purchased the upright version.

Over the years I have bought expensive vacuums and usually never think about them after I pay off the credit card bill. Before buying this Oreck my last one is this LG Kompressor bagless monstrosity that compresses the dirt in the collector but not before it blows it around several times and gets everything from dog hair and fine dirt and sand lodged in no fewer than four different compartments. Despite the fact that it weighs a bottom-heavy 25 lbs and takes 5-6 passes to get just the visible dirt, every review I had read about other high-end models seemed to have similar complaints to my LG about suction decreasing for no apparent reason, critical parts breaking, and having to clear the vacuum with another vacuum, etc. This Oreck SD Compact is SO SIMPLE and doesn't have any problems like the bigger ones, and only cost about a 1/3 of the higher-end vacuums. Sure, it looks like a throwback design; the love child of a small car muffler and a 1970's vintage transistor radio, but it is highly functional and has a lot of suction. Furthermore, it doesn't weigh that much so carrying it by hand or with the shoulder strap is easy. Would I love a better made floor tool, yeah, would I like it to vent the exhaust through a diffusor vent rather than straight out the back blowing receipts and decks of cards to the floor, yes. But the floor tool really does suck dust and sand up well and the HEPA filtered exhaust is still smell free. And by the way, I love that it is has bags to throw away and not a dozen chambers to clear dust and hair from. Simply Amazing, as the Oreck manual reads!

Full sized vacs and mini hand vacs are fine for what they're designed to do, but this little machine does everything else and does it outstandingly well. I didn't really expect otherwise since I owned this same vacuum for many years 'til it gave up the ghost a few months ago. I didn't think this model would still be available, but a Google search rewarded me. With its powerful suction, portability and various cleaning attachments, it's pretty much a must have around the house. As for those reviewers who bemoaned this little machine's performance on carpeting--hey, carpeting requires full sized vacs, whether upright or cannister; compacts are for everything else. Also, the attachments don't fall off, unless you are just pushing them in. They are held in by friction, so when attaching, you must push and twist when you insert them and they will hold, no problem.