Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Today I fortuitously stopped at the local Oreck dealer. 

Mike, the owner of several Oreck franchises and a few multi-brand stores had brought his new Edge upright from home, as stock had not arrived yet.

It has a more powerful motor, with a true  floating head. LED lights, infinite speed control AND and on-board stretch hose with a permanently attached telescopic crevice tool that is automatically active when the handle is in the upright position.  It lacks the Pilot's pivot head and the Halo's germ killing light. A model incorporating all three features is under development.  It is still easy to push, although it weighs 10 lb and requires a bit more effort than previous models.

There is a commercial OBT upright made by Stein (Sebo) that is very nice at only 450.00.  Oreck WILL be offering a bagless upright, but dealer participation is optional.  The new canister is color matched to the Edge and designed to be leaned on as the user vacuums stairs. Odd looking bare floor/crevice tool, no swivel neck. The bristles fold in to form the crevice tool, and the wand is inserted into a neck that curves more than 60 and less than 90 degrees, much like the OLD bare floor tools made of wood with the metal neck screwed on. A turbo tool is included and a dusting brush.

A cute little bagless canister is available for 49.99  Oreck has increased market share and has 89% brand recognition as a vacuum cleaner. They have become #1in  air purifier sales. (Mike did not say if that was dollar volume, or units or both.

The price of the Edge and matching canister will be about 750.00

Oreck is still marketing, still developing product, and still building a loyal customer base.

Severus wrote:

Agree.  An ORECK vacuum buyer knows the product already [prior user, word of mouth from friends and family] and is already sold on it.  They may look to CR just as a backup to reacquaint/reinforce their purchase.  If ORECK Edge/other scores good-excellent on carpets and pets with a 60 or more in a field with 73 as best, it's a winner for ORECK buyers/users.

Carmine D.

Spending $550 on a vacuum that brings ZERO life-changing/industry-changing innovations, but instead brings a mirror-copy of his competitors vacuums (same use of tired-technologies) is hilarious.  And spending $200 on a easy-to-choke ‘tired’ portable is funny too!  I can’t wait to see how Dishonest Dave uses hype and gimmicks to sell this decades old contraption (chokes-like/works-like their competitors less expensive vacuums).

DysonInventsBig wrote:

My sentiments exactly...........for dumb dyson and Sir James.  Who in their right mind and pocket book would spend $550 on a weighty, ball wheeled, Malaysian contractor made, mediocre performing, over hyped/over hawked vacuum?  Or spend $300 on a 10 inch fan?  Or spend $1,400 on an electric hand dryer.  Or spend $200 on a ball barrow?  Or spend $5,000 on a contra rotating washer?  Or $12 on a small package of dysolv rug cleaner that doesn't remove stains?  History speaks for itself.  Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.  Or as Abraham Lincoln said:  You can fool some of the people all of the time; all of the people some of the time; but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.  There are alot of things one can say about his favorite hero's innovative product plunders.  But, the honest thing to say is that they were incredibly bad ideas and he/company got it wrong [over and over again]. 

Carmine D.

DysonInventsBig wrote:

Dustmite,

You're making a lot of assumptions about a product you know nothing about - nothing new.   David Oreck is a much more honest person than you are.  He certainly puts the best spin on his products that he can, but he is very careful not to lie.  Certainly Dave prices his vacuums to include the cost of the annual service.  James Dyson could learn a lot from David Oreck about running a business. 

Severus wrote:

Ole Dave could learn a lot from several brands about cleaning beyond a hard surface.  Like deep cleaning carpet.performance.

HARDSELL wrote:

Here's a news flash you missed.  ORECK increased market share in 2009 IN UNITS, which is the way the vacuum industry in the USA measures sales, and is poised to do so again in 2010 according to Trebor and Procare in their recent posts.  This in the worse economic recession and worse record of consumer spending since the 1930's.  How's that for cleaning up in hard times.

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:
By eliminating (filtering out) the competing manufacturers to Dyson and their representatives (competing small time brick and mortar dealers) and eliminating the group that's not happy with themselves and their lack of real-accomplishments...  then it turns out, Sir James has very few critics here in the US and UK - indeed.

DysonInventsBig wrote:

What ever happen to that wonderful HS for engineers that dyson wanted to erect in 2008 in the UK for the good of the Queen and her country?  A very few UK critics were not happy with it?  Must have been buyers/users of dyson products:  Very few critics indeed.

Carmine D.

CarmineD wrote:

IF Oreck increased MS it was due to reduced pricing in Oreck stores and distribution in Big Box stores.  I feel certain that Oreck sales to BB stores are low profit for Oreck.  Combine that with reduced pricing in Oreck stores.  Increased unit sales does not always contribute to the profit line.  Give me the profits you can have the boxes.

I am familiar with Oreck's ability to clean up.  I am not impressed.

CarmineD wrote:
So you’re saying the $550 Oreck is not a colossal innovative failure (as advertised), but instead (perhaps) a corporate ‘secret weapon’ packed full with life-changing, industry-changing innovations.  And these innovations have been intentionally omitted from the Oreck marketing.  I’ve got the time...  we’ll see.  Hilarious!