Abby's Guide to Vacuum Cleaners
Username Password
Home Discussions Reviews More Guides
Abby’s Guide > Vacuum Cleaners > Discussions > Riccar RSL 5 @ $650 or Oreck Pilot @ $599 ?

Vacuum Cleaners Discussions

Search For:
tbstbs


Joined: Aug 12, 2010
Points: 9

Riccar RSL 5 @ $650 or Oreck Pilot @ $599 ?
Original Message   Aug 12, 2010 9:51 am
I have been reading the various forums here this morning and they are so helpful.

I know what I don't want, so now I am having difficulty deciding between what appear to be 2 very good machines.

After pushing several of the previously mentioned machines around in the store, I might have a slight prefernce for the Riccar.  I like the fact that it won't need belts, and will turn off when I accidently suck up something I shouldn't.  I also prefer the hand held vac that comes with the Riccar, but I think that may be mostly cosmetic.

I believe I would choose the Pilot over the Gold, but I did not consider or really know about  the Edge I see talked about on here.  When it comes to the Oreck, it is hard to overlook the great 6 or 10+ year service plan, not to mention the 30 day money back guarantee.

Now, I am just going around and around in circles.

Does anyone here have some information that might help me move on?

Replies: 29 - 38 of 38Next page of topicsPreviousAllView as Outline
tbstbs


Joined: Aug 12, 2010
Points: 9

Re: Riccar RSL 5 @ $650 or Oreck Pilot @ $599 ?
Reply #29   Aug 15, 2010 5:32 pm
CarmineD wrote:
Yes....pedal. 

Carmine D.

PS: The technical industry term is "handle release."



phhht! 
CarmineD


Joined: Dec 31, 2007
Points: 5894

Re: Riccar RSL 5 @ $650 or Oreck Pilot @ $599 ?
Reply #30   Aug 16, 2010 7:31 am
tbstbs wrote:
phhht! 



Charm trumps spell check.

Carmine D.

Actionvac


Joined: Oct 22, 2008
Points: 80

Re: Riccar RSL 5 @ $650 or Oreck Pilot @ $599 ?
Reply #31   Aug 16, 2010 9:27 am
CarmineD wrote:
Question:  After 30 days in home trial use?

Carmine D.



Sure but my returns are superlow, everyone loves the RSL Riccar line
Actionvac


Joined: Oct 22, 2008
Points: 80

Re: Riccar RSL 5 @ $650 or Oreck Pilot @ $599 ?
Reply #32   Aug 16, 2010 10:10 am
Venson wrote:
I agree that CR best serves as a tool , not a Bible.  However, the same organization rated your new Pilot. as "very good" on carpet and for pet hair, "excellent" in regard to bare floor cleaning and emissions and also "excellent" for handling.  Are they off the mark now?

The Boss is rated as"fair" for handling.  I don't blame that on CR.  Maybe you missed the fine print stating that -- Overall, this is a very good upright vacuum that excelled at cleaning bare floors and picking up pet hair. It was also excellent at keeping its emissions low. It was fairly hard to handle.

Venson



Consumer reports is in the subsription magazine business, they are hardly experts at anything but that
Venson


Joined: Jul 23, 2007
Points: 1900

Re: Riccar RSL 5 @ $650 or Oreck Pilot @ $599 ?
Reply #33   Aug 16, 2010 11:19 am
Actionvac wrote:
Consumer reports is in the subsription magazine business, they are hardly experts at anything but that



So show me.  I strongly disagree as CR is a tried and true shopping tool that has kept me a happy camper for years.  My first use of it was back in the "stereo age" -- the mid-70s -- when I bought a pair of Marantz audio speakers it recommended -- without audition.  They proved to be wonderful but were given to a friend when I headed off to Europe 20 years ago.  He still has them.

However, I in no way recommend the same for others.  Inform yourselves to what is available and suitable for your purpose and use.  Few salespersons show helpfulness in that area and neither are manufacturers.  So where do I go?  Do I knock on all the doors up and down my block to find out what food mixer they like or don't like when I need one?  Do I stop and ask every driver I see just why they chose their particular automobile?  Not likely.

Any vacuums that I have bought by way of CR have been what they were claimed BUT I'd read the whole text per item AND thought about it.  The problem is that many of us are not willing to make trade-offs or are too fast to jump to buy due to one rating issue.  Rating says, "Excellent for carpets," "Highest suction of all tested," and someone goes running off to store for it.  Ratings like "good" indicating a machine that may well prove more than satisfactory for many I think get passed by.

High-end Miele S7 uprights did get great scores for everything except handling.  CR didn't influence this buy as I got mine well before testing was done but I'm happy although that does not mean that someone else should be equally as pleased as I.  As well, I have seldom seen a Miele canister canister rate above good for carpet cleaning but I have one and am happy with it too.

But it's not all about premium priced vacs.  The el-cheapo Hoover Tempo continues to bring in good scores and is an easily affordable, worthwhile buy.  That kind of information I also thank CR for.

As for durability, in reality feel CR tests can show no more than I can learn at home.  There's no way of knowing what your vacuum's made of until after a couple of years of bangs and knocks plus the degradation of plasticizers have occured.  As well, common sense has never allowed me to expect much from bargain models and to take eveyday of use as a blessing -- not a given.  In 1959 a "deluxe" model vacuum that cleaned well and was durable could be had for $90.00.  You may have to pay as much as ten times that for a current equivalent to meet the same expectations.  But should everyone go out and buy 900 buck vacuums.  Heck no!  They should however seek to get the best in their price bracket.

My feeling, which you are surely free to take or leave, is that CR has been a help to lots of shoppers for all sorts of items and services and if not it would have run out of subscribers by now.  Thus it can be its own lawyer and plad its case by way of demand.  Until it has been proved to falsify tests and cater to manufacture and business interests, I'll continue to use it.

Venson

Actionvac


Joined: Oct 22, 2008
Points: 80

Re: Riccar RSL 5 @ $650 or Oreck Pilot @ $599 ?
Reply #34   Aug 16, 2010 12:24 pm
My statement was probably a little harsh but after 21 years in the vac business I tend to pick up on thier dead wrong best buys and high recommends as in my store I back up every thing I sell to a fault ,and reliability is a strong issue with me, and a lot of the high rated units ar the most problematic, as as I love to sell high end units I am just as happy to  sell a 199.00 Riccar USA vacuum promo vac, although I have CR to thank for keeping me in the repair business as the S/P Windtunnel is a huge addition to our repairs
Severus


If my vacuum can remove even one spec of dirt that yours misses, then mine is better than yours - even if there's no proof that mine would have picked up as much dirt as yours...

Joined: Jul 31, 2007
Points: 397

Re: Riccar RSL 5 @ $650 or Oreck Pilot @ $599 ?
Reply #35   Aug 16, 2010 12:38 pm
Actionvac wrote:
My statement was probably a little harsh but after 21 years in the vac business I tend to pick up on thier dead wrong best buys and high recommends as in my store I back up every thing I sell to a fault ,and reliability is a strong issue with me, and a lot of the high rated units ar the most problematic, as as I love to sell high end units I am just as happy to  sell a 199.00 Riccar USA vacuum promo vac, although I have CR to thank for keeping me in the repair business as the S/P Windtunnel is a huge addition to our repairs


So what is the $199.00 Riccar USA vacuum promo vac?  

The smart tyrant writes his own story to ensure that it is favorable.  The lazy will repeat lines from the book without fact checking. 
CarmineD


Joined: Dec 31, 2007
Points: 5894

Re: Riccar RSL 5 @ $650 or Oreck Pilot @ $599 ?
Reply #36   Aug 16, 2010 12:49 pm
Actionvac wrote:
Sure but my returns are superlow, everyone loves the RSL Riccar line



I'm not surprised by either:  Low returns and users luv them. 

Carmine D.

CarmineD


Joined: Dec 31, 2007
Points: 5894

Re: Riccar RSL 5 @ $650 or Oreck Pilot @ $599 ?
Reply #37   Aug 16, 2010 12:54 pm
Actionvac wrote:
My statement was probably a little harsh but after 21 years in the vac business I tend to pick up on thier dead wrong best buys and high recommends as in my store I back up every thing I sell to a fault ,and reliability is a strong issue with me, and a lot of the high rated units ar the most problematic, as as I love to sell high end units I am just as happy to  sell a 199.00 Riccar USA vacuum promo vac, although I have CR to thank for keeping me in the repair business as the S/P Windtunnel is a huge addition to our repairs



As did the HOOVER Power dials from years and years ago.  Clutch guide wires, handles, transmission belts....to CR's credit it does rate HOOVER as one of the more repair prone models tho I suspect no more so than other brands save the fact that so many more HOOVER models are sold and in use for long periods of time [compared with other brands]. 

Carmine D.

Actionvac


Joined: Oct 22, 2008
Points: 80

Re: Riccar RSL 5 @ $650 or Oreck Pilot @ $599 ?
Reply #38   Aug 17, 2010 9:36 am
Severus wrote:
So what is the $199.00 Riccar USA vacuum promo vac?  


It is the Vibrance on board tools basic model with no light and wood brushroll 10 amp 3 yr warranty, 1 1/2 years ago when economy tanked they came out with 199,299,399,599 promo vacs, the 299 is Vibrance 10 amp, metal brush, inc on off for brushroll, the 399 was a 12 amp with on off brush but metal handle W/switch in handle 4 yr warranty and the 599 was a basic Tandem air model with black color 5 yr warranty, the 199.00 Vib or the others are 10 plus year vacs best deal out there I believe
Replies: 29 - 38 of 38Next page of topicsPreviousAllView as Outline
Vacuum Cleaners Guide   •   Discussions  Reviews  
AbbysGuide.com   About Us   Terms of Use   Privacy Policy   Contact Us
Copyright 1998-2024 AbbysGuide.com. All rights reserved.
Site by Take 42