Oreck Commercial Orbiter Hard Floor Cleaner Machine, Multi-Purpose Floor Cleaning, Random Orbital Drive, Wide Cleaning Path, 50-Foot Long Cord, ORB550MC, Gray/Red

Dear Oreck - Where have you been our entire homeowning life? Lets just say if you have vinyl, tile, concrete or wood floors, this is your guy. No more scrubbing or punnihsing workouts with the mop to get the floor clean. 1. Out of the box - you don't have to put anything together. And do not be weirded out because it seems heavy - it won't feel like that to use! I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to use it 30 seconds out of the box (after doing some research online on pads and bonnets and watching youtube videos on how to use it) 2. Pads, and Scrub rings - this is where Oreck is a little short on info: what do I use? Pretty much the things you think you may want to use on a softer floor like vinyl and wood be careful of scratching. This puppy is a buffer and he likes to buff and strip (yes that sounds, ironically, dirty). For vinyl floors that are very filtrhy, I used the green scrub rind then followed immediately up with the terrycloth bonnet to buff. It works BEAUTIFULLY. For tile, either the green brush or the blue one again following with the terry bonnet. Dont forget you have to either wetmop the floor first, or even easier spray it with cleaner but you don't need to use that much! For wood floors, we have oiled floors and I got this for those, but I have not yet tried that out - I willl update when I do. For concrete (garage floors, porches that aren't painted, sidewalks, etc. You can go to town using the orange scrubber or one of the stripping polypropylene pads that feel like scotchbrite. Do your YouTube homework tho. 3. Carpet cleaning - I have no carpets but everyone says black scrub ring and the bonnet ()separately). 4. Switching out scrubber rings and bonnets and pads. EASY PEASY. Pads and bonnets get affixed to the black drive pad holder. That slips on the bottom. For scrub brushes yuou don't use the black drive pad. It COULD NOT BE EASIER. 5. Long cord, quiet operation that doesn't freak out my cat, beautiful floors without scrubbing on my hands and knees. I accidentally bought two and was going to return one, but now I am perhaps leaving #2 upstairs. . . . . I have not loved a household appliance like this since I first got a dishwasher (and a housekeeper). Seriously - worth it. Every penny. Every pain of doing your own research on the pads. Even hefting that puppy up the stairs. Going to admire my kitchen vinyl floor now. IT EVEN BUFFED OUT MARKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For those of you who just want a quick read for basic info, I will start with the breakdown, but if you want to know all about my experience with this floor cleaner please read on. BREAKDOWN: Excellent floor cleaner - definitely worth the time and expense! Easy to operate Use the Blue brush for deep grout - it works easiest and best Large spaces with deep grout may need to use more than one brush to finish the job (order extra) Only one issue - if you are puny and have small hands removing the brush is very difficult - you will need help I have the most beautiful and horrible Travertine floors and was looking for something to help clean the canyons of grout filled with dirt. If you are thinking about getting floors like mine, DON'T! They are the worst to keep clean with their rustic looking huge grout channels. But thanks to this Oreck floor cleaner, months of debris nearly floated away! (check out the pictures of my floor, cleaned areas versus the dirty bits - which I added) The Oreck Commercial Orbiter Floor Machine worked wonders on the massive crevices in my flooring. If you have floors with deep, wide grout spaces and never seem to get the dirt up no matter how much you mop, then this floor cleaner is what you need. I ordered the orange brush thinking I needed something rugged and heavy duty but the blue brush was actually the best, as it was softer and able to get deep in the cracks. When I first used the orange brush I felt the need to twist the Orbiter to get the brush into the cracks because it was so stiff, it was basically passing over them. Just so you know, bending the machine to get in the cracks actually makes it harder on your arms and wrists, and beats the crap out of the brush. So about half a floor later (several hours), I had to switch the orange brush out because it became matted and compressed and no longer worked well (picture included of the abused orange brush). I then used the blue brush and immediately noticed a huge difference! It was softer so it got in the cracks easily and I no longer had to twist the machine to get the same results. Of course I ended up having to switch out the blue brush to another blue brush because I could tell when it was getting worn and not working as well. I seriously did almost 5,000 square feet of flooring and used 3 brushes, so I guess that's not too bad. It would have been great to only used one, but I wasn't complaining since my floor was looking amazing. It took many, many hours and a few days to get it all done, but it looks like new and I am now forcing everyone to comply to my no shoes in the house policy to help maintain the floors cleanliness, so that I, hopefully, won't have to do this again for another 6-8 months or longer. The only downside of this machine is that I find it too difficult to get the brushes off to replace them after using them for the day and need the assistance of someone much stronger with larger hands than mine. Too bad they don't have a tool to help get the brush off, for people with small hands that are on the puny side. Overall, totally worth the money and time spent making my floors new again!!

Heavy-Duty Floor Cleaner That’s Built to Last The Oreck Commercial Orbiter is one of those machines that makes you wonder why you didn’t get it sooner. It’s sturdy, easy to maneuver, and powerful enough to handle a wide range of cleaning tasks—whether it’s scrubbing tile grout, deep cleaning carpets, polishing hardwood, or stripping wax from floors. The random orbital drive design means it doesn’t gouge or swirl, and it’s surprisingly user-friendly even if you’ve never used a floor machine before. The wide cleaning path and long 50-foot cord are a big plus. You can cover large areas without constantly searching for outlets, which makes cleaning faster and less of a hassle. I also like that it’s versatile—you just swap out pads or brushes depending on the job. Despite its commercial rating, it works just as well in a home setting if you have large floor areas or tough cleaning needs. One thing to keep in mind: it is heavy, which helps with cleaning power but can make it a bit awkward to carry up and down stairs. You’ll also need to buy the pads and brushes separately, so factor that into the cost. Bottom line: A professional-grade, long-lasting cleaning machine that delivers excellent results across multiple surfaces. If you want one tool that can handle just about any floor-cleaning job, this is a worthwhile investment.

After my latest rug shampooer broke down I was really really motivated to find something that would do the job. This led into a long and arduous search. Finally ended up on You Tube looking at video reviews. It was at this point that I accidentally stumbled on videos of professional carpet cleaners using various pieces of equipment and chemicals. Obviously I couldn't afford their equipment and just when I was ready to give up I started to see other professionals who were using the affordable Oreck Orbitor with great visible results. They called their method of carpet cleanig---VLM (very low moisture) As I continued to watch I learned how to use this machine-- what accessories and cleaning products to use with it and under what circumstances. Some of these pros have used this machine almost exclusively in their business for years. Intrigued I decided to buy one and try it for myself. Following their example I used Green Dragon powder (encap store) mixed with water and applied with a pump sprayer on my thirty year old carpet. Next I went over the carpet with the Oreck black brush to work the cleaner into the carpet--loosen the dirt and lift the pile of the carpet. Finally I switched to the microfiber pad (called a bonnet) and went over the carpet again to absorb the dirt and moisture in the carpet which works very well. (NOTE: Any small amount of dirt still left in the carpet is encapsulated by the moist green Dragon as it drys into crystals that you can vacuum out the next day.) I was soo pleased at the difference in my carpet. Clean and fluffy and completely dry in less than 2 hours. Then I used the Oreck on my tile floor with the green brush-- Fabuloso and water (no residue) and finished up with microfiber pad to clean and dry everything off the floor. Again a beautiful clean floor. The pads/bonnets are easy to use and clean. When you are done with them either throw them in the washer or rinse them out first and then throw them in the washer and then in the dryer. The brush can also be rinsed out with a hose or in a sink--shake excess water off and air dry. I think that the reason it works so well is the agitation that it gives the floor. This is a great little machine that does a great job---- if it were not why would the professionals keep using it year after year

I have mixed feelings about the Orbiter. Overall, I like it (as you can tell by the 4 star rating), but there are some things that I do wish it did better. PROS: -The orbiting action really does do a great job at not flinging liquids or powders away from the Orbiter. The cleaning solutions I have used generally stay underneath the Orbiter allowing them to actually do their job, rather than being flung onto other flooring areas/cabinets/etc. -It scrubs at a pace that it unachievable in other ways. It does not spin at an uncontrollable speed, but it does spin quickly and the available brushes make certain cleaning applications a breeze. -The cord is very long! It makes scrubbing larger rooms/areas very easy. -It is a versatile machine. It can clean pretty much any flooring you can think of (from carpet, to hardwoord, to tile). CONS: -The Orbiter seems as if it needs more weight. The Orbiter spins as well as I would like, but it seems as if the scrubbing power could be seriously increased by having more weight pressing down on the brushes/bonnets/etc. I have heard talk of people putting weights on these sorts of machines to weigh them down more and, in turn, increase the scrubbing power. However, I do not feel comfortable doing this and I would not personally recommend it unless you are more familiar with the effects it might have on the machine. -The handle has no way to "lock" in an upright position. For storage purposes I have to keep the machine in an upright position. The way the machine balances means it sort of "spins" very easily while it's in an upright position (even when it's unplugged). The weight of the cord being wound around the handle means that, sometimes, the handle might fall over. It's not exactly a big deal, but it can be kind of annoying and I think to design a small and simple way to lock the handle upright would be worthwhile. -The accessories for this machine are not cheap. I'm not going to say that they're not worth the cost, but they do seem to be more expensive than I would have guessed relatively simple things (like the scrub brushes) to cost. However, you can buy (as I did) a "starter kit" that comes with many of the things you need to get working right away, here: Oreck Orbiter Complete Clean Value Kit Overall, the machine works pretty well and I do like it. There are just a few things I would love to change/have changed that I think could make it a much better product!

100% worth the price. The cleaning power and durability are spectacular. It’s not super heavy like I originally thought and came fully assembled. Perfect size to carry around the house or shop & works great! Highly recommend. I’ve spent hours mopping and steam cleaning tile floors…look at the difference.

In Feb. 2021 I saw an advertisement for the Oreck Cleaning/Polishing Machine on the internet. The ad focused on how this unit could be used to clean hardwood floors prior to resealing them for protection. I was interested because our house was built in the 1980’s and we have the original hardwood floors. We’ve lived here since 2002. The previous owner raised German Shepherds and told us he always allowed his dogs inside the house. Our floors were pretty beat up when we moved in and we contributed to this process by having our own assortment of canines running in and out through their pet door for the last two decades. Not too long after moving in we hired a professional contractor to clean and seal the wood to protect it. Two men worked together for a couple of days and it was fairly expensive. I could see now that we could probably use another treatment and I was thinking of doing it myself. That’s why I was interested in the Oreck orbiter. While doing my research for this project, I learned there’s a term for the kind of floor we’ve created: “Distressed Hardwood Flooring.” Here’s a definition from the internet: “Distressed hardwood flooring is one way to capture the look of a worn and antiqued floor, without needing to do any of the wearing down yourself. Distressed floors have all the character and charm of a floor that's been in one place for years, but with a finish that will let them hold up to today's modern lifestyle.” Well, I’d never looked at it that way and didn’t realize anyone else did either. Why would you intentionally wound and mar your brand-new hardwood floors? I still can’t think of a very good reason for doing this—on purpose—but allowing a bunch of dogs to roam your abode for a prolonged period of time appears to accomplish a suitable “distressing” effect. I just did an internet search on “how to distress a hardwood floor,” and there are many articles and videos available to verify this is actually “A Thing.” Anyway, I figured with the right tools and supplies, I should be able to handle the job of cleaning and restoring our floors myself. So, I ordered an orbiter—along with an “Oreck carpet brush” and the “Oreck polishing bonnet”—to thoroughly clean and prepare the floors for the next steps in the process. I’d also been researching the “Rejuvenate” floor cleaning products on Amazon and decided to use them for this undertaking. I plan to review these items here as well. I used Rejuvenate floor cleaner and the orbiter with the brush to scrub the floors. The brush gets into all the nooks and crannies. Then I used the bonnet attachment to wipe up any released dirt. Here’s a quick review of the Oreck Orbiter: This is an excellent product. It’s heavy duty and really puts some muscle into the cleaning job. If you plan to restore your hardwood floors, I recommend using a similar machine if available. I’ve also used the Oreck orbiter to clean the carpet in my bedroom. I used “Capture” carpet cleaning powder and the “pre-spray” as well. I used the Oreck carpet brush and the Capture powder as directed. The orbiter allows you to really scrub into the carpet and fluff it up. Next, you need to use a vacuum with a “sealed filtration system” to suck up the residue. If it’s not sealed some of the powder will likely blow out into the room like it did with my Bissell vacuum—making a white cloud around the vacuum and settling on me and the furniture. I’d been happy with the Bissell for many years, but never realized it released a lot of minute particles into the air. It was making such a mess—right away—that I stopped using it. I’d watched several instruction videos online and no one else seemed to have a problem with their vacuums spewing out a white mist while performing this task. Fortunately, my wife has a Shark Navigator vacuum she prefers to the Bissell. So, I tried that and it contained all the powder with no problem. I’d advise anyone cleaning a carpet this way to try it out on a small section first to see if your vacuum is up to the job. By the way—after watching many online reviews on Shark vacuums—I ended up ordering a new Shark “Vertex” vacuum as a result of this incident. I’m very impressed with it and wrote a review giving it “5 stars.” I’ve cleaned this bedroom twice now with the orbiter and powder and I think it does a good job of “freshening up” the carpet. I also used the Oreck orbiter and a stiffer Oreck scrubbing brush to clean our deck (along with an electric pressure washer), and also to clean the front walkway. Back to the hardwood floor: Using “Rejuvenate Wood Floor Restorer” and “Rejuvenate Shine Refresher.” After thoroughly cleaning the floor, I used three coats of the “Rejuvenate Wood Floor Restorer.” I figure I get a little more protection with each coat. I also set-up fans to help dry everything faster. Our hardwood floor now looks like it’s been professionally distressed, cleaned and restored. It’s a lot of work to move your furniture around and perform all these actions, but the results are well worth it. In addition, I started using “Rejuvenate Shine Refresher,” occasionally, after vacuuming and mopping. This adds another layer of protection and shine and doesn’t need to be done every week, because it lasts. I use this most frequently in the kitchen and high traffic areas. I think as long as I continue to use the shine refresher, I probably won’t need to do the heavy cleaning job and “restorer coating” again, because the refresher protects it from getting eroded. So, if you’re interested in restoring your distressed hardwood floors to a protected and shiny finish—then you might consider following these steps with these particular products.

Review for ORB550MC Let me be clear and simple: this machine is amazing. We have a 16-year-old kitchen floor in tumbled travertine tile (natural stone). Living in NYC, it's a real challenge to keep clean but that can be said about any floor. What makes this different is that, over time, dirt and grunge became deeply embedded in the stone. The surface was very clean but the tiles looked just terrible. I tried everything to get at the embedded dirt: soap/water/brush? A killer job and it does a great job on the surface dirt, but no luck on the deep dirt. A steam device (ie. a Shark)? Forget it. It makes you feel good to see the steam come out but, again, it was only getting at the superficial dirt. A Hoover deluxe Floormate? I give it an honorable mention, as the machine does a very credible job, but it just didn't make the kind of impact that we needed. The floor still looked terrible. Enter the 550MC. First of all, it is no toy: this thing is a real 'professional grade' machine. No, it doesn't have a 20" base (it has 12") but that's about the only difference I can see. It is heavy (allowing it to get at the hard-to-reach stuff), it is powerful (all day, two days, and it never showed a sign of effort), it is quiet (you really have a hard time hearing it in the next room), and it is easy to maneuver (as it just glides across the floor). OK, but did it work? Amazingly well. The amount of filth -- deeply embedded dirt -- that was extracted by this machine is remarkable. On a scale of 1-to-100, the best that all of the other techniques did at getting to the deep dirt was, maybe, a 3. This machine scored a 95, easily. You would not believe the difference. When I compare the price for this machine on Amazon (which, by the way, is a screaming good deal) with the quotes that I got for having the floor professionally cleaned, it is stunning. There is no way that they would have done a better job than me with the 550MC, and I get to pocket the huge savings...and still use the machine in the future.