totally forgot: I got the belt on the vacuum earlier by his grace, and boy does it suck!!!

pro tip: if the belt ever falls off the oreck XL, you don't have to use star keys and take the whole bottom off, there's actually a secret panel on the frontside left that has a single screw, and just comes off, for accessing the belt.

also, if the belt comes off, you're going to have to slide it as close to the small peg sticking out of the motor, as possible. after you get it on the black part the beater brush is connected to.

at that point, you can slide it all the way to the right as well down there, and once you turn it on, it'll make a weird noise as the belt adjusts itself to wheverver it's happiest.

also: these vacuums are basically useless without the brush, because they're a centrifual vortical design, based on the air current generated by the beater brush in the housing. as far as the actual vacuum goes, that's what's doing the work, that high RPM motor + the brush, generating the updraft. it's not so much that it's sucking, it's that it's creating a vacuum against the floor. the motor is actually VERY small. Most modern vacuums actually have gigantic motors and generate a ton of heat, but these are of an older design methodology.

okay. for some reason the electrolux canister vac in chrome my late grandmother used to have came to mind. :)