Looking for recommendation for vacumms to clean Pellet ash

Shop vac tends to be the best one to find accessories and bags for. You really need to get the drywall bags for whatever brand you get. Like these http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?acti...ctId=12322-20097-9067211&detail=cr&lpage=none
They seem to be only available for 5 gal and up vac sizes. The drywall/ash bags are usually yellow. Then there is also the Ash Vacs , if you want to spend @ 200.00 for one.

If you're thinking of buying a Rigid brand, first check that there are "drywall" type bags that will fit your model.

I have a Rigid 4.5 HP model, and NO-ONE makes bags for it.....I ended up buying a fine ash canister filter to replace the one that came with it. It works well, but is a little expensive compared to the bags.

On the positive side, it can be shaken out/washed out, so it won't need to be replaced anytime soon.

millhouselives said:

Ok, thanks will start looking for a Shop-Vac 5 Gallon.

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I bought the 5 gallon shop-vac model from Lowes for about $30 and bought a hepa filter for it, which costs just as much as the vac. The filter cleans up well with water and will last for a long time. Cheap investment with a good return.

I bought the 2.5 gal. shop-vac & the bubble pack of accessories that go with it . I only have to empty it once a week & it's small enuff to hide behind my pellet bucket . Works super . It actually has 2 filters working . Good luck Muss

I've got the 6gallon Shop vac from Lowes and the Fine Dust Filters works a Charm. Obviously with this method the Ash needs to be COLD

well, after thinking and thinking on which one to buy, today I finally went to local HD and got this one:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...angId;=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100638350

handy, cheap, easy to move around by hand, light weight and has a blue filter which looks to be good to capture fine ash.

will try tomorrow and hope it works well.

speaking of pellet buckets, that is also something I have to get anybody have one that holds a bag full of pellets?

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http://www.vintagetub.com/asp/product_detail.asp?item_no=MM C-65

I have the above 14" pellet bucket. It holds about 1/3-1/2 a bag of pellets. The larger one will hold more but I don't know if it will hold a whole bag. I like the looks of it and the handle in the back makes it easy to pour into the hopper.

I see the link won't bring you to the page and I can't get it to work....but try typing it in manually or searching for pellet buckets at that site. Here is a picture of them......

For the past 18 years I have been using the standard METAL shop vacs 5 or 6 gallon
with a Paper Pleated filter
and a primary filter that stops the Large ash from getting into the Pleated filter
Works great use them on all service trucks
clean 100's of stoves a year and never blow dust in customers home and keeps good suction.

Maybe replace the Primary Can filter Once year or sometimes two years
and the Paper filter twice a year but blow them out with air compressor every week.

Went to Lowes and found this Kingford charcoal Dispenser for about $11. Has a nice wide pour lid and a place to put you hands on the top and lower end. And yes, it hold a whole bag of pellets. Not pretty but very functional and the price is very right!

geek said:

well, after thinking and thinking on which one to buy, today I finally went to local HD and got this one:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...angId;=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100638350

handy, cheap, easy to move around by hand, light weight and has a blue filter which looks to be good to capture fine ash.

will try tomorrow and hope it works well.

Click to expand...

So geek...how does the new vac work? I'd like to know, because I may be interested in purchasing as well. I was looking at them tonight at HD.

OK I have two really expensive options for you...

First is the Cricket Ash Vacuum. Expensive but incredibly well built, made for the job, and looks nice sitting right next to my stove. Bought a slightly dented one off eBay but Cabelas has them at full price.

http://www.cabelas.com/prod-1/0010755613140a.shtml

Second is the Pellet Pail. I bought this mid summer when they were on sale and most people would think I was crazy at that price. But I'll tell you this thing is also super sturdy. About 5 times thicker than a regular bucket and holds a full forty pound bag. The cutting system works great. I was really second guessing this purchase until I started to use it. Have not had any regrets since burning season started.

http://www.pelletpail.com/

Maybe I'll start saving money next year

I have a Loveless Dustless Drywall vac.
Got it new from Amazon.com a couple years
ago for $123 shipped. It came with a 3 pack
of drywall bags. Originally bought it for work
I was doing in the house but it's great for
cleaning the stove.
Seems they want twice what I paid for it now tho.
I'm on the 2nd drywall bag now which will probably last me all year.

We bought a hot ash vacumm. A cheetah it is called. Works real well and not to loud. We used the regular shop vac before the cheetah arrived and that seemed to do fine except we had to let the stove cool way down first. Now we just cut the stove off for a short period, vacumm and off we go again.

I use a 2.5 gallon Shop Vac. Let the stove cool for about 20 minutes and clean 'er out...

I just have to add my 2 cents here about using a Shop Vac. I used one for a few weeks until a really scary accident. We shut down our stove and let it cool for a few hours while we worked around the yard. Afterwards, I came it to vacuum out the ash - 10 minutes later, the filter had caught fire from an ember (must have been insulated by some ash somehow) and smoke/fire was billowing out of the shop vac. I had to use a fire extinguisher to put it out.

We went out and spent $220 on an Ash Vac that afternoon.

Yeah, I bought the Cheetah by Loveless also. I bought it on line though and seemed to save some money when I included the accessories. I wanted to go with the Shop Vac and know a lot of people do, but I would be too anxious about it.

i just clean the stove before i light er up, no need for a 200$ plus vac

I have one of these on the way, bought it through eBay, local stove shop wanted $250+------>



http://cgi.ebay.com/Cheetah-Ash-Vac-MU305-by-Love-Less_W0QQitemZ370113577057QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item370113577057&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66:4|65:15|39:1|240:1318

I also use the Cheetah ash vac too.

Found one at a yard sale some time ago for less than $50.00.
Has a small dent in the side, but who cares? It works just fine.

I use a shop vac from Wally Mart, 5 gallon, with dry wall dust bags. Every time I have vacuumed the stove has been shut down for at least a day so and haven't been worried about hot embers. I'm not sure how I will clean it once it is on 24/7. I just can't see paying 2-300 dollars for a cheetah.

I have the Cougar by Love-Less, same as the Cheetah just its supposed to be quieter (seems noisey to me) but its a good vac, no dust at all and works well. Yes a little pricey but I figured it should last a long time and this way, I'm done with it. Its smaller a easier to carry around then my shop vac in the house.

DAGME's experience is why I shut the stove down overnight and vac
the next morning. A few hours is not long enough to be safe
with a shop vac.
I only have to do a full cleanout once a month, so I try to shut
down on a day that's not too terribly cold or it it is I just run the oil
for that night. No big deal.

Be careful people! Better to play it safe.