Hey guys, looking to buy an ash vac, wanted to know if there are any big positives or negatives out there. Looks like Amazon carries a Dustless Technologies MU305 Cheetah II ($205) and a MU405 Cougar ($239). Other options? TIA.
Ash Vac Recommendations?
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WoodPorn
Minister of Fire
For what it's worth, I just use the same Shop Vac I have for the house, with a good filter (.3 micron I think). I give the stove 1/2 to an hour to cool down 1st.
No dust
No dust
poconoman
Member
Don't waste your money. Get a hand held Shop Vac at Lowes for $20 and it does wonders. It's VERY powerful and a great buy. Like Werm said, cool down the stove, then vac. Done.
Fsappo
Minister of Fire
I use the cheetah vac in our showroom with the optional attachments. Works great, never any dust or issues with hot coals. A coal hidden in ashes can stay hot enough to make trouble for up to 2 weeks. I know this first hand. There is always going to be cheaper ways to do things, but in my opinion the Cheetah vac is worth the money
Thanks for the responses. I've been using shop and house vacs so far. Several issues that are nudging me toward a dedicated ash vac -
1. Don't want to constantly be buying vacuums, even if 10 of one = 1 of the other.
2. The dust is bad. Maybe a better filter would help, but.
3. I currently wait an hour or so before I start vacuuming too. Problem is that still means HOT ash and coals, just short of embers. Being the primary heat source and it being January, I don't *want* to wait longer till it's dead cold. (I know an ash vac still requires a suitable cool down period.)
So at this point we'd gladly pay, if the ash vac delivers over a shop vac.
1. Don't want to constantly be buying vacuums, even if 10 of one = 1 of the other.
2. The dust is bad. Maybe a better filter would help, but.
3. I currently wait an hour or so before I start vacuuming too. Problem is that still means HOT ash and coals, just short of embers. Being the primary heat source and it being January, I don't *want* to wait longer till it's dead cold. (I know an ash vac still requires a suitable cool down period.)
So at this point we'd gladly pay, if the ash vac delivers over a shop vac.
Major91
Member
Skunk said:
Best money i ever wasted was NOT buying a shop vac again...........With the Cheetah my living room stays clean and free of ash.......you also have the added security of vacing up hot ash......unlike the OTHERS who have to wait.....and wait......and wait till there ash is cold........by then there probably cold to
All kidding aside............buy one......you will not regret it..........shop vacs are dirty.......annoying filters.....
I use a shop vac with a bag and a filter and it works great for sheetrock dust, soot, fireplace ashes.. I plan on using it for my new pellet stove after it cools down.. 
Do some stoves fail to burn the pellets completely to a fine ash? Or do some leave unburned pellets?
Why would there be hot ashes to vacuum if the stove is allowed to burn out ,cool down , and shut off? Both my Harman and Englander burn right down to a fine powder .
Why would there be hot ashes to vacuum if the stove is allowed to burn out ,cool down , and shut off? Both my Harman and Englander burn right down to a fine powder .
Gio said:
Dependent on pellet quality / proper stove functioning I'd suppose.
There is the additional lag time between when the ash is dead but hot enough to melt plastic which I would like to avoid during the coldest winter months.
Safe ash vac- $200.00
Not having to tell my homeowners insurance that I cheaped out with a shop vac and let my house burn down PRICELESS !
here is what I bought with the stove,should be a requirement to get the building permit for the pellet stove !
Not having to tell my homeowners insurance that I cheaped out with a shop vac and let my house burn down PRICELESS !
here is what I bought with the stove,should be a requirement to get the building permit for the pellet stove !
smalltown
Minister of Fire
Skunk said:
Skunk I've got the MU305 Cheetah II and it works good cleans great and never any dust in the room while cleaning. If I remember the higher priced model is the same just quieter. I always wear ear protection when I use mine. Also it was a good idea that I bought the accessory pack that has the plastic wand and brush. Would I but the same vac again? I sure would.
Skunk said:
Got a Cheetah...after killing my Shop Vac...and listening to my wife complain about ash all over the living room..
Was the best 200 or so dollars i ever 'wasted". That was 5 years ago....
ChandlerR
Minister of Fire
I bought the Loveless Cougar ash vac with all the attachments. I used the little hose to get in the nooks and the stiff brush to get all the ash of the heat exchanger and side walls. This one has the winter scene on it and sits next to the stove. I was surprised that it is quieter than my shop vac. I like the peace of mind!
I bought it from GoVacuum.com They had a sale...best price I could find and free shipping.
Chan
I bought it from GoVacuum.com They had a sale...best price I could find and free shipping.
Chan
I've never found the need for an ash vac. I first scoop out my burn pot, and whatever else I can get at, and empty it in a can that is then placed outdoors, then I give it a few minutes to make sure everything is out and hit it with my shop vac. It works for me, but a dedicated ash vac may give ya a little more pice of mind.
I have the exact ash vac pictured above. I bought my Harman P38 stove used and it was part of the deal. I didn't want the ash vac but he insisted and it was a great deal anyway. I have to say that after using it now for 7 years I love it. Like others said no worries about sucking up hot ash. The 'shake off' filter or whatever it's called is really nice too. You don't have to empty/clean the filter when you loose suction, just give it a good shake. I realize they're not cheap but if you're going to have a stove for many years to come I think it's a good investment. I always recommend it to anyone who has a stove. If it died I would definitely get another.
Nicholas440
Feeling the Heat
I also own the ash vac thats pictured here, it has been a good investment. I figured if I was spending almost $4000 on my insert, and I needed premium pellets for maxium heat and performance then I also needed the right tool to clean up the ashes. Granted the ash vac is expensive, but if you look at how it's built you know its going to keep working for you for many years. The filters (there are 2 ) dont have to be changed, you simply take the unit outside and remove them, and shake them off then put them back on. I find this to be an advantage over having to change paper filters in the shop vac all the time. A shop vac will do the job, but most will leave you with a micro fine ash particle in the air, and most times you wont see it, but you will be breathing it in, the ash vac cuts down on this tremendously.
The ash vac has a unique " shaker" rod, you simply unscrew a brass plug, grab the metal rod and sort of wiggle it and shake it up and down, this motion knocks off any ash dust from the filter and suction returns to normal. I think its a great idea, theres no need to remove the lid and tap on the filters or brush them off as you would have to do with a regular shop vac. The 5 gallon steel tank also holds a lot of ash, I only emptied mine twice last year, and I burned 4 tons.
These ash vacs are expensive, and many people cant see spending that kind of money on them, but you know something, you invested a great deal of money on your pellet stove, or insert, and you insist on getting a good quality pellet to burn, so why not spend a little more and get the right tool to compliment your stove with? The only thing I use the ash vac for is ashes, its a dedicated appliance, and it gets the job done nicely, and safely.
Remember Safety should be your main concern when youre working with any kind of heating appliance, such as pellet or wood stoves, ash vac's are safe, they are designed for ashes, shop vacs are not.
The dealer installer I bought my insert from told me he wouldnt even consider using a shop vac for cleaning the stove with, he's had an ash vac for over 5 years and he does all the units in his showroom with it, and its still running like new. I bought my ash vac from totalvac.com it was on sale and they added the 10 year warranty when purchased from them.
If you do get an ash vac, after you vacuum your ashes up for safety reasons, let the ash vac sit for a while before you put it into a closet or store it away. Not that its going to go up in flames, but having a fireman for a neighbor I have learned a lot about fire safety, and its just good practice to let these ash vacs sit for a little while just to make sure nothing inside it is going to smolder or smoke. The hose on the ash vac's are fireproof, the vac itself is a steel tank, the filters are flame proof, so its a fairly safe appliance, one that will give you peace of mind when you do put it away.
I highly recommend the all steel ash vac over the $20 Home Depot vaccum, Ive used both, the Home Depot vac now resides in a land fill, RIP little buddy you just were not designed to suck hot ashes.
The ash vac has a unique " shaker" rod, you simply unscrew a brass plug, grab the metal rod and sort of wiggle it and shake it up and down, this motion knocks off any ash dust from the filter and suction returns to normal. I think its a great idea, theres no need to remove the lid and tap on the filters or brush them off as you would have to do with a regular shop vac. The 5 gallon steel tank also holds a lot of ash, I only emptied mine twice last year, and I burned 4 tons.
These ash vacs are expensive, and many people cant see spending that kind of money on them, but you know something, you invested a great deal of money on your pellet stove, or insert, and you insist on getting a good quality pellet to burn, so why not spend a little more and get the right tool to compliment your stove with? The only thing I use the ash vac for is ashes, its a dedicated appliance, and it gets the job done nicely, and safely.
Remember Safety should be your main concern when youre working with any kind of heating appliance, such as pellet or wood stoves, ash vac's are safe, they are designed for ashes, shop vacs are not.
The dealer installer I bought my insert from told me he wouldnt even consider using a shop vac for cleaning the stove with, he's had an ash vac for over 5 years and he does all the units in his showroom with it, and its still running like new. I bought my ash vac from totalvac.com it was on sale and they added the 10 year warranty when purchased from them.
If you do get an ash vac, after you vacuum your ashes up for safety reasons, let the ash vac sit for a while before you put it into a closet or store it away. Not that its going to go up in flames, but having a fireman for a neighbor I have learned a lot about fire safety, and its just good practice to let these ash vacs sit for a little while just to make sure nothing inside it is going to smolder or smoke. The hose on the ash vac's are fireproof, the vac itself is a steel tank, the filters are flame proof, so its a fairly safe appliance, one that will give you peace of mind when you do put it away.
I highly recommend the all steel ash vac over the $20 Home Depot vaccum, Ive used both, the Home Depot vac now resides in a land fill, RIP little buddy you just were not designed to suck hot ashes.
john193
Minister of Fire
Get a shop vac with a fine dust filter (dry wall filter) and you will be fine. I have this setup and not a single dust particle comes out when I vacuum my stove. Spending 200 dollars seems a little overkill for me. If you are worried about burning your shop vac, use some common sense, and dont suck up the ash when it's hot...it's really not rocket science.
I would like to add to what John just said.. You can buy bags for today's shopvacs that by themselves contain excellent filtration, but in tandem with the shopvac filter really eliminate 99.9% of all dust. The ash in a stove does not seem to be any smaller than drywall dust and I use my shopvac for that all the time (with the above mentioned setup). I think the ash can vacs are fine if you want to hot clean your stove, but honestly, I have no problem letting it cool down for an hour and hitting it with a shop vac.
Check out the Cricket. It sits right next to the stove in the livingroom, making it very convenient to use. Works great. Well worth the $200
Cougar ash vac owner here. Worth every dime( actually $185 on E-Bay). Sits right next to stove. Sleep fine knowing the house is warm from the stove and not my shop vac burning. If it broke, I'd buy another. Takes 1-2 minutes to vaccume the stove out vs about 10 minutes to sweep all the ashes into the ash pan underneath then go outside to dump it.
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