Just ordered a Loveless Cougar ash vac...

[ChandlerR]

I've been following the vacuum threads and have been using my Rigid shop vac but after I did a good cleaning on my stove, I understood the importance of getting to all those little nooks and cranny's. I also ordered the pellet stove tool kit with the little hose and nozzle and stiff brush.
It seems that everyone who has one loves it. I got the one with the winter scene on it and I'll store it next to the stove.

Oh, I got it through Amazon for $249

I know I've gone over the edge....Excited by a vacuum and pellets. A couple of years ago I would have laughed if you told me I would be like this!

Chan

 

[j00fek]

myself, i would have stuck with the ridgid. i have been using a shop vac for almost 10yrs now.

 

[burrman]

249 bucks you are crazy my lil shop vac works fine for me all i do for the tight spots is tape a smaller hose on it...but to one his own i guess ..have fun

 

[cncpro]

Pay no attention to the non-believers. You won't regret it.

 

[peasoupme]

CWR,

We have the Cheetah in black (it came with the pellet stove as a surprise) and we love ours! My father has the one with the winter scene and he also loves his. Glad you got the tool kit because we use ours all the time. You're going to love it...it really sucks

Amanda

 

[jtakeman]

Chan,

Us techie types just love the toys "err um" I mean tools to do the job right. I will get mine someday too.

 

[ChandlerR]

Yeah....I am a tool junkie. My shop vac is big and bulkie and the hose is large. I see this as a case of the right tool for the job. I also won't have to worry about an occasional warm ember doing damage to my shop vac.

The way I see it is I could have spent up to $4000 for a stove...I spent half of that so I'm still doing ok

Chan

 

[defield]

CWR,

You will not regret purchasing a Loveless.

Some say that $249.00 is too much for an ash vac.

I would suggest that to be able to vacuum out pellet stove ash, as soon as the cool down fan stops, without WORRY of fire danger. . . . PRICELESS!

Enjoy your vacuum.

Ranger

 

[caledoniacars]

You will indeed like the fact that you can vac warm ash, but don't get too carried away. If you pick up too many hot embers and get one stuck on the filter it will burn the loveless filter too. nothing $30-40 won't fix. your shop vac has more suction for the nooks and crannies. i will filter my shop vac up the next time before i drop the big coin on the loveless. but hey you might as well spend it before your politicians do have fun!

 

[Dr_Drum]

Anyone with enough money to buy their dog it's own wardrobe (your avatar picture) has plenty of disposable cash for an ash vac. :lol: Just kidding, it's the jealousy talkin. ;-P

Enjoy, and [strike]Seasons Greetings[/strike], [strike]Happy Holidays[/strike], MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Mike -

 

[ChandlerR]

LOL! Thanks guys. Yeah, after the healthcare bill goes into law, what little disposable income I have will be gone. I've been blessed to work for a company that is still doing very well. Besides, my dog actually LIKES wearing that Patriots uniform...I can't deny him that enjoyment, can I?

Chan

 

[Swaybar]

I love mine as well. Mine is 5 years old or more...I just open the door while stove is running and give it a quick 5 second vac....Only have burned the filter 3-4 times in all those years...just fill the small hole with sealant. I used to run my old Lopi 30 days or more without shutting down, it had a small ash pan so had to vac at least once a week. Saved me the hassle of shutting down and restarting. New Harmon is no problem shutting down but I did a "hot vac" just yesterday just because I can.

 

[ChandlerR]

From what I understand, I should not vac the burning pellets but rather suck up the loose ash that is around the fire and, of course, the pan. I did see, when I searched this forum, that there is a technique to doing this. I'll just have to practice.

Chan

 

[Excell]

I think the best is to shut the stove down and wait until the embers are out . If it is real cold I will remove them with a small shovel . I haven't caught any more vac bags on fire since I started doing that .

 

[stoveguy2esw]

i have one , love it , biggest advantage is the filter shaker , you can clean th efilter witout opening the vac up so no dust shaken out while servicing the filter. its a nice product , purpose built , safe and very easy to use.

 

[Nicholas440]

I bought the ash vac last year after my shop vac blew fine gray particulate all over the living room, and I had a dry wall filter on it too. The ash vac if designed to do one job and one only, and thats suck up ashes, and it will pick up hot or cold ashes.

The hose material on the Loveless ash vac is a material that wont burn. The filters (there are 2 ) in the ash vac are not paper, they are a special fabric material and do not need replacing like the filter in an ordinary shop vac. All you do with the ash vac filters is remove them and shake them out, you do this outdoors of course and with the wind at your back. Shop vac filters can get expensive after a while, and you need to change a shop vac filter quite often. Try cleaning one of those HEPA shop vac filters and you'll understand why people buy the Loveless ash vac.

Quite simply, the ash vac was made to do on specific job, to suck up ashes, cold, or hot, its a tool, and I think you have to own one to appreciate the ease of use and how it makes cleaning your stove a breeze. The shop vacs have a little more suction power, but the ash vac gets the job done, and it does it safely. I have peace of mind knowing I can vacuum up hot ashes, and put the ash vac back in the corner and know its not going to catch fire. Try that with your common shop vac with paper filters inside. I know, I know, youre going to say you' ve been using your shop vac for 10 years and never had a problem or fire, kinda like my neighbor who ran his fireplace for 30 years and never had a chimney fire either, until that one day, when it went up like a rocket (he figured a little creosote wouldnt hurt that winter) . So you have to ask yourself " Do you feel lucky today " ? I spent over $4000 on my pellet setup, so spending $200 on a tool or accessory if you will isnt bad at all.

 

[FireintheHole]

Shortly after buying a pellet stove I realized the importance of buying a warm ash vac... I got the one with a winter scene to remind me why I'm paying out this much $$$$ to keep my house warm. It works good, every other day to clean my stove without any crap blowing into the air. It's a part of the ritual when shutting down the stove for cleaning. If there's hotter ash I don't worry. I just use the filter shaker and check the can if I think I sucked up a hottie. $190 with shipping. Brand new.

 

[gbreda]

CWR,

We have the Cheetah in black (it came with the pellet stove as a surprise) and we love ours! My father has the one with the winter scene and he also loves his. Glad you got the tool kit because we use ours all the time. You're going to love it...it really sucks

Amanda

Abundant Life in Chichester was offering these "free" with stove in the spring. I opted for the 250.00 off the stove price instead.

It would be nice to not even think about ash temp when cleaning and I would like to have one, but the 5 HP Craftsman shop vac still works great for 40 bucks plus drywall filter.

Good luck with the ash vac

 

[mitchinpa]

Love mine too. Use it for the pellet stove and the fireplace. My only advice would be to get some ear protection. This vac is LOUD

 

[smalltown]

I've been following the vacuum threads and have been using my Rigid shop vac but after I did a good cleaning on my stove, I understood the importance of getting to all those little nooks and cranny's. I also ordered the pellet stove tool kit with the little hose and nozzle and stiff brush.
It seems that everyone who has one loves it. I got the one with the winter scene on it and I'll store it next to the stove.

Oh, I got it through Amazon for $249

I know I've gone over the edge....Excited by a vacuum and pellets. A couple of years ago I would have laughed if you told me I would be like this!

Chan

CWR I've got the loveless Cheetah and really like it. Your model is supposed to be quieter with mine I wear ear protection. I also bought the attachement kit glad I did.

 

[JBlank912]

We bought the Love Cougar when we ordered the stove. Never regretted it. Although considering how loud the Cougar is, and its the quieter one, the Cheetah must be real LOUD.
I even bought a spare filter set, been using the vac for over a year, the spare filters are still on the shelf Just in case. :roll:

 

[tinkabranc]

I have one too and love it.

Found a used one at a yard sale years ago, and it is still running strong.
It is a bit loud and has a good size dent in the side but still well worth it.
The hose attachment is the perfect size for cleaning out the ignitor area
on my stoves.

Enjoy!

 

[stillersnut]

Bought one on ebay for 125 smackers,love it. Use it every day on a Thelin(don't have ash pans)runs strong and you will love pellet attachment kit. It is worth every penny you spent.

 

[ChandlerR]

Thanks everyone. Before I joined this group, I was flying blind. After doing my research and seeing what everyone had to say, I made an informed decision. I'm so glad this resource is here!

Chan

 

[Fsappo]

LOL! Thanks guys. Yeah, after the healthcare bill goes into law, what little disposable income I have will be gone. I've been blessed to work for a company that is still doing very well. Besides, my dog actually LIKES wearing that Patriots uniform...I can't deny him that enjoyment, can I?

Chan

When the dog is bad, dress him in a Jets uniform. He will get the message fast. Enjoy that vac. We sell them in our shop and everyone loves them. Are they a necessity?? Nope, but neither are my 6 different fishing poles. Some folks like getting the right tool for the job.