Dustless Technologies MU405 Cougar Ash Vacuum, Black
by Dustless Technologies
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Dustless Technologies MU405 Cougar Ash Vacuum, Black
Customer Review: Useless for coal stoves...
Summary: 2 Stars
With a fat Amazon gift certificate burning a hole in my jammies, visions of a clean coal stove danced in my head. I had been lusting after one of these ash-vacs for years, and now finally, it would be mine...
Boy do I wish I had read a review like this one prior to purchasing this vacuum (which I will return tomorrow). Didn't even have to dirty it, reading the instructions was all it took. Unfortunately, it required getting in to my livingroom to figure this out, since in none of the online descriptions at various sites, including Amazon, did it mention that this unit is for FINE ASH ONLY. In other words, the steel nozzle opening, approximately the diameter of a nickel, is designed to admit fine powder ONLY, and even that in small bits with the nozzle pressed against the firebrick in a "small circular pattern", allowing the ash to "sift" into the hose incrementally. (The instructions went on to detail all the various ways the thing could get itself plugged up...)
HELLO! Has anyone out there ever heated with solid fuel full time? It would take all day to suck up ash in that manner, not to mention that burning wood/coal does not produce exclusively fine ash. For coal especially, clinkers - the molten residue of trace minerals found in anthracite coal, are part of the bargain, and are produced in such abundance that it would render this tool effectively useless for coal burners.
In addition, though the hose is metal, intimating that the odd live coal is no biggie, the filter system in this thing is CLOTH - ie. you can burn holes in it with live material. Then it leaks. Right.
I'll have my 200+ bucks back and suck my ash chamber out with my shop vac, thanks - especially since the stuff would have to be cool anyway. (You can buy fine particle filters and bags at Home Depot). So much for my simplified stove cleaning fantasies...Oh well.
Customer Review: Great for cleaning pellet stoves
Summary: 3 Stars
If you have a pellet stove, this vacuum is an absolute must. I don't really see the benefit of using it for a fireplace, though; we have a wood-burning furnace and continue to use a shovel to clean it out. The crimped nozzle design and the idea of vacuuming with the nozzle against the firebrick to only pick up ash and leave solids behind sounds good, in THEORY. The problem is that the solids quickly build up around the nozzle from the suction and any particles too large to fit inside the nozzle get stuck there the second you lift the nozzle to position it elsewhere. This design would work if there was perhaps a screen fitted over the nozzle to prevent this from happening.
To clean a pellet stove, though, it is absolutely ideal. Pellets are small enough to get picked up by the nozzle without any problems. Also, as anyone with a pellet stove knows, these stoves are a real nightmare to clean by hand because of the many parts involved that need to be cleaned on a regular basis - not only do you have an ashpan to empty, you have to clean a burnpot, air inlet chambers, heat exchanger tubes, etc. It used to take me over an hour to try and clean this with a brush and small shovel, and it always made a huge mesh. This vacuum has really simplified this chore and made it a breeze!
Customer Review: Loving my Love-less Cougar Quiet? Ash vacuum
Summary: 4 Stars
You know I read and yes, re-read those other reviews prior to going out and purchasing mine. I on one hand was using my own personal vacuum (wind tunnel hoover) to pick up the ash that my fireplace insert pellet stove was producing and I clean mine everyday. Using a ordinary vacuum is insane to say the least and messy so I finally went out and looked at the vacuums and came to this one online at Amazon but I went to my local fireplace center and purchased it there - to avoid shipping cost and they wanted nearly $270.00 for it but I got it at the same price as Amazon just no shipping - Well I LOVE IT - no mess not too loud - (the dog barks at my regular vacuum) no dog barking at this one. The flexible tube I have no issue with as of yet - it moves with ease and no cracking - no problems, no mess - I must tell you that it does not come with tools and I use and need the tools so I purchased them separetly well dont use your own vacuum tools they fit and why spend the $15.00 as you have no where to store them on the vacuum anyways. This vacuum is intended to pick up ash - not the hard stuff that looks like volcanic stuff that sits in the pan - just the ash and for us, no problem it does the job that my vacuum was dying over.Customer Review: Success is in the technique
Summary: 4 Stars
I use my new Cougar with a stove and a fireplace insert, both burning cord wood.
First, you can't expect this - or any - vacuum to go right in at the end of a fire and suck everything up, hot coals and all. It's meant to be used in tandem with a metal bucket and shovel that can take out most of the glowing coals and set them aside for restarting the fire after you clean the stove.
Once you've removed the coals, I've been successful pushing the Ash Vac nozzle to the floor of the stove and moving it quickly around tight to the floor, in effect stirring the ash. It will clog a couple of times, but if you move it fast it clogs less, and clearing it is easy if you just tap the nozzle a few times. Occasionally, I'll have to shut it off to clear a coal out of the bend. In a minute or two all I have left is the remaining coals and all the ash is removed.
I was following the advice of other posters and moving the wand slowly, but it wasn't nearly as effective. All in all, the value is definitely there with the right technique.
Customer Review: expensive but effective and good quality
Summary: 4 Stars
I got this vac (the cougar) as a gift and nearly returned it after reading some of the other reviews here. That would have been a mistake. It is highly functional and it is SAFE. I heat with a wood burning stove almost exclusively. I burn 5 chord during the heating season in MA. Shoveling is messy and regular vacs aren't that safe. I give this one a 4 as it is quite expensive and it is loud - 79db out of the quieter cougar.
The nozzle is small - this is good. You don't want chinks of charcoal in there, especially if they are still hot. It works fine if you look at what you are vacuuming and have reasonable motor skills. When it clogs it is not difficult to remedy.
The filter is cloth, but fire resistant to 1000F - don't overfill and embers won't rest on it and it won't melt.
Basically, think about how this tool should be used and use it that way and it will work very well for you. If you burn often you should have something like this, burning your house down with a vacuum would not be fun.