Buy Dustless Technologies MU405R Cougar Ash Vacuum, Red

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $259.00
Sale Price: $249.95
Today's Bonus: 3% Off

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.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

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.

Best Deals for Dustless Technologies MU405R Cougar Ash Vacuum, Red

I purchased this ash vacuum less than one month ago for use with a pellet stove. In that time, and with only light use, the "flexible" hose has cracked, the motor is making a funny noise as it winds down, and the suction is significantly decreased long before the canister needs emptying. I would never buy this again, and would recommend to anyone needing an ash vac to look elswhere.

Honest reviews on Dustless Technologies MU405R Cougar Ash Vacuum, Red

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!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Dustless Technologies MU405R Cougar Ash Vacuum, Red

Solidly built and well constructed. My main criticism is that it does not come with any tools. Although I ordered the tools at the same time as I ordered the vacuum, they were shipped separately and I was billed for two shipments.

The manual is also a bit limited and it left me with some questions. For example, how long can I expect a filter set (expensive) to last. How can I tell when I need to empty the vacuum (very dirty job you want to do this as seldom as possible).

Best Pilgrim Home and Hearth Ash Holder Deals

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $208.00
Sale Price: $142.04
Today's Bonus: 32% Off

This is a quality piece that is easy to put together, it looks great by the fireplace and is easy to use. It is so much nicer then most of the ash buckets. The additional handle in the back make this a breeze to empty. Good product.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Reviews of Kindling Carrier Basket Tray - Light Duty - BRASS on BLACK

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $99.95
Sale Price: $32.00
Today's Bonus: 68% Off

I think showing the list price of $99.99 is very inflated. The "On sale" price of $37.00 is more in line with what I think it's worth.

I'll have to wait to see how it stands up to use. The black part part is hopefully not going to be scratched up by laying wood on it. We can't tell by looking how the metal is colored and I won't let hubby try scratching it to see how strong the color is.. ÜÜÜ

For what we paid I think it's a fair purchase but I do resent it being passed it off as something much nicer then it is.

=====================

Well, we've used this for a couple of months now and it's holding up great! No scratches on the black surface at all which was my main fear.

Still think the 'sale price' is the honest amount to pay and can't imagine who, in good faith, would give it a $99.99 price listing.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

If you are going through heavy wood use, which we do in the winter, this is not the item for you . Kindling yes, logs NO . I use it to hold logs and the handle pops off all the time, needed to put super glue on the threads . Probably last another winter.

Best Deals for Kindling Carrier Basket Tray - Light Duty - BRASS on BLACK

I use this for holding my kindling, fire-starter wood, and don't carry anything in it. It is made sturdy enough for filling with kindling but I wouldn't put heavy pieces of wood in it. I have another holder for those. It was easy to put together, which is a plus for me, and it looks nice.

Review of Dimplex 30" Purifire Plug In Electric Fireplace - DF3015

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,299.00
Sale Price: $899.00
Today's Bonus: 31% Off

I purchased the Dimplex DF3015 firebox to fit in a fake mantelpiece that I had up against a bedroom wall. The firebox measurements on the Dimplex literature were very accurate and I was able to easily modify my mantle's opening and its distance to the wall in order to accommodate the firebox. I purchased the unit here on Amazon and the vendor was Wayfair. A salesperson from Wayfair called to state that I would have to remove the unit from the tractor trailer myself and that I should have help on that date. Fortunately, when the truck arrived, the driver stated that this was not true and he brought the item to, just inside my front door, as opposed to curbside, so that was a pleasant surprise.

As far as the unit itself, I did notice a growling noise after about one week when the flame speed was set to very high or very low. The flame speed adjustment on the remote has 9 settings and the noise occurred on setting 1 and setting 9. I removed the front glass and the log set and found that the noise was coming from the area of the flicker motor and flicker rod. I called Dimplex and they sent me a new flicker motor. Interestingly, the new motor came with a rubber piece to connect between the motor and flicker rod. On the one I had from the factory, the flicker rod shaft is connected to the motor with a flexible metal spring. On the replacement parts, they instruct you to cut most of this spring off and to use the rubber piece to connect the motor to the flicker rod. I believe that they are using this rubber piece to insulate and prevent vibrations from the motor from traveling up the flicker rod and vibrating it as an assembly inside the firebox.

Regardless, I changed the motor and the rod and added in the new rubber piece. Dimplex claims you can cut the 5 wires to the flicker motor and splice in the new motor with electrical quick connectors that come in the replacement kit. This seems to be a Mickey Mouse way of replacing a part in a brand new 899.00 firebox. As a result, I went a step further and removed the back glass inside the firebox (its a tight fit) and was able to find the control board that the harness plugs into. (A complete .pdf service manual is available on the Dimplex web site). Then I was able to just 'plug in' the new motor (the replacement motor does come with a complete harness with plug if you don't want to cut the wires and splice it in).

With that done I would say that the problem was 95% resolved. On speed 9 there is, not a growl, but sort of a slight clicking sound now with the new parts installed but it was not enough to be concerned and I like the look of the flame on the lower speeds anyway.

The heater is claimed to be a 1500 Watt type but that is sort of a misnomer. With a Watt Meter I was able to see that the heater operates on a low and high mode depending on what the thermostat reports (the thermostat is actually in the remote control so watch were you place that so you do not get false readings). When the unit calls for low heat a 600 Watt heater is activated and a low speed fan. When the unit calls for high heat the units supplies 1200 Watts and a high speed fan. The fan is fairly quiet on both settings which is a plus for bedrooms. The unit does draw about 200 Watts when the flame effect is on and no heat is desired so at full heat the entire units draws about 1400 Watts (1200 of which is heater element output). A dedicated 15 AMP circuit is ideal but may not be necessary as the unit draws about 12 AMPS at full power.

The remote control shows a digital display of actual room temperature (sensed in the bottom vent hole of the remote) and it shows the desired temperature you want the room to be. If desired temperature is 1 or 2 degrees higher than actual room temperature, the low temp heater and low speed fan will activate. If desired temperature is 3 or more degrees higher than actual room temperature than the high temp heater and high speed fan will activate. Once the desired temperature is reached the heater and fan will stop but the flame effect stays on until the power to the unit is shut off.

The flame appears very realistic and you almost think that it is a real fire. If you want the fire without the heater operating you simply dial down the temperature on the remote to a lower temperature than the room you are and it the heat will stay off but the flame effect will be on. This model also has Purefire which is simply an air filter that the air is drawn through anytime the fan is on. To filter the air you can have the fan on low or high without the heater by simply activating the Purefire button on the remote. Actually, the Purefire uses the same low/high speed fan that is used when the heat is activated. So anytime the fan is on (via heat or Purefire) the air is always drawn through the special filter. Another words, whenever the fan is on the air in the room is being filtered.

There is also a button on the remote that will activate a dimmer for the fire box's inside top back lights. This can add to the effect of the fire and make the firebox look somewhat deeper. The remote has a sleep timer setting which will shut the entire unit off. This is selected from 30 min to 8 hours and at any 30 min interval between.

For safety the main power switch can be shut off (if you don't mind bending down all the time as it is on the very bottom right front of the fireplace). I mention this because at first I was not bothering to shut this main power switch, I was just shutting the unit off with the remote power button. Then I discovered that my cats were walking on the remote and turning the fireplace on at times. As a workaround, I had an electrician make the outlet I use (behind the firebox) a 'switched outlet' so I simply shut the wall switch now when the unit is not going to be used.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

We purchased this Dimplex firebox and the oak mantel individually. We didn't like the cheaper firebox that Dimplex had switched to. The DF3015 is very attractive, although I have seen more realistic looking flames. Don't buy it for the heat. There isn't much there. Shipping from Wayfair was very fast, and when I had a small problem with the trucking company, Wayfair customer service took care of it right away. I would have given it 5 stars if it didn't seem overpriced.

Fire Dragon All-In-One Fire Tool with Powder-Coated Steel Shaft Reviews

Customer Ratings:

Bought this for my husband and he LOVES it! It's not as cumbersome as bellows and it's a fun conversational piece for friends as well as being functional.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

SEI Kingsbury Media Black Electric Fireplace Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $1,014.99
Sale Price: $629.99
Today's Bonus: 38% Off

This makes my living room look awesome! The flames are pretty and it heats up my space pretty well. It's nice under the TV. I have a 50" on top of it and it looks great. The detail in the fireplace doesn't take away from the TV screen. It also wasn't hard to put together.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

Buy Uniflame Cast Iron Firestarter

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $35.99
Sale Price: $16.87
Today's Bonus: 53% Off

I bought this for my husband to use when we go camping. He has used it so far in our fireplace and loves it. It starts fires right away and will prove to be very handy at campsites.

Click Here For Most Helpful Customer Reviews >>

I love these firestarters. It makes it so easy to start a fire in the fireplace or the fire pit. Highly recommend.

Best Deals for Uniflame Cast Iron Firestarter

Son-in-law used it where they park their trailer. Didn't work for them. Disappointed in the product. Don't like spending money on a 'good idea' product that has no value. They have a campfire every evening and since he is hard to buy for, I thought this would be great, but it is not.