Soot vacs?

[wicat3]

Hey guys I was going to post this in the oil section but figured it is a tool in a sense so why not post it here, Im sure ill get a better answer here then in the oil section lol. Anyway Im getting into a busy time for me. I do alot of oil side work and I was thinking it might be a good idea to get a quality vacuum and something that wont break my bank while doing the side work. I have a cheap shop vac that I use here and there but I hate the thought of having an issue with it when at a customers home. At my house its one thing but somebodys elses would be real bad to me.

I did a look around and some of the soot vacs that I found are close to 500 or so. So I kept searching and it seems a few that I found are some that look like there for fireplaces and I was wondering would they work good for cleaning a boiler or warm air furnace?

Heres a few that I found:

http://www.amazon.com/PowerSmith-PAVC101-Amp-Ash-Vacuum/dp/B0060EUA32/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1351973176&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=soot+vacuum

http://www.amazon.com/Austin-Baccus-Company-Inc-200761-01/dp/B004KNOYZK/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1351973435&sr=8-7&keywords=soot+vacuum

http://www.amazon.com/5-8-Gallon-Ash-Vac/dp/B009NTJA28/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1351973435&sr=8-14&keywords=soot+vacuum

http://www.northlineexpress.com/fireplace-hearth/fireplace-accessories/ash-vacuum/hearth-country-ash-vacuum-400.html

http://www.homedepot.com/Appliances-Vacuum-Cleaners-Floor-Care-Vacuums-Canister-Vacuums/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbv57/R-100652642/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-203023753/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=shop+vacuums&storeId=10051

[ascj]

I don't see how you have been getting away with a cheap shop vac. But apparently you see the need for a better vacuum. So why would you go with another cheap vacuum. Buy a Sootmaster and be done with it.

I couldn't even imagine doing oil work again, without one.

[meplumber]

wicat, We have been buying them from Sid Harvey's. Theirs are a rebranded SootMasters without the cost. I think that you have Sid's in CT don't you? The difference in buying from someone like Sid's and buying it online is getting some help with warranty issues and replacement parts.

Good Luck

[wicat3]

i see sid harveys has them I just havent priced them out. My problem is I dont know if I can justify paying something like 500 bucks for a vacuum that I wont use all the time. I have been able to get away because most of the time when I was doing the side work I was working for an oil company and had everything on my truck. I dont work for a company like that anymore so to get a soot vac I would have to buy one. My house was pretty clean when I service it so my shop vac does a decent job at picking it up but thats just my house.

[Nytefog]

If you really have to use the shop vac can't you vent the exhaust from the vac to the outdoors? I've seen someone stick a shop vac into a pile of nice fluffy dark soot and it just shot out of the shop vac lol! The house had a fine layer of black dust every where. I felt bad but it was pretty funny.