Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

OT: PC 4 gal wet/dry vacuum

Costco has a small Porter Cable 4 gallon wet/dry vacuum for $30. Seems like a good price for egg cleanout. What do you all think?


Aledo, Texas
Large BGE
KJ Jr.

Exodus 12:9 KJV
Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

Comments

  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,457
    I know nothing of that model, but I do know a little about vacs when intended to be used for cleaning up fine powdered areas. A simple for instance is dry wall sanding dust which is horrible and fine saw dust plus the ash from lump piles. Unless you have a good and preferably pleaded filter further protected by a washable fine mess clothe bag covering that filter then you are asking for a short life. Also plan to keep that filter clean or the motor will choke for air to cool it and burn up. Lastly never never never use it in a wet environment after using it to vacuum fine dust or you will regret it. HTH
    Re-gasketing the USA one yard at a time 
  • For a minute I wondered why you could get a wet/dry vac from the Pampered Chef!
    Franklin, TN
    Large BGE+PSWoo2
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    $30 wasted. I think I used a vac on mine once since 2009.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,532
    I bought a smaller one from Home Depot a few years ago. I hardly ever used it. (I'd give you mine if you were local) The biggest issue with the smaller shop vac is the hose. The small hose constantly clogs up with smaller pieces of lump. I just picked up this shop vac for free on Craigslist. I'd suggest saving the $30 on a smaller shop vac and go full size if you don't have one already. You can find them used under $30 or even free on Craigslist =)

    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • feef706
    feef706 Posts: 853
    Home Depot always has a good Black Friday deal on Ridgid 6 gallon shopvacs, I recommend if you go full size make sure it has a 2" hose!
  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262

    Agree totally with the 2" hose.  I wonder if anyone who has used a shop vac with a 2" hose has ever gone back to shoveling ashes.  It's hard to beat a 4 second clean up.

    Phoenix 
  • Toxarch
    Toxarch Posts: 1,900
    I've got a large old shop vac in the garage. Never used it on the egg. Too big and cumbersome to get out of the garage and drag it to the backyard. Was thinking this small one could fit in the drawer in the egg table and only be used for the egg. Maybe I could build a water filter to catch the ash.
    Aledo, Texas
    Large BGE
    KJ Jr.

    Exodus 12:9 KJV
    Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.



  • I have this one ($30 as well) that fits right in my deck box for the egg stuff - but the HP is low and the hose does get clogged a lot. And if the filter comes off I end up blowing ash everywhere - so overall not my favorite, but works in a pinch.
    Formerly of Houston, TX - Now Located in Bastrop, TX
    I work in the 'que business now (since 2017)

    6 Eggs: (1) XL, (2) Large, (1) Small, (1) Minimax & (1) Mini - Egging since 2007
    Also recently gained: (1) Gas Thing (came with the house), (1) 36" Blackstone Griddle & (1) Pitts & Spitts Pellet Smoker
  • Cookinbob
    Cookinbob Posts: 1,691
    I have a 4 gal, 5 hp one from HD with 2" hose and an optional paper vac bag. It was $79 but is powerful, quiet, and the best shop vac I ever owned. 
    http://m.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-4-gal-5-0-Peak-HP-Wet-Dry-Vac-WD4070/202077241
    XLBGE, Small BGE, Homebrew and Guitars
    Rochester, NY
  • Was wondering what a politically correct shop vac was all about. 

    I am not a smart man
    [social media disclaimer: irony and sarcasm may be used in some or all of user's posts; emoticon usage is intended to indicate moderately jocular social interaction; the comments toward users, their usernames, and the real people (living or dead) that they refer to are not intended to be adversarial in nature; those replying to this user are entering into a tacit agreement that they are real-life or social-media acquaintances and/or have agreed to or tacitly agreed to perpetrate occasional good-natured ribbing between and among themselves and others]

  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,380
    blasting said:

    Agree totally with the 2" hose.  I wonder if anyone who has used a shop vac with a 2" hose has ever gone back to shoveling ashes.  It's hard to beat a 4 second clean up.

    Would take me longer to get the vac out of the garage, layout the extension cord, vac it out, roll up the extension cord, put the vac back in the garage than it would for me to just take the 30 seconds to scrape the ash into a pan and dump that into my little galvanized trash can that hold the ash from my other grills.
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    HeavyG said:
    blasting said:

    Agree totally with the 2" hose.  I wonder if anyone who has used a shop vac with a 2" hose has ever gone back to shoveling ashes.  It's hard to beat a 4 second clean up.

    Would take me longer to get the vac out of the garage, layout the extension cord, vac it out, roll up the extension cord, put the vac back in the garage than it would for me to just take the 30 seconds to scrape the ash into a pan and dump that into my little galvanized trash can that hold the ash from my other grills.
    Agreed! Not to mention the risk of still-hot coals getting sucked into the vac. They can stay hot for much longer than you'd think.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

  • Toxarch
    Toxarch Posts: 1,900
    HeavyG said:
    blasting said:

    Agree totally with the 2" hose.  I wonder if anyone who has used a shop vac with a 2" hose has ever gone back to shoveling ashes.  It's hard to beat a 4 second clean up.

    Would take me longer to get the vac out of the garage, layout the extension cord, vac it out, roll up the extension cord, put the vac back in the garage than it would for me to just take the 30 seconds to scrape the ash into a pan and dump that into my little galvanized trash can that hold the ash from my other grills.
    My egg table has power. Plug inside the drawer and a plug on the outside. 
    Aledo, Texas
    Large BGE
    KJ Jr.

    Exodus 12:9 KJV
    Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

  • Begger
    Begger Posts: 607
    I have a small shop vac that I ONCE used to clean out my XL.    No Mas.   DArn FILTER clogs almost instantly.

    When I revisit this again sometime in the future I'll make a DUST TRAP which goes between the Vac and whatever is getting vacuumed.   Dust traps are VERY effective.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weQOy1D_8HI

    This is an EXAMPLE but many exist, including some very elaborate and engineered solutions.   All the DIY stuff is very interesting.
  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,380
    Begger said:
    I have a small shop vac that I ONCE used to clean out my XL.    No Mas.   DArn FILTER clogs almost instantly.

    When I revisit this again sometime in the future I'll make a DUST TRAP which goes between the Vac and whatever is getting vacuumed.   Dust traps are VERY effective.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weQOy1D_8HI

    This is an EXAMPLE but many exist, including some very elaborate and engineered solutions.   All the DIY stuff is very interesting.
    A random hot ember would certainly have fun with that setup. :)
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




  • Toxarch
    Toxarch Posts: 1,900
    Why do people keep talking about hot embers and hot coals? How soon are you people cleaning out the ash from your egg? I wait at least 20 hours before cleaning out the ashes because I usually only do it before I cook on it if I think it needs it.
    Aledo, Texas
    Large BGE
    KJ Jr.

    Exodus 12:9 KJV
    Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

  • Mikee
    Mikee Posts: 897
    HeavyG said:
    blasting said:

    Agree totally with the 2" hose.  I wonder if anyone who has used a shop vac with a 2" hose has ever gone back to shoveling ashes.  It's hard to beat a 4 second clean up.

    Would take me longer to get the vac out of the garage, layout the extension cord, vac it out, roll up the extension cord, put the vac back in the garage than it would for me to just take the 30 seconds to scrape the ash into a pan and dump that into my little galvanized trash can that hold the ash from my other grills.
    Agreed! Not to mention the risk of still-hot coals getting sucked into the vac. They can stay hot for much longer than you'd think

    I clean my Egg before using it and not after using it.  The next day, I never had a warm coal let alone a hot one.

    I bought a cheapo wet vac many months ago. Takes very little time to clean the Egg. If it dies, I don't care. It was under $15.