Just picked a manual brush over a HEPA vac and it worked out better for me

I know everyone in this community swears by those expensive HEPA vacuum attachments for cleaning flues. But after trying both on 8 different jobs last month in the older brick chimneys around here, the manual brush was actually faster and didn't kick up nearly as much dust as I expected. My arms were sore for a day, sure, but I saved about $400 on a vac I wouldn't use that often. The HEPA unit just clogged up on heavy creosote after two houses and I had to stop and clean it out. Has anyone else gone old school and found it beats the newer gear for certain jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

jennifer3581mo ago

Funny how the old stuff still wins sometimes...

ruby2901mo ago

That classic gear just had something special that new stuff can't quite copy.

tessa_hill8613d ago

The REAL reason old gear hits different is the materials they used back then. Vintage amps had transformers that were wound different and used cheaper but WAY better sounding iron, and the capacitors were made with paper and oil that gave this warm breakup you can't fake. Modern stuff is all about consistency and cost cutting, so they use surface mount parts and ultra precise manufacturing that kills all the character. It's like comparing a hand hammered skillet to a Teflon pan - yeah the new one is easier, but the old one just has SOUL.