Dust collector

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Aces-High

Aces-High

Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2017
Messages
963
Location
Boulder, Colorado
Would love to get a DC for my small shop. Have been using a shop vac with a dust deputy and it doesn't do well enough.

Things I would want:
Great suction
Lower noise
Ability to attach to 4 different tools
Small footprint

Budget is around $300-400

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Jason
 
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A great entry-level machine is the one from Harbor Freight, usually on sale for $169.
It can be used as is, or improved for way less than comparable machines.
It's 2HP sucking 1550 CFM. With some fittings and blast gates, you should have no issues connecting to your 4 tools.
 
Sign up for mailings and emails from HF. I was told at the local store that around holidays, they offer a 25% coupon. Usually, the flyers have a 20% coupon. Should be one coming out this month for Valentine's Day. Nothing like a DC for a Valentine's Day gift. Lots of WWers get the DC with the 25% coupon. I'm looking at one for myself.Lots of magazine have them. Our daily disappointment has HF ad on the back of the magazine section of the Sunday paper.
 
NVSB4 said:
A great entry-level machine is the one from Harbor Freight, usually on sale for $169.
It can be used as is, or improved for way less than comparable machines.
It's 2HP sucking 1550 CFM. With some fittings and blast gates, you should have no issues connecting to your 4 tools.
Click to expand...

I've heard that this unit is super loud. Is that true?

BTW, Craigslist has a topend Jet with the 2 micron filter for a little less than $500. I am just afraid it will be too big for my space.
 
I have the HF unit and built a closet around it with sheetrock and standard fiber insulation. It cuts the noise down aprox 70%. Without it I could not stand the machine being on.
 
My shop is 10' x 18' so is small. My DC Is the delta 1hp, 650 CFM and is in my shop. I wear hearing protection. If you have a small shop and the DC is in it you need to be wearing hearing protection. This also applies to running your shop vac as a DC.

You also didn't include the most important thing in your list of 'wants'. Namely, the filtration. The HF only filters down to 5 micron which is why many people upgrade the filter.
 
JimB said:
My shop is 10' x 18' so is small. My DC Is the delta 1hp, 650 CFM and is in my shop. I wear hearing protection. If you have a small shop and the DC is in it you need to be wearing hearing protection. This also applies to running your shop vac as a DC.

You also didn't include the most important thing in your list of 'wants'. Namely, the filtration. The HF only filters down to 5 micron which is why many people upgrade the filter.
Click to expand...

What do they upgrade to filter to?
 
I have the Delta 750 with a 1 micron filter, 1.5 horsepower with 1,200 CFM. It works great but, it is LOUD and as noted in previous posts hearing protection is a must. Through a series of gates and hoses I have it hooked up to my lathe, band saw, table saw and mitre saw.

Wade
 
Aces-High said:
JimB said:
My shop is 10' x 18' so is small. My DC Is the delta 1hp, 650 CFM and is in my shop. I wear hearing protection. If you have a small shop and the DC is in it you need to be wearing hearing protection. This also applies to running your shop vac as a DC.

You also didn't include the most important thing in your list of 'wants'. Namely, the filtration. The HF only filters down to 5 micron which is why many people upgrade the filter.
Click to expand...

What do they upgrade to filter to?
Click to expand...

I don't use a HF DC so I'll let others speak to what they do for upgrades. Some people do not upgrade while others do. If you do a search on here there are threads that address this.
 
Here are three entry level DCs that can be movable and wall mounted:

Dust Right Wall Mount Dust Collector | Rockler Woodworking and Hardware

www.grizzly.com/catalog/2018/main/217?p=216

https://www.harborfreight.com/13-gal-1-hp-industrial-portable-dust-collector-61808.html

For smaller shops these can do fine and with a 20 ft hose be used on different tools simply by unhooking and hooking up. This works OK if you have one primary tool such as a lathe or TS that you use 75% of the time. If you change between tools equally (TS, BS, Lathe, planer) then a more elaborate DC system of hoses and even a stronger DC system may be needed.

You mentioned one other item: low noise. . . that is not easy to come by with most DC systems. On the other hand, it can be done with a little ingenuity and a few days planning and work. I lived in Japan for 26+ years and houses were 6 to 10 ft apart. I was lucky with the houses I lived in and usually had 12 to 20 ft on one side or the back. I built a 9 X12 shed and housed my tools including my lathe. I developed an allergy to CA within 2 years of pen turning. I needed a DC but the DC systems were NOISY. And my shed was 6 ft from the rear neighbor's baby's bedroom.

I bought a portable DC system and it fit under the Lathe table. I enclosed it and added stick-on carpet squares inside and out and made baffles so that air could circulate freely but cut down on the noise. Stick-on carpet squares inside and outside of the box. WORKED LIKE A CHARM! I could talk on my cell phone in the shed with the DC system running. It worked for the next 4 years I was in Japan and then I left and left it behind. The point is, DC systems can be made quieter with a little planning. With an upright DC, planning something like a hot water heater "closet" with stick on carpet squares on the inside wall, and a few good carpet lined baffles that allow for air circulation - will cut down greatly on the noise. One clue, every inch of the inside wall needs to be covered. It will reduce the noise. Allow several inches of space for air circulation, particularly around the motor.
 
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I have a harbor freight which I modified with a homemade vortex dust collector and a.5 micron filter. I have a very small shop. The collector is a steal at HF with a coupon. Check out HF dust collector mods on You tube. You'll get plenty of ideas.
 
I got the HF DC with a coupon for a steal. It is noisy. I have only test run it but I am modifying mine and am going to mount it outside of my shop with the hose coming through the wall. It will discharge into the atmosphere as there is no one within a 1/4 mile of me to affect with dust or noise. So I do not need the collection and filter bags. I was going to do the Thein modification but if discharging outside have no need to collect or separate the dust.
 
Aces-High said:
NVSB4 said:
A great entry-level machine is the one from Harbor Freight, usually on sale for $169.
It can be used as is, or improved for way less than comparable machines.
It's 2HP sucking 1550 CFM. With some fittings and blast gates, you should have no issues connecting to your 4 tools.
Click to expand...

I've heard that this unit is super loud. Is that true?

BTW, Craigslist has a topend Jet with the 2 micron filter for a little less than $500. I am just afraid it will be too big for my space.
Click to expand...

My DC is the HF 2 HP that I bought several years ago... it is loud, but no more so than my friend's JET DC.... I had enough sheet metal left over from my shop build that I could build a small closet shed outside the shop for the DC and plumbed it through the wall... I hardly hear it now.
 
In addition to whatever dust collector and filter you decide on, consider for your wish list an overhead air filter.

AFS-1000B, 1000 CFM Air Filtration System, 3-Speed, with Remote Control

I have a nice Jet cyclone dust collector connected to several machines, but I am amazed at the amount of airborn dust that my overhead purifier collects. I actually do not do a lot of turning, but I usually change the filter every other month.
 
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mark james said:
In addition to whatever dust collector and filter you decide on, consider for your wish list an overhead air filter.

AFS-1000B, 1000 CFM Air Filtration System, 3-Speed, with Remote Control

I have a nice Jet cyclone dust collector connected to several machines, but I am amazed at the amount of airborn dust that my overhead purifier collects. I actually do not do a lot of turning, but I usually change the filter every other month.
Click to expand...

I got an overhead filter this week. I got the Wen 3 speed.
 
mark james said:
In addition to whatever dust collector and filter you decide on, consider for your wish list an overhead air filter.

AFS-1000B, 1000 CFM Air Filtration System, 3-Speed, with Remote Control

I have a nice Jet cyclone dust collector connected to several machines, but I am amazed at the amount of airborn dust that my overhead purifier collects. I actually do not do a lot of turning, but I usually change the filter every other month.
Click to expand...



This is high on my list.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app
 
I have a Jet with a Vortex filter and I also use an overhead Jet filtration. My shop is small, but I figure that I only get one set of lungs so want the best collection.
 
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