Hi all, <!—-><!—-><!—->
I’m looking to purchase a dust collector for my DIY workshop. I have the typical tools; contractors saw, band saw, chop saw and an assortment of hand power tools. I’ve been looking at the Delta, Jet, JDS and Penn State 1 1/2 HP units. All look about the same. Any suggestions.<!—-> <!—->
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Thanks for your help.<!—-><!—->
Jay <!—-><!—->
Replies
Oh yeah, I've got suggestions. The last article I worked on before leaving FWW a couple of months back was on DC. First off, the 1.5 hp machines are great if you are willing to move them between machines. They don't have the power to maintain the industry standard air flow with more than about 10 ft. of duct. If you intend to duct the system, get a 2 hp or larger machine. Some manufacturers, like Oneida, will help you to engineer the ducts.
Next, and this is absolutely the most critical part of my post, get at least a 1 micron filter. Anything bigger means you've just spent a few hundred bucks on a dust pump. Those small particles are the ones you need to worry about - the ones your lungs can't clear out and are likely to contribute to cool stuff like nasal cancer and allergic reactions that can lead to pneumonia and chronic lung issues. If you're a smoker, it's even more important to effectively capture the dust. Spend the extra bucks for a canister filter. They've got far more surface area than the bags, and so maintain better air flow for longer between cleanings.
Look for a DC with a 5 in. hook up, as opposed to a 4 in. Before buying the manufacturer's cartridge filter, take a look at Wynn Environmental. For even more information, go to http://www.billpentz.com.
Andy
"Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig." Robert A. Heinlein
"Get off your dead #### and on your dying feet." Mom
Oneida Air Systems makes some very nice systems. They include the fine micron filters. Fine filtration is a necessity because it is the finest particles that go deepest into the lungs and cause the most damage. They can design an entire system for you if you give them a scale shop layout and particulars about your machines.
Or if you vent it outside, the filter is less of an issue.
I put in a small shop in my basement and I had no choice but to vent it outside. The Queen wouldn't stand for a speck of dust anywhere. Even though the designers at Oneida said it wouldn't be an issue, I couldn't risk it. The inspector made me come up with a way to provide 900 cfm of makeup air!
The Oneida design service was good for the basic pattern. I found the duct work selection much better at a local industrial dust collector supplier. They had some real smooth selections which I was able to make better choices because I could touch them and see how they fit better. Accordingly, I got heavier piping with smoother bends from the supplier to fit with the Oneida 2 HP collector.