[DesertRatTom]

Dust collection is one of the first things to put into a shop. Just found the Harbor Freight ad and once again they're selling the 2hp DC for $199. Didn't notice a super coupon that applies to it, but this price is good and will help you save your lungs. There is a long string about upping the suction on this if you want more. So far pretty much everyone is happy with these, I have two and really like them.
Sale is on now.

 

[hawkeye10]

At that price everyone should have a dust collector. :wink:

 

[JOAT]

Sale is on now.

 

[DesertRatTom]

I spent more than this jiggering together parts to try to make my own. Never was able to get really good collection that way, but I have a huge collection of unused 4 inch connectors.

 

[TenGees]

Up here, one that looks identical to the green one is on sale for $399 Canadian. So that sounds like a great deal Tom. With the exchange rate, $199 US would be around $250 Can.

 

[mgmine]

On September 4th they have a 25% off coupon. If its not already a super coupon deal you could get it for $150.

 

[Bushwhacker]

On September 4th they have a 25% off coupon. If its not already a super coupon deal you could get it for $150.

My son gave me a 80 dollar gift certificate for harbor Freight. I thought that was a very nice thing to do, but what would I buy from Harbor freight.
Lets see 50 bucks off with the coupon and then my 80 dollars gift card, that's... lets see, now where is that calculator?

 

[chessnut2]

Thanks for keeping us up on these sales, Tom. I think a lot of members have been able to have an effective dust system in their shops at an affordable price because of you.

 

[CharlesWebster]

It's on my list for Monday shopping!

 

[DesertRatTom]

I couldn't find the coupon, but that makes it even sweeter! Put off the tool and get the DC. In my small shop, I added the Wynn folded filter (canister type). It costs about as much as the DC on sale, but I don't have any sawdust flying around any longer. Uline has 30-50 gallon fiber drums with metal tops, or use a trash barrel. Rockler has the connectors needed to turn the drum into a chip collector, and the 4 inch fles hose to hook it all together.

 

[Knothead47]

Just an email from HF- the 25% is good for 9/3 and 9/4! Sometimes you can get the coupons off the flyers in the store. Might pay to get on their mailing list. Got a big sale flyer a few days ago. So much stuff, so little money! Would like to have their DC but I don't have room for it. I could put it upstairs in the corner bedroom but that would cut down on the wife's sewing room. Always something!

 

[Ray Newman]

CAVEAT EMPTOR: Good price, but observed the units I saw advertised (item#97869 and item#61790) only have a 5 micron filter bag.

Based on personal experience, I would not put much faith in a 5 micron bag. A .5 filter yes, but not a 5 micron filter

At one time I had a Delta dust collector with a 5 micron bag, 5" hose, and 2 HP 220 volt motor on an independent circuit. Powerful machine. But I still had dust in the air as the bag was too coarse to prevent the fine dust and the dust I could not see, but breathed in, from escaping! And a much more efficient bag was almost as much as the price paid for the system.

 

[DesertRatTom]

CAVEAT EMPTOR: Good price, but observed the units I saw advertised (item#97869 and item#61790) only have a 5 micron filter bag.

Based on personal experience, I would not put much faith in a 5 micron bag. A .5 filter yes, but not a 5 micron filter

At one time I had a Delta dust collector with a 5 micron bag, 5" hose, and 2 HP 220 volt motor on an independent circuit. Powerful machine. But I still had dust in the air as the bag was too coarse to prevent the fine dust and the dust I could not see, but breathed in, from escaping! And a much more efficient bag was almost as much as the price paid for the system.

If you can wheel it outside when in use, the 5 micron is OK. But if you are using this indoors, then you should consider the Wynn canister filter, which gets down to 1micron. If you must use the bag indoors, wear a good quality face mask while working. In addition to hooking it to your machines, you can also get a 4 inch tube about 3 feet long with a floor sweeping attachment. Very nice for shop cleanup.

The picture is pretty much how my shop unit looks. The garage unit gets pulled outside but will also be getting a Wynn filter before too long.

The other picture is what my 30 gallon chip collectors look like. Most sawdust and all large bits land in the collector. Make sure the nozzles in the barrel are aimed in the direction water wants to drain, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere, clockwise in the southern. Put casters on the drum, you'll probably move that more than the DC itself.

I post this because once fine sawdust gets in your lungs, it's there to stay. Look at how many carpenters have COPD. No fun.

 

[Everend]

I got mine a few months ago when Tom posted that they were on sale. ITS [email protected]! I just assembled it yesterday because I don't have room to put it.

I started building a 'closet' outside my garage yesterday, looks like it won't fit under the garage AC unit. After deliberating and discussing, I've decided to move the AC unit out of the garage wall and install it in the back wall of the closet (above the house AC unit), then duct the cold air through the closet, into the garage. That will allow me to make the closet tall enough for the dust collector, hide the AC unit from view of the street and allow me to match the roof line of the closet to be an extension of the roof line of the house.

 

[Everend]

Now that I've read the above posts about how much dust this doesn't collect, I wonder if I need to do something to the closet to keep it from filling up with fine dust? I also intend to put the air compressor in the closet. Please advise!

 

[CharlesWebster]

Well, sometimes a bargain isn't such a bargain.

I picked up my HF Dust Collector this morning, $149.99 after 25% coupon. I also used a 20% coupon on the Dust Collection accessories kit.

Things went a bit sideways right out of the box when the M8 hex bolts supplied to mount the casters would not go through the holes in the base. So I enlarged the holes. Then I discovered that while they had provided the necessary number of bolts (16) there were only two nuts of the appropriate size. I went to the hardware store and rather than buying M8 nuts, I bought 1/4-20 x 3/4" hex bolts. I have a box of 1/4" washers and a box of 1/4-20 nylock nuts already and 1/4-20 bolts are lots cheaper than metric nuts ($0.13 ea vs $0.38 ea).

Once I got the casters mounted, things seemed to go smoothly with most of the bolt holes more or less lining up, and most of the pieces fitting as they should (I guess). The instructions were vague, incomplete, and often just plain incorrect. And there was a bunch of hardware left over. I estimate that there are 16-20 M6 machine screws, washers, and nuts that are not called out anywhere in the instructions.

I hooked it up to my table saw with flexible ducting laid across the floor and held together with duct tape (that's what it's for isn't it?), and I'll replace the flex with rigid metal duct as I figure out how and where I'm going to connect tools.

I'll also replace the "5 micron" bag with a Wynn 1-micron canister filter soon.

 

[Everend]

I'll also replace the "5 micron" bag with a Wynn 1-micron canister filter soon.

Anyone recommend where to get one of these? Are they really more expensive than the whole HF unit?

thanks
Everend

 

[DesertRatTom]

Anyone recommend where to get one of these? Are they really more expensive than the whole HF unit?

thanks
Everend

Wynn Environmental Filters. Model 35a, and they now ship to Canada. This thing comes in a pretty good sized box. Maybe you Canadians can use this?

https://wynnenv.com/woodworking-filters/

35A274NANO Cartridge Kit

Permanently closed at the top, open at the bottom with gasket, MERV 15, Nano fiber filter media, 274 sq ft., 17.5″ diameter, 23″ tall, no inner cage.

Included: Instructions, (2) clear poly dust bags, (3) FGL-U latches used for mounting the filter.

Filter price: $188.00. $150 +188 = $338. About the price of a cheapie brand name, 1hp.unit. Wish DC were cheaper, but it sure beats suffering with COPD.

What converted me was an OSHA study that found home shops have the worst level of sawdust particles, far worse than commercial shops. I noticed some breathing problems and decided to set up dust collection. I started building my own setup, but it just wasn't effective and I spent a LOT more that $338 on it. Not only does this put the woodworker at risk, but also for garage shops, the family gets exposed as well. And if you smoke, well, you're just asking for it.

This can be an expensive hobby, that's for sure, but if you're not working strictly with hand tools, do think through the question of dust collection.

 

[dovetail_65]

I hate the Wynn unit, I own it and tried to return it. Unless they upgraded it with a paddle handle to clear the filter I am not interested.

Wynn told me a handle and paddle will hurt the filter, well it sure doesn't hurt my Jet. I scrapped my Wynn and the filter sits on a shelf becasue when the cartridge is full of dust it make an enormous mess to clean. That totally defeats the entire purpose of having a canister in the first place.

So I found another unit to fit the HF that has the handle and paddle to clear the dust and am much more happy. I still use the Wynn on one HF unit(I have several 2HP collectors) and it sits unused because I simply dont want to drag it outside and try to clean the canister.

 

[CharlesWebster]

So I found another unit to fit the HF that has the handle and paddle to clear the dust and am much more happy. I still use the Wynn on one HF unit(I have several 2HP collectors) and it sits unused because I simply dont want to drag it outside and try to clean the canister.

So, can you tell us who makes the filter you like, and where we can purchase one, please?

If there's a better alternative to the Wynn, I'm interested.