I like mine very well. I have two, one in my small shop another in the Garage where the wood prep gets done. Stick suggest checking out name brand units for long term superior performance, and yet so far, I don't recall seeing any other negative post on the HF unit. Some have replaced the stock impeller with one from Rikon (about $90) to increase flow. A few of us have replaced the bag with a Wynn canister filter (about $160) which lets you vent the air back into the shop. Grizzly makes a canister filter with a built in paddle to knock accumulated sawdust off the filter. I just knock the heavy stuff off by slapping the canister, then blow air back through the outside of the canister to refresh it. You will also want to set up a chip collector to catch larger items, screws, etc. before they bang into the impeller.

 

I bet they sell a few of those, that is cheaper than a good Vac, a guy could have one for every machine, and a couple of extras for future machines he hasn't bought yet.

Herb

 

If I could, I'd buy one. My 1hp and shop vac systems get some of the dust, but this one would help get even more.

 

I've had mine for about 15 years. First thing I did was get a cyclone type lid for 35 gallon trash can. With that placed close to the collector, it catches the chunks that could damage the impeller plus about 90%+ of the dust. Then, I got rid of those bags and vented the DC to the outside. Doing that saved a ton of space and a whole lot of hassle. Some have said that my system would pull heated air out of the shop and/or create negative pressure in the shop. Not so, in my case.

 

Gene if you don't have negative pressure in your shop it's because you have enough air leaking in to replace what the DC is pushing out.

 

That is undoubtedly true, Chuck. :smile: Hermetically sealed, it aint.
A caution, though. I don't have a furnace or hot water heater sharing my shop. Although, there is a flameless heater. I've been told that my system could cause cause a pilot light to go out if the shop were tight enough to cause negative pressure. That could be dangerous. My heater's pilot isn't affected.

 

We got one about 15 months ago and I finally replaced the 5 micron bag with a Wynn 0.5 micron filter - much, much better. I only use it on one machine at a time so it's all I really need right now.

David

 

Yes it should stop the gas flow. The pilot uses very little as it is. Back about roughly 30 years ago when the move to seal buildings better started there were and can still be issues with gas burning appliances because vent fans can reduce the pressure inside a house to the point that flames may not burn properly and those appliances not vent properly.

 

Don't worry Ken they run them on sale all the time. :smile:

 

I realize this thread is old, but I have a question.
In my research, I've noticed there are a lot of people who mention Harbor Freight.

Do they manufacture standard dust collectors?

 

What do you mean by "standard" dust collectors?

This is the dust collector most people buy from there.
https://www.harborfreight.com/2-hp-industrial-5-micron-dust-collector-97869.html

 

Harbor Freight doesn't manufacture anything. They resale tools mostly or totally from China or Taiwan. "Standard" dust collectors really don't do much to collect dust. They mostly just collect the coarser debris.

 

I agree with Chuck, they are designed for housekeeping. not lung saving.
Just saying,
Herb

 

That's why I replaced the 5 micron bag filter with the Wynn pleated cartridge filter at 0.5 microns.

David

 

Have 2, one with bag,the other with .5 micron Wynn canister filter. They both have chip collectors, one cyclone, the other the Rockler connectors in a 30 gallon fiber drum. The both connect to one machine at a time. If I were buying a filter now, it would be one with a "beater bar" that knocks the lodged sawdust off the inside of the filter. And yes, they are on sale frequently, and if they have a 20-25 percent off coupon, the price drops into the $160 range. These are really will packaged, btw.

 

Devil's advocate time. Stick prefers a different brand and thinks in the long term, that the HF unit isn't really going to last. He also speaks about upgrading the HF unit with a replacement metal impeller, which is about $100 from Rikon. I have not done that upgrade, but someone did and it upped the air flow considerably. I won't be making that upgrade. Very happy with the HF machines.

 

I belong to the ready to go crowd...
why buy something that you have to spend more time/energy/money on to get it to do something..

back to the tangible/intangible cost thing...

 

I agree, Stick, if I have a business with employees, payroll taxes, contracts, deadlines, overhead, etc. In that case then buy it ready to run, sized to suit your current and future needs and budget, and go make your product now rather than later.

But if you're on the hobby side or even one-man heavy hobby/small business side and can afford the time and enjoy the process of modifying an existing platform or building from scratch then it's a different story. I have a blast building things from scratch or seeing if I can make something work better by modifying.

My plan was to be modifying our HF single-stage unit by converting it to a two-stage unit this week. But we got an order that is going to take me a couple of weeks to produce and the dust collector mod will have to wait but it's serving the function ok right now so it's not a big deal. I am looking forward to the mod process, though! :grin:

David

 

but Dave you do have a business..
you are the employee..
you do have overhead unless your shop is full of nothing that costs noting to run or maintain...
you are paying taxes, ain'tja???
you have contracts, we got an order....
you have dead lines... that is going to take me a couple of weeks to produce..

if you pay attention to intangible costs and ways to control them you will improve your bottom line or simply have more money for other things...
intangible costs is overhead be it business or hobby..
why make your business or hobby cost mare
time is something that can't be replaced...
ever hear the expression, ''when I get time''???
why waste/use it up on things that that you don't have to..

 

why waste/use it up on things that that you don't have to..

Because I enjoy doing those things! LOL! :wink:

But you are correct in all your assessments, Stick.

David

Edit: Tom, we were typing at the same time, it would appear

 

@Stick486, Why? because you want to? Because you enjoy doing things like that? Because that's what the budget can allow? Every person gets to choose what to do, according to how they see things.

 

@Stick486, Why?

more money in my pocket..
more time to me..
more days off..
not so frazzled or tired..
less down time...
better C/S..

 

https://bisjettools.com/woodworking-tools/dust-collection/dust-collectors.html

one DC that replaces both of you HF's...

 

My DCs are separated by about 125 ft. And they cost less total than the first JET DC with a canister filter. and my HF units work great, especially since I straightened our all the hoses and pipes. I get your point Stick, but my situation isn't the same as yours was. I think everyone has gotten your point, and when I post about the HF unit, I generally mention your view because it applies to some people. I really don't want this to devolve into another Insulation joke.

 

I had a terrible time slowing down after I retired. Every minute, in my mind, was to be productive. When I was on the job I had to think and plan for 29 people on a 24/7/365 basis. I loved what I was doing and honestly looked forward to every day. It was my life. I've been retired for 16 years now and still feel that I must do at least one thing meaningfully every day but there are times when it feels so good to lay back on the hill by the lake and just watch. The pleasure sailors chugging out of the river to raise their sails on the lake. The power boats from further upriver moving down into the lake. The people and their kids fishing off of the pier. Old and young alike, doing their own thing. I usually finish my ice cream cone and lay back on the hill. I can see the boats disappearing in the distance, some maybe on the way to the city, and I can just watch the big puffy clouds moving by. Savour the moment. I'll never be more than another anonymous figure in the scheme of things but life is good. I'll never have all the tools I think I want (the right ones) and I'll never build all those thinks I think I'd like to. Nevertheless, my curiosity is still alive and I must go find my future. In 5 years I may have one foot in the grave. Maybe I'll go and browse the tool store again.

 

@thomas1389 Thomas, I had a terrible time with retirement as well. Used to mostly talk for a living, but breathing and voice problems forced me to stop. It was almost missionary work dealing indirectly with kids. Have finally after more than 2 years managed to shift my thinking. However, the feeling you get from contributing has led me to a community project (converting a school cafeteria into a community theater venue. Have to go at it slowly, a little at a time, but it will likely still be there for a few years after I'm gone and may be as helpful to some other kid as theater was for me way back then.

We Type As find it hard to slow down and stop for awhile, but at least we survive heart attacks better than our more easygoing friends. I must admit, however, that I've just about mastered the nap.

 

@thomas1389 Thomas, I had a terrible time with retirement as well. Used to mostly talk for a living, but breathing and voice problems forced me to stop. It was almost missionary work dealing indirectly with kids. Have finally after more than 2 years managed to shift my thinking. However, the feeling you get from contributing has led me to a community project (converting a school cafeteria into a community theater venue. Have to go at it slowly, a little at a time, but it will likely still be there for a few years after I'm gone and may be as helpful to some other kid as theater was for me way back then.

We Type As find it hard to slow down and stop for awhile, but at least we survive heart attacks better than our more easygoing friends. I must admit, however, that I've just about mastered the nap.