Is this style dust collector a complete waste of space?

[Simon Magennis]

Pretty much everyone lists this type of chip collector.
https://www.harborfreight.com/70-gal-2- ... 61790.html

I understand that it will not result in clear air like a big cyclone system but I don't want to fill up the place with dust and chips. I just bought a small (10") bandsaw and wonder if something like that is worth it? Another option is get a (pseudo-) cyclone thing like a dust deputy and link it up to a vacuum. What ever I get will bust be attached to the one machine.

If anyone has a handy link for how to set-up a bandsaw, I would also appreciate it.

Thanks.

[Bob Hammond]

Generally, manufacturers' CFM specifications are notoriously misleading. For any given D/C unit, the true CFM will be determined by the characteristics of the duct system from a tool to the unit, including the diameters, lengths, number and tightness of turns, That said, often the downfall of most of these units are the filtration bags if the unit will be used indoors, in the shop. If it's practical to install it outside the shop bearing in mind the routing, climate/weather, and local ordinances, then it may work ok, especially if you can discard the bags and let it eject dust & chips into a collection shed or vessel

[John Clifford]

Bob is right, the bags are no good. Filter canisters are much better. I have one of these in my basement shop, and it really works pretty well:

http://www.rockler.com/jet-vortex-dust- ... -1100vx-ck

I was concerned that it might just be spewing fine particles back into the air, but according to my particle counter, the air is cleaner with it on than off. It's not as good as venting to the outside, but much better than one of those bags.

You'll find plenty of bandsaw advice on the net. My advice: start saving up for a bigger saw - you're going to want one.

[Clay Schaeffer]

For a 10 inch bandsaw a decent sized shop vac would probably do a better job of collecting and filtering the sawdust than the HF unit. If you were collecting shavings from a planer or jointer the HF dust collector might be a better choice - it would have more capacity. That type of dust collector relies on a build up of dust on the inside of the bag to filter out the finest particles, which often gets disturbed when you empty the bag. Until the dust builds up again the "filter" is not as effective.

[David King]

Grizzly sells 1 or 5 micron cloth bags for their 2HP DC that are excellent (and should fit). They let much more air through and provide much better filtration at the same time. Combine those with an Oneida Super Dust Deputy cyclone and you should have a great DC for a fraction of the price. Getting it shipped to Germany might be a trick but you can try ordering it through a 3rd party reseller and see. Generic 2HP DC are everywhere and I'm sure there's a local reseller with their own brand name attached. Custom dust bags are available everywhere as well if you know what to look for. The Dust deputy may be the tricky part to source. I tried to find one when last I was in France but things may have improved since 2015.

Here: https://www.amazon.de/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_ ... ust+deputy
All kinds of results now. Check the inlet and outlet sizes to match your bag DC or shopvac.

I have a Fein shopvac that's quite pleasant to use and it turns on automatically when the tool is turned on. I have my vac hose strapped to the underside of the bandsaw table with the narrow nozzle pointed right at the blade and it works beautifully and is easy to adapt to table angle changes and blade changes.

[Rick Milliken]

To the original question, “a waste of space?” I’d say no. But it really does depend on the application. I’ve had a similar unit for my home shop for ~20 years. I’d say it was a disappointment at first, frustrating later and ultimately I’ve come to peace with it.

If you’re using mostly bench top sized tools, a good shop vac, as the others mention, will be far handier.

If your goal was to put in a collection system, which was my big idea, there are a couple of considerations. (There are a ton of incredibly detailed, informative websites out there, so refer to them for much better info than I could ever provide.) These are VERY sensitive to air flow. For example you could put in a 20’ run of 4” steel or pvc duct and not notice much loss in vacuum. Use a 20’ 2” flex hose and you’ll have almost no suction. Even a 2 or 3’ section of small hose really impacts performance.

I’ve reconfigured mine, added a home made cyclone and have got a useful system, but still regularly use my shopvac for both cleanup and attaching to portable tools.

[Steve Sawyer]

The recommendation of a shop-vac for a small machine like your band saw is spot-on. I have a 3hp cyclone system, but still use a shop vac for my drill press, miter saw and oscillating sander. That said, if you replace the bags with a filter cartridge, these HF units work very well and represent a good value. I modified mine repeatedly over the years, then sold it to a friend when I went with a cyclone, and he’s still using it.

[Simon Magennis]

The HF was simply as an example. This stuff is much more expensive in Europe. A 2HP with a cartridge filter costs about x3 the HF example. http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-ho ... eal-717658 - they have a cheaper one but it is 1hp. From what I have read 2hp is about the lowest power to consider and 3HP better. The shipping is another 50 on top. So it would be about US$ 750 including the filter.

[Daryl Kosinski]

I don't have a bag on mine anymore. I blow the dust outside through a hole in the wall. My neighbors are far away but if you have close neighbors put the bags outside in a small shed.

[Bob Gramann]

+1 for the vacuum on the small bandsaw. It’s hard to pick up all of the dust from a bandsaw even with an excellent dust collector 2” port for dust collection— the vacuum will likely produce a higher airspeed through the 2” port than the dust collector. I use a vacuum on some of my small tools.

For my larger tools, especially the drum sander, I bought a Penn State 1.5 hp collector many years ago. Eventually, I gave up on the bags and retrofitted the collector with a 1 micron cartridge filter. It improved the flow considerably. Then, very tired of replacing the collection bag, I put an Oneida cyclone in the path so that I just had to empty the can under it. Big improvement! But, in the long run, I wish I had just bought the Oneida system as a whole in the beginning. My system is working well now, but converting it from what I got to what works well took a fair amount of effort and time. The Penn State system required quite a bit of searching and caulking before I got it to retain all of the dust it was collecting. Now, just running it cleans my shop according to my particle counter. I keep teaching myself not to buy cheap tools. I wish I was a better student.

[Bob Gramann]

One additional thought: On my vacuum, I used to have a Dust Deputy cyclone. It worked well, but the combination with the vacuum was quite awkward. I put HEPA filters in my vacuums and put bags in as well. The bag keeps the filter from clogging. So far, the bags seem to fill every few months at which time, I clean the reusable filter. It works well, is a lot less clumsy than the additional cyclone, and is well worth the price of the bags to me. I have one large roll around Ridgid vacuum (rated at 200 cfm!) and one 6 gallon Ridgid that I have dedicated to my belt/disk sander (with a common switch).