Shop Air Filtration

[lulzasaur]

I know this is not Festool related, but I assume some members here went with Festool because of the dust collection. As a compliment to the system, does anyone have any recommendations for any addition air filtration units? Currently, I am looking at the following:

Jet AFS-1000B, 1000 CFM - Hangs on ceiling and just runs. I have read reviews saying it does not really do *that* great a job at removing the dust in the air.

Stratus Axiom -https://www.axiomstratus.com/ - Sits on the ground and you move it close to where you are working. I haven't seen many reviews on this unit but it looks interesting.

 

[RKA]

Never seen that one before, but the price is within the range of your typical overhead models.  The standard gripe might be it needs floor space and has a cord that will run across the floor.  But looking at some of their marketing material, my BS alarms are going off.  I wouldn’t give it an ounce of credibility if it wasn’t for the following.

I recall Marc (thewoodwhisperer) had shared his impressions after moving from a typical ceiling mounted (10 ft+ in the air by my estimation) filter to the newer round Powermatic unit that you can place at your feet or on a bench.  He did notice it did a better job of maintaining air quality and general cleanliness by virtue of being closer to the work/you and he liked the ability to move it around as needed.  I wouldn’t call it collecting at the source as Axiom might have you believe, but it’s closer to the source.  I believe he eventually replaced the ceiling mounted unit with another PM1250.  Noise was also a factor for him since he’s frequently filming in his shop.  Marc is sponsored by Powermatic and I don’t believe he paid for the units.  FWIW, I’ve always know him to give his honest assessment vs. “selling”.

I can see the value of this in a medium or larger shop, but in a smaller shop with low ceilings, the ceiling mounted unit may be within 6ft of your work space and the floor space might be more valuable.  So there may not be a perfect solution, it may depend on your circumstances and needs.

 

[DynaGlide]

I just installed the ceiling mounted WEN unit from Amazon/Home Depot. It's only $130. It's quiet, has a timer and a remote, and gets solid reviews. My shop isn't very large so it should do nicely. I sometimes cut on the miter saw/table saw and I feel having it vs not having it is worth it for what I paid. I haven't had it long enough to see how much dust it catches from the air.

 

[Geoffrey]

I have the Jet AFS-1000 hanging from the ceiling in my shop (a two-car garage, about 22'x22'). For me, it does do well removing dust from the air. I use a good quality furnace filter in it, and replace the filter every three months when I change the furnace filter.

It is fairly quiet on low, but the medium and high speeds are loud. It's not really an issue for me, though, since whatever tool is making the dust is louder, so I already have earplugs in. I usually use the medium speed, but I do use it on low if I am handplaning and want to listen to the radio at that point.

I like the fact that it has a timer, so I can leave it on after I leave the shop, and I know it will shut itself off after two hours. It does not need to run that long, though. I have a Dylos air quality monitor, and I can see that the Jet will clear the air in my shop in about fifteen minutes.

 

[Dane]

I’ve brought this site up before, but I’ve not tried any of the plans s. However, the guy makes a compelling case for building your own filtration system if you want the most effective unit for your dollar.  Google Shop Hacks Filter

 

[Skibum009]

Never seen that one before, but the price is within the range of your typical overhead models.  The standard gripe might be it needs floor space and has a cord that will run across the floor.  But looking at some of their marketing material, my BS alarms are going off.  I wouldn’t give it an ounce of credibility if it wasn’t for the following.

I recall Marc (thewoodwhisperer) had shared his impressions after moving from a typical ceiling mounted (10 ft+ in the air by my estimation) filter to the newer round Powermatic unit that you can place at your feet or on a bench.  He did notice it did a better job of maintaining air quality and general cleanliness by virtue of being closer to the work/you and he liked the ability to move it around as needed.  I wouldn’t call it collecting at the source as Axiom might have you believe, but it’s closer to the source.  I believe he eventually replaced the ceiling mounted unit with another PM1250.  Noise was also a factor for him since he’s frequently filming in his shop.  Marc is sponsored by Powermatic and I don’t believe he paid for the units.  FWIW, I’ve always know him to give his honest assessment vs. “selling”.

I can see the value of this in a medium or larger shop, but in a smaller shop with low ceilings, the ceiling mounted unit may be within 6ft of your work space and the floor space might be more valuable.  So there may not be a perfect solution, it may depend on your circumstances and needs.

I agree with your opinion of Marc, and saw this video as well.

Regarding your thoughts on the location of the air cleaner - i would like to throw out there that, to my knowledge and i have looked at most of them, the ceiling mount units are also designed so that they can be placed on top of a surface like a shelf or workbench, but they are not as easily moved around as the powermatic fan style. I am 100% sure that this location issue plays a big part in the results, but i also am sure that the newer fan style also moves CFM of air. But obviously having it close to your sanding location and positioned to draw air away from you would make a world of difference vs the ceiling hung unit that locks you into one air circulation path.

I too have the $135 WEN special, and it surly works, i am changing up my shop and plan on testing it on a shelf below my assembly table that has open airflow.

But if i were to be put in the spot to be looking to buy today i would look at the powermatic fan style or consider the DIY box fan. I think the DIY box fan in combination with the cheap WEN would be a very affordable solution that would maximize circulation, the WEN could be used all the time and the box fan could be used as necessary with high dust operations.

 

[lulzasaur]

Thanks all for the response.

Dane, I looked into the site and bought the plans. His findings line up to what I've been reading regarding surface area of the filters making the big difference. I will try his route and measure with a Dylos monitor to see how it goes. Essentially, it's just a big fan enclosed in a box with 4 filters on each side.  [tongue]

I'm still debating where to put this now.