Yet another dust collector plea for help/advise

[elm]

I have seen some threads on this, but some are older and technology changes.  I am reaching out for dust collector advise.

I use my garage as an occasional workshop and am looking to replace my HF 1.5 cyclone dust collector.  I have added a 3 micron bag to it to help with dust, but feel I can find something that does better once it hits the bag and before (around the tool).  I have space limitations and need portability.  The smaller the footprint the better.  All things equal between units, I would choose the smaller one due to space constraints. It would be nice to be on 120 volt, but my table saw is already 220, so I can add another circuit if needed.  I have been looking at the following models and curious to see what you use and advise.

Laguna C Flux 1.5 or C Flux 2
Grizzly G0860 or G0861
Jet 717520

My garage is a standard 2 car garage and I do most of my work on one side.  I already have a Festool CG 36 AC that I use with my Festools.  The current HF cyclone is used for my Grizzly 2 HP table saw, Rikon 14 inch band saw, Dewalt 13 inch planer, and 8 inch jointer.  I only use one tool at a time.  I will not be running any ductwork and in fact for various reasons I will continue to use flexible 4 inch hose.  I normally use the 10 foot hose, but have on occasion used a 20 foot one when needing reach to something I set up outside the garage (e.g. planer).  I would like to stay below $1,500, and below $1K is even better.  I have looked at the Oneida but due to portability they are way too much.

Alright FOG, you have steered me right before…what do you have to advise now?  I am close to pulling the trigger on something since Laguna and Jet are on sale now, but I can also wait for the next sale if needed.

 

[JSlovic]

I've got the precursor  1.5 hp Laguna model and like it.
It does a fine job with my Hammer jointer and tablesaw

 

[CeeJay]

I have a 2HP Jet - different model, the vortex cone model.  I find it works very well and the 2 micron canister is a very effective filter. Plenty of suction for a 15” thicknesser and an 8” jointer.

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[xedos]

Why not just add a Thein baffle and a canister filter to your HF collector ?  Save yourself at least a grand for other tools or wood.  Add a larger Rikon impeller if you want more oooph. Doubt you need it for one tool at a time though. 

The Lagunas and Jets aren't going to give you much more for your money. They are compromised because of their short cones - which means they're going to clog their filters fast. You have the high enough ceilings , so a short DC really isn't necessary.  The baffel and cartridge will be just about as efficient for pennies on the dollar.

I wouldn't dismiss Oneida's Dust Gorilla.  It will perform much better than the Laguna or jet and is under your $1500 price range. Its cone is properly designed and the specs are not inflated. It's as portable as the Laguna or more so.

 

[Rob Z]

Hello Elm

I have an Oneida Mini Gorilla, and I can confirm what Xedos just posted about its maneuverability, ease of use, and overall performance.

I had one in the last house and once we moved I bought another.

 

[CeeJay]

The Jet has a simple baffle scraper which enables you to clear the dust off the filter after each session - effectively the filter never clogs if used properly.

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[jeffinsgf]

We just added a Mini Gorilla to our model shop, and I am very impressed. Great portability and outstanding power given its small footprint.

 

[Bob D.]

Rockler might have something that would work for you. They have a large selection of dust collection accessories. I heard they have a new portable dust single stage collector that's 750 CFM and under $600. Don't know about it a friend told me he saw it in their catalog.
I know they have a 1250 CFM wall mounted dust collector (again single stage) that is under $600 also. You could add a cyclone to this later if needed (I would) but this could get you in well under your desired $1k self-imposed limit.

 

[rmhinden]

I have an Oneida Mini Gorilla, and I can confirm what Xedos just posted about its maneuverability, ease of use, and overall performance.

I have one as well, and like it for the same reasons.

Bob

 

[Joelm]

I had the Rockler 650 cfm dust collector which worked ok until I added an oneida cyclone. Then the suction really dropped off.
I now have the larger 1250 cfm unit that I mounted horizontally high up on my wall. I also removed the y splitter which revealed a 6" opening. I've now got a 6" flexible hose that drops straight down to my cyclone and it work very well. It also doesn't take up any usable space since it is mounted near my ceiling.

 

[elm]

Thanks everyone.  As it always is, you came though quickly.  I am going to look at the Thien Baffle a bit more (along with a Wynn filter) and either go with that or the Oneida Mini Gorilla.  I had thought about the Rockler option but I really need portability and have only one place that could go on the wall and it is not ideal.  If the Oneida was on sale, I would probably go that direction.  I will keep an eye out.  Again thanks for all of the great advice.

 

[savsuds]

You can always take a few extra pieces of lumber and make a mobile stand for the Rockler option. I did that for my Rikon dust collector. Motor on ones side, separator on the other side or under the motor.

 

[grbmds]

I have owned Oneida products for around 30 years and feel they make the best cyclones on the market. They have recently upgraded their product line with some great portable collectors (at least the specs look great). Whether they would work from a size and portability aspect for you would be your decision. I just feel Oneida is a company whose function is wood dust collection and they have spent the last 30 years or so perfecting their products. As far as HEPA filters and CFM ratings for the size of collector, my opinion is that theirs are the best. At any rate, I am on my second (the first was replaced by a current HEPA filter collector) Oneida cyclone and have a very clean shop as a result of the collection and filtering their collectors do. At the very least, call Oneida, give them the dimensions of your shop, your portability needs, and what machines you will be connecting to. They will provide a recommendation on the collector or collectors they sell which would meet your needs. I have never felt they have either oversold or undersold in their recommendations to me.

 

[elm]

Thanks or the advice [member=19734]grbmds[/member].  I have reached out to them and am getting a quote.  I have decided the Oneida is the way to go.  Looking at the Mini Gorilla. 

 

[grbmds]

[member=66175]elm[/member] Just so you aren’t shocked, Oneida is expensive but I’ve always felt worth it.

 

[ear3]

I finally got around to upgrading the filtration on my Grizzly G0710, which I originally purchased for 50 from a shop retirement sale, and accessorized with a super dust deputy. It works fine for my needs, handling the chips from my planer, router table and occasionally table saw, but the back end collection bag is pretty terrible, and it spews a fine layer of dust over everything on the other side of my garage shop. So I ordered up and just installed  the 1micron T10877 canister filter , which ended up costing around 4 times what I originally paid for the machine. Haven't tested it out yet, but I'm hoping this finally solves the dust problem from the machine.

 

[jgt1942nc]

Elm, I had built a Thien for my 2HP HF, it worked great. Tons of advice athttps://www.jpthien.com/smf/index.php?PHPSESSID=780c2d1641ac14d3f2986882bf53a322&board=1.0 I sold my unit when I moved from AZ and just got a Gyro G700. This is my #1 project at this time. I will be building some smaller Thien units to use shopvacs for a couple of my tools. Why? Just because I can.