Jet 1100a vs HF 2hp dust collector

[Daniel Rode]

A while back I had a Jet 1100a 1/5 hp dust collector for my small garage shop. It came with a 30 micron bag with a canvass-like look and feel. It worked well enough but I eventually converted to a high quality canister filter that I think was 2 micron. I got better suction and far less fine dust in the shop (and my lungs).

After a 5 year hiatus, I'm returning to woodworking and purchased the 2HP Harbor Freight DC. The design is identical to my old jet but it's thinner metal with a rougher fit and finish. However, it seems very serviceable. It comes with a 5 micron bag that is made out of a felt-like material. I'm going to convert to a canister at some point this winter and those appear to be .5 micron.

Have the dust collection specs really changed that much in the last 6-8 years? The cheap included bag went from 30 micron to 5 micron and the canister filters went from 2 micron to .5?

[david brum]

Claims from dust collector manufacturers should be taken with a grain of salt, especially Harbor Freight. The micron rating on Wynn canisters seems legitimate though. They have been pretty thoroughly tested and most seem satisfied that the rating is accurate.

At least as important is keeping your new canister from clogging. You might start by doing a search for the Thien separator. It is very often used in combo with your HF DC and makes a huge difference in overall performance. I believe there was an article in the last issue of Fine Woodworking that talks about the separator.

[Daniel Rode]

Claims from dust collector manufacturers should be taken with a grain of salt, especially Harbor Freight.

It sounds to me like you are saying that harbor freight is being inaccurate about the rating of their bag but Wynn is legitimate? I've purchased other things from HF over the years. The quality is often suspect but I've never know them to be dishonest about the specs of their products.

FWIW, I am mostly interested in if/why the filtering effectiveness has improved industry-wide in what seems to be a short time span.