1 HP dust collector - sufficient?

[Darius Ferlas]

I am on the market for a dust collector and I pretty much narrowed my choices down two two models from Steel City:

Model 65110: 700 CFM, 10 Amps
Model 65200: 1200 CFM, 14 Amps

Woodworking is a hobby completely unrelated to my job.

I am aware that, like with some other things, bigger is better but I am not after what is better but rather after what is sufficient for my needs which are contained in a 1 car garage: thickness planer, TS, 6" jointer, bandsaw, router table, some small sanding tools.

Equipped with only 4 limbs, the hind ones being used to maintain an upright posture, I don't plan on ever using more than one tool at a time, unless it's a chisel and a mallet. Also, the garage is small enough so I am not planning to create a ductwork system with elbows, blast gates and what not. I can't see myself using more than 10 feet of the standard 4" hose.

My question is to those who have had experience with dust collector in the range of 700 cfm. Is the smaller one sufficient for my needs?

Thanks.

[Jeff Willard]

I would say that, if you intend to keep the run short, and are willing to move the DC from machine to machine, 700 CFM would probably be adequate. I have a Jet rated at 650 CFM, and a small network of ducts in my basement, and am finding it woefully inadequate. Particularly concerning the bandsaw. Look down the road a bit, and try to envision whether or not some day, you may think it nice to just be able to open a blast gate and go to work, instead of moving around and connecting/disconnecting the DC.

[george wilson]

There will be frictional loss in a tube,especially one that isn't smooth inside. There are some wire wrapped hoses that are smooth inside. They cost more,but might be worth the money.

Post this in Workshops section. There age several guys there with lots of dust collector experience.

DOES this collector have a TYPE F motor? They stand more heat.

[Darius Ferlas]

Thanks, both for the answers.
I reposted in the Workshop area.

George,

don't know what an F type motor is. The specs say this:

Motor: 1 HP, 115V, 60 Hz TEFC

[scott spencer]

Those smaller units tend to be just barely capable of chip extracion. IMHO, you'd be far better off buying the 1.5hp unit with the bigger impeller and better airflow right from the start. It'll save the hassle and cost of replacing it next year.

[Larry Rasmussen]

Hi Darius,

I have a Jet 1 HP unit I bought used and have it hooked up via a short ducting set up. I bought one of the aftermarket remote outlets and between the ducting and the remote it was really an improvement over the old Fein Vacuum. It almost works well. It will fill up a bag of chips in pretty short time if I'm using the planer. The 1 1/2 HP unit would be much more suited to your application. It's clear when I use mine that is somewhat underpowered. Especially considering the relatively small price difference the larger unit is an easy recommendation. I did replace the top bag with a generic drum filter that fits right where the bag goes. I think it's two micron but that wasn't a main consideration. Just an observation.

Either one will be a nice move forward for you, makes a lot of difference in the shop.

Enjoy,
Larry Rasmussen
Seattle

[Mitchell Andrus]

The DC is not the place to save money. Get the best you can afford, plus a step. It's not just a convenience issue, it's a health issue.

Keep in mind that air flow can fall by half after the bag is seasoned (clogged).

[glenn bradley]

I ran a small Delta that is a twin of the 65110. Once I bought an oversized top bag and changed the lower one to solid it performed well enough for a few years. Prior to the upgrades, it was an acceptable one-machine chip collector but fine dust was always all over everything.

I added an ambient cleaner that helped with the dust but in the end went with the better unit to save my lungs. I had thrown so much money at it to try to make it what it wasn't that I was glad it had gotten good enough to be worth keeping for a dedicated jointer planet unit. A 2HP cyclone now takes care of everything else. It was certainly better than not having it, that's for sure but eventually I had to step up. Lesson learned; save money elsewhere, not on your health.

[george wilson]

TEFC= totally enclosed fan cooled. If it doesn't say F,it probably isn't. They cost more. Oneida offers F type motors. They can stand more heat without burning out.

[Tom Hargrove]

I use the Delta model that appears to be the basis for the Steel City design. With the standard bags that came with the machine, it worked marginally well with 10 feet of spiral hose. The bags let lots of fine dust through, somewhat less when the insides of the bags are "caked." However, when the bags get caked, less air moves through the system.

I replaced the cloth bags with a solid plastic bag on the bottom, and a pleated cartridge filter on top. One pleated filter lets more air pass than two cloth bags, so the amount of air moving through the machine went up significantly. At the same time, the amount of dust that comes out of the filter is almost nil. I also put a baffle below the filter to help direct the dust and chips into the bag rather than the filter.

Even with the improvements, I don't believe a machine this small will service anything other than the smallest duct system. I cut my hose down to about 8 feet, and move it from machine to machine as I work (contractor's saw, jointer, planer, chop saw), and it works fine for my needs as a hobbiest who works in a corner of the basement.

[Darius Ferlas]

I really appreciate all the useful responses.

The reason for my hesitation is not really the negligible price difference. She who managed to domesticate me told me not to save on a vital piece of equipment. My doubts stem rather from available space and practicality. I try to get things I need, not necessarily the ones that would be "nice to have".

It looks though that all things considered I am getting the bigger puppy.

Again, thank you all for your useful input.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

+1 on the DC NOT being a place to cut corners. Personally, if price is an issue, got with a wet/dry vac with a HEPA filter. Probably work as good a the smaller DC, and with the HEPA, it won't be spewing dust back in the air. A planer makes a LOT of chips, and your vac sill probably not be enough, but IMO neither the small DC. I have a 2 hp Delta, runs about 469. Worth the money, since that is directly related to your health. For small fast jobs I use the shopvac with the HEPA. I too work in a garage,and cannot leave the DC set up.
Look for a filter that is 1 micron. Lots of the smaller units have a 30 micron bag, which makes a lot of dust go back in the air, and this, IMO is worse than not having anything, let the chips blow on the floor, where it belongs.

Just my .02.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

If you are not going to spend the money to do it right you are way far better off with a broom. I use the broom and it works fine.

[John Gregory]

I agree with Scott, I started out with a 650CFM. Cussed it then replaced it with a 1.5 HP that works well for my small shop. I think you will end up buying twice if you get the smaller DC.

Those smaller units tend to be just barely capable of chip extracion. IMHO, you'd be far better off buying the 1.5hp unit with the bigger impeller and better airflow right from the start. It'll save the hassle and cost of replacing it next year.

[Wes Grass]

Adequate, for a small jointer and lunchbox planer. Tablesaw, maybe.

I used a 1HP 650CFM (which is really more like 350-400 CFM with a hose and bag attached) on a 16" planer. Worked just fine taking light cuts (16th or so) on 10" wide pieces. But the bag filled up in about 5 minutes. Didn't do a very good job on the tablesaw cutting MDF. Just not enough airflow to keep the cabinet from collecting chips. Never mind the cloud of dust that passed through the OEM bags.

If you want something small and portable, Oneida has a couple of nice looking units. And some pretty slick retrofit cyclone units if you've already got a 2-3HP blower.