Oversize Dust Collector? Oneida V System 3HP vs. 5HP

[Ben Martin]

So before I moved from Chicago to Greenville, I sold my dust collector to a buddy with plans of upgrading to a nice cyclone system. I have talked to the wife and she has approved the purchase much sooner than I was expecting so I am ready to place my order.

Oneida recommended that I get a 3HP system, but I am planning on going with the 5HP as for the additional $300 it seems like money well spent, 1285 vs 1498 CFM. Does anybody see a downside to buying a bigger collector than I need? I am trying to "future proof" my investment. My shop is 28x28 with the standard industrial sized machines, mostly older. The biggest killer would be a wide belt sander, which I do not own yet. The longest run to the collector would be around 50' (the shop is an oversized 2-car garage, so the run would be down 2 walls).

I like going with the V-system as it is quieter and shorter than a Super Gorilla. I am thinking that if we ever move back up north, I might be forced into a basement again (please never happen!) so the shorter unit might be the ticket.

Thanks guy!

[David Kumm]

With 50' runs you want the larger system. Get the cyclone that separates fine dust the best- ask them for a recommendation and be sure to get as much filter area as they supply. Some of their 5 hp systems had different cartridges but that may have changed. You don't want to short the filter area. It would be even better if the exhaust was gated so you could go directly outside when using the widebelt in the future. It will screw up the cartridges. 8" amd 7" main runs. Dave

[Paul McGaha]

I think you're right to upgrade Ben. More cfm is good.

Not too many drawbacks-initial cost, uses slightly more electricicty, needs a larger circuit.

If I had to do it again I'd have probably bought a 5 HP cyclone. I have a 2 HP Dust Gorilla as recommended for my shop by Oneida.

PHM

[Jeff Bartley]

Ben--too bad clearvue isn't near you anymore!! You could have saved the shipping. I'd go for the larger system, not much larger a footprint, and more cfm is what you'd want with a wide-belt. I wouldn't worry about the level of noise---just plan on building an enclosure from the start---cyclones are loud! I 'future-proofed' my enclosure by building it as a stand alone unit rather than framing in a permanent room. My clearvue was 'clearly' the best shop purchase to date! Sorry, it's Friday and I couldn't help the pun.......Jeff

[Ben Martin]

Ben--too bad clearvue isn't near you anymore!! You could have saved the shipping. I'd go for the larger system, not much larger a footprint, and more cfm is what you'd want with a wide-belt. I wouldn't worry about the level of noise---just plan on building an enclosure from the start---cyclones are loud! I 'future-proofed' my enclosure by building it as a stand alone unit rather than framing in a permanent room. My clearvue was 'clearly' the best shop purchase to date! Sorry, it's Friday and I couldn't help the pun.......Jeff

Jeff, I had seen a post last night that Clearvue was in Pickens and got excited until I realized that the post was a couple years old. Saving $200 would have been nice!

Do you have a thread on your enclosure? I would like to see it!

[Sam Layton]

Hi Ben,

My shop is just a little larger than your, 750 sq ft. I have a 3 HP Oneida. It is not the Gorilla, it was purchased before the Gorillas came out. My main trunk line is 8". I then go down to a 6" duct through the shop. My system works very well. I have no experience with the 5 HP model. I an not recommending the 3 HP, I am just saying that it works good. I do not have a wide belt, but I do have a 37" double drum sander with an 8" trunk line with two 6" ducts to the sander. No problems at all. I have the largest filter that they offered. I am thinking that maybe two would be good with the proper adapter???

Sam

[Joe Vincent 63]

I am going to go slightly against the grain here - I too am looking to upgrade, but from an Onieda 2hp cyclone to either a 3 or 5. In talking to Oneida engineers at length, you have to have the duct work sized to allow you to use it. The 5hp with my 7" main duct runs was too much air flow - unless I separated 7" intake and added another at the collector inlet (maybe a 4 or 5").

As was suggested earlier, I would spend time talking with their engineers - they are very helpful. If you ductwork can support it, I'd be great with the 5hp. If not, why spend the additional money, its noisier, etc., unless you can truly use it.

Joe

[mreza Salav]

There is a compromise in performance to go to V series (e.g. they won't give you as good a separation as the Gorilla series I think).
I would consider a 3HP Gorilla over a V series, JMHO.

[Craig Behnke]

Of the hundreds of purchase/equipment decisions i've made in my life (hundreds of them, not all WW equip), i'd say that I regretted about 50% of the times I bought a smaller or what I thought was just the right size product....but I have only regretted about 10% of the times I thought I was buying more than needed/warranted.

i read a quote somewhere about the sting of an expensive/quality purchase is felt but once and the benefits are felt many times over...and the benefit of a cheaper/lower quality buy occurs but once and the frustrations occur many times over. or something like that. NOT AT ALL saying that the 3HP is lower quality vs the 5HP, they are both solid products, it's just the only parable I could think of to fit the situation.

[Ben Martin]

I sent Oneida an email asking for a quote on a 5HP Gorilla, will let you know what I hear back. Perhaps I should have asked about the 3HP too..

[Ben Martin]

i read a quote somewhere about the sting of an expensive/quality purchase is felt but once and the benefits are felt many times over...and the benefit of a cheaper/lower quality buy occurs but once and the frustrations occur many times over. or something like that.

I am a 3rd generation Cat employee, I was pretty much raised by this saying!

Gucci Family Slogan
"Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten."

[David Kumm]

Too much airflow should never be a problem. If you run a 5 hp system with 7 or 8" mains you do have to be careful if only using one 4" port but that is easily compensated for. The bigger issue is that many 5 hp systems don't take full advantage of their capability by running too small pipes for the types of impellers in the system. If you buy more cfm than you can use you might have to open another port for some locations but if you guess wrong or upgrade to a larger machine there is no way to fix the problem of too little flow. The long runs with elbows dictate erring on the safe side. Dave

[Paul Wunder]

I am running the ClearVue 1800 in a basement shop (25X25) with only 90" headroom. I mounted my unit between the joists and mounted my filters side by side. It is 5hp and uses 6" PVC piping. My longest run is 50' because the cyclone is in an adjoining room. Pulls like crazy.

I mention this because you were concerned about perhaps going back to a basement workshop with limited height.

[Greg Portland]

So before I moved from Chicago to Greenville, I sold my dust collector to a buddy with plans of upgrading to a nice cyclone system. I have talked to the wife and she has approved the purchase much sooner than I was expecting so I am ready to place my order.

Oneida recommended that I get a 3HP system, but I am planning on going with the 5HP as for the additional $300 it seems like money well spent, 1285 vs 1498 CFM. Does anybody see a downside to buying a bigger collector than I need? I am trying to "future proof" my investment. My shop is 28x28 with the standard industrial sized machines, mostly older. The biggest killer would be a wide belt sander, which I do not own yet. The longest run to the collector would be around 50' (the shop is an oversized 2-car garage, so the run would be down 2 walls).

I like going with the V-system as it is quieter and shorter than a Super Gorilla. I am thinking that if we ever move back up north, I might be forced into a basement again (please never happen!) so the shorter unit might be the ticket.

Thanks guy!

I would absolutely go 5HP if a widebelt is in your future. I would also STRONGLY consider going with an option that allows you more filter media. The fine dust from the sander will quickly clog up the single filter options (blow it out after each session, etc.). I would call Oneida and describe your situation + the future wide belt sander and see what they have to say. Most folks with a widebelt are in a larger commercial situation with a 7.5HP+ collector + multiple filters on a plenum. I have a medium sized drum sander and a 5HP cyclone w. 2 large cartridge filters and find that I need to clean out the fine dust in the filter after each large sanding session. Just something to think about.

[Ben Martin]

I am running the ClearVue 1800 in a basement shop (25X25) with only 90" headroom. I mounted my unit between the joists and mounted my filters side by side. It is 5hp and uses 6" PVC piping. My longest run is 50' because the cyclone is in an adjoining room. Pulls like crazy.

I mention this because you were concerned about perhaps going back to a basement workshop with limited height.

Yeah, I just checked and originally I thought that there was only a 2" difference between the V and Gorilla, but it is actually 10"! My new shop only has about 98" tall ceilings, and the 5HP Super Gorilla is 97.5", I would definitely need to build a bump up in the ceiling to have some airflow room on top of the motor. From what I remember talking with the salesperson the first time, shipping is the same on the 5HP models since it has to go freight, so quickly adding up the costs, the difference should be in the $200 range. Once again, if I am spending this much money and given how long I plan on keeping it, $200 is a "drop in the bucket". Both the V and Gorilla have "about" the same foot print as well, but the Gorilla does come with an extra year of warranty...

Decisions, decisions...