Craftsman 1hp DC vs. HF 2hp DC

[Edmund Burke]

Yes, we are talking big bucks here...

I have a wood shop on my enclosed front porch, 35 feet long and narrow, with a lot of stationary tools (well, they are actually all on wheels) and I am trying to improve my dust collection setup. I have been using a Craftsman 1hp Dust Collector. I am looking at moving it to one side of the porch, where it can serve the router, drill press and shaper pretty well. Previously, it served the TS and RAS on the other side of the porch, but it barely had the lung power to draw thru that 15 ft distance. My thought is to install a Harbor Freight 2hp unit on the TS/RAS side but I am wondering if it really has more pull/CFM than the Craftsman? Rolling the Craftsman around is just not practical because the space is so narrow.

So, if anybody has gone from a Craftsman 1hp to a HF 2hp, how did that work out for you? Was it really an upgrade?

Thanks for any help,
E. Burke

[John Hays]

I guess it would depend on the specs of the Craftsman DC. Since you didn't provide a model number for it, I can't offer an opinion.

[Edmund Burke]

The model number is 113.299780, but I googled it previously and there is very little spec information on this old DC. I found one comment that it has "less than 800 cfm" and a "30 micron bag". Given Craftsman's past, shall we say, "liberal" interpretation of things like cfm and hp on their compressors, I was pretty dubious about even the 1hp power rating. Likewise, I am none too certain about the power and cfm ratings given for some Harbor Freight products, though I have heard good things about their 2hp DC. I was hoping someone had done this particular upgrade and that they might reassure me that I'll actually get the extra suction I need for the TS and RAS. Sorry I wasn't more specific about my reason for asking the question.

[Sam Stephens]

the amperage draw, motor efficiency, impeller size, and filtration (bag, cannister micron rating) will give you an approximate comparison. I wouldn't bother looking at "rated" cfms unless both units were tested at the same location, same load, etc b/c there are just too many variables to consider. FWIW, I doubt the HF is truly a 2hp unit and if the craftsman is old enough the hp rating could be reasonably close.

[John Hays]

Well I couldn't find much information on the Craftsman DC either (even looked at the manual) so I'm not sure what that particular machine is capable of. However, I do have the Harbor Freight DC and it has performed pretty well just through 10' of flex hose. It would perform better if it were running through ridgid ducting (which I plan on installing soon). I also built a Thien Baffle, mounted the motor vertically (which your set-up already has) and replaced the 5 micron bag with a Wynn 0.5 micron filter (part#: 35A274BLOL).

With that said, here's what I would do in your situation.

First I would try installing some ductwork, which would improve your air flow. Since it sounds like your shop space is pretty much a straight shot anyway, there's no need for a bunch of elbows, so it shouldn't be to hard or expensive to do. 4" diameter pipe is probably the largest your DC can handle, but it should suit your needs just fine.

Next, do your DC a favor and build or buy a trash can separator. Less dust that passes through your motor and bag will also improve your air flow. Then do your lungs a favor and buy a Wynn filter... optional, of course, but I highly recommend it.

I'm betting you'll spend around $250 (depending on the cost of materials in your area) for everything. Half of that cost is for the filter, but again, it's your call. If you're still not satisfied with your DC's performance, then spend the extra $150 for the Harbor Freight DC and hook it up to the modifications you made... that should do the trick! Yeah, it's a bit of an investment, but your dust collection problems will be solved.

[Edmund Burke]

Well I couldn't find much information on the Craftsman DC either (even looked at the manual) so I'm not sure what that particular machine is capable of. However, I do have the Harbor Freight DC and it has performed pretty well just through 10' of flex hose. It would perform better if it were running through ridgid ducting (which I plan on installing soon). I also built a Thien Baffle, mounted the motor vertically (which your set-up already has) and replaced the 5 micron bag with a Wynn 0.5 micron filter (part#: 35A274BLOL).

With that said, here's what I would do in your situation.

First I would try installing some ductwork, which would improve your air flow. Since it sounds like your shop space is pretty much a straight shot anyway, there's no need for a bunch of elbows, so it shouldn't be to hard or expensive to do. 4" diameter pipe is probably the largest your DC can handle, but it should suit your needs just fine.

Next, do your DC a favor and build or buy a trash can separator. Less dust that passes through your motor and bag will also improve your air flow. Then do your lungs a favor and buy a Wynn filter... optional, of course, but I highly recommend it.

I'm betting you'll spend around $250 (depending on the cost of materials in your area) for everything. Half of that cost is for the filter, but again, it's your call. If you're still not satisfied with your DC's performance, then spend the extra $150 for the Harbor Freight DC and hook it up to the modifications you made... that should do the trick! Yeah, it's a bit of an investment, but your dust collection problems will be solved.

Hi John,

On the North end, I have a short (~15" ft.) run of rigid 4" ducting that goes to my Bosch TS and to some integrated blast gates built into my workbench, but the Craftsman DC runs out of lung power at about 10 feet and the Bosch 4100, despite my efforts to seal it, leaks so much air that I get virtually no "above the table" suction (and very little below). Lately I moved the DC over to the side with the router and the shaper and the jointer and, since things are packed together over there I can get decent collection on those by just moving my Rockler 4" hose around. Since then, on the South end, I have been running my trusty Shop-vac with a Vortex separator for the RAS and TS and bypassing the ductwork. It's a hassle to use but it actually pulls better than the DC. Still, the whole place is too dusty for my particular health needs.

Much reading on this forum has gotten me to the point that I am thinking of getting a 1200 cfm unit with a single elevated 6" run like what you described with 4" drops to the tools. I have a 20A circuit I can plug into. I have hinted to my kids that Amazon gift cards are preferred over ties and cufflinks for Father's Day this year.


Edmund

[John Hays]

Yeah, looks like you've done everything you can to your current set-up, so upgrading to a more powerful system it certainly the way to go. Which model are you looking at?

[Edmund Burke]

I think I can fit the Delta 50-760 in the available space. If not, I'm back to the HF 2hp.

[John Hays]

Well you're definitely on the right track, because as far as single stage collectors go, the 50-760 is highly reguarded. Incidentally, the actual CFM on that machine is closer to 925 rather than 1200, so keep that in mind.

Btw, earlier today I was thinking about the 35' you need to cover and realized that any single stage collector is going to struggle with that amount of distance in terms of static pressure loss, especially near the end of the run. The 50-760 might be able to handle it by adding a Wynn filter, but I'm not sure about that. I know you're on a tight budget (who isn't, right? LOL), but have you considered saving up for a cyclone system? Grizzly offers very good systems for a lower price than the other competitors, but they're still pretty pricey.

As a matter of fact, the inital plan for my shop was to buy Grizzly's G0441, until the contractor I hired to help build my garage sabotaged my budget. So I opted to give the HF/Thien contraption a shot, but since it's not fully implemented yet, the jurry is still out on that.

You also mentioned eliminating as much dust as possible and I agree with that philosophy, but even the 5 hp cyclones can't get rid of it all, so you're always going to have a light coating of dust on everything, no matter what.

If worse comes to worst, you can always let the Delta handle the major dust producers and keep the Craftsman at the other end of the shop to handle the rest.

[Edmund Burke]

Hi John, I know the 50-760 would handle at least half the shop and I wasn't sure if the HF would? I really didn't want to buy another under-powered DC and still have the same problems at the TS and the RAS. Once I get the Delta in there, I'll know if it can reach the other end with sufficient suction to handle the router table and DP. Maybe I'll post a picture of my skinny shop when I get it all pulled together? Thanks for the input.

[John Hays]

Just trying to pass on the little bit of research I did not too long ago and experience with my current machine, since nobody else seemed interested in doing so, Edmund. Take what you will out of that, but I hope at least some of it helped.

Btw, the HF collector says 1550 CFM on the box, but I would be surprised if it produces even 800 CFM, so you'd probably be better off with the Delta. I have no way of testing what CFM my set-up produces, sorry.

And yes, I would love to see a few pics of your shop! I'd offer a few pics of my own, but we just moved into the new house a while back and I'm still trying to finish building cabinets and such. Unfortunately, the wife keeps throwing her junk in there, which makes it very difficult to work around... what a mess *sigh*.

[Jerome Stanek]

I would try the HF first they have a very good return policy. I really like mine that is hooked up to my CNC.

[Edmund Burke]

Hi John,We moved about a year ago into the house where I grew up. It needed a lot of work of every kind, including carpentry, so I moved my tools and my father's 1980-vintage array of Craftsman stationary tools from the garage onto the enclosed front porch. It's cramped but awful handy when I have to cut moldings, flooring and such. So now all the "junk" lands in the garage. I will not be posting a picture of the garage

[Edmund Burke]

Hi Jerome,

A lot of folks speak well of the HF and I suspect that it could handle most of one end of the shop, but, if possible, I'd like to tramp out that old Craftsman DC and the Delta might let me do that. I also like the way the carriage and motor on the 50-760 can be set up to connect to a trash can separator.

[John Hays]

So now all the "junk" lands in the garage. I will not be posting a picture of the garage

Heh, understandable. I'm probably looking at another 6 months to a year to get my shop to a point where it's workable.

The HF will probably work for me, since I only have about 15' to cover, but handling a 30' run is highly questionable. I think the Delta is the way to go for your particular needs. And from what I understand, adding a Thien baffle & Wynn filter to any 2 stage collector certainly impoves the level of dust collection and air flow, so you still my want to consider those options.

Again, for the area you need to cover, a 2 or 3 hp cyclone is the best solution. But for someone on a limited budget, the Delta is probably your best option... although don't be surprised if it dosen't perform quite up to snuff. Good luck!