Cyclone or double canister w/ Super Dust Deputy?

[david minnery]

I've been looking at upgrading my DC (1.5hp w/ Wynn Filter and Super Dust Deputy).
This canister / SDD has been a great combo but falls far short of my needs.
I looked at all the big players and settled on Oneida. They recommended the Pro 5hp, $2,200.
Shipping alone will cost me $450, which is tough to take. Total $2,865 with a stand.

I was just thinking, why not a dual canister model like this ($1,300) and use my Super Dust Deputy.
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?p...FU2CQgod8U8Ayw
I'd probably upgrade to a better Wynn filters, which would $300-400 after shipping. total ($1,700)

The SDD would take a bit off the CFM, but it's still a lot cheaper.
Their listed CFMs are pretty close, around 1,900-2,000.

FYI, I usually have 2-4 gates open at a time.
Thoughts????

[Phil Thien]

As far as cyclones go, the SDD is rather small. Resistance is proportional to the airspeed squared. So as you try harder and harder to move more air through your SDD (by using larger blowers), more and more of the airflow will be lost to resistance inside the smallish cyclone.

So if you really want more CFM, you need not only a larger blower, but a larger cyclone.

[David Kumm]

The purpose of a cyclone is to keep chips and dust out of the filters as much as possible. To do that the cyclone must be sized correctly. Too small and it will restrict the flow. If you want to avoid the cyclone or put in a small one to catch some of the chips, you are better off with good quality oversized bags. They tolerate cleaning better. The benefits of cartridges are negated to some extent by lack of preseparation. Don't be afraid to look at used cyclones either. CV, Oneida, and even commercial Torit, Dustkopp, etc come along for decent prices. Dave

[david minnery]

Thanks Paul, that makes perfect sense.
I'm just trying to explore different options.

[david minnery]

Thanks Dave,
I was planning to buy a cyclone in the next 1-2 months. I narrowed it down to Oneida and Clearvue.
The Clearvue was attractive to me because of the Bill Pentz endorsement and the fact that I can drive and hour and pick up the product - no shipping costs.
I called Clearvue today and found out they're moving from WA to S. Carolina!
I felt some pressure to make a decision, which I was hoping to make in a month.
Hour by hour I shift from these two brands.
The CV turned me off from some of the installation and electrical work needed.
Still looking at Craiglist though!
Thanks for all the insight.

[David Kumm]

The Oneida motor and steel housing are better but the CV cyclone is a better separator. If you can still pick one up I would go that route. If your design allows, you can buy a stand alone blower and motor from Oneida or anywhere and use the CV cyclone. My blower is up in the attic. An alternative. Dave

[Noel Poore]

David

I bought a Clearvue earlier this year and have been delighted with it. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the installation was, and the fact that the parts are fairly lightweight is an advantage for me. I made my own cleanout box so that it fit exactly, so I like the "kit" element to the Clearvue product. If you have a Facebook account, you can like Clearvue and get a nice discount code. I'm not saying that the Oneida is a bad product, just that the Clearvue worked out very well for me. If I could drive an hour to pick it up, instead of paying $450 in freight alone, that would help to tip the scales. If you do go to pick up a Clearvue, don't forget to think about things like blast gates. I used the Clearvue ones and have been very happy with them.

Noel

[Michael W. Clark]

David,
Are you a commercial/pro shop or a hobby user? Just asking as you stated that you usually have 2-4 gates open at a time, so either larger tools or multiple users.

If hobby, the cyclone approach is probably the route I would take.

If commercial, I would still consider a larger bagger. First, the bagger will be more forgiving of the varying flowrates caused by different numbers of gates open. As others have stated, a cyclone works best within a narrow flow range for which it is designed for. Second, your insurance agent or fire marshal may try (at some point) to enforce NFPA codes. It is much easier to comply with a bagger (if under 5000 CFM) than a cyclone.

Here is another thought if you are a hobby user, why not buy another SDD and run it in parrallel with your existing one? You would need a larger fan and more filter area, but I bet the total bill would be less than the other options, and the smaller cyclones would (theoretically) be more efficient.

Mike