Just completed an upgrade from my Shop Fox 1.5Hp single stage DC (I converted it to a dual stage) to a Clear Vue CV 1800. Clear Vue had a special running where they bundled the 16 inch impeller, blower housing, clean out and electrical box into the deal, so for just over 2k it was almost the same as a CV Max but with a smaller inlet (6 vs 8). Clear Vue felt that the larger impeller would give a 25% airflow increase on their stated performance of 1400 CFM.
Having just completed the build I'd just like to praise Clear Vue on putting together an outstanding package and their customer service for answering a whole bunch of questions prior to ordering. The build was straightforward. Only hard part was getting the motor mounted onto the wall solo as it weighs a fair bit. I was concerned about the quality of the components after reading some of the earlier reviews on SMC but the assembly was painless.
Like others, I agonized over metal vs S & D duct before choosing S & D. Glad I did as it was so much easier and quicker to assemble and worked out cheaper.
On the noise front, the DC doesn't seem significantly louder than the single stage it replaced, and its quieter than the table saw. Not sure whether I'll bother with an enclosure to lower the noise as I always wear ear protection due to the saw anyway.
I haven't measured performance but I can already see that the collection is a lot better.
I did look at the Oneida range but the one item that tipped it for me was the difference in filter area between the two.
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Originally Posted by Patrick Lesher
? I have a few more exams to grade to end the semester and then I hope to actually get around to installing the duct work. My shark guard arrived a couple of weeks ago, and I once I have everything set up, I intend to post a little review. The CV looks very nice, but for what I do and what my needs are, my set up should be more than adequate.