Shark Guard users (especially with 4" ports) come on in please!

[Grant Aldridge]

I think I'm going to get the ARK setup for my new to me unisaw and will probably go with the 4" connection on the guard. My saw doesn't have a cabinet port so I'm wondering if I'd even miss our with the 4" shark setup?
Thoughts and opinions are appreciated!
Thanks
Grant

[Johnny Barr]

Hi Grant

I owned a Shark guard with a 4" port but it really isn't 4" as it narrows down to about a half of that which forms a choke point delivering little suction. It is better than nothing. You really need a high powered (>3hp) dust collector for it to work well.

I ended up selling my table saw including that guard and bought a Sawstop whose guard is designed to redirect the dust to its port and it works well.

[Grant Aldridge]

Johnny did you have it on a high powered collector? I building Bill Pentz's design - custom cyclone & blower housing, 16" impeller with a 5hp motor. I'm tired of the fine dust

[Michelle Rich]

I like my sharkgaurd ARK for a 1980 era contractor. Have 2 1/2 hose on top which is powered by a vaccuum, and a 4 inch thru the cab that is powered by a 3hsp grizzly ..I get virtually no wood dust on the sawtop. Ripping can throw a little more than crosscutting.

[Matthew Curtis]

So is it worth while getting the 4" shark gaurd? Or is a smaller diameter one going to work the same? I could use a 4" hose and adapt down to smaller size. Is it worth the extra $15 for the 4"? Vs the 3" or 2.5".

[Ole Anderson]

I have the 3" on my G1023 with a 5" bottom. 2 hp Oneida SDG. Works fine. To me, having one with a honkin' 4" hose was just too big visually. Don't have the newer ARK version though. Had to look it up. Adjustable Riving Knife.

[Mike Kees]

Grant I have a 3'' port on my sharkguard. It works too well,sucks up small offcuts and plugs. I close the blast gate about halfway and it works great. If i was ordering another one I would get the 2'' or 2.5''. Remember that the port size also restricts your ability to rip narrower pieces. Mike.

[Mike Kees]

I bought a 5'' holesaw and cut a port in the bottom of my cabinet for dust collection on the saw. My dust collector is a 5h.p. grizzly cyclone and the sharkguard is the ARK. Love the riving knife,my only issue is I dont have a table insert for tilting with the guard yet. I am using a zero clearance one presently. Guard is very good quality aas well as a huge upgrade from the factory guard. Mike.

[Grant Aldridge]

Mike what size port is on your guard?

I bought a 5'' holesaw and cut a port in the bottom of my cabinet for dust collection on the saw. My dust collector is a 5h.p. grizzly cyclone and the sharkguard is the ARK. Love the riving knife,my only issue is I dont have a table insert for tilting with the guard yet. I am using a zero clearance one presently. Guard is very good quality aas well as a huge upgrade from the factory guard. Mike.

[Rick Moyer]

Grant I have a 3'' port on my sharkguard. It works too well,sucks up small offcuts and plugs. I close the blast gate about halfway and it works great. If i was ordering another one I would get the 2'' or 2.5''. Remember that the port size also restricts your ability to rip narrower pieces. Mike.

I think I may agree with Mike. I can't remember if I have the 3" or 4", 4 I think, but everything he says I have found to be true. I often take it off for narrow cuts as it CAN be in the way. I'll disagree with an earlier poster who mentioned a choking point. I have no issues sucking up dust, but it will suck up small off cuts with wide open blast gate. I do as he mentioned if there's gonna be small pieces so they don't get shot back to the impeller (2 HP Grizzy cyclone). One other thing though. You will still get debris in the bottom of the cabinet. The over-the-blade will remove much of the fine dust from sawing but some material will still accumulate in the cabinet.

[Jim Becker]

A larger port on an over-arm collector can certainly help with above-table collection, but IMHO, it doesn't eliminate the need for below table collection, too. The combination is more effective than either one by itself. Of course, you need the "real life" CFM from your DC system to make that work well...air flow matters.

[Grant Aldridge]

hopefully I'll have plenty of airflow, I'm building a Pentz cyclone and blower, 16" impeller from clearvue unless I find a different (less expensive!) option coupled with with a 5hp motor

Of course, you need the "real life" CFM from your DC system to make that work well...air flow matters.

[Erik Christensen]

I have a pentz 5hp (early clearvue) with 6" to TS base and 4" to sharkguard - am a fan of more air is better - even cutting MDF there is very little dust that escapes

can't say if 3" would be noticeably less capable - but like you I have the DC flow so why not use it???

that DC can run a 6" pipe to the jointer at the same time and not see any decrease in performance - nice to be able to leave both saw and jointer running to go from one to the other without need for messing with blast gates - IMHO got with 4" - dc flow is like tools: rarely do you hear "I got too much"

[Grant Aldridge]

Great info Erik thanks for chiming in! Is your main duct 6" or did you go bigger? I was planning on 6" with 5&4 running to the tablesaw, but could make the cabinet take 6"

I have a pentz 5hp (early clearvue) with 6" to TS base and 4" to sharkguard - am a fan of more air is better - even cutting MDF there is very little dust that escapes

can't say if 3" would be noticeably less capable - but like you I have the DC flow so why not use it???

that DC can run a 6" pipe to the jointer at the same time and not see any decrease in performance - nice to be able to leave both saw and jointer running to go from one to the other without need for messing with blast gates - IMHO got with 4" - dc flow is like tools: rarely do you hear "I got too much"

[Mike Kees]

Grant the port on my guard is 3'', 5'' ducting to my saw base off a 8'' main duct.