I have had my Jet dust collector for 8 years and have only used 2 of the plastic bags. How many you need will depend on how careful you are in getting a full one out and the new one in. The other issue is what you do with the dust and chips. I empty my bag in a trash can and then use it as a mulch in some areas of my yard. It is not a very good mulch but good for just keeping weeds down.
The Jet dust collector that I have uses a cartridge filter up top and does a really good job of stopping all the small dust particles. It is much better than the cloth bags which let a lot of small dust through the fabric.
Thanks a lot Redoak49 for your reply. This is most reassuring information both with regard to the bags question and the effectiveness of the canister as opposed to bags for dust collection. I had planned to get the 2-micron filter canister with either brand I chose.
It sounds as though you are generally happy with the JET?
We have a Jet 2hp collector with the cartridge filter. We've been using plastic bags for years with no issues at all. However, we do not use the clear plastic bags from Jet. Instead we use the 3mil contractor bags from HomeDepot. On average, we fill 2-3 bags a week.
Side note, the chips and shavings are not a good mulch. The kiln drying process also takes the nitrogen out of the wood, which will rob the nitrogen out of your soil. The best thing to do is add it to a compost pile and supplement the nitrogen. Otherwise, the regular trash is the best bet for the sawdust.
Many of the so called disposable bags can be reused several times before needing to be replaced. Care must be exercised to avoid snagging and tearing the bags. I bought a pack of five for my Delta AP400 for $17.50 and now they're available for less than $10.00. I'm still on my first bag and it's not too worn. I run enough dust/chips through various machines that I have to empty the bag about every three weeks or so unless I'm planning a lot of rough lumber.
They are reusable up to a point.The secret is not to allow them to overfill .So I suggest you empty them when just over half full.This makes much less mess too when removing/replacing the bag .Common sense over time will keep you right brother. Alistair
If you wanted, you could put a can in place of the bag. You'd need a tube to connect the collector and bag.
I have two very heavy duty 30 gal. barrels from a fertilizer outfit and I'm going to install a plexi view plates in them (sealed, of course). This will allow me to abuse the "trash bags" all I want.
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