# Great bang for the buck, but DON'T leave it stock!



## depictureboy

is that the one with norm on it? I only see a 20% coupon for HF and not specifically for this DC.


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## a1Jim

I have three of the old ones and they work great


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## dbhost

No Norm, a tall skinny computer desk on the cover… It's on the shelf at Krogers right now. (Saw it tonight…)


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## depictureboy

Cool, it should be coming in the mail soon then…thanks!


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## Mike67

Excellent info - I didn't know the design had changed so much. Do you know if the new impeller will fit on the old machine?


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## RyanBrown

It is in the October 2009 issue of WOOD, page 79, I think…

I just picked up my DC today for the amazing low price of $139.99! Now for the mods…


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## ndguy

Bought one last week myself. Thanks for the upgrade tips.


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## tinythemule

just got one today for $156 out the door….that is all i have to spend for now….starting to really put together my toys on my side of the garage. what is best wa to connect to my sliding miter? the ejection port is not 4" and there is lots of dust that gets thrown elsewhere. is it worth connecting to my hybrid cabinet saw or just vacuuming out the cabinet occasionally? what about wiring so this thing comes on when i turn on the tool i have connected at the time?


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## tinythemule

also….i read lots of technical things like static drop and how it is bad to use flex hose or anything less than 4". like on my miter saw, the dust port is smaller than 4" so do i kill performance if i hook it up? also people talk about having stations set up with fixed pvc tubing for use with multiple tools (1 at a time). how do you seal off the dust ports you arent using at the time? and finally, just how bad is 5 micron? i am just a weekend warrior that is curious if going from nothing to this is sufficient or if buying th DC is just a down payment on dust collection.


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## dbhost

Wow that is a LOT of questions…

Yes, the dust collector is just part of an overall system.

You will note in my review I mentioned do NOT leave this stock.

While there is some debate as to what the danger threshold is, the general consensus is that the fine dust over 1 micron, typically 2 micron to 10 micron I believe, is what is regarded to be the dangerous stuff. 5 micron filtration on a dust collector simply picks the dust up, and throws the finest, most dangerous dust up even further into the air, becoming effectively, a dust pump…

Two factors MUST be kept up in dust collection.

#1. Air Flow.
#2. Filtration.

The reason for a filter canister instead of a bag is more surface area for filtration level provided, thus providing more air flow. Which is why I recommend canister filters over bags… But either way you go, you will need to try to keep the filter media, either canister or bag, as clean as possible, as long as possible in order to provide maximum air flow. This is done with a separator of some kind. I use a Thien separator built around a 55 gallon drum.

The most well regarded independent research into workshop dust collection has been done by Bill Pentz. His research is exhaustive, and honestly, exhausting to read. I'm no MENSA member, but I'm not a short bus rider either… and his writing makes my head hurt. But it is useful information. Just take it slow, and in manageable bites, and ask questions when it doesn't make sense…

While I have some disagreement with him in regards to duct sizing and air flow, based on tests I have seen done in controlled engineering laboratory environments, as well as real honest to goodness experience with air flow and ducting from an automotive perspective, I will agree that 6" duct is best. I do not agree that 4" duct is unworkable. I am however still looking into the data he cites, as well as the data I have. Reconciling the two data sources will help.

Blocking air flow from one leg of a dust collection network is done via a device known as a Blast Gate. They are sort of a valve for an air flow system.

Now specifically on to machines with undersized dust hoods / ports. For example my table saw, and band saw were fitted from the factory with a 2.5", and 1-7/8" port respectively. They have since been upgraded through shop projects to 4" ports that do NOT neck down to the smaller port size…

The shroud on certain tools, SPECIFICALLY miter saws makes dust collection almost impossible on them using the factory ports. You will notice many miter saw stations have special hoods behind them to capture the dust and direct it to the hose. That is a good design, and something worth doing. My current miter saw setup however is to simply take the miter saw, and its stand outside and simply let the dust fly…

Handheld sanders and such do not get served well by the DC, and are handled by a shop vac with a HEPA filter, again, another Thien separator keeps the HEPA filter flowing…


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## tinythemule

ok…thanks for the info….got this dc because of what i would need to do to get a shop vac to work. considering what i need to get this up to par, should i just go back to shop vac idea? either way i need a fein screen. my hybrid cabinet saw seems to keep most debris in cabinet and my miter saw wont work well with either option. no joiner plans for a long time and my delta planer can be hooked up to shop vac i think. should a weekend warrior like me go with adc rather than the simpler shop vac? at least until i can afford a real dc with the proper functionality this one seems to lack.


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## dbhost

It's not a lack of function of this specific dust collector. Dust collection is best thought of as a reverse HVAC system, where you have a blower of sorts, filters, ducts, controls, gates to control air flow, and vents.

The dust collector itself is merely the furnace blower. There is a LOT more to the system than that…

Using the HVAC analogy further, let's say you have a 10" duct, but only a 4" vent. Obviously you have a compatibility issue, you would run a branch line off of that 10" duct down to the 4" right? Same with reducing DC to the smaller tools…

You are off to a good start with the HF DC for sure. But you will need to make sure that you have effective ports and dust hoods on your tools… And many tools simply have useless dust collection, like most miter saws. Your hybrid saw should have fairly decent dust collection below the blade, but lacking sufficient air flow in the cabinet, you will quickly fill up that cabinet with sawdust, even as a weekend warrior.

I went to the full on dust collector after using a Shop Vac based system because honestly, the shop vac system kept clogging up. Particularly with the Planer and Jointer. The long shavings from those would collide into a big ball and jam up the hose every single time I used them…

The HF DC has wheels on it, if you can, an inexpensive way of using it is to simply roll the DC to close by the machine in question, and run a shortish length of hose to it. A separator in the inlet ring is great for this, pre separator barrels and trash can types are far less convenient for this… I must warn you though, going straight into the DC, if you pick up a chunk of whatever, it can sound like a shotgun going off in your shop when say a small nut gets sucked into the impeller…

If you have the patience to build up a dust collection system piece by piece, I would suggest that you keep that DC, and just go slow and steady, do some looking around for designs and build a dust hood for the miter saw (something I need to do, but haven't yet)... And I am not sure, but I think the Delta planers have options for 4" ports…

Like I said, I don't agree with Bill on the duct size, mostly because I do not 100% trust the data source he cites. However if budget permits going over engineered with 6" isn't a bad thing… Just out of my budget for now…


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## tbreland

Does anyone happen to know the upper bag diameter for the new model? I was hoping to just slap a .5 from Highland onto it.


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## dbhost

If I recall from measuring for an internal Thien Baffle, the ring is 19.5" diameter. I believe the 20" diameter model is the right fit. Now having said that, measure your machine and double check. I really don't want to pull my Wynn to find out…

And yes I had considered the Highland bags as well. Good filtration, good price… The canister offered me more surface area, a reputation for improving the air flow, AND a lower overall height for the fully assembled DC.


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## Unicoi

Any one know if this model can be made to run off of 220v?


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## dbhost

Nope. 110V only… (this question has been asked a LOT of places…)


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## Karson

My Grizzly Filtration cartridge That I installed on my Grizzly machine is 19.5" I believe. It was a straight fit.


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## b2rtch

good morning,
I would like more detail about the filter, its role and its installation. 
A drawing would be fantastic.
Thank you.
B2rtch


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## dbhost

A pleated filter takes place of a bag, both a bag, and a canister, or pleated filter are filters, and they are there to keep the fine dust that a dust collector picks up, from being simply thrown back up into the air. The idea is to use a cartridge filter from a reputable manufacturer that can reliably filter as much dust as possible 1 micron and above. Some would say .5 microns and above. No filtration media out there at this point will capture 100% of the ultra fine dust and still allow air flow, which is needed to actually pick the dust up and move it in the first place.









Image copyright 2009 David Hostetler


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## elboincc

Given that it has wheels, one would presume to use it as a mobile DC system. But, given the proposed modifications, and the 2HP motor, could it be used to drive a central DC system , particularly if the duct runs could be kept to 10-15 ft? What further modifications could be made to increase its capacity?


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## dbhost

The most common mods to improve its efficiency are the Wynn filter (improved filtration, and air flow), a Thien baffle, in my case I put mine in a pre separator, but doesn't have to be, that will keep it from plugging the filter too fast… Another is one I haven't done yet, called a "Stove Pipe Mod" which is where you take 5" adjustable stove pipe elbows and replace teh flexible hose between the impeller and inlet ring. It eliminates all those deep ridges in the hose which slow down air, smoothes out the bend too, this is reported to have a huge positive impact on air flow from those that have done it. I have seen guys replace the intake flange with a shop made flange with a 6" port for hooking up to 6" pipe.

I have mine set up using a 20' flex hose, and it works fine, but would work better with hard plumbing, and far less hose, which is my eventual goal. My longest plumbing run will be right at 20'. I have seen guys with upwards of 30' runs using this DC without problem…


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## PhineasWhipsnake

I just bought one of these DCs last weekend ($159 w/coupon) and ordered a Wynn filter this morning. I'll probably do the "Stovepipe Mod" later. After installing a longer #12 power cord and cutting out the inlet grate,(good bye warranty) I was pretty impressed with its power (feels like it could 'suck start' a Harley!) I always hate myself for buying anything from Harbor Freight, but this machine was too good a buy to pass up. Thanks for the review and advice.


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## b2rtch

I think that better than the stove pipe, you could do one of two things: mount the motor right onto the main body ( this has already been done) by raisin the motor on a home bracket/mount and rotating it 90 degrees or use ABS or PVC pipes, which are smooth inside.


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## los

Hey Lumberjocks! This DC is on sale right now for $139. Add on the 20% off coupon = $111 and change(add tax too). I have mine on old for tomorrow!


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## BuilderMan

This is a great review and is how I found this site. I found this dust collector on sale at Harbor Freight but was not sure about it so I went home and searched the Internet. After reading this review I went back and purchased the unit. It is such an upgrade from the Shopvac I was using. I do have the 20-amp circuit for the unit but I was wondering if the PSI Woodworking Long Ranger dust collector remote switch would work okay with the new model because of the higher amp motor.


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## dbhost

I am not familiar with that one. To be honest, I simply leave the switch on, and turn it on / off by plugging / unplugging the power cord. Probably NOT my best / brightest idea. But it works for me.


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## BuilderMan

Okay, thanks. I just find myself not turning the dust collector on if I am going to cut only a few pieces of wood at a time off and on throughout the day. I thought that if I had a remote switch on my belt I might do what I should. Thanks again for the detailed review.


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## Suobs

The HF #97869 is currently $190. What I'm evaluating right now is the fact that with the upgrade filters it comes close to (or exceeds) $400. The Delta 50-760, which got Best Overall and Best Value from Fine Woodworking in 2006 (although I'm not clear on whether the unit was evaluated with upgraded filters or the original stuff) can be had with shipping for $375. If I needed to add filters the Delta would be over the top for me. Any thoughts on sorting this out?


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## dbhost

Suobs,

The issue of Wood Magazine that just hit my mailbox 3 days ago had the $139.00 coupon in it for the #97869, the Wynn 35A paper blend is $106.00, with shipping my my zone of $36.00, so $142.00 total for the filter. This brings it up to $281.00 for the whole shebang… If you prefer a filter that is washable, go with the spun bond poly filters, they are $150.00 + that $36.00 S&H to my zone, so a total of $139.00 + $186.00 = $325.00…

Having said that, the Delta 50-760 is a great machine, and is well worth the $$. HOWEVER, I simply hate DC bags… If I had to start over, I wouldn't consider any DC without a canister filter, or the cost of adding one. So to that $375.00 add another $186.00 (I prefer the spun bond as it is washable). That gives you a total of $571.00. If you can afford to go that route, it is one well worth considering… But for me at least, it just wasn't an option…


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## Suobs

That's what I thought - so it's not an option here either. So I'll head to Harbor Freight as I often have in the past (for some things anyway). I've only occasionally been seriously disappointed given the prices, and they usually made it right when that happened.

I don't subscribe to Wood. Can you tell me the issue # and date so I can check Lowes for that issue?

Thanks,

Steve


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## dbhost

It should be on the shelf right now. It literally just came in the mail 3 days ago, I will have to get back with on you the issue specifics when I can lay my hand on the mag…


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## Suobs

Thanks! I'd appreciate that! Check the bathroom . . . that's where mine all end up!

When I said "filters" (plural) what I meant was I was also the figuring on the Thien baffle you recommended above. I take it this baffle would be as much needed on the Delta as on the HF?


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## dbhost

Yes. The baffle isn't a filter, it is a separator, which helps keep the debris, and much of the dust actually away from the filter in the first place, so that it can flow it's best longest. It is sort of a budget cyclone…

http://www.cgallery.com/jpthien/cy.htm


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## b2rtch

I use a Thien baffle and it really works. I took me may be one hour to built it.
MY next step is to buy a "real" cyclone or may be a full new Oneida unit with cyclone


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## Suobs

Found the coupon and bought the HF dust collector. Many thanks for the great advice and saving me some $$!


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## Suobs

Thien baffle is something I build? I thought it was something I buy . . .


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## b2rtch

Suobs, you have to buy a 30 gal metallic trash can and then a cover such as this one:

http://www.woodcraft.com/Family/2004310/Trash-Can-Cyclone-Lid.aspx

Then you build and install the Thien separator inside the trash can and then you install the hoses.
The trash can will be installed between the tools and the dust collector and it will collect over 90% of the dust.
I have such an arrangement and it works very well, my next step will be to buy a real cyclone, such as this one:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/2-HP-Cyclone-Dust-Collector/G0440
I hope this help


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## dbhost

Actually the Thien separator is dependent upon the output pipe being dead center, this is the least turbulent area of the cyclonic action, and thus has the cleanest air to move on to the DC and in turn the filter.

The closest thing presently on the market similar to Phil's lid design but without the baffle is the Veritas Cyclone lid. http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=30282&cat=1,42401&ap=1

Jet used to sell a similar one made out of black ABS plastic, but they seem to be no longer available…

The baffle and lid are actually quite easy to make… I posted up a fairly detailed set of instructions on how I built mine and put it on Phil's forum. The thread is HERE.

FWIW, the Phil I mention is Phil Thien, the guy that invented this thing. He is presently looking for a partner to manufacture and sell his invention… Lousy market to try anything new in though…


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## Suobs

*r2rtch: *lid=lid (Thien design) and separator=baffle? With no diagrams on these threads I'm having a little trouble figuring out the distinction. The lid (whether you make it or buy it) goes on a trash can to collect larger stuff before it gets to the DC.

If understand it right, the baffle is the round platform under the lid on the Thien photos, which apparently lid makers don't see a need for. So with a Veritas lid, it would be a matter of matter of figuring out how to install the plywood circle under the lid and inlet/outlet plumbing?

*dbhost:* I wasn't clear from your instructions (quick read, sorry if I'm wrong) whether your plywood baffle incorporates the 120 degree extension and "drop slot" Thien mentioned and shows on his pictures.

Is there a summary of all this info anywhere? Any diagrams of the shop-made lid/baffle?


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## b2rtch

Suobs,

dbhost and I are talking about the same thing.
Yes you need to buy a trash can and a lid and to make the baffle and install it yourself ( this is easy)
http://www.cgallery.com/jpthien/cy.htm

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/8605

Check this page and you will have more information that you can swallow.


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## ClayandNancy

I have two questions, on the thien separater, if you are using 6 inch pipe in your system shouldn't you make the separater from 6 inch elbows? And do you have pictures of the stove pipe conversion, not quite sure what you are talking about? I'm about ready to pull the trigger on the HF DC.


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## b2rtch

I personally use 4.00" tubing.
The stove pipe conversion is something else. 
Some people replace the flexible hose on the Dust Collector with a stove pipe, I did not do it and I do not plan on doing it as I plan on buying a cyclone..


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## Suobs

One note on the HF. It included the craziest assortment of nuts and bolts (mostly for attaching casters and the motor to the base) that didn't jibe at all with either the instructions, which seemed to be for an older base design, or the current design. If you get the same collection of stuff you'll need a good number of the smaller 1.25" metric hex bolts and more nuts for the larger ones . . . also the short phillips head bolts (not hex bolts) go on the casters because the longer ones will stop the caster wheel from rotating. I'm off to Home Depot to round out the fastener collection as we speak!


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## dbhost

I had no issues with fasteners on mine. HOWEVER, truth be told, the instruction sheet / manual that comes with it, like most everything these days, is written in pretty bad Chinglish… (Badly translated English from original Chinese of some sort…). I sort of assume that anyone that is going to assemble an item needs a pretty fair amount of mechanical aptitude, and instructions are just the manufacturers opinion of how it should go together anyway…

The stovepipe mod is a simple mod, I haven't done it though. The idea is to replace the 5" flex hose between the impeller and inlet ring with 5" adjustable stove pipe elbows, making for a very long sweep bend, with smooth interior walls. I have seen this done on 2 of these machines…

Sorry if the instructions weren't clear. I'm no technical writer. Yes you do cut out the 240 degree drop slot in the baffle.

Not sure if anyone has done any diagrams or not, probably. As far as summaries go, my plans post on Phil's site was written to try to summarize all the various information out there about Phil's baffle. I would suggest though, that if you find yourself confused, or needing help, you can certainly ask me, or even better, ask Phil himself. He's a stand up kind of guy and willing to help those trying to build his design…

Take a look at the photos Phil posted on his first page http://www.cgallery.com/jpthien/cy.htm to get an idea of what we are talking about. The thing under the elbow is the baffle. The thing over the elbow is the lid. The one pictured is configured for a shop vac setup, and honestly, is VERY similar to the build I did for the 20 gallon trash can / shop vac setup.

Odds aren't good, but I will make the offer anyway. If you are in the Houston Metro area, and can work around my schedule, i would be happy to help you out with your build. I bet if you saw the lid / baffle I made for the shop vac it would answer a lot of your questions…


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## Suobs

Thanks for the offer, but I'm Florida! I'm sure I'll figure it out with you guys helping.

I'm kind of inclined to go with the Veritas lid, so the first thing I'm wondering is how I would attach the baffle to the lid. Or could the baffle just rest on some blocks glued or bolted inside the barrel?

The baffle in the Thien photo looks to have a convex shape (concave side down), with a downslope on the sides. Not?


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## Suobs

Confused again. This page http://lumberjocks.com/projects/8605 seems to be installing the baffle in the green metal collector between the two bags. What's that about?


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## dbhost

Not confused. The baffle can be used in a stand alone pre-separator type configuration, OR installed in the inlet ring such as you describe. The advantage to installing in the inlet ring is that you reduce the space your dust collection system uses. That can be very important in small shops. And it IS important to me, however, the disadvantage is that everything has to pass the impeller before it gets to the baffle for separation. I originally had a baffle in my inlet ring. The first time I picked up a screw with the DC and it hit the impeller just about gave me a cardiac arrest.

The advantage of the pre separator setup, like mine, is that I have a barrel that is reasonably easy to empty. Not saying it is without hassle entirely, but it is WAY easier to empty than DC bags, especially when planing or jointing. My planer can fill my 55 gallon separator in a couple of hours work, I would HATE to be swapping bags around every 2 hours or so when planing down a bunch of cedar for example doing an outdoor project…

The baffle isn't concave, or convex, that is an optical illusion… On mine, I used threaded rod and nuts as the stand offs to hold the baffle away from the lid, it works great, but I have recently had a couple of the nuts come loose. I need to locktite them or something… I probably should have used the nylon insert stop nuts, but Home Depot didn't have them when I looked.

You probably could just set the baffle on a couple of dowels or something to hold it off the bottom of your can. That would make it real easy on you for sure, and further reduce turbulence in the cyclonic area of the separator…


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## Suobs

What are the designs aspects of the baffle? Does the larger diameter section need to contact the container side? Does the baffle need to be completely stable? Would having narrow horizontal supports across the can (metal straps or wood strips) to support the baffle disrupt the cyclone effect? Could it be supported on a platform (maybe that's what you meant by dowels)?

On the Veritas lid, one thing I notice is the inlet and outlet ports are angled in such a way that they appear to be facing opposite directions inside the container so it blows in from one direction and sucks from the opposite direction. Which makes some intuitive sense if you're trying to get a windstorm going in there, but it's the opposite of the Thien design, which has them both facing the same direction. Since nobody has tried the Veritas, any thoughts on how this stacks up to the original concept, and how it works with a baffle?


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## ferstler

I am going to post this comment, or something similar to it, elsewhere on this site to get the best chance of feedback.

I am a 70-year-old retired worker but am now also a working artist who does wall-hanging collages made from enameled or stained wood pieces. I have items in a half-dozen galleries and outlets in this town and another town close by, and the income from the projects helps to supplement my retirement income. It also helps to keep my wife from harping about me needing to get a part-time job.

Anyway, I purchased my model 97869 HF dust collector last week and have only run it for a short time. I do woodworking (the collages, plus other projects) out in my back yard, which is a "natural" yard with plenty of trees, lots of leaf mulch, and NO grass. Plenty of shade, too, which is good, because my workshop is small (200 square feet) and I do a lot of work out on a 10×17 foot adjacent deck. Most of my bigger tools (jobsite saw, band saw, jointer, thickness planer, sliding miter saw, bench-top shaper, 6×48 bench-top sander, etc.) are on stands that have wheels. (My big drill press stays indoors.) I just move the items out onto the deck and cut, sand, and plane as required, with the dust collector working without bags or filters and blowing the dust and chips out onto a tarp that I temporarily lay down on the ground to catch the stuff. To aim the dust as required I picked up some large plumbing sections (90 degree and 45 degree) that are attached to the top (and removable for storage) and vent in any direction I choose. The pieces are black, so they fit in with the style of the blower.

After a work session I merely pick up the tarp (an old shower curtain, actually) and fling the dust to a part of the yard away from the work area. The yard is large enough for the buildup to never be a problem.

I had no mounting problems with the metal base that came with the unit, because I did not use it. I made a new, much-smaller bass out of plywood and 2×4 pieces and mounted the unit on it and the wheels underneath. Solid and portable, allowing me to roll the unit into my shop and stash it under one of my work benches.

This dust collector seems to work quite well. It is considerably more powerful than the 7-amp GMC unit that I was using before, and since I will hook up three tools at a time to the collector when doing my work the extra suction is worthwhile. (I do not use the thing with my sander, since it vents the small amount of dust into the open air and I let gravity handle the output from my jointer, with a newspaper catching the chips as they slide down the chute.)

Some points about this dust collector that may be of interest and help to our readers.

1. The 20-amp motor is rated at "peak" amps, which is almost useless. No mention of the steady draw, but it is probably in the 12 to 15 amp range. I am basing this on the air pressure I feel with my hands in comparison to the 7-amp GMC, as well as on number two, below.

2. Relating to number one, above, the 6-foot power cord is a 16 AWG type, which is obviously NOT thick enough to comfortably handle even 15 amps, let alone 20. This is probably due to the often sloppy way Chinese manufacturers will build an item that is strong in one respect and weak in important other respects. I replaced my cord with a 12-foot 14 AWG type, easy to do with this machine.

3. The impeller appears to be a roughly 9-inch job, made of steel, and is vibration free. This is the same diameter as the one in my much smaller GMC unit (which was not vibration free when new; I had to install small weights to fix that problem), although the individual blade pieces are a bit wider. I cannot guarantee the exact size measurements of either impeller, since I did not remove the outer covers and do an exact check. Instead, I did my measuring by inserting a ruler into the housings through the outlets and up against the center of the impeller and noted the distance to the outer edge. With both units it was 4 inches, which tells me (assuming about an inch thickness for the center shaft section) that the overall diameters were roughly 9 inches. Perhaps the one reviewed above had a different impeller. Interestingly, the housing is big enough to handle a 10, 11, or even a 12 incher, and one wonders why the smaller size was chosen. However, it may be related to it being wired only for 120 volts. A bigger impeller would put the motor under greater load, increasing the current draw, I think, mandating a 240-volt feed. The smaller impeller keeps the unit out of trouble.

4. The motor itself seems very solidly built, with the shell made of cast iron instead of the usual steel. It may be an old design, but as long as the bearings are good it should hold up.

5. The on-off switch appears to be a 10-amp rated type, which makes it too small for the current draw, even at the lower number. This switch looks identical to the one on my GMC and even with that low rating the GMC switch pitted enough over time to give me trouble. I took the switch apart and cleaned off the burned marks and it works OK now, but it will eventually do the same thing all over. Fortunately, switches like this are easy to take apart and clean up (and cheap to buy), but it is likely that the one on the HF unit will pit up and cause problems much sooner than the one on the GMC did. Consequently, I will order a 20-amp switch (probably from Grizzly) to replace it.

I run two power lines to my shop from the house. One is an 8 AWG line for the power tools (and the AC or heater units when I work indoors at smaller tasks). The other is a 12 AWG line for the lights and dust collector (and dehumidifier for use during damp days when I am not in the shop and it is neither hot nor cold). There are outlets for both circuits both in the shop and out on the deck. The first line had been protected by a 25-amp breaker and the second by a 20-amp breaker. However, I have upgraded the second to a 25-amp type (admittedly pushing the 12 AWG wire feed to the safety limit) and bumped the first to 30 amps (which the 8 AWG wire should have no problems with). The idea is to make sure that the HF unit does not trip the breaker if the load, in combination with the shop lights is just a tad too much for the old breaker during start ups.

Time will tell if this unit does the job. I ran the old GMC continuously and it never let me down, except for that switch. The HF unit will be run similarly as I do my work out on my work deck. It had better do the job, because my mods have already violated the warranty.

One final note. A question, actually. Does anybody here know of a source to purchase a larger impeller?

Howard Ferstler


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## Karson

Howard:

I assume that Grizzly has repair parts for their DC's It would require to know the bore size of the shaft on your HF unit and of the corresponding Grizzly unit.

I've found that grizzly Tech support has been friendly when I've asked them questions on using their parts on repairs or modifications.

A great review of your experiences of your unit. Nice job.


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## dbhost

Howard,

I have been unwilling to pull mine apart to get measurements, however I would suspect Grizzly may have a larger impeller that would work.

The HF DC is a decent enough unit for what it is, and it beats the tar out of a shop vac, but if I had an opportunity to pick on up at a fair price, I would happily swap out my HF DC for a Delta 50-760…


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## exit2studios

#Unicoi, I recall reading that it can NOT be made to run at 220v, but I'm not 100% sure.

Also, does anyone have a working coupon code for this item (Wood Magazine, Family Handyman, etc)?

TIA.


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## dbhost

As far as I am aware, the HF 2HP Dust collector motor can not be wired 220V, lots of guys have asked, and the answer always seems to be the same… IF you do find a means to wire and successfully and safely operate this DC on 220V please post up that information here, lots of folks are chomping at the bit to cut their amperage in half!

The coupon code from my March 2016 issue of Wood Magazine is…
95544609 and it expires on 5/12/16

If you have the amperage capacity to run at 110V it is a really effective dust collector given some basic mods…


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## toys4dad

has anyone added an a second blower to thier HF system? thinking maybe in line


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## dbhost

To my knowledge, no. The motor in this DC is not capable of being rewired to 220V. Which is sad because my shop is wired for both 110 and 220.


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