# JET DC-1100VX-CK vs shop vac cyclone



## sansoo22 (May 7, 2019)

I don't currently have a dust collector and my shop is very limited on what I can run at the moment. I have a nice shop vac cyclone cart I built that does a fair job but the shop is still pretty dusty to say the least.

I have limited breakers available so there is no way to get anything 2 hp or larger. The entire electrical panel needs replaced in my house with a sub panel brought up to the garage before I can start going with larger machines. With $15k in foundation repairs this year it could be awhile before I get the funds put back together to do the electrical upgrade.

Tools I need dust collection for:

Table Saw - Delta 36-725T2 
Planer - Ridgid TP1300
Miter Saw - DeWalt DWS780
Band Saw - Craftsman 12" unsure of model
Router Table - My own custom design

All of the tools I currently own have 2.5" ports except for the router table which has a 4" cabinet port and a 2.5" fence port. The planer I plane to make a 4" dust shroud for using the original as a template if I get a better dust collector. The miter saw is going to need a hood because its dust collection is joke. The table saw does ok with its bottom port but I would like to add a shark guard with overhead dust collection.

Currently home depot has the Jet DC-1100VX-CK on sale for $675 and I have a $150 in gift cards I've been holding on to.

My question with all that I said above is will the Jet out perform the shop vac cycle well enough to warrant the spend on it?


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

Can't comment on your shop-vac setup, but just based on the size of the impellers between the two, I'd say that the Jet is leaps and bounds better than the shop-vac… plus, the jet you are looking at has the vortex ring as well as the 2 micron canister, so it should be much less 'dusty' than what makes it through the shop vac.

I had a Jet DC-1100 with the canister, but not the vortex ring - and it worked just fine off 120v. Is it worth the cost over what you got? I can't really answer that, but I can speculate that it would be like night and day difference between the two. I also am not fond of buying new stuff just to have it depreciate by 25% or more just walking out the door with it - so I tend to look at the used market. I picked mine up for $75 and a 10 minute drive. You may not get as lucky, but I'm sure you can find some reasonable deals out there if you were to look.

Cheers,
Brad


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## Sawdust2012 (Sep 17, 2013)

+1 for MrUnix. It's no comparison. I tried to get by with a shop vac for a long time. That's a good price you have found also.


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## sansoo22 (May 7, 2019)

I was worried about restriction of the 2.5" ports on most of the tools and if that would make much of a difference regardless of impeller size. I will be honest I haven't done a ton of research into dust collectors yet as I just kind of stumbled on the price. I try to stay as disciplined as possible wearing a mask when I mill lumber but it can get stifling hot this time of year in the midwest in an non air-conditioned shop. I know a small DC wont be like magic but maybe I can get by with a less intrusive mask I don't mind wearing.

MrUnix - I do try to purchase used when I can but I swear COVID has made the already high prices in my city SKYROCKET even higher. Last year I came up with 3 very nice used tools for good deals. This year has been a complete bust. Best DC i found that will fit with my restrictions is a very well used Delta 50-850 for $400 with the 30 micron bag. So by the time i figure in a Wynn merv-10 at $165 plus shipping I'd rather just buy a new unit.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

i agree with mr unix you need something to move volumn the shop vac cant do that.your shop vac is good for the miter saw but a planer or table saw needs what a dust collector will do.i have a few jet tools myself and ive had great luck with all of them.for the price along with your gift certs go for it.


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

I have the Jet1100 it is a good unit the small ports will affect performance give it a try it will probably be OK.
Check Grizzly before you buy.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

I have an old 2 hp DC refitted with the jet filter and also added the vortex cone. I have no complaints. It had a 30 micron dust creator bag, and now I have a very clean shop. I ran 5" steel duct around the shop and connected all machines. You can not compare a shop vac to a real machine. I don't think you will regret it at all. Your lungs will thank you! I don't know your location, but there have been sever bag type collectors for sale near me in Illinois, but adding the pleated filter would bring the price in line with new.


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## sansoo22 (May 7, 2019)

> I have an old 2 hp DC refitted with the jet filter and also added the vortex cone. I have no complaints. It had a 30 micron dust creator bag, and now I have a very clean shop. I ran 5" steel duct around the shop and connected all machines. You can not compare a shop vac to a real machine. I don t think you will regret it at all. Your lungs will thank you! I don t know your location, but there have been sever bag type collectors for sale near me in Illinois, but adding the pleated filter would bring the price in line with new.
> 
> - ibewjon


I'm in KCMO. The used market here is 99% hot garbage all of the time and post COVID has upgraded the hot garbage to a dumpster fire. Ever since Facebook marketplace became popular Craigslist has all but dried up here. FB has somehow driven up prices. I don't know if its the added exposure or what but the old rule of thumb that a fair used price is 50% of retail no longer applies. I watch Ridgid table saws sell for $400 or HIGHER all the time.

Back on topic I am a former smoker of 17 yrs. I would really like to keep what lung capacity I have left. I pulled the trigger on the Jet. With a little rearranging I can get all the dustiest tools very near to the Jet.

The miter saw may just get a Rousseau hood hooked to the cyclone cart for now. I have some Rockler dust right fittings for 2.5" tubing I can put a wye with a couple blast gates on the cyclone cart and just dedicate it to the miter saw, shop cleaning, and my sanders.

Last step will be an air cleaner. I will probably just pick up a squirrel cage and build my own. The planer needs a better stand so maybe mount it on top the air cleaner cart with some 3" locking casters.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

You should be very happy with the jet. I picked up a wen air cleaner from home Depot for a good price. Was not worth building one. Hung it from the ceiling and plugged it in. Done. A lot of members let me to build for the shop. Me, if I can get something for a reasonable price, I would rather spend my time on other builds. So you were a pitmaster at BBQ joints for 17 years? Some good eating there in KC. Was there last spring.


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## PlentyFarmLLC (Aug 25, 2020)

First question is how many amps do you have available on your panel? The 1100vx is going to use up a whole 15amp circuit. Your table saw and planer are in the 15 amp range and probably your biggest users, do you always work by yourself one machine at a time? Lights, heater, fans, etc. add up. Also are you going to put in fixed ducting or roll the collector around to machines as needed? Are you going to add a cyclone? Ducting and cyclones reduce suction at the machine but are certainly nice to have. Figure out how much power (amps) you can use for duct collection and go from there. Also in my area CL does have deals on dust collectors if your patient. I recently got a Powermatic 3HP 2 bagger that is perfect for $200.


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## sansoo22 (May 7, 2019)

PlentyFarmLLC - I have 2 dedicated 15 amp breakers to the garage right now. Plus an outlet shared with the dining room on the other side of the garage wall. That shared breaker is the one I have my shop vac hooked to now. Nothing is using any power in the dining room and it wont be until we get electrical upgraded. Shop vac is rated at 10 amps already so that's why I chose the Jet that runs at 11 amps.

All of my power tools run off one of the other dedicated breakers. The last remaining dedicated breaker runs the garage door opener and all the LED shop lights. I don't mess with that one. Maybe there is enough capacity to run an air cleaner but I don't want to be running a table saw in the dark either.

Craigslist in my area is literally dead. Feel free to check for yourself. FB marketplace does have some deals from time to time. Right now there is a Grizzly 3 hp two bagger for $250 but it doesnt really do me any good with my limitations.

Putting in 200 amp service was the first thing we were supposed to do in this old house but when the basement floods unexpectedly you fix that first.

ibewjon - I actually was a pitmaster in KC for about 7 yrs while i dicked around finishing college. Its not a healthy occupation. Especially on top of being a smoker. I still have scar tissue on my corneas from all the ash and soot that would be in the air in the smokehouse.


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## cmacnaughton (May 17, 2019)

I can't imagine using a shopvac on a planer without having to empty it constantly.


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## PlentyFarmLLC (Aug 25, 2020)

sansoo22 - So you should be ok to run the DC on the circuit with the lights and the garage door opener (don't open door with DC on). To do a rudimentary test with the lights on try plugging into that circuit a tool or combination of tools (put the tools under load) close to 11 amp and see what happens. Remember you are only supposed to use 80% of a circuit rating (NEMA's rule I think) so when you rewire put in wire and breakers to handle 20 amp service to your 15 amp tools. BTW even a one horse DC with short 4" hose to a 4" port is going to out perform you shop vac as long as you don't duct or put a cyclone inline. Russell.


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## ibewjon (Oct 2, 2010)

For safety, if at all possible do not run any tools on a lighting circut. If the circut trips, leaving you in the dark, where is that spinning blade or cutter? I run two separate lighting circut a in case of a failure, even with the low load of led fixtures or lamps. I like my fingers.


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## sansoo22 (May 7, 2019)

> For safety, if at all possible do not run any tools on a lighting circut. If the circut trips, leaving you in the dark, where is that spinning blade or cutter? I run two separate lighting circut a in case of a failure, even with the low load of led fixtures or lamps. I like my fingers.
> 
> - ibewjon


I picked your brain about shop wiring a year ago when I bought the house and thought we would be able to do new electrical right away. I still have all my plans from your excellent advice on how to setup dual light circuits, use all SquareD QO breakers, make sure all 4 outlet boxes are split on different breakers, etc. When I hung the LED lights i made sure to set them up with an outer C-shape and an inner row which will be split on separate breakers. And I still have yet a third ceiling breaker planned for the garage door opener and air cleaner.

For the issue at hand though I could potentially get one more outlet on a separate breaker in the shop. My 3 exterior outlets are on their own breaker. My back patio has 2 outlets on it. On is on the shared wall with the garage. I could potentially steal that outlet from the patio and dedicate it to the DC. I am the only power tool user in the house so if I'm in the shop I'm also not on the patio with anything plugged in. Not an ideal solution but I have to work with what I got until next summer when bonus checks show up.


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## PlentyFarmLLC (Aug 25, 2020)

I think he is only running the DC on the shared light circuit. Russell.


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## sansoo22 (May 7, 2019)

> I think he is only running the DC on the shared light circuit. Russell.
> 
> - PlentyFarmLLC


Current DC (shop vac cyclone) is running off the shared circuit with the dining room that has nothing but a glade plugin using power. The lights and garage door opener are on their own circuit. We ran a new romex line to the breaker box and stole the circuit for the basement lights on the unfinished side. So I have no lights there except some battery operated LEDs but we only use it for storage right now so no big deal. It was old braided nylon wiring so it got completely removed for now.

Like I said not an ideal situation but I wanted shop lights on there own circuit for safety reasons. Hopefully this ugly mess only lasts until next May or June.


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