# 'Tis time: Dust Collector bag to canister. Wynn or Donaldson?



## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

It is now time for me to upgrade the air quality of my dust collector. My stats:
3HP 220v Grizzly dual standard issue top and bottom bags dust collection (20 micron? 5 micron?). With a penny size hole in one of the bags. I do not know the exact model number because the model badge is missing. I only have the motor badge (3HP, 18amps, dated 2007). 6" inlet that came with 3×4" accessory connector. Using 6" HVAC main trunk line to a top hat Thein Baffle. All painted green including. Identical looking to:








Visited the Wynn site. The Nano filters are $177. I could afford 1 at this time, but not 2. That's the problem. I need 2 canisters  It would take many moons to purchase the 2nd Nano filter. Then there is the other material for $115×2 = $230. I could do this. Wish they had a sale of buy 1 and get 2nd at 50% off.
After my due research (I always research posts on LJ's before posting myself), up crops the Donaldson truck filters as a possible alternative. 1/2 as cheap, same MIRV… but talk of clogging up TOO fast.

So now after many months of using truck filters, those that use them… how do they fair long term? I believe it was fellow LJ member "shipwright" who used them.


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## MNclone (Jan 23, 2014)

If you go Donaldson, you should look for an Industrial Air Filter. Most of those are going to be MERV13 or MERV15. I don't think very many engine air filters are that efficient.


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## upinflames (Jun 24, 2012)

The Donaldson's will work just fine, ANY auto filter is just as good as the one they call a "dust collector filter". The companies have that marketing gimmick for people that have more money than sense.


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## shipwright (Sep 27, 2010)

My Donaldson's are over two years old now and still sucking like crazy. They are truck filters and are merv 15 @ 99.9%. They cost about $50 each. I will never pay the "dust collector filter" price again. I have a Wynn on my HF DC in Arizona and it seems to clog more quickly than the Donaldsons for what it's worth.

I PM'd you a few more details.


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## SawdustTX (Jan 14, 2012)

I'm no expert, but enough of an engineer to know there are significant differences in the design objectives between the two. It's not just about moving air through and "marketing gimmicks". A truck requires a lower overall airflow, flowing into the filter from the outside, for very long periods of time without stopping to let build up release from the filter. A dust collector filter is very high airflow, flowing out of the filter from inside, with shorter runtimes and more frequent breaks to allow build up to drop off the filter helping keep it clean.

Probably most importantly, a truck engine can deal with the finer particles in the air, while those same fine particles are exactly what we don't want floating around in the shop.

My two cents is that a filter specifically designed for the purpose is going to be a better long term solution (and possibly less expensive long term), than one designed for a completely different purpose.. My Wynn filter works absolutely great, can't speak to the truck filters as I've never used one.

Just my opinion, would love to hear from those using the truck filters.


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## MNclone (Jan 23, 2014)

Donaldson also makes industrial filters that are MERV15 and are intended for industrial dust collection applications. Find a couple of these and you will be happy.


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## MJCD (Nov 28, 2011)

I've used Wynn's for several years, on different systems, and they're great. If you budget is fixed, anything is better than nothing; however, it's the fine dust particles which are most hazardous. Get something specifically engineered for wood dust.

MJCD


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

took some time to look at donaldson filters. MIRV 15 all the way down to 0.2 & 0.3 micron filtration. They have air filters for both 18wheeler semi's and heavy equipment, plus DUST collection filters related to the industrial TORIT systems. more research to go….


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## upinflames (Jun 24, 2012)

K & N was working on a washable filter, that would be the way to go.


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

Is Wynn Environmental in Pennsylvania the only place to purchase Wynn air filters for DC's ? The shipping cost from Pa to Nevada via UPS ground… I'm no stranger to shipping costs as I do many online nationwide auctions, but ouch!!! Could nearly purchase a 3rd filter. A major deal breaker, sadly til later in spring. When talking to Dick Wynn this morning (asked about the fitting on my grizzly 2 bag collector), I jokingly suggested a sister production plant here in Nev. I might have to call him back come business hours and see if there are shipping alternatives (USPS maybe?), and to REALLY suggest having an office/2nd production plant on the west coast


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

SawdustTX said, " A truck requires a lower overall airflow, flowing into the filter from the outside, for very long periods of time without stopping to let build up release from the filter. A dust collector filter is very high airflow, flowing out of the filter from inside, with shorter runtimes and more frequent breaks to allow build up to drop off the filter helping keep it clean."

If anyone is interested in an actual engineer's observation I'll have a go at it.

- A typical big truck engine might be 768 CID and spin at 2400 RPM. That would convert to CFM as (768 X 2400)/3456 = 533 CFM . A 500 CFM filter that doesn't clog up for hundreds of hours of operation isn't too bad in my opinion.

- A filter for one of these engines would be fine for any collector that has a 4" duct feeding it dust.
Go to a bigger collector, like your 3HP, you probably need two cartridges.

- As far as inside or outside flow is concerned, the correct way to do this would always be outside flowing to the inside. That is the way all industrial dust collectors, and engine air filters, work. The only reason to feed dirty air to the inside of a filter is to make the machine cheaper. Flowing dirty air onto the filter from the outside requires a container and usually sucking the air into the filter from the inside. Better for reduction of leaks and having clean air going to the fan, but way more expensive to manufacture. That's partially why industrial air filters typically cost about $8.00/CFM.


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## playingwithmywood (Jan 10, 2014)

did you call wynn and talk to them….. they are great to work with and I made my own tag line for them….
"its a Wynn win situation" because they are so great to work with

I am no expert but why do you need two… as I said I am no expert but with my non expert knowlege with the cartridge filter you increase you surface area of filtering surface so one cartridge would problem do better then running two bags… the other key for me it that I got the washable poly spun and use a per separator so I can wash the filter and they should last a long long time…. where the felt bags are something that becomes a item needing semi often replacing point being buying the filters are more of the one time purchase if you take care of them

I would call wynn and see what they can do for you and I have nothing to do with them except they were more then helpful with my questions on the phone a few times before and after I bought a filter from them


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

ended up purchasing 2 of the 35A filters after talking to Rick Wynn, which helped the final decision of pulling the trigger or not. It does speak volumes for the company, when you can talk to the owners themselves about the issues. Their hands are tired about shipping with the new way UPS/FED EX calculate: volume of an item instead of the older method of weight.


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## Kentuk55 (Sep 21, 2010)

Wow! I'm sure those will be awesome now, but, that put a dent in the wallet.


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## Holbs (Nov 4, 2012)

i had $225 for the wynn filters as a budget. Was always hoping they would go on sale thru the year or such. What I did not count on was the shipping from Pennsylvania being what it is. But oh well. It NEEDED to be done. If i had researched Donaldson filters months earlier, I might have gone a different route.


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