# Do not buy at this time, manufacturing error



## MR_Cole (Jun 1, 2012)

I think the mismatched holes are a small price to pay for such a well regarded machine. Mismatched holes is a classic Harbor freight mistake and for the price of that DC ($159) I would gladly drill my own holes. Defiantly not a reason to return a perfectly good machine!


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## JesseTutt (Aug 15, 2012)

6 months ago the first one I bought had problems. I did not bother to pack everything back up or even disassemble it. I just put everything in the van and returned it. They took it with no problems.


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## Christophret (Dec 2, 2012)

why do you have tools?


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

Just curious… could you not just take a drill bit and "waller out" the hole(s) so they line up?

"waller out" ... that's a Southern expression for "make it align better"


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## 6t5Goat (Feb 26, 2010)

I had to "waller out" the holes on mine as well.. not that big a deal.. with HF.. you have to expect some of this..


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## bbasiaga (Dec 8, 2012)

Just bought one of these…I'm hoping to put it together this weekend and see how it goes.

-Brian


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## asloanie (Dec 15, 2012)

This may turn into a discussion more on Harbor Freight vs the actual dust collector.

What got me on these casters was that it is step #1 in the assembly process. If something this simple was off..what did that say about the rest of the machine. I sent the first one back to the store simply because I thought it was a one time exception and the box could have had completely wrong parts (other bolts, etc..)

When the second one came in the same condition, I decided to drive over to the local Atlanta store and talk to the guys. They opened up one of the DC's there and found that it also had the same issue.. (if you live in ATL and want an open box buy on one of these..head to Dunwoody).

Net Net.. I decided to keep the dust collector and I will "waller" out the holes or just drill new ones. It isn't a big deal to drill out a 1/8" piece of sheet metall…just the principal of buying something done right.

I will update this thread and re-review once I have it assembled and working (hopefully).


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Well, There's yer Problem…... you were following the directions!

Don't you know that the first rule of the man club is to toss the directions for any tool into the wood stove to start a warm fire so you can be warm while you kick your feet up and drink ice cold beer to ponder the job at hand?


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## frankenstuff (Mar 9, 2013)

You need to waller out the approach of assembly.


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## harvey4804 (Jan 21, 2011)

I bought the same DC over 2 years ago. I also had to modify the caster holes. I also had "half-stamped" bolts and washers to go with it.


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## toddbeaulieu (Mar 5, 2010)

Dallas, I have to respectfully disagree with your instructions philosophy.

I don't believe you should destroy instructions. They are intended to cover your butt in case all other means of trial and error, guesswork and stubbornness fail to deliver.


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

*toddbeaulieu* I tried that, but the teeth always came through the paper and bit me!


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## LoydMoore (Jan 16, 2013)

I didn't even try to mount the caster since the looked kinda crappy. I just sat the platform on a large HF moving platform and anchored it with four screws. !
1/4 the time and a lot less cussin that way.


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## AaronK (Nov 30, 2008)

frankenstuff, lol


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## mprzybylski (Nov 21, 2011)

One of my upgrades to this DC on my list is to make my own base for it because as mentioned just above the casters are simply terrible and rolling this thing around on them is next to impossible.


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## MT_Stringer (Jul 21, 2009)

*Mine * just fine. The holes were off a tad but I still managed to get 'em bolted on. I think it is a little too late for me to take it back!


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## Routerisstillmyname (Oct 16, 2008)

So 1 star for the casters but 5 stars for the vac. since I bought one of these for 129 few years a go and it
outperforms most expensive vacs with different paint job and less power.
Use the misaligned caster holes and get an additional discount. you'll like the vac. it wouldn't be HF it didn't have misaligned something or missing something that's just the secret coupon


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

I would not have returned the DC for such a small problem.
This kind of things are almost expected when buying HF products

"the casters are simply terrible and rolling this thing around on them is next to impossible." I nerver had any problem with mine


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## asloanie (Dec 15, 2012)

Ok.. having just finished assembled it, I wanted to write down some notes that I had so the next person doesn't have to suffer as much trying to figure out which bolt is which.

1. Bolts with round top heads → casters
2. Small hex headed bolts → securing the hose duct to the fan assembly
3. large headed hex & short shaft → securing pretty much everything else to base unit
4. large headed hex & long shaft → securing the motor assembly

Despite what the instructions say.. You won't use a nut if the hole is threaded. You will have plenty of washers.

Other notes:
1. Chuck the base unit immediately.. Use a custom one that will fit a cyclone separator. No use in the unit being mobile if you are tied to a stationary separator. I would also include something to give the top of the unit more support (especially if you go w/ a Wynn)
2. Casters → Overall they are acceptable. If you are going to be wheeling this thing around your shop all day..get better ones.. Hobbyists will be fine
3. Buy a Wynn Environmental air filter for the top. (link here)
4. Noise level was medium. Way more quiet than my Rigid shop vac.


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

Why have a dust collector on wheels INSIDE the shop? All that noise and then if you move it you have to remove the attached hose and such? For years I had mine in a small building I made to look like an Outhouse complete with half moon at the top of the door cost me about 75 USD in lumber and an afternoon's work. Cut a hole through the wall and ran the plumbing into the system inside. Later when I built my addition I incorporated this same design to house both the compressor and the dust collector on the other side of the wall, enclosed but with easy access. Very little noise and even less mess and lastly one less piece of large equipment in my already too small shop.

Sold the outhouse for 150 USD to someone that wanted to upgrade the facilites at the lodge….. (laughing)


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

Very informative post and good info to know should any of us decide to get this DC. Thank you
*asloanie* for the information and the heads up. This thread will probably save several from any 
surprises. Good to know this ahead of time for sure.

Thanks.


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## Ken90712 (Sep 2, 2009)

Sorry you had trouble, thing is you get what you pay for with HF. No offense but most things coming from there are sub-par. I bought my DC from Penn and love it and had to make no mods to it. Good luck.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

" No offense but most things coming from there are sub-par" 
This is not correct. 
No one can fairly compare a product bought at HF for a ridiculous low price to any much expensive product. ( for example the brand new 12" double compound sliding miter saw for $119.00)
I my opinion, HF is the best value for the money with Rigid tools.
Would you compare an inexpensive imported car to to an Infinity?
Do we all need to drive an Infinity? 
Not me. 
A Subaru is perfectly fine for me.










For those who want to improve their HF DC, here is what I did with one that I used to have.
It was working very well.
I has a Thien separator in the trash can, a "cyclone" lid on the trashcan and a wok under the filter.
In addition I made a window in the trash can to check the dust level. 
Since then I sold it and I bought a used Clear View.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

Which one of you know about this dust collector?

http://www.amazon.com/Oasis-Machinery-1687A5-Heavy-Collector/dp/B005LO9WMW/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&qid=1363170606&sr=8-20&keywords=5hp+dust+collector

I bet that this unit with tow cartridge filters on would be quite good *for the price*


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## Scott_C (Oct 13, 2012)

I agree that HF tools cannot be compared to much more expensive brands, but I take great offense to my new Subaru Forester being compared to HF. 

But seriously, if money is no object, go buy the best. For the rest of us, careful research on which HF items are gems and which are stinkers can lead to a well equipped shop with enough money leftover to actually buy some lumber. I'm quite happy with a lot of my purchases from them, some not so much but even those are typically good enough for the price and how I'm using the tool.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

In my family we drive 3 Subarus.


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

"I agree that HF tools cannot be compared to much more expensive brands, but I take great offense to my new Subaru Forester being compared to HF. "

Me too!

My experiences with Subaru and Harbor Freight have very little in common.


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

Just remember, Subaru wasn't always what it is today.
Back in the late 70's the engine was a licensed version of a VW air cooled engine that they wrapped a water jacket around. 
Cylinder liners were very poor, and to mate them to the head you needed to put shims underneath the liners at the lands in the crankcase. Once you put the shim in, it was trail and error to see if it was correct. If it wasn't, pull it and use a different one… oh, and a new head gasket, cam seals and be sure there was no warpage on the head, (again) from the bolts.
YEah, even Subaru had their growing pains, just like Northern Tool is, Just like Hyundai is just like a myriad of other businesses are.


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

Great! In only 40 years, HF will make great stuff!

BTW… My best childhood friend's dad, a TWA L1011 pilot, owned two different mid-70's Subarus. He used them to commute from hilly, rural NW Connecticut, to JFK in NY, for work. I used to go for rides in the Subarus during snow storms, as my parents owned a Torino wagon, and a 2WD pickup. Our cars went nowhere in the snow, they were awful.

Odd as those cars were, they were the ONLY 4WD vehicle available that was economical for commuting. Back then, you either had a RWD car that was incredibly bad in the snow, or a 4WD truck that had none of the refinement or road manners of today's trucks. The guy is still around, and still talks about how dependable those cars were. AKAIK, both went 200K before rusting to shreds.

So, even back then, I still think it's a screwy comparison to HF.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

You forget the only American car that I in fact would like to own (don't ask me why)

We've all heard that 9 out of 10 Subarus sold in the last 10 years are still on the road. 
Ever wonder why? 
First, Subaru's commitment to engineering - the unique Subaru Boxer engine delivers improved performance and handling, and Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive is standard on every Subaru. 
Second, outstanding safety. We're the only car company with the highest possible crash rating on every car we build.


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

The point here isn't that Subaru took 40 years to become acceptable, (as a matter of fact they didn't.. they learned quickly).
The point is that every company, in order to survive is going to have to offer higher and higher quality tools, parts, pieces, merchandise, furniture, etc….. up to the point that the public won't pay for it.

I remember everyone in the US condemning anything that was made in Japan as junk, and truthfully, a lot of it was.
I remember the Yugo, and it was a junk piece of equipment, built along lines that had worked in Eastern Bloc countries for decades, the owners didn't learn fast enough, and let the brand die.
What about the Honda CVCC… (Forerunner of the Civic). 750CC motorcycle engine, barely passed the import laws, but it was cheap! Now look at Honda. One of the foremost manufacturers in the world today.

Trying to pin a generalization on HF is a mistake. They distribute stuff, they don't manufacture it. Yeah, they buy as cheaply as they can… so does Walmart but Walmart has a larger client base and can tell the manufacturer what they will pay and what quality it will accept. HF and others have lower buying power, they start at the bottom and work their way up. HF is living up to that ideal. They don't have the best, but then neither do Grizzly, Fox-Jet, Craftsman or any of the other low end distributors.


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## ScottKaye (Jan 19, 2013)

I Just bought a unit here in Northern Va 2 weeks ago from HF… I didnt experience anything like you did. My bolt holes line up just fine.


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

My neighbor is selling an old still-running Subaru for very little money. If I want to adapt it as a dust collector, where do I attach the hose?


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## JoeinGa (Nov 26, 2012)

"where do I attach the hose?"

Why to the tailpipe, of course. It IS the exhaust tube after all


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## OggieOglethorpe (Aug 15, 2012)

I get it that HF is not a manufacturer.

I'm a big fan of them for neoprene gloves, air fittings, casters, low-usage mechanic's tools, and anything that won't injure me as it fails, or requires lots of QC.

You can't beat a $5.99 box of blue gloves, or a "good enough" $5 socket extension or grease fitting that may get used 10 times in my life.

I like them a lot better now that I can buy in person. For example, it's amazing what you see as you go through a basket of casters. What used to be a mail-order crapshoot has become a usable source, when I can choose the actual examples I purchase.


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## vonrow (May 4, 2012)

not taking sides, just adding a bit of info and experience: some manufacturers get touchy on warranty claims when an item is not assembled properly-be it a manufacturers flaw, or assembly directions not properly followed by someone who performs the assembly. ( and that somebody who is not employed by the manufacturer to do the assembly)

I spent 5 years in "hardlines" support for a very large retail company. 90 percent of the time, the manufacturers actually preferred a customer would contact them directly for advice if things did not line up, or if parts were missing / broken. That, or return the product to the place they bought if from for full replacement, repair, or refund.

as the liaison between the retailer, customers, customer service, and the manufacture/supplier my job was to make things right with the customer-whatever needed to be done: replace the unit, get it repaired, refund the purchase and get RMA set up for return, or discount and rebate the price-no sense payin full price for stuff that did not arrive in perfect condition.


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## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

drill the holes out and run it quit complaning


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## Straightbowed (Feb 9, 2012)

I bought a Grizzly jointer and it had a little ding on it, I didn't complain a bit was glad to get it for the price and it runs like a Fine Tuned Mustang and I love it be glad you get something that cheap and from what I hear they are a pretty good duster sucker have a nice day


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## MikeGager (Jun 15, 2009)

not hard to drill a couple holes. heck my DC didnt even come with all the bolts. i just made due. works fine


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## dfisher (Mar 4, 2012)

i got one about 2years ago and every thing was great and works well good power


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## StevieM (Apr 17, 2013)

i have had this DC for 5 years. Only problem is the on/off switch blew up. I use a remote control so I just bypassed it. You cant beat this for the $$


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## Denco (Jun 2, 2013)

I bought this DC and just got around to assembling it yesterday. I didn't seem to run into any issues with the caster holes lining up. I just attached all 4 bolts loosely, then tightened them up. Maybe I got a rare unit that was lined up, I don't know. The holes in the casters were oval, so it gave me enough play to get all 4 screws in.


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## ferstler (Oct 5, 2008)

I am going to post this comment 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 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 and I had to install small weights to fix that problem), although the individual blade pieces are wider. 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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