# Oneida Supercell dust collection option



## ColoradoJake (May 14, 2019)

Hello everyone, so I just stumbled on this new dust collector. Released only this month so there is nothing online about it yet!
Oneida Supercell High-Pressure Dust Collector

Based on their site it should work for "everything." What do you all think? Should this really work as good on a table saw as it does on a jig saw?

I think it looks like a nice option for my needs actually.


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

Only 400 cfm on a 4" hose. Unique and useful for some applications.


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## fivecodys (Dec 2, 2013)

Interesting but kinda pricey for me.


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## HackFabrication (Mar 11, 2019)

> Interesting but kinda pricey for me.
> 
> - fivecodys


Yep. Same for me. Oneida is sure proud of their stuff…. Probably explains why they can get almost $200 for their blow molded SDD.


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## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

So, it's basically a high priced shop vac? High suction low CFM, not sure if this has any use in dust collection but it'll sure suck that pile of screws off the floor.

My other favourite part is that it comes with a wheelie base. Tiny little wheels for an incredibly top-heavy unit…that is 5hp, 240V so you'd have the world's biggest most awkward cord to drag around.


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## edapp (Jun 27, 2014)

> My other favourite part is that it comes with a wheelie base. Tiny little wheels for an incredibly top-heavy unit…that is 5hp, 240V so you d have the world s biggest most awkward cord to drag around.
> 
> - Manitario


The unit is not meant to be mobile. There are wall mounting brackets build in, and in the stock photos it looks permanently attached to the wall. Wheels on the dust bucket would be useful… wish I had them on my 35 gallon fiber drum.


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## EarlS (Dec 21, 2011)

I've been shopping for a DC and this caught my eye. 10" WC @ 400 cfm would be better than any big DC out there. It would cover most big equipment (TS, planer, jointer) in a one-man shop as well as providing the high vacuum for down draft and small tools like ROS, router, etc. It might even work well with a dust hood for a miter saw or lathe.

Having said that - $2400 is a large price tag.


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## Bill_Steele (Aug 29, 2013)

This looks interesting. I wonder where Oneida sees this DC fitting within their line? It's a 5hp/230v collector so I assume it will not be part of their personal systems. Who is the target consumer/business for this tool?

It seems as though the marketing literature is more focused on higher levels of suction rather than higher CFM. It also seems to be targeted at tools with smaller dust ports (1" to 5") and being able to provide suction through long (100') runs of ducting or hose. Do tools with smaller dust ports (e.g. router, sander, etc.) require higher velocity airflow?

Why would I buy this over the mini-gorilla or one of the V-System 3000 HEPA models?


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## ColoradoJake (May 14, 2019)

I managed to call up Oneida today to get some information, that was a fun conversation actually.

My questions were regarding dust collection on band and table saws with over and under dust collection, my dewalt 735, and a miter saw. The gist of it is that this "should be an improvement" to normal dust collection due to the high pressure of the suction. I was told that a table saw with dust collection blade guard would see improved performance from the guard collection. This collector has the power to collect from one of these tools at a time, no more, it is correct on their site that it would be good for a couple smaller tools at the same time as long as they are not at the end of its 100' hose rating. As for the miter saw, the sales rep was saying it would work good with a 4" Radial/Miter Saw Hood combined with a hose connected to the saw's built in collection port.

The one thing he said it would not work for was something that has a 6" port or perhaps even two 4" ports. that would be beyond the abilities of this item.

This unit is not mobile, I asked why the small bucket makes it look that way and the answer was simply the small bucket has the optional wheeled base but the other two sizes didn't shot it in the pictures.



> Why would I buy this over the mini-gorilla or one of the V-System 3000 HEPA models?
> 
> - Bill_Steele


Basically they are marketing it as improved dust collection from small power tools and standard sized tools alike if I understood the sales rep right. So if it works better for that than a traditional equivalently powered collector then it might be good. Having said that it is hard to wrap my head around it being better even though they told me the higher pressure at 400 CFM makes it collect all the dust… So not for everyone but looks cool and has a small footprint.


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

I would not buy it. However, I do like to see companies come out with new concepts and ideas. Some make and some don't.


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## JAAune (Jan 22, 2012)

High-vacuum systems tend to outperform high CFM systems if the dust source is properly enclosed. High CFM is better if there are more openings for dust to escape. Larger ducts are needed if there are lots of chips, curls and stringy plywood bits that cause clogging.

Wherever possible, I try to setup our equipment to use vacuums for dust collection and reserve the dust collection capacity for chip generators like the planer or machines that are difficult to enclose with a shroud.

Dust collection on the CNC routers increased to nearly 100% when we switched to pressure foot dust shrouds like the ones AXYZ uses. The older, brushed dust-shoe with 4" hose powered by a 3HP dust collector couldn't pull chips out of the kerfs. With the pressure foot, a shop vac will clear the kerfs.

I could see using a Supercell in the future. The CNC that cuts plywood tends to get clogged due to the small diameter hose but a shop vac can't pull enough CFM to use 4" hose. I doubt a conventional dust collector has enough suction to clear the kerfs but the Supercell probably does.


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## farmfromkansas (Jun 16, 2019)

If someone buys one of these, be sure to post a review.


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## Toller (Jan 7, 2014)

So it is a high volume vacuum? Isn't that what the dust cobra was supposed to be?


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## edapp (Jun 27, 2014)

So it looks like this would be best to pair with a true high CFM collector in an industrial or otherwise well equipped shop. Connect it to the blade guard on your TS, router table, miter saw, downdraft table, and other small port tools. Use a traditional dust collector on the big, multi port or 6" port tools.

I don't see myself ever getting something like this (festool vac and oneida v3000 make an excellent pair already), but I think it is cool and has its place for someone that has reached the limit to their already plumbed dust collector.


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## DavidSK (Jun 22, 2019)

Just now setting up a basement shop with 400 s.f. and low ceiling (6' 8") and 4" pipe for dust collection from table saw, bandsaw, jointer, planer, router table, and miter saw. I would love to have the Oneida v3000 dust collector but it's too tall (I think} to fit under the low ceiling, and building a dedicated shop building with a tall ceiling would cost me tens of thousands of dollars. I'm a bit asthmatic and want excellent dust collection. I'd welcome feedback from others on whether the Oneida Supercell might be the best option under these circumstances, even though it is a bit pricey compared to other dust collectors.


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## rustynails (Jun 23, 2011)

The price is some thing to consider as in getting a high end shop vac for some tools and a small/short cyclone for the same price?


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## Scotty3333 (Sep 4, 2019)

I'm setting up a 350 sq ft basement shop. I have following with 4" ports: table saw, band saw, jointer, planer; 2.5" ports: spindle sander, drill press, router table; 1.5" ports: sliding miter saw, belt/disc sander, scroll saw. When I contacted Oneida to discuss systems, my interest was in the V3000. The sales rep said for the tools I had, he thought the Supercell was the way to go. He said the V3000 was a great system, but was designed to be used with larger ports, no smaller than 4" because below that, the static pressure increased too much and made the V3000 far less effective. As my largest port is 4" and considering the number of 2.5" and 1.5" ports I have, he said the Supercell would provide the best dust collection. I raised my concern about the lower CFM and he assured me that for the length of runs I'd have that the Supercell would provide excellent dust collection to include my jointer which would be at the end of the run-approximately 40 feet (with two 90 deg elbows and three 45's). He said he participated in a demonstration of the Supercell on a jointer at the end of a 100' flex hose and the Supercell performed excellently.

I also asked about the separation as I thought the cyclone looked a bit short. He said the separation was excellent and that very little dust made it's way into the hepa filter (which is the drum-shaped portion of the machine with the Oneida name on it, sitting right on top of the cyclone. To clean the filter you close the blast gate on the side of the machine with the machine running, turn a handle, and the dust in the filter is sucked into the waste container.

I know he was a salesmen, but there wasn't much incentive to talk me away from the V3000 as its basically the same price as a Supercell with a 35 or 55 gallon drum (the Supercell is $4 cheaper). The 400 CFM does concern me, but the salesmen was very convincing. I've also read countless reviews of how good their sales and customer service is.

Note that the Supercell uses 4" ductwork and because of the higher suction power, requires a heavier gauge pipe. They have a ductwork kit for about $1200, but i know i'll need more pipe than what comes in the kit. As of today, I'm leaning heavily to ordering the Supercell. An added benefit of this system is the small footprint; this will fit easily in my shop.

Does anyone have any current experience with this DC? I'd love to hear what you think. If not, I'll probably have one of these set up and running by November 2019, so I'll provide a review when I can.


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## clagwell (Dec 20, 2018)

> ...The 400 CFM does concern me, but the salesmen was very convincing…
> ...Does anyone have any current experience with this DC? I d love to hear what you think…


No actual experience but I do have the fan curves for both in my database so it's easy enough to look at the two on the same graph:








For the small pipe sizes the Supercell does much better than the V3000. At 4" pipe the V3000 has an advantage, but not by much. Even with the short run I assumed for the Table Saw ? system curve the best the V3000 will do is a bit over 500CFM.

For your ducting you might consider S&D PVC. It has a crush strength of 1500psi and is cheap.


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## Scotty3333 (Sep 4, 2019)

Dave, thanks for the chart and info. That was extremely helpful. You were correct, the short run is the table saw-approx. 6' of 4" pipe and 6' of 4" flex hose to the TS. Is your database something you created or an available online tool?

I used PVC in my last shop. I was thinking of using metal ductwork to avoid the extra work grounding the system, but not sure it's worth the huge cost difference. Still weighing my options. Always open to opinions.

After additional researching, the Supercell is the front runner at the moment.

Correction from previous post: I believe I err'd in explaining how the hepa filter is cleaned (spot cleaning). Wouldn't be with the motor running, don't think that would work . I believe gravity is what is necessary for the loosened material to "fall" into the waste container. So, blast gate closed, motor off, turn the handle, and the dust falls into the container.


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## JimDwight (Apr 16, 2018)

Interesting idea. This is the first and only set of performance data I've seen for the Supercell. Using a 220V 5hp system to drive essentially a super shop vac is interesting. It's a bigger more powerful dust cobra. A dust cobra pulls about 2.5 times the air of a typical shop vac. But it can flow well with higher pressure drop.

For a shop, I think this is more suited to a long flex hose type setup than it is for hard duct work systems. My reasoning is the hard ducts produce a low loss setup where the conventional DC can flow more air. The supercell would still flow around it's max 400 CFM but not as much as a conventional DC.

The big question is if 400 CFM is enough. It is about what I measured inside my SawStop PCS when my HF 2 hp DC was running. The HF is pulling through 5 inch snap lock, taped up, with long radius bends and exhausting outside. I plan to add overhead collection with a 3 inch hard line going to 2.5 inch flex. I think the HF can handle both at the same time but we'll see.

Would the supercell pull well for a 4 inch tool connection plus a 2.5 inch overhead? Would if flow enough for a planner or jointer? I accept it can do the little tools but my shop vac can handle them.


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## OneidaAirSystems (Nov 3, 2017)

Hello everyone, we at Oneida Air Systems wanted to address some of the questions that have arisen in this forum thread. As with all dust collection topics, many answers are going to be entirely dependent on your shop, so please don't hesitate to contact us directly with questions. Our reps can help you build and quote the optimal system for your tools and workspace.

With that aside, here's a little background on the Supercell.

We built the Supercell to fill a need in woodworking dust collection that is otherwise very difficult to address. Over the years many tool manufacturers have shifted to smaller and smaller tools - focusing on portability and space savings - with equally smaller ports. There are a number of tools where both conventional DCs and Vacuums fall short (e.g. portable table saws, drum sanders, etc.) - as the tool needs both higher air volume and higher air pressure than either system can individually provide.

Previously our hybrid system, the Dust Cobra, was our tool of choice to fill this niche, but in many instances we found that customers still needed more CFM - either for larger tools with 4" ports or tools with multiple ports. In other instances customers simply wanted a single system that could work well for all of their tools.

That's where the Supercell comes in. This system can be used with up to three 2.5" ports simultaneously, and with its extremely high static pressure (10x higher than conventional DCs) it performs especially well with tools like table saws, band saws, and other tools where the dust port is poorly positioned in regards to the dust source.

If you find yourself still in doubt, we recommend watching this demo (



) of the Supercell being used with a planer and 100 feet of 5" flex hose (both laid out flat and laid out with over a dozen 180 degree turns). The demo speaks for itself in showing the Supercell's amazing performance.

We're happy to answer and clarify any other general questions LumberJocks has on our new Supercell dust collector


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## rustynails (Jun 23, 2011)

How well does it work with a drum sander as far as separating dust and not going to the filter? 18'' to a 24'' sander?


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## OneidaAirSystems (Nov 3, 2017)

> How well does it work with a drum sander as far as separating dust and not going to the filter? 18 to a 24 sander?
> 
> - rustynails


24" sanders typically have multiple 4" ports, so a traditional DC with high CFM, low pressure, might be a better overall candidate for that type of tool.

With an 18" drum sander with a single port, the Supercell will perform very well. The Supercell uses a similar cyclone design to our CC500 dust extractor, which was designed for concrete dust, and both units have remarkably high dust separation performance. The CC500 is rated at over 90% with concrete dust, which is significantly finer and harder to separate compared to wood dust. With both fine sanding dust and large bulk debris, we've seen the Supercell separate out over 99% of dust particles, measured by volume. The rest is captured by the premium HEPA filter.

The Supercell uses an air pulsing system to clean the filter from the inside - without needing to take apart and remove the filter - meaning that you can free up any fine dust clogs in seconds. This is especially important when considering fine dusts from high sanding projects.


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## RobHannon (Dec 12, 2016)

I am curious about this product and would love to see some unsponsored reviews on it, but since Oneida has someone monitoring this, how does this particular motor system handle frequent power cycling? Does it lend itself to a setup where it turns on with tool power like many of the portable dust extractors now offer?


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## rustynails (Jun 23, 2011)

OneidaAirSystems Thanks for the reply. I used to have one of your 5hp collectors and it was a great system till I had to move and down size. Now I have a basement shop and think this would be a good fit for my needs .


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## JoeK1 (Apr 7, 2017)

Does this unit use 3 commercial vacuum motors similar to those manufactured by Ametek?


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## OneidaAirSystems (Nov 3, 2017)

> how does this particular motor system handle frequent power cycling? Does it lend itself to a setup where it turns on with tool power like many of the portable dust extractors now offer?
> 
> - RobHannon


Frequent power cycling is no issue for the Supercell. Since conventional DCs typically use a single, large motor to spin the fan, jumping to high velocities on startup puts considerable strain on the motor, which is why they're typically recommended for limited startups per hour. Some systems (like our SMART Boost dust collectors) will compensate for this with a VFD that gradually speeds up and slows down the motor.

The Supercell, however, is powered by three smaller motors working as one. These electric motors each have their own fan impeller and can much more easily ramp up in speed without putting strain on the motor as they don't have to deal with the high amount of initial torque required to spin a single heavy fan blade. The means that the Supercell is fully compatible with products like iVac's automated dust control systems, even with tools that are frequently powered on and off. That being said, there are obvious limitations with any equipment, and we don't recommend turning the system on and off repeatedly unless necessary. We find that it's better to leave the DC on even when switching from tool to tool so it can continue to suck up dust laden air from the workspace and from inside the ducting and hose.


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## OneidaAirSystems (Nov 3, 2017)

> Does this unit use 3 commercial vacuum motors similar to those manufactured by Ametek?
> 
> - JoeK1


Yes. The Supercell uses three high grade motors, making the motor assembly significantly lighter. They are not manufactured by Ametek however.


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## DavidSK (Jun 22, 2019)

Scotty3333, if you have your Supercell installed and up and running, could you give us your early assessment of how it's working out for you?


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## rustynails (Jun 23, 2011)

> Scotty3333, if you have your Supercell installed and up and running, could you give us your early assessment of how it s working out for you?
> 
> - DavidSK


Plus + one on a review from a new working system ….


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## CoRich (Jan 17, 2020)

Hello Team, has anyone finally purchased a Supercell?
I am close, just been waiting on some…or any…in-depth review.

Thank You,
Rich


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## DavidSK (Jun 22, 2019)

Rich, I set up the Supercell in my shop in December. It's a niche DC suitable for a subset of woodworkers, and whether or whether or not you can justify the cost and would be happy with it's performance depends on your dust collector criteria. Here were my criteria: (1) must fit in my small basement shop with a low ceiling, too low for most serious DCs or a tall cyclone; (2) must have superb fine-dust collection capability; (3) must perform well with 4" ductwork which I had already installed earlier. The Supercell meets all three criteria. Regarding criterion 1, attached to the 14 gallon barrel, the Supercell easily fits under my 82 inch high ceiling and gives me enough headroom to remove the upper section for filter cleaning and changing. Regarding criterion 2, fine-dust control is even better than I expected. Since the Supercell uses higher suction and lower air volume than conventional DCs, I haven't focused on the usual airflow metrics but, instead, measure actual dust level using the Dylos DC1100 Pro Air Quality Monitor, which I run constantly. I find that the PM2.5 (fine particle) reading rarely changes when running my miter saw (12 feet away from the monitor), which is pretty amazing given that this is one of the hardest machines on which to control dust. The PM2.5 reading rarely goes up more than 300 points when running my table saw (8 feet away from the monitor), not more than 200 when running the jointer, and now more than 300 when running the thickness planer. With my previous 1.5 hp Shopfox DC, I would get PM2.5 increases of 1000 or more when using the table saw. With the Supercell, the mild rise in dust control disappears quickly after a machine use if I keep the Supercell running. Regarding the third criterion (duct size), the Supercell is doing well so far with excellent dust control and no clogging of ducts. Several drawbacks of the Supercell I've noted so far are noise level at the dust port, filter cleaning not as effective as I had hoped, and sucking up nearby objects accidentally because of the strong suction. While the Supercell itself is not louder than most DCs, its strong suction creates a very loud noise in small-diameter dust ports, making it essential to wear ear protectors when running a miter saw or spindle sander or other machines with small dust ports. To clean the HEPA filter, the Supercell has a pulse cleaner which forces air in the reverse direction through the filter but it doesn't clean as well as I had hoped. Oneida claims the Supercell has 10x the suction of a standard DC. This is what makes it an exceptional machine but you really have to watch out or it will suck up wood pieces, pencils, small tools, or other things nearby that would be untouched by the suction of the standard DC. On balance, weighing the pros and cons, I am very pleased with the Supercell.


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## avsmusic1 (Jul 10, 2016)

Thanks DavidSK - extremely helpful 
Any chance you have a drum sander you've tried it with?


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## DavidSK (Jun 22, 2019)

Sorry, don't have a drum sander but the Supercell's dust control is superb with my spindle and belt sanders.


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## avsmusic1 (Jul 10, 2016)

> Sorry, don t have a drum sander but the Supercell s dust control is superb with my spindle and belt sanders.
> 
> - DavidSK


Thank you sir 
This machine is officially on the list for me when I upgrade


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## teetomterrific (May 30, 2017)

The concept of using 3 high vacuum motors is unique and the custom filter design is very interesting, but my take is it will have a limited market appeal overall due to the price. I'm just waiting to see the first hobbyist build their own version with 3 Central vac motors over a Wynn filter inside a trash can and perched over a super dust deputy for 1/4 of the cost.


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## CoRich (Jan 17, 2020)

DavidSK, sorry for the delay
But ThankYou for your detailed response.
I am also setup in my basement.
I have 82.5" height around the planned spot.
I am looking at getting the 35gal version. 
In your opinion, do you think you can tilt the motor/fan housing on to the filter, or does the housing need to go straight up until it clears the filter and then move side ways?
Hopefully that makes sense.
Thanks again,
Rich O


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## DavidSK (Jun 22, 2019)

Rich, the top of the motor assembly of my 14-gallon Supercell is 61" from the floor. To replace or manually clean the HEPA filter, you must lift the motor assembly over the HEPA filter, which sits inside it. The filter is 13 1/4" tall, so that puts us to 74 1/4" from the floor. You could probably reduce this by 2-4" by tilting the motor assembly to the side as you lift it. According to the Oneida website (https://www.oneida-air.com/dust-collectors/new-systems/supercell-high-pressure-wall-mounted-hepa-cyclone-dust-collector-230v), the height of the 35-gallon version is 71 1/2". This would put you to 84 3/4" above the floor. If you tilt the motor assembly when removing it, you could probably accommodate the 35 gallon drum but it would be very tight. If you didn't install the casters under the drum, you could save another 4".


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## avsmusic1 (Jul 10, 2016)

couldn't you unbolt it from the wall for the occasions you need to lean the filter like that? how often would you be planning to do it?


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## DavidSK (Jun 22, 2019)

Yes, you could unbolt it from the wall but, personally, I wouldn't want to have to do that. The 35-gallon version weighs 95 lbs. -a lot of weight to move just to clean or change the filter. I don't know yet how often I'll need to access the filter but, as I said in my earlier post, I need to supplement the pulse filter cleaning (which doesn't require removing the filter) with manual cleaning (which does require moving the filter).


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## CoRich (Jan 17, 2020)

David, do you feel the 14gal is too small? I know this is VERRRRY subjective….but on a typical weekend of table saw, a few jointer passes and mitersaw….to you see your self wishing for a taller drum?

My ceiling is also 82" in some areas…and i could reposition it to an area that is 93….but it is not an ideal location.

How often do you see yourself manually cleaning the filter….hopefully no too often since you have had this since just Dec.


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## guitarchitect (Oct 28, 2011)

that's too bad to hear about the sound on the 1" ports… i wonder if flaring them would help?

can you reduce the suction on the unit or is it fixed? sounds like it's way too strong for some portable tools - i often have to dial down the suction on my festool unit when sanding because it'll pick boards up!


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## DavidSK (Jun 22, 2019)

Much better to have high suction than low suction! I don't believe there's a way to dial down the suction level on the machine itself but if it's too high, I just open another gate at the same time which has the same effect.


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## DavidSK (Jun 22, 2019)

CoRich, the 14 gal drum isn't too small for me b/c my volumes are not very high and I don't mind dumping the drum often. As you say, drum size preference is subjective so you'd have to decide that for yourself. On the cleaning issue, each type of machine has its own characteristics and I'm still on the learning curve with this DC. I believe now that initially I wasn't doing the pulse cleaning often enough. I do it more frequently now and have had little problem with build up in the filter. My tentative conclusion is that I probably won't have to remove the motor assembly often.


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## CoRich (Jan 17, 2020)

David, Thank You so much for the feedback.
I will be ordering one soon. When i spoke with Mark from Oneida, i mentioned this blog and some of the points your raised. One particular was the filter cleaning cycle. Glad to hear you do not foresee have to clean it that often. I will go with the 14gal for now.

On a second note, did you run any 4" hard pipe….or are you still using mostly flex?
My shop is or will be in flux for some time…so i will have a Frankenstein array of both for a bit i think.

I am in a dryer climate…so i will be installing some spiral pipe runs.
I know this is a back and forth topic for some folks. I am not doing it for explosion reasons…i just notice the amount of sawdust that sticks to the outside of my hoses from my shop vac's…so i figured i could minimize that compared to PVC pipe.


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## DavidSK (Jun 22, 2019)

My ductwork is 4" schedule 40 PVC pipe except for drops to machines. I know some people complain about static discharge from PVC and worry about explosion but after a year of the ductwork being in place, I haven't had a single instance of static discharge from touching the pipes. So far, I don't see any reason to be worried. You mentioned climate as a consideration. FWIW, I run a dehumidifier 24/7 in my shop and keep the relative humidity at a constant 35%.


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## CoRich (Jan 17, 2020)

David, my concern was more of just the dust buildup based on what i see from my shopvac hose every where.
I did not have plans to condition the air in my shop. I guess it will come down to just installing a few runs and collecting my own data and experiences before investing in the entire shop.

Thanks Again,
Rich


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## avsmusic1 (Jul 10, 2016)

Looking at how the machine goes together, it seems like you could lift the top up just enough to remove the bolts attaching the filter to the tapered section which would allow you to clean it without taking the whole thing off the wall. It'd also allow you to take the filter outside to hit it with compressed air.

I'm not saying it's ideal, but if it's something that needs to only be done annually than it's probably workable to accommodate the bigger drum with a lower ceiling


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## 50mike (Feb 20, 2020)

Dave what are you using for blast gates with 4" Schedule 40 PVC?

I'm thinking of replacing my 1.5 Hp internal filter Oneida dust collector with a Suppercell but am not looking forward to replacing all of my snaplock metal duct. I have been wondering about using PVC and am glad to hear that some one has tried it.


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## DavidSK (Jun 22, 2019)

My blast gates are made of ABS (hard plastic) and purchased from Woodcraft.


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## sawdustjunkie (Sep 12, 2013)

At that price, I really think it's simply to high. For $2400 there are far too many other machines that will do the job. I also don't think that the 3 small motors inside that housing are really developing the 5hp that is claimed.
The price is just to high!

Sorry, but this is just my opinion


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## clagwell (Dec 20, 2018)

> For $2400 there are far too many other machines that will do the job.
> 
> - sawdustjunkie


Great news! I know someone who needs 300CFM in a 2.5" hose. He'll be glad to know there are alternatives. Can you list a few of them?

Thanks.


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## guitarchitect (Oct 28, 2011)

> For $2400 there are far too many other machines that will do the job.
> 
> - sawdustjunkie
> 
> ...


haha. yeah you know what people play way too fast and loose on forums. I can't tell you how many times an old timer has said it's "dead nuts simple" to bring a 3phase machine into a 1phase shop and simply "get a cheap vfd". or the number of times i've been told i should get some random old machine 'cause "you can just get a cheap 1.5hp motor at a motor shop for $30". almost none of those things is ever as simple or cheap as people would lead you to believe.

i would love the supercell on the basis of the size/footprint alone and the fact that I will never really need anything more than a 5" hose. but it's expensive. Too expensive. Will another setup do the job? Yes, but with strict limitations - i won't be running a 2.5" hose off it, it won't be small, and it won't be off-the-shelf.

all that being said, i do wish that one of the better youtubers would get one and run it through its paces against a 2hp or 3hp two-stage collector. In my circumstances I think I could get by with a 2hp but I would still love to see the performance difference i could expect with one of these! The problem I can see (from oneida's perspective) with sending out review units is so many users just set them up very poorly. One particular youtuber in mind has a huge shop… they were sent one of those enormous pentz cyclones and set it up, but only ducted a couple of tools. other tools have random standalone collectors and the machines that ARE hooked up are completely covered in dust and debris. it reflects really poorly on the machine if you don't know the youtuber is more of a rough carpenter than a fine woodworker and doesn't likely turn the thing on out of habit.


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## HeyRalph (Feb 25, 2020)

Hello, I'm new to the forum as of today.
Until yesterday, I planned to $buy and run 6" pvc (SDR 35) pipe throughout my shop with new $Gates and $Flex, etc. and source 2 stage collection from the garage connected to my 21'-30' shop. Most likely some form of Oneida, either turnkey or DD cobbled. Also, I mostly ruled out clearVue but not completely.

After reading this DC topic on SuperCell, and watching some YT videos, and talking with sales folks at Oneida I made the jump. My logic follows- Since I already own a bunch of 4" pvc with 4" gates and misc accessories…

Yesterday I ordered the Oneida Super-Cell.

Think I'd be excite!! Right? But actually I tossed and turned all night wondering if I made a big expensive mistake. 
Time will tell because the SuperCell should arrive in a few days.

Planning to post as I setup, in a 10' high space -10" cabinet saw, 17" bandsaw, 15" planer, 10" joiner, old sears radial arm, 12" miter saw, router table, stationary belt sander, lathe, and a flexible work station arrangement for assorted smaller tools.

Old tools- new ideas. MaybeRalph
Or maybe not.


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## Chameleon (Mar 12, 2018)

Question for someone who has the Supercell set up: What is the purpose of the clear vinyl tubing that connects the dust collector's motor assembly to the bottom of the dust bin? I haven't seen anything like that on other dust collectors, but I haven't seen many dust collectors.

There are lots of comments about the "niche" nature of this system. The way the salesman explained it to me, this is a great choice if the shop has no machines with ports larger than 4", and only one machine with a 4" port is being run at a time (and presumably, no machine has more than one 4" port). That will probably always be the case in my 20×20 one-person shop unless I'm missing something, which is quite possible. If I am missing something, a reply that tells me why I shouldn't have purchased this system will be painful but still appreciated.

Thanks, Howard


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## guitarchitect (Oct 28, 2011)

> Question for someone who has the Supercell set up: What is the purpose of the clear vinyl tubing that connects the dust collector s motor assembly to the bottom of the dust bin? I haven t seen anything like that on other dust collectors, but I haven t seen many dust collectors.


I haven't got it set up, but that's something you see on any machine with a bag in the dust collection bin. It equalizes the pressure between the upper and lower chambers… without it, the bag gets sucked up into the impeller. If you didn't want to line the bin with a bag, you wouldn't need it… but you do need to ensure your dust collection bin has strong walls!


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## HeyRalph (Feb 25, 2020)

There are lots of comments about the "niche" nature of this system. The way the salesman explained it to me, this is a great choice if the shop has no machines with ports larger than 4", and only one machine with a 4" port is being run at a time (and presumably, no machine has more than one 4" port). That will probably always be the case in my 20×20 one-person shop unless I m missing something, which is quite possible. If I am missing something, a reply that tells me why I shouldn t have purchased this system will be painful but still appreciated.

Thanks, Howard

I installed a supercell system in my one man shop running 4" pvc to all stations with blast gates on each. I'm still in the early stages of using the system and just doing small jobs, but for the most part, I'm satisfied that the supercell is doing what I bought it to do. I'll know more once I get into some larger projects. 
Here's a YT link to my setup:


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## iminmyshop (Dec 9, 2012)

I bought the Supercell to replace a Powermatic that died after 20+ years. There is simply no comparison. The suction on this thing is Sooooo much better it is not fair to compare. I wrote a review here: https://www.lumberjocks.com/reviews/12080 
It is a purchase I am very happy with.


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## Chameleon (Mar 12, 2018)

Thanks guitarchitect-appreciate the explanation. Howard


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## Sawdust35 (Jan 15, 2016)

For those with experience with the Supercell, what is the highest CFM requiring tool you have tried with this DC? My 15" helical head planer has a 4" port and I am curious if it could keep up with the chips if solid ductwork was used.


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## Chameleon (Mar 12, 2018)

Sawdust35, I'll try to connect the Supercell to my highest CFM requiring tool. Knowing very little about this, I'll have to look up the airflow requirements of each tool, unless you can tell me which tool that's likely to be. I have most of the "common shop tools," including a 13" helical planer from Cutech (which, I think, was acquired by Wahuda). Howard


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## Sawdust35 (Jan 15, 2016)

Thanks Chameleon. I think your planer, or if you have a large jointer 8"+, or a drum sander would have the largest CFM requirement. For example, the manufacturers recommended CFM for the newer 13" Jet bench top planer JWP-13BT has a CFM requirement of 500cfm.


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## HeyRalph (Feb 25, 2020)

For those with experience with the Supercell, what is the highest CFM requiring tool you have tried with this DC? My 15" helical head planer has a 4" port and I am curious if it could keep up with the chips if solid ductwork was used

My supercell does a good job with my 15" helical planter attached by 5' flex at the planer end and 20+' of 4" pvc with 5 wye /45 degree joints into the supercell in another room. After running a bunch of oak, I got a few crumbs for sure but nothing like the pile of sawdust my shop vac would have left behind. Also, I did Re-orient the planer so that it directed its chips in the direction of the supercell


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## Chameleon (Mar 12, 2018)

Here are my results with a brief experiment, using the Supercell and the 25' of 4" flex hose that came with it (don't have anything else set up yet), connected to my 13" Cutech planer that has a 4" dust port. Pretty much a straight shot. Took several passes with a 6' long pine 1×12, each time taking off an additional 1/16 of an inch (full revolution of the planer handle). Almost no dust-a few chips here and there. This is WAY better than my Delta 1 HP 750 cfm collector used to do with about 4' of 4" tubing. Then ran a fairly short 6" wide piece of cherry through the planer several times in the same way. Same result. That's not a lot of info for you; it's the first time I've used the Supercell. I'm impressed. The only negative is that the guy I've been working with at Oneida told me to hold off on building a cabinet to block some of the noise from the dust collector, because it's fairly quiet. I guess quiet is a relative term, and I'm sure the Supercell will do a great job with my table saw when I cut the wood for the cabinet. (The Delta portable dust collector is much quieter, for what that's worth.


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## AndyJ1s (Jan 26, 2019)

A note about the clear tubing from the top of the cyclone, down to the collection bin.

The tubing does not just equalize the vacuum both inside and outside the bag; it actually creates a higher vacuum outside the bag, sucking the bag up against the inside of the bin, keeping it open and out of the cyclone/impeller. The upper end of the tubing is connected at a point just before the impeller input, which is where vacuum is highest (most negative pressure).

However, you do not want that tube connection if you do NOT use a bag in the collection bin. You need to plug the tube's inlet in the dustbin, otherwise it will start sucking dust out of your bin, through tubing, into the impeller and clogging the filter more quickly, until/unless the tube clogs.

You don't want to just disconnect the tube either, since that is like creating 2 duct leaks, reducing airflow at the dust-producing machines. Worse, if the opening to the dust bin is not plugged, it will create airflow out of the bin, reducing the effectiveness of the cyclone, and potentially even blowing dust from the bin up into the impeller and filter.

You could remove the tubing and plug both fittings, on the bin and near the impeller.


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## CBAviator (Dec 16, 2020)

> My ductwork is 4" schedule 40 PVC pipe except for drops to machines. I know some people complain about static discharge from PVC and worry about explosion but after a year of the ductwork being in place, I haven t had a single instance of static discharge from touching the pipes. So far, I don t see any reason to be worried. You mentioned climate as a consideration. FWIW, I run a dehumidifier 24/7 in my shop and keep the relative humidity at a constant 35%.
> 
> - DavidSK


Is your PVC grounded at all? I just purchased the Supercell today and should receive in about 5-6 weeks due to production backlogs. I'm looking at going with 4" PVC with spiral tubing drops in my basement shop.


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## DavidSK (Jun 22, 2019)

CBAviator, I have not set out to ground my PVC though it's possible I get some grounding where the pipe is connected to the metal intake pipe of the Supercell, which is plugged into a properly grounded receptacle. I would ground the PVC itself if I detected static discharge from it but since there appears to be none, I haven't done that.


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## hotbyte (Apr 3, 2010)

CBAviator, I am also running some short ungrounded PVC ductwork (maybe 30 ft) with the Supercell and not had any discharge issues.

I installed this summer after running a stock Harbor Freight unit for 5 or more years. I really like the Supercell! My shop is only 13X24 so I felt expense of Supercell was cheaper than losing floor space to larger unit and then needing to expand shop. Also, I didn't need to spend dollars and loss more space with a shop vac/dust extractor unit. Being a small shop, I only have the table saw, router table (cabinet and fence on a Y) and lunchbox planer that need 4" hose. Everything else is smaller diameter connection like sanders, domino, and track saw.


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## guitarchitect (Oct 28, 2011)

> CBAviator, I am also running some short ungrounded PVC ductwork (maybe 30 ft) with the Supercell and not had any discharge issues.
> 
> I installed this summer after running a stock Harbor Freight unit for 5 or more years. I really like the Supercell! My shop is only 13X24 so I felt expense of Supercell was cheaper than losing floor space to larger unit and then needing to expand shop. Also, I didn t need to spend dollars and loss more space with a shop vac/dust extractor unit. Being a small shop, I only have the table saw, router table (cabinet and fence on a Y) and lunchbox planer that need 4" hose. Everything else is smaller diameter connection like sanders, domino, and track saw.
> 
> - hotbyte


How do you like it on the small stuff? It seems insanely loud on the small ports, and I've heard of people adding VFDs to try to ramp the suction down for some tools


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## EarlS (Dec 21, 2011)

I just ordered the 14 gal version - 4 week lead time and another week for shipping, so late January probably. Looking forward to seeing how it performs after having read all of the commentary here as well as reading the reviews and watching a bunch of youtube videos.

I am curious to hear what the biggest surprise folks had that have used it. What would be the one thing you wish Oneida would have done differently on it? Pros and cons?


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## hotbyte (Apr 3, 2010)

It is loud but I was already wearing ear protection for any of tools I use it with anyway. If I need to ramp down suction with small tool like ROS, I just slightly open blast gate to table saw.

I had a few surprises. One is the heat it generates. I'm in middle Ga and installed during middle of summer so shop was already pretty warm, I have a small 7500 BTU window AC and need to upgrade before next summer. The second surprise is that the thing will lift the 35gal barrel several inches off the floor while running 1.5 hose (and doing filter clean) until it is half full. The surprise part is when barrel slams to floor when unit is powered off. One thing I'm not happy with that I've seen another user having issue with on YouTube is remote control. Even in my small shop, I have to kind of aim it at unit sometimes.

Overall I'm really happy with it and would buy again for my shop setup.


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## Chameleon (Mar 12, 2018)

My biggest surprise was how much difference it makes to accidentally leave a 4" blast gate open and then try to use another machine with a 4" blast gate. Almost takes away all suction from both machines. Not a fault of the system; works great when used properly (I.e., only one blast gate open at a time, as per instructions). System is great for my one person shop.


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## CBAviator (Dec 16, 2020)

Thanks everyone! I can hardly wait to receive the new unit. I, too, was told mid-January for shipping. Gives me a little time to design my piping.


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## hotbyte (Apr 3, 2010)

I guess another big surprise is how stiff the 4" hose that comes with the unit is. Wife and I say it is like wrestling an alligator. I used it for a permanent connection from unit to my PVC pipe. I also used it for semi-permanent connection from from PVC to table saw. I only disconnect if moving table saw to open up shop floor for spray finishing. For the drop shared for router table and planer, I used some "medium" flexible hose that came with my old HF unit. It is 4' to 5' long and does fine. I would not connect anything longer without using the super heavy duty hose from Oneida. As the hose draws up, it could easily pull a light/medium weight tool.


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## Chameleon (Mar 12, 2018)

Yes, I agree with hotbyte, the 4" hose that comes with the unit is extremely stiff-inconveniently stiff for short runs. It's stiff because the wire reinforcing the hose is quite thick (I don't know what gauge it is). Oneida says this is necessary because the suction generated by the unit is so strong that it will collapse "normal" hose. I have a run of 4" pipe that runs just above machine level on one wall, and it's almost impossible to use this stiff hose and keep a machine close to the wall unless you use a lot of hose and make a long "loop." I got some reinforced, less heavy-duty hose made by Powertec that's much more flexible and works much better for short or medium (up to 10') runs or tight turns. For longer runs of hose with very gradual curves, the stiff Oneida hose works great. I've also found that this hose is difficult to connect to anything with "normal" hose clamps because of the thickness of the wire. Bridge clamps (with a section raised above the wire) work great.


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## HeyRalph (Feb 25, 2020)

The only place I used the rugged flex shipped with my supercell was for a gradual flexible drop from ceiling mounted 4" thin wall to a double gated wye at my router station. I built my router table from the cabinet of my first shop made table saw, so it's heavy plywood construction and it shares time as an assembly bench, orbital/belt sanding location, glue table - you name it. The gates over the router table can be plugged into the router 2"flex, or used with portable hand tools. Although, I usually use a shop vac for hand tools because 5hp is a lot of juice for a belt sander. 
Everywhere else in my shop uses 4" sewer and drain thin wall pipe with short flexible runs to the tools. I used another brand of flexible pipe that I had because the heavy rugged Oneida pipe was less forgiving. Not sure what brand of 4" flex I used but it's strong enough to not collapse due to suction. Had some grizzly flex and it doesn't work. 
My supercell is wall mounted in an attached garage. I grounded the 4" plastic pipe over to the joiner about 8' away and also grounded for the first 15' to 20' of the 4" plastic pipe heading up and out to the shop. Because the joiner is so close, I find I can use it even if I left a gate open out in the shop, but… if the joiner gate stays open, forget any DC happening out in the shop. There is about 40' of pipe getting to the first wye split between 15" planer & table saw. 
In my case- the system works well. My mitersaw and radial arm are virtually dustless- I made the miter saw shroud out of the big cardboard supercell shipping box. Did a similar thing with the radial arm. Not beautiful, but was quick and easy to put together, and they work. 
Due to covid -my hair is getting longer → so a couple days ago I noticed some static pull from my hair towards the pipe connected to my planer as I ran down a bunch of cherry lumber. First time I've noticed static.

As for the dust bucket. I have the smaller 14 gallon and after splitting a short 1" piece of rubber hose to snap over the clasp and duct tape to the release clasps, the bucket now pulls up firm to the mounting bracket. As delivered, the bucket hung with a crack that was big enough to slid playing cards in from outside. Like that- the bucket would pop up and drop down with the suction. It even auto released itself once. My dust bucket wheels are several inches off the floor. I added a couple 8" shelf brackets below the bucket to catch it when I release the bucket full of chips. The brackets also help holding the bucket while lining it up after emptying. There's lots of ways to do that but hey. The window peek is a good idea but it fogs up.
For a while, I had a pair of cloth covered ceramic magnets inside and outside on the plastic porthole to wipe it clear because of fine dust, but stopped doing that. It really could use a windshield wiper in there, or possibly an LED light inside the bucket. But mostly positive. All told- I got the supercell so I could do DC with 4" thin wall on the long runs to my shop. I have over 200' of pipe in my system, and for the most part the system works well.


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## stevet47 (Dec 13, 2014)

FYI- For those thinking the SuperCell is too expensive and want to venture into the world of making there own version, Oneida sells replacement motors; all 3 for just $288. From looking at the specs and photos, they appear to be Domel 467.3.403-3 motors (230v 1350w). Domel also makes a 1500w version if you want to step it up a notch (Domel 467.3.420-6)

Oneida replacement motor: https://www.oneida-air.com/dust-collectors/system-components/hardware/replacement-vacuum-bypass-motor-kit
Domel 1350W: https://www.domel.com/products-en/vacuum-motor-467-3-403-3-72/
Domel 1500W: https://www.domel.com/products-en/vacuum-motor-467-3-420-6-71/

Then throw the steel super dust deputy under it with a DIY cylindrical section, and your 1/2 way there:
https://www.oneida-air.com/dust-deputy/dust-collector-kits/steel-super-dust-deputy-5-inch-cyclone-separator


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## Mike_D_S (May 3, 2012)

Sorry for the semi-zombie thread but looking for long term updates from those on this thread who have the Supercell. Still liking it? Had to clean the internal filter yet?

Thanks,
Mike


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## CBAviator (Dec 16, 2020)

> Sorry for the semi-zombie thread but looking for long term updates from those on this thread who have the Supercell. Still liking it? Had to clean the internal filter yet?
> 
> Thanks,
> Mike
> ...


Mine works like a charm. I generally only use it in the cooler months but it's been great. I haven't removed the filter to clean yet. I've used the manual cleaner on the side of the machine to reverse the airflow and blow out the filter and it seems to work well. I'd still highly recommend.


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## Chameleon (Mar 12, 2018)

I've had mine for about a year. One of the Oneida salesmen was incredibly helpful in designing my system (I bought all of the ducting from Oneida; it wasn't cheap!). I've never had a shop system like this, so I have nothing to compare it to. For my shop it's great. Very powerful suction. It's definitely for a one-person shop; you can only have one 4" port open at a time (if you forget to close a blast gate and then try to use it with a different machine, it's immediately evident that the suction goes from great to lousy). It seems very loud to me (again, no comparisons); I can't use it without ear protection. I may try to build some sort of sound-dampening enclosure around it. I haven't cleaned the internal filter - the manual cleaner seems to work well. I haven't noticed any drop-off in performance, but I really have no idea how efficient the "external cleaning method" (closing the blast gate and pushing a lever on the side several times) is. Even though the flow (in cfm) seems small, it works fine with all of my machines, including SawStop PCS, DeWalt planer, Supermax drum sander. Howard


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## hotbyte (Apr 3, 2010)

I've had mine just over 1 year and super happy with it. I need to pull filter and check/ clean but I've not notice any drop in suction. I use it for all tools.


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## HeyRalph (Feb 25, 2020)

I haven't looked at the filter yet- and only been back-washing as others from time to time by closing the main gate and working the lever- Usually only when I run my joiner that is out in the garage close by the supercell. I like the smaller footprint and the ability to run 4" thin wall pvc to all of my stations. My unit is isolated in the garage that is attached to my shop. I like the way this isolation buffers running noise level and exhausts pass through&heat into the garage. I haven't noticed any drop in suction. My biggest issue is with the cheap plastic gates and (me) forgetting to close a gate after power down. It's obvious. All told- I'm still very happy with my setup. It does exactly what I need.


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## johnyhuh (Dec 20, 2016)

I share the same sentiment on this super vacuum. It's been 8+ months and it has performed very well on drum sander, band saw, table saw, 2 1/2" ports from small belt sander, and just about anything I want to clean up.

I bought it for a 2-car garage shop with limited height on ceiling. It's a perfect fit for this shop size (20'x20').

Maintenance has been an easy one.

Previous to this unit, I was using 2HP HF + Oneida Super Deputy + Winn Canister filter. Maintenance has been a nightmare on it.


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## Mike_D_S (May 3, 2012)

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm really liking the small footprint, but the internal filter had me a little nervous.


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