Harbor Freight Dust Collector - How Noisy?

[Anthony Scott]

Has anyone actually measured the noise output? I am trying to compare dust collectors and can't find that info on the HF 2 HP.
If not, do any of the owners out there find it especially annoying or bothersome?
Thanks

[Victor Robinson]

It's about 80db, but much lower in frequency than a shopvac, and therefore more tolerable. My 16gal Ridgid shopvac measures about 89db.

By the way, if anyone is interested in a low-cost way to measure relative db between your various equipment (helps in noise level discussions), there are many iPhone apps in the free to $2 range that measure sound levels.

[Gene Howe]

Mine is the 2hp model and I don't find it annoying at all. When using the TS, planer, miter saw, I can't even hear the DC.

[Anthony Scott]

It's about 80db, but much lower in frequency than a shopvac, and therefore more tolerable. My 16gal Ridgid shopvac measures about 89db.

By the way, if anyone is interested in a low-cost way to measure relative db between your various equipment (helps in noise level discussions), there are many iPhone apps in the free to $2 range that measure sound levels.

good idea!

[Dan Hintz]

Red - 93dB (if memory serves)
Green - 75dB(again, if memory serves)

I've listed both so many times I can't keep them straight any more.

I do remember the DC2000 from PSI is 62dB...

[keith micinski]

I don't know what the decibels are but it is the second quietest thing in my shop next to my jointer.

[Anthony Scott]

Red - 93dB (if memory serves)
Green - 75dB(again, if memory serves)

I've listed both so many times I can't keep them straight any more.

I do remember the DC2000 from PSI is 62dB...

what does red & green mean?

[glenn bradley]

Mine is the 2hp model and I don't find it annoying at all. When using the TS, planer, miter saw, I can't even hear the DC.

Agreed. When my other tools are running, even the 2HP cyclone disappears in the mist.

[Van Huskey]

The thing to keep in mind is a sound pressure level (SPL) is worthless unless the distance the reading is taken at is included. In reality without knowing the environment (how reflective the area where the measurement is taken) and what weighting is used on the SPL meter you can still have a wide variation. Bottom line unless each DC was measured in the same environment at the same distance and using the same meter weighting the information won't tell you anything useful unless the variation was HUGE.


An example is if you measure a DC sitting in a corner of a small shop from 3 feet away then measure the same DC in the center of a large shop from 6 feet away the difference could easily be more than a 10 dB variation from the same machine.

Each increase of 3dB is a doubling of the acoustic energy however humans notice it as a relatively small increase in volume, the average human hears a 10dB increase as a doubling of volume.

Now Euro machines have much more accurate SPL measurements as they are required to have them and they are supposed to be gathered in a "standard" way. In the US built or Asian import DC arena you may be able to glean so basic information but remember it is anecdotal and without knowing how the data was gathered it would be easy to be completely mislead.

[Neil Brooks]

All of the above is right :o

If you're looking for an idea of _relative_ sound pressure levels (compared to other lower cost DCs), here's (http://www.deltaportercable.com/uploads/PCD/Documents/News/182DustCollectors.pdf) a good place to look.

Using their method, the HF DC measured at 81dB.

Your garden-variety, decent-sized ShopVac is probably between the mid-80s and mid-90s -- much louder, and at a higher frequency (a/k/a really annoying).

[Van Huskey]

All of the above is right :o

If you're looking for an idea of _relative_ sound pressure levels (compared to other lower cost DCs), here's (http://www.deltaportercable.com/uploads/PCD/Documents/News/182DustCollectors.pdf) a good place to look.

Using their method, the HF DC measured at 81dB.

Your garden-variety, decent-sized ShopVac is probably between the mid-80s and mid-90s -- much louder, and at a higher frequency (a/k/a really annoying).


Thanks for posting that link, I was looking for it and couldn't find it on the Delta site, thought I had it as a favorite but alas I didn't.

One thing that is does show clearly is that except for a coupld of oddballs they all fell within 3 dB meaning from a pure SPL level all but the oddballs would be very similar in SPL and I would only let it influence my decision if I had sound leakage issues outside the shop (my home, neighbors homes).

[Ruhi Arslan]

It is hard to call the one I had a "dust collector" - but from the get go, it was so noisy. It eventually started to whine and scream, I had to take it apart to see if any bearings or such wnet bad. Couldn't make it right so I went ahead and picked up a JET 1100 with canister and remote (the older model) for $250 from the classifieds here. Now I know even better that HF was obnoxiously noise in my case (red one).

[Larry Rasmussen]

The HF is probably a little quieter than the jet but they were not far apart in overall volume. Definitely ear protection territory either way.
Regards,
Larry R
Seattle

[Dan Hintz]

Anthony,

HF carries two main collectors, "lovingly" known by the color of their shells. The cheaper red one is a brush motor and loud as sin. The green is a couple of Jacksons more expensive, but as an induction motor it's quite a bit more quiet.



Van, all measurements are made at 1 meter.

[Charlie Stone]

I got the 2hp DC from HF a few weeks back. The dc is loud, however, I use hand tools more than power and most of the time, i just use it for clean up after the other power tools are done since I have a cheesy planer which doesn't have a dc port and a contractor tablesaw

[Michael Horan]

Thanks for the decibel info. Here is what HF calls the various dust collectors:

"Green 1 HP"
13 Gallon Industrial Portable Dust Collector
Item #31810

"Red 1 HP"
1 HP Mini Dust Collector
Item #94029

"2 HP"
2 HP Industrial 5 Micron Dust Collector
Item #97869

Thanks,

Mike

[Darius Ferlas]

All of the above is right :o

If you're looking for an idea of _relative_ sound pressure levels (compared to other lower cost DCs), here's (http://www.deltaportercable.com/uploads/PCD/Documents/News/182DustCollectors.pdf) a good place to look.

I am a little surprised by those findings.
I have had the opportunity to have two of the DCs reviewed: PSI DC2000B (that's what I happily use now) and SteelCity 65200 (which I returned after 3 days).

Perhaps the table is outdated. Even SteelCity's own specs said their DC was rated at 87dB, not 83 as the table states. As per the PSI'd specs, their DC is rated at somewhere in upper 60's.

Even if there is a dB or two of marketing in PSI's literature, my regularly used ears tell me the DC is certainly much quieter than the SteelCity 65200.

[Jerome Stanek]

Both of the green ones are about the same I have one of each. I have a Thien hooked up to each one and both do a very good job.