New Dust Muncher

[Gregory King]

Its time I invested in a dust collector for the shop. Got it all cleaned up again and I'd like to keep it that way. Garage/ Shop is 26' x 40', although most of the work is concentrated in an area of 26' x 24'. I want a portable Grizzly type for now and someday I'll replace with a larger stationary type, depending on how this works out. So cost wise, the Grizzly is the brand I'll stay with for now. Obviously, I want to keep a good handle on the fine dust. Which of their brands would be best suited for me? Greg

[david brum]

The best dust collector for your application depends on your cash flow and patience. Since you're looking at portable systems, you will have to decide between a standard, two bag system or a cyclone. A two bag DC will be cheaper up front, for sure. You will probably want to modify it with a Thien baffle ( do a search--there are tons of examples) so the filters don't clog with dust. You'll probably also want a fine filter or high end bag. In the end, it's still a bit cheaper, but involves some shop time to make it all work well. 2 hp is probably the best deal.

On the other hand, a cyclone is plug and play. The design is much newer and they've already figured out the dust separation issue for you. You have to pay more up front, but don't have to modify the machine to work properly. I think Grizzly has a 1.5 hp portable, which should work fine for a portable.

Also, try to budget for an ambient filter. Those are the metal boxes that hang from the ceiling and catch fine dust particles that the DC misses. There is a lot of evidence that they really help. Same deal there. You can make one by attaching fine filters to a box fan, or you can buy a ready-made filter and you're good to go.

[David Kumm]

Don't start out spending a lot without knowing what you ultimately want. A portable cyclone is nice but they really aren't first choice if you decide to go stationary down the road. I'd get a 2 hp bagger- not brand specific-and upgrade the bag. Get an oversize bag that is rated at 1 micron or so. I've bought them for as little as $50. You can always upfrade down the road and only lose the 300-400 invested rather than the 1500 or so for a portable cyclone. Dave

[Gregory King]

Thanks guys. Good info for me to start with. As an after thought, one drawback with the portable version, short of buying long hoses, is that I will have to move it constantly around the shop from machine to machine. May not like that for very long. Greg

[David Nelson1]

I've been doing that for 2 years in a very clog up shop. Figure out what you need to do with one machineand setup for it, then move to the next machine. My shop is 15 X 30 with all the stuff jammed in, without any respect for work flow, I barely have room to move. As soon as I get this dag gone flooring project done I can open the wall up that I have been using for wood storage. Take Dave's advise go with the 2 hp portable till you get it figured out.