JET DC-TS650 or Equal?

[Frank Hagan]

Anyone have experience with the Jet DC-TS650? I'm thinking about a DC now that I have my portable planer on order. Tired of having fine dust everywhere. I read Bill Pentz's site, but I'm not ready to tackle making my own yet, and think most of the permanently mounted ones are too large (his review site is at Cyclone Reviews (http://billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/CycloneReviews.cfm) ... surf around for a ton of stuff on building your own.)

Here's the Jet DC-TS650:

http://www.wmhtoolgroup.com/product_images/images/708630.jpg

I have a small shop with a Jet 10" CS and 14" closed base band saw. I thnk the Oneida "Gorilla" DC is a great looking unit, but I think its too big for my shop. Not sure where I could permanently mount the thing. I would use the DC on one tool at a time.

The other option I was thinking of was getting a HF 2HP DC and adapting the Wynn Environmental filter to it (see Wynn Env. Conversion Filter (http://www.wynnenv.com/35A_series_cartridge_kit.htm)). I think it will probably be about the same performance as the smaller Jet unit. HF lies more about their tool performance than Jet lies about theirs, at least in my experience! http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowbiggrin.gif

So, Jet DC-TS650 or HF? Or other options in this class of DC?

[Michael Gibbons]

Frank, You might consider the JDS 1250 cfm DC from Woodcraft.Its quiet, it comes with the 1 micron bag option, it handles 2 machines at once and it rolls around unlike the Jet you pictured. About $400.

[Jim Becker]

Frank...check the weight of that particular DC. Can you comfortably lift it to empty the bin often? (Which you will need to do often as you don't dare overfill one of these...unless you really like cleaning out packed filter canisters!)

[Frank Hagan]

Frank...check the weight of that particular DC. Can you comfortably lift it to empty the bin often? (Which you will need to do often as you don't dare overfill one of these...unless you really like cleaning out packed filter canisters!)

Hmmm ... good point! The weight is listed at 38#. Not too bad, but still, having to wrestle that every time you need to empty the can could get old. There would be days I wouldn't want to try it.

I downloaded the I/O Manual and there's another minor irritation - a grounding strap that goes from the fan housing to the filter housing. Looks like a simple push-on connection, but you have to remember to pull that off and put it back on when you clean the filter. It does look like the instructions say you can pull the entire unit, with filter attached, off the can to empty it.

[Frank Hagan]

Frank, You might consider the JDS 1250 cfm DC from Woodcraft.Its quiet, it comes with the 1 micron bag option, it handles 2 machines at once and it rolls around unlike the Jet you pictured. About $400.

Thanks, Michael. I don't have a Woodcraft store near me here in California, but I see they have just a $15 "upcharge" on their regular freight charges for it (regular freight is $27). That's not a bad price. I'll be in Portsmouth, NH next week on business, so I'll stop in the store there to take a look at it.

I take it you have one of these or have seen one in action? The website has it for $300 right now ...http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=4845 Pretty good price, especially for a DC with a 1 micron bag on it.

[Michael Gibbons]

Frank, yes I do have one. You have to watch what your getting in the box. Mine was ,if I remember right, 389.00 + tax. My version came with the 1 micron bag kit. so your 300.00 price sounds right with the 5 micron bag.

[Matt Meiser]

Frank, I think you'll find that trash can is awfully small. If I were choosing, I'd probably look at the Harbor Freight with the filter conversion or one of the units that comes with the filter. It would be a lot harder to plug the filter on one of the filter-over-bag models.

From my understanding, you can pretty much use the size of the fan to compare units--two units with 11" fans are going to perform about the same as each other regardless of what the manufacturers state.