Cyclone replacement filter recommendations

[Craig Coney]

I think it's time to replace my pleated filter canister on my Oneida Super Dust Gorilla 2HP. Any recommendations on a better filter than what came with the SDG?

Thanks
C

[Jim Becker]

The filters from Oneida are very good quality. If I needed to replace the one on my Oneida (essentially the same system you have but just prior to the Gorilla name coming into play), I'd buy from them most likely.

[Jamie Buxton]

Check out the Wynn site: https://wynnenv.com/ They have loads of info about filters, including for woodworking.

[Frank Pratt]

The filters Oneida uses are about the best available. Wynn filters are not HEPA whereas Oneida's are. I think they're made by GE.

[Anthony Whitesell]

https://wynnenv.com/filters-for-cyclones/misleading-hepa-claims/

Just providing the link.

[Bill Adamsen]

It appears the GE Filter now does meet the US HEPA requirements ... and actually the claimed level would appear to be Merv 17. And the claim at least is that the $340 Hepa filter can be cleaned. Of course Merv 15 is also a very good filter. The Wynn Merv 15 of a comparable size (93L300NANO) has three times the effective square footage of filter compared to the GE. So that may be a deciding criteria. I have two of those filters and I'd be hard pressed to reengineer to fit in six of the GE filter.

Would love to have someone that knows describe the wood shop risks associated with dropping from Merv 17 to Merv 15.

[David Kumm]

Bill, in addition to the MERV rating should be a comparable for pressure drop and cfm allowed for each filter using the same collector. You can have the best filtration in the world but if the cost is reduced cfm, you are more likely to breathe the dust as it escapes the machine. I'd talk to both about pressure drop to help decide. Dave

[Bradley Potts]

I am a fan of American Fabric Filters https://americanfabricfilter.com/woodworking-tampa/ . They are an industrial vender that is happy to work with hobbyists. They started off selling "shaker fabric" filters, which filter down to 1 micron, and are cleaned by simply shaking the bag/filter; naturally, these compete with the very expensive pleated cartridge filters at a much lower price point. The downside to shaker bags is that all filtration needs appropriate surface area to not cause blinding and back pressure on the vacuum system, and that tends to make the bags much larger than the cartridges, however, IMO the ease of cleaning the bags outweighs the downside of their larger size.

For some people, this isn't a problem, but for others it will be. One clever solution to the need for surface area is the "baghouse" approach, which uses a series of several closely hung skinny tubes that all attach to a manifold, and has a dropbox below to catch the dust that is shaken from the bags -- super, super ease to clean and keep the DC running at peak performance. Think about this: One can save money by upsizing the filtration area so that the system operates at its peak efficiency for longer, rather than springing for a bigger DC system which has higher electricity needs. From what I can tell, it looks like a filter bag for a standard 2hp DC runs about $82 vs. the >$215 for a cartridge filter...cha-ching.

[Frank Pratt]

I am a fan of American Fabric Filters https://americanfabricfilter.com/woodworking-tampa/ . They are an industrial vender that is happy to work with hobbyists. They started off selling "shaker fabric" filters, which filter down to 1 micron, and are cleaned by simply shaking the bag/filter; naturally, these compete with the very expensive pleated cartridge filters at a much lower price point. The downside to shaker bags is that all filtration needs appropriate surface area to not cause blinding and back pressure on the vacuum system, and that tends to make the bags much larger than the cartridges, however, IMO the ease of cleaning the bags outweighs the downside of their larger size.

For some people, this isn't a problem, but for others it will be. One clever solution to the need for surface area is the "baghouse" approach, which uses a series of several closely hung skinny tubes that all attach to a manifold, and has a dropbox below to catch the dust that is shaken from the bags -- super, super ease to clean and keep the DC running at peak performance. Think about this: One can save money by upsizing the filtration area so that the system operates at its peak efficiency for longer, rather than springing for a bigger DC system which has higher electricity needs. From what I can tell, it looks like a filter bag for a standard 2hp DC runs about $82 vs. the >$215 for a cartridge filter...cha-ching.

Just be aware that it is the sub-micron dust that is the most damaging to the lungs. That filtered air may look clean, but it's not.

[Peter Kelly]

Better yet, skip the filter and vent directly outside from the cyclone if it's an option.

[Frank Pratt]

Better yet, skip the filter and vent directly outside from the cyclone if it's an option.

Unless you live where it's cold. -28C here this morning :(