Dust Collection for Basement Shop - Seeking Advice/Suggestions

[Craig Meaney]

I have been weighing my options for dust collection in my small basement shop for way too long now. I have been considering an Oneida Supercell, Mini Gorilla, or the Grizzly G0860 with HEPA filter. I know these aren't all a direct comparison, and I am open to other suggestions. I will be using one tool at a time and don't intend to run ducting. I have been using mostly hand tools and plan to purchase these power tools for the shop:

Dewalt 735
Grizzly 17" bandsaw
8" Jointer


Over time I may add more power tools, i.e. track saw, router table, and drill press, but for now this is what I am starting with. I am also constrained by my ceiling height which is 78" in one room and 79-3/4" in the other. HEPA filtration is a must since I am connected to the rest of the house. I would like to future proof this purchase the best I can, but want to keep the purchase under $3k (ideally less).I would love to vent outside but don't feel comfortable boring through our stone walls to do so. The basement is a walkout.

I've attached a few photos of the shop for context... I'm still putting down the floor. Thinking the small room will be for machines and I can sound-proof it eventually. Larger areas for bench work, joinery and assembly.

THANK YOU in advance for any suggestions and advice.

[ChrisA Edwards]

On the right side of your first picture, there appears to be a recess with a box of wood scraps standing in it.

I would put a DC in there, closet it in and soundproof the crap out of that room. Then install a couple of runs of either 6" PVC sewer pipe or 5" metal ducting to close to where you will use your machines. Vent that closet back into your working area, don't vent outside, otherwise you'l empty your house of AC or heating quicker than you think.

I think in the long run, you'll appreciate not doing power cables and flex hose, plus the soundproofing will stop a lot of the noise going into other rooms.

[Kurt Wyberanec]

I would say if you're only going to run it to a tool at a time and wheel it around or the like then 3k is way too much...a cyclone would do better off course than a standard style but they'll do the trick just fine. Just be sure whatever you get has a canister filter you want something that's going to keep in as much of the fine dust as possible. Jet or laguna probably have good cost effective options for you(maybe Grizzly too) Oneida and the like are typically going to run ducted shops which I would definitely suggest if possible but if you're not going to duct it's overkill or not very practical.

Something around 2hp sounds enough... that said if you want to future period you'll need something bigger and do the ducting... but think about where you see what you're don't in your shop in 10 years differently and try to assess your needs based on that.

If you go the smaller roller style mentioned above you're under 1k with the larger premium options under 2k... if you go the future route 3k is fine but ducting can cost a lot depending what material and whether you do yourself.

Good luck.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Part of my work area is a basement room. I use a shop vac with a drywall filter bag and a pleated paper filter cartridge. It is minimal but filters the fine dust very well and can be taken outside to empty and clean. I reuse the drywall filter bag several times by opening the folded end, then re-close it with two wood battens.
Your wood floor is a nice feature, I am jealous of that , nice windows too!

[Kevin Jenness]

I would take a close look at the Harvey Gyro design. It is innovative, compact and has received good reviews.

[Curt Harms]

The Harvey is an interesting design for basement shops, it doesn't require much height unlike cyclones. There are some threads here at Sawmill Creek about the Harvey. The built-in search function here doesn't work especially well but using a search string like "harvey dust collector site:sawmillcreek.org" on your preferred search engine should return something.

[Craig Meaney]

On the right side of your first picture, there appears to be a recess with a box of wood scraps standing in it.

I would put a DC in there, closet it in and soundproof the crap out of that room. Then install a couple of runs of either 6" PVC sewer pipe or 5" metal ducting to close to where you will use your machines. Vent that closet back into your working area, don't vent outside, otherwise you'l empty your house of AC or heating quicker than you think.

I think in the long run, you'll appreciate not doing power cables and flex hose, plus the soundproofing will stop a lot of the noise going into other rooms.

Chris this is a really interesting idea. That space is under the basement stairs and the only constraint I see is the height is 58" and width is ~32". Getting a two-stage system in there could be a bit of a challenge. It's relatively deep though. I could run the ducting above the laundry machines and into the adjoining room.

I'll definitely mull that over.

[Craig Meaney]

I would say if you're only going to run it to a tool at a time and wheel it around or the like then 3k is way too much...a cyclone would do better off course than a standard style but they'll do the trick just fine. Just be sure whatever you get has a canister filter you want something that's going to keep in as much of the fine dust as possible. Jet or laguna probably have good cost effective options for you(maybe Grizzly too) Oneida and the like are typically going to run ducted shops which I would definitely suggest if possible but if you're not going to duct it's overkill or not very practical.

Something around 2hp sounds enough... that said if you want to future period you'll need something bigger and do the ducting... but think about where you see what you're don't in your shop in 10 years differently and try to assess your needs based on that.

If you go the smaller roller style mentioned above you're under 1k with the larger premium options under 2k... if you go the future route 3k is fine but ducting can cost a lot depending what material and whether you do yourself.

Good luck.

Thanks Kurt, I was wondering if going to something like a 5HP supercell is overkill for 1 machine at a time.. Which roller style do you suggest under 1k? I would love to not overspend, but haven't found anything too appealing at that price point. Oneida's mini gorilla and grizzly's G0860+(HEPA filter) are both $1500 before shipping.

[Craig Meaney]

Part of my work area is a basement room. I use a shop vac with a drywall filter bag and a pleated paper filter cartridge. It is minimal but filters the fine dust very well and can be taken outside to empty and clean. I reuse the drywall filter bag several times by opening the folded end, then re-close it with two wood battens.
Your wood floor is a nice feature, I am jealous of that , nice windows too!

Do you use the shop vac with a bandsaw/jointer? From what I have read, it seems like I'll need a higher volume collector for the machines I'm looking at... But frankly if I can get away with a shop vac (or even Festool Extractor) on this 17" bandsaw then I may delay the jointer purchase, build a planer sled and call it good for a while. With the Dewalt 735's blower, I feel like I can get away with just sending the chips into a trash can for a while.

Thank you about the floor! Certainly a risk in a walkout basement, we'll see how it pans out. It was carpet beforehand, I had to do self leveling over the entire room to get to a decent flatness tolerance to install the floor, then went with a glue down install that was quite a mess and difficult to do properly. I'll have to post more photos once I get it sanded and finished.

Craig

[Maurice Mcmurry]

Do you use the shop vac with a bandsaw/jointer? Craig

Yes but they are small. 10 inch band saw 4 inch jointer and 6 x 48 belt sander, also only working small items in the basement. I have a 2 hp DIY cyclone in the garage with minimal ductwork. The final stage is two needle felt bags. It is to dusty for in the house.

[ChrisA Edwards]

I didn't even think about the Harvey, that might be your best option. It'll do the DC part, it's relatively mobile, and from what I've heard, it's pretty quiet as well.

[Kurt Wyberanec]

Thanks Kurt, I was wondering if going to something like a 5HP supercell is overkill for 1 machine at a time.. Which roller style do you suggest under 1k? I would love to not overspend, but haven't found anything too appealing at that price point. Oneida's mini gorilla and grizzly's G0860+(HEPA filter) are both $1500 before shipping.

Honestly, I would probably go with jet....

Dc-1100vx - can be found about 940
It's a 1.5hp machine and can easily handle any single machine and some more.

Dc-1200vx - same as above but 2hp for only 100 more...

Jxdc 1.5- if you want to splurge and get into a small cyclone it's basically the same type of machine as above but adds the efficiency of a cyclone style machine with easier drum removal about 1600

There are definitely other options, grizzly might have something, but I'm not very up on there line.

Honestly, I had a dc-1100 when I had a basement shop for over 15 years and never had an issue... in fact just sold it for about what I paid for it back then... kept its value well and did a good job.

If you're going to move it around and not run duct then this type of machine is perfect... shorter duct runs still good for 1 at time or 2 low volume machines, but if you're going to run long runs 20ft plus it might still be ok but you'll have to be mindful of where the higher volume machines go in the run. 5hp machine is great but from what you're describing overkill...

Btw, don't even dream about a jointer or planer on a shop vac.... just small edge jointing might be ok but wouldn't recommend it.

[ChrisA Edwards]

Honestly, I would probably go with jet....

Dc-1100vx - can be found about 940
It's a 1.5hp machine and can easily handle any single machine and some more.



I can't argue with that. I've been using a DC-100VX for the past 6 years. I have modified it into two stage and done a plastic dust bag mod, which reduced the noise by 7DB, but I use it with my Sawstop, Hammer A3-31, Onefinity CNC, Laguna 1412 Bandsaw, Hammer F3 Shaper, plus others, all via 5" metal ducting and 4" flex hose.

I often run my Sawstop and A3-31 simultaneously with two 4" ports open, no issues extracting.

[JOEL MONGEON]

I just spent the past month deciding on a new dust collector for my small shop (19X12 single car garage). What I ended up buying today was the Oneida Supercell.

It has a Hepa filter and is the smallest sized dust collector I could find. The width and depth are under 2'X2' compared to all of the other larger dust collectors out there. Not only is the size of the collector small but I now don't have to install a 7" or 6" main line to get adequate suction. The Supercell uses just 4" or smaller diameter hoses. After a lot of questions with Oneida on whether it will work with my tools or not I'm hoping this will be my last collector.

The noise level should be about the same level as my miter saw or sander with dust extractor. If I find it is too loud I'll try and box it in a bit with some sound dampening material. We will see. Now I just need to wait for a few weeks for it to show up.

Good luck with your decision and that's a great looking start to your new shop.

[Johnnie Russell]

I have recently moved and my work space is in the basement. Before moving I sold an older Delta dust collector and now need something for the saw, planer, and jointer. I use one machine at a time and the current layout of the 12x24 space means the machines need to be moved to a work area in the center of one end of the shop. My default idea is an Oneida Mini Gorilla with a short hose in one corner of the 12x24 space. the living room is right above the sop and there is no insulation or other sound deadening material between the floor joists, so I also need to sort out longer term sound proofing issues.

The Jet looks interesting. But, if you have any 1.5hp or so dust collector and add something like a dust-deputy, isn't air flow affected enough o make a difference in dust collection? The integration of the cyclone into the mini gorilla or the supercell seem like a better idea. I've thought about the Harvey too, but I'm not sure if the additional costs means. enough meaningful difference in dust collection when used with single machines.

[Mark Rainey]

Mostly a hand tool woodworker but have 14 inch Rikon bandsaw, Dewalt 735 planer, added a Ridgid 6" jointer from Home Depot recently. The Oneida mini-gorilla has worked for me. There have been some minor issues, check the thread on that, but all in all I am happy with it. Make sure your filtration on your HEPA is the best you can get. I do not recommend blowing chips from the Dewalt 735 into a trash can or a filtration bag from Rockler. My shop was filled with fine dust and I coughed for a year before I figured out the benefits of HEPA.

[Craig Meaney]

I would take a close look at the Harvey Gyro design. It is innovative, compact and has received good reviews.
Thanks Kevin, I just watched some video reviews of this machine. Wow, it is QUIET. Building a bench/assembly table over it would be an awesome use of space. That really appeals to me, I just don't know if I can justify the premium over the Supercell. Looks like the price just increased to $3200 + 350 freight. Oneida is around $2600 (30 gallon drum) + 99 shipping, so a $800+ difference.

[Craig Meaney]

I can't argue with that. I've been using a DC-100VX for the past 6 years. I have modified it into two stage and done a plastic dust bag mod, which reduced the noise by 7DB, but I use it with my Sawstop, Hammer A3-31, Onefinity CNC, Laguna 1412 Bandsaw, Hammer F3 Shaper, plus others, all via 5" metal ducting and 4" flex hose.

I often run my Sawstop and A3-31 simultaneously with two 4" ports open, no issues extracting.

Sounds like a reliable and powerful collector. And it has HEPA filtration... just no bin. I will definitely consider it. This is also small enough that I could roll it into the closet under the stairs and sound-proof that area..

EDIT: I previously said this didn't have HEPA, I was wrong.

[Craig Meaney]

I just spent the past month deciding on a new dust collector for my small shop (19X12 single car garage). What I ended up buying today was the Oneida Supercell.

It has a Hepa filter and is the smallest sized dust collector I could find. The width and depth are under 2'X2' compared to all of the other larger dust collectors out there. Not only is the size of the collector small but I now don't have to install a 7" or 6" main line to get adequate suction. The Supercell uses just 4" or smaller diameter hoses. After a lot of questions with Oneida on whether it will work with my tools or not I'm hoping this will be my last collector.

The noise level should be about the same level as my miter saw or sander with dust extractor. If I find it is too loud I'll try and box it in a bit with some sound dampening material. We will see. Now I just need to wait for a few weeks for it to show up.

Good luck with your decision and that's a great looking start to your new shop.

Thanks Joel, the footprint of the Supercell appeals to me as well, as well as the ability to run up to 100 feet of flex-hose and not lose suction. I'm trying to put everything on wheels as I may move to the back yard for long planing/sawing sessions to appease SWMBO. The ability to pull a run of hose through the door (or window) and use it would be good. I also don't own a dust extractor yet or shop vac, so it could serve that role as well. Rollie Johnson also extolled the virtues of this machine on the FWW podcast recently. The big drawback from my perspective is the noise level, so do let me know how loud you find it. I don't have sound insulation in the basement and our house is small/old.

[Craig Meaney]

I have recently moved and my work space is in the basement. Before moving I sold an older Delta dust collector and now need something for the saw, planer, and jointer. I use one machine at a time and the current layout of the 12x24 space means the machines need to be moved to a work area in the center of one end of the shop. My default idea is an Oneida Mini Gorilla with a short hose in one corner of the 12x24 space. the living room is right above the sop and there is no insulation or other sound deadening material between the floor joists, so I also need to sort out longer term sound proofing issues.

The Jet looks interesting. But, if you have any 1.5hp or so dust collector and add something like a dust-deputy, isn't air flow affected enough o make a difference in dust collection? The integration of the cyclone into the mini gorilla or the supercell seem like a better idea. I've thought about the Harvey too, but I'm not sure if the additional costs means. enough meaningful difference in dust collection when used with single machines.

My thinking aligns with yours on this. Mini gorilla and supercell have HEPA and cyclone out of the box. Harvey is an $800+ premium over the made in USA supercell. I'm in the same situation as you in terms of insulation and sound deadening.

[Craig Meaney]

Mostly a hand tool woodworker but have 14 inch Rikon bandsaw, Dewalt 735 planer, added a Ridgid 6" jointer from Home Depot recently. The Oneida mini-gorilla has worked for me. There have been some minor issues, check the thread on that, but all in all I am happy with it. Make sure your filtration on your HEPA is the best you can get. I do not recommend blowing chips from the Dewalt 735 into a trash can or a filtration bag from Rockler. My shop was filled with fine dust and I coughed for a year before I figured out the benefits of HEPA.

Thanks Mark, I think the Mini Gorilla is top of the list at this point. Sounds like the weather stripping has a limited lifespan, not a fatal flaw. I have been blowing chips from my 735 into a filtration bag outside and have noticed the fine dust pumping out of it, you're totally right about that.

[Carl Beckett]

Thanks Kevin, I just watched some video reviews of this machine. Wow, it is QUIET. Building a bench/assembly table over it would be an awesome use of space. That really appeals to me, I just don't know if I can justify the premium over the Supercell. Looks like the price just increased to $3200 + 350 freight. Oneida is around $2600 (30 gallon drum) + 99 shipping, so a $800+ difference.

If you are at all interested I would watch the price. It tends to fluctuate up and down and regularly hits the $2500 range. At least in the past it fluctuated.

[Scott Clausen]

I have of late gone mostly hand tool but I still have power tools and use a shop vac with a cyclone that barely works for my DW735. I can't imagine a laundry room open to the shop. Before I went hand tool I would regularly turn on my shop vac but forget to attach the hose to the tool, what a mess.

[Craig Meaney]

I have of late gone mostly hand tool but I still have power tools and use a shop vac with a cyclone that barely works for my DW735. I can't imagine a laundry room open to the shop. Before I went hand tool I would regularly turn on my shop vac but forget to attach the hose to the tool, what a mess.
yeah we'll see how it goes haha... I have closet doors that I removed to install the floor that go in front of the washer/dryer.. but they're louvered. Hoping they keep the dust low, but I can see them getting replaced down the line.

[Craig Meaney]

I'll keep an eye on it for sure, thank you for the heads up.

[Kurt Wyberanec]

Hey Craig, the Onieda looks like a nice machine, it seems to have a lot of power in a small package, but I would wonder how good its filtration is because a lot of filtration comes from surface area. With a little amount of air coming in, a little surface filter area is fine, but with a lot of material and air you need more surface area to filter that. I'm sure it's a nice unit, and it probably works well...but based on what you've stated your needs are, I still would assert that it's probably overkill, and you could easily spend 1k less and put that money into something else. The JETs mentioned will do everything you need and move around easily. They're also not a loud machine in my experience though every situation is different. I would also suggest if you are interested in the Harvey, keep an eye, as every week they have different prices.....literally. I've been very impressed with how they have managed to keep a very high level of quality for Bridge City Tools (almost as good, but still great service) so if they're machines are anything close to that level of quality then I would have no doubt that it's a great unit. I have never seen one for sale 2nd hand so I think people must like them who have them. It can be had for the same price as that Oneida, and they both have pros and cons, but I would still say both are overkill.....but hey overkill can be nice :)

[JOEL MONGEON]

Thanks Joel, the footprint of the Supercell appeals to me as well, as well as the ability to run up to 100 feet of flex-hose and not lose suction. I'm trying to put everything on wheels as I may move to the back yard for long planing/sawing sessions to appease SWMBO. The ability to pull a run of hose through the door (or window) and use it would be good. I also don't own a dust extractor yet or shop vac, so it could serve that role as well. Rollie Johnson also extolled the virtues of this machine on the FWW podcast recently. The big drawback from my perspective is the noise level, so do let me know how loud you find it. I don't have sound insulation in the basement and our house is small/old.
Hi Craig

I heard Rollie on the podcast too, definitely helped. What really did it for me was measuring the db of the machines I already have. My planner is way louder than the Supercell and even my festool sander and extractor are louder than it is.

I'd call up or email Oneida with your questions. They were very helpful answering mine and helping me determine which machine would work for my circumstances. I also got them to design the ductwork for my shop. The thing I hated about all my other set ups was the ducting and how none of the connections seemed to fit the first time around.