Oneida DC...owners or advisors......

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I am pretty uneducated about DC.

In the next few weeks I'm going to be ordering an Oneida Dust Gorilla. I'm looking at a 2.5 HP High Efficiency Super Dust Gorilla and a 3 HP Super Dust Gorilla.

Any one have any specific recommendations...or pros & cons?

My shop is 30 x 24. I'll be hooking it to a b/s, jointer, tablesaw, lunch box thickness planer and I'll probably put some kind of port near my lathe.

Thanks for some advice!

[Joe Mioux]

Ken pick one.

I have the orginal 2hp gorilla and love it. I can't imagine me ever needing to upgrade from the 2 hp model. It just sucks everything up.

btw, what is the difference between the 2 hp, the 2.5 hp and the 3 hp?

I assume the fan blade moves at a set rpm. If that is the case what does and extra hp or 1/2 hp mean when you are running one tool at a time? Even if I ran more than one tool, I am pretty confident that my 2 would suck everything up.

hth
Joe

[sascha gast]

I got my 3hp super dust gorilla about 2 months or so ago, maybe a tad more and all I can say this thing is worth every single dollar I spent on it.
this is my 3rd dust collector, first a small Jet, than a larger one with a wynn style cartridge and now the oneida.
I decided to intall it outside, so I built a shed. frankly it's a tall shed, I built it 9 feet tall and 7feet wide since I also keep my 60gallon compressor inside. I didn't bother using the filter and just vent outside, here in los angeles I am not worried about heat/cold escaping the shop and I always have the garage door open when I work. I used 8" spiral pipe from the local HVAC supply from the gorilla for about 10feet or so to get back into the shop, then some 7" and finally 6" for all my runs/drops to 3 areas in the shop. all in all, I have 4 outlets for all the machines. just amazing, I just have the little remote dangling from the ceiling, turn it on when I need it.
All I can say is WOW. but i am glad it's outside, it sure is loud. I can't speak for the energy efficient version, but either way, it's the way to go

[Jim Becker]

Either will do fine, Ken. If you have the ability to do the 3hp system, go ahead and do it. You do have a larger shop and any additional available performance isn't going to be lost when it comes to gathering the fines at the source.

[Carl Crout]

Either will do fine, Ken. If you have the ability to do the 3hp system, go ahead and do it. You do have a larger shop and any additional available performance isn't going to be lost when it comes to gathering the fines at the source.

Why buy the 3hp if you don't need it. All you would be doing is wasting electricity.

I have a 900 sq ft shop with the Oneida 2hp commercial. I have 3 runs with the longest at nearly 40 ft. Everything works fine.
I run 6" pvc.

[Rick Dohm]

I purchased the Oneida mobile Oneida unit, as everything I have has to be moved when not in use. While having to constantly move the hose from tool to tool is not convenient, it serves my purpose. Even that model sucks up everything in sight from push sticks to screw drivers to small mammals if it gets too close.:eek: I love mine.

Rick Dohm

[Joe Jensen]

I have the 2HP Super Gorilla. My shop is a standard suburban 3 car garage, about 30 by 22. I called Oneida to order a 3HP and sent them my tool layout. Then called back to tell me it would be a waste to order a 3HP. I only run one machine at a time. I have a 6" duct to a 12" Powermatic Model 100 planer that is short. I have 5" to a Bandsaw, 8" Jointer, 14" Dewalt RAS, SawStop, and 3HP Powermatic Shaper. If I had a 3HP instead of a 2HP, and the same ducts, my understanding is that I'd have a LITTLE more static pressure, but that wouldn't really be noticable. Keep in mind that duct size and tool ports need to be similarly sized. For example, the SawStop has a 4" port that goes to a shroud under the blade inside the machine. I can't find a good way to mod the SawStop for a 5" port at the shroud. I have a 5" steel duct to saw that necks down to 4" as it enters the saw. Say I ran a 7" duct to the saw and necked down to 4". It really woudn't help as the 4" port would limit airflow, and with the limited airflow, the 7" pipe CFM would be low enough that dust pooling in the duct might be an issue.

After having played with this a ton, here is my advice.
1) Bigger and more efficient ports at the tools are the biggest bang. I cut the 4" port off my Laguna BS and put a 5" port on. Made a huge difference. I changed the 4" port I had on the 8" jointer to a 5" one and it made a huge difference. Some tools can't really take a larger port. My shaper fence has a slightly smaller than 3" by 4" square opening behind the cutter. The acutal measurements yield about 10.5 sq inches of area . A 4" port has a little over 12 sq inches. If I put a 5" duct, or a 10" duct behind that 10.5 sq inch opening I would get about the same airflow. I actually fit a 5" port onto the back so I could connect with 5" ducting, but I doubt it helped over 4" port.
2) Once you figure out the maxium port size you can do, then send the tool layout to Oneida and tell them the tools and port sizes. Since none of your duct runs will be very long, I don't think you need to worry about running really large ducts. I was going to run 6" ducts to each end of the shop but the tools could only take 5" ports. Oneida said I'd risk dust pooling with long horizontal ducts that are larger than the ports. The had me do 5" ducts. In hindsight I think I'd do 6" for those runs, but I have no data to say for sure.
3) The 30 gallon container is small. I just planed a relatively small amount of stuff this morning and mostly filled a drum. Overfilling is bad as this forces the dust back into the filter. My shop won't accomodate the height of a 55 gallon drum, but if you can, I'd mount the collector so you can do a larger drum.
4) I did Oneida spiral pipe everywhere. With 6 machines connected I have less than 10 feet of flex pipe. I think well run steel duct is a must. It's a little more, but much nicer to work with and much lighter to hang.
5) the one tool I'm least happy with for dust collection is the RAS. I have a 5" duct which splits into a 4" and a 3". The 4" goes behind the blade and the 3" goes to a port on the blade guard. I am going to build a more elaborate shroud behind the blade to try that, but I suspect in the end I will run a larger pipe to the RAS and go with 5" behind the blade and 3" to the blade guard...joe

[Tom Quatsoe]

I would agree with Joe.

The Oneida salesperson talked me from a 3 hp into a 2 hp for a 3 car garage size shop. The biggest generator is a 16" jointer/planner combo machine. The key is 5 or 6 inch ports and metal pipe instead of flexible tubes.

Also, don't plan on using it for tools needing high static pressure DC like a router or random orbital sander. Get yourself a Festool or Fein for that task.

Tom

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Joe and Tom..........Thanks for the input. That was just what I was hoping to hear.

[Joe Jensen]

Ken, correction. I said I did Spiral pipe. I meant to say the cheaper snap lock pipe. It's similar to the Borg HVAC pipe but a heavier guage. It's pretty cheap and shipping is free when you order enough duct work. I ended up needing extra pieces and when I tried to find it in phoenix I ended up paying the same for fittings in the lighter guage as I did for heavy from Onieda...joe

[Dik Harrison]

I bought an Oneida system 9 years ago and it has worked great. I sent them a layout of my shop with tools (current and projected), ceiling height, etc., and they designed the system (for free) with appropriate duct sizes, elbows, Y's etc. I have a 2 HP motor and currently have ports for table saw, band saw, miter saw, radial arm saw, molder/planer, lathe, and belt sander. I am the only user, so the capacity for additional tools is virtually unlimited.

[Jim Becker]

Why buy the 3hp if you don't need it. All you would be doing is wasting electricity.

I have a 900 sq ft shop with the Oneida 2hp commercial. I have 3 runs with the longest at nearly 40 ft. Everything works fine.
I run 6" pvc.

I also have the 2hp Commercial with 7", 6" and 5" duct work as appropriate for the design and am not displeased. I would have had the 3hp system, however, if I had the height for it without sacrificing the 55 gallon bin for a smaller one. (They had a nice scratch and dent 3hp system available when I picked up my 2hp Commercial unit)

The electrical usage between the two units Ken asks about will hardly be noticeable, but the additional CFM could be quite useful for things like running two drops simultaneously, such as a TS with an overarm collection. And the way DC systems work, they only draw as much amperage as is needed for servicing the particular hood/duct combination that is currently open...again, no real difference in power usage.

[sascha gast]

lets just say that in the past, I have never gone wrong by going a little bigger than I needed.
I think I have yet to meet a woodworker that thinks any different:D

[Ross Van Dorpe]

I have the 3hp super dust gorilla in a shop thats about 20x24. More than enough power for all of my tools. I would talk to the people at oneida and send them a shop layout. Also it is important to have a straight run into the cyclone or you will get dust and chips in the filter. This is not stated in the instructions but is in the troubleshooting section. (It would be nice if they specified a length of straight pipe needed to have proper operation in the instruction book) I am very happy with the performance with all 6" ports.
Ross

[Joe Mioux]

lets just say that in the past, I have never gone wrong by going a little bigger than I needed.
I think I have yet to meet a woodworker that thinks any different:D

(emphasis mine)

Hand-tool craftsmen? Especially the people who buy garage sale chisels, planes, saws, etc and reburishes them in lieu of the fancy "Designer Brands" Bronze and Brass ones.

I can think of a few very promiment names here on SMC that would probably successfully argue that their handtools are just as efficient and in some cases even better than power tools. ;)

Joe

[Mark Singer]

I have the Oneida as well....I just hate dumping the sawdust, ,. It has been great! I could not work without it. It took a couple of days to install with all the ductwork but well worth the time. I have 11 runs with blast gates and most of the dust is picked up. Table saw and bandsaw it will not get it all....its just the nature of the way the blade moves and the pick up. I even have one for my Mini Max mortiser and it works good.

[Roger Bell]

I have an older Oneida 2 hp for a 24x24 with three fairly short runs. My machines are pretty much grouped in only one quarter-quadrant (12x12) of the 24x24 room to minimize the run lengths and maximize the efficiency. I have found the 2 hp to be plenty adequate.

I have 6" runs to 5" ports with blast gates at most machines.

The DC is the most important tool in the machine portion of the shop....removing the dust at the source is essential. I use the DC at the lathe only when sanding or when working exotics.

[Carl Crout]

I also have the 2hp Commercial with 7", 6" and 5" duct work as appropriate for the design and am not displeased. I would have had the 3hp system, however, if I had the height for it without sacrificing the 55 gallon bin for a smaller one. (They had a nice scratch and dent 3hp system available when I picked up my 2hp Commercial unit)

The electrical usage between the two units Ken asks about will hardly be noticeable, but the additional CFM could be quite useful for things like running two drops simultaneously, such as a TS with an overarm collection. And the way DC systems work, they only draw as much amperage as is needed for servicing the particular hood/duct combination that is currently open...again, no real difference in power usage.

I think you had better put an amprobe on those two motors and take some reading with no gates open and in different combinations. Not only will the bigger motor draw more power it will also cost you more to replace down the road. As most here have said, 2 hp is plenty for a one man shop EVEN with two tools running.

[Bill Arnold]

Ken,

I decided on the 3HP Super Dust Gorilla, which I purchased and installed last April. After researching the options and comparing systems, I didn't see any better choice. I have a time-lapse video of my assembly and installation on my website on the "Shop Tour", if you want to check it out.

[Jim Becker]

I think you had better put an amprobe on those two motors and take some reading with no gates open and in different combinations. Not only will the bigger motor draw more power it will also cost you more to replace down the road. As most here have said, 2 hp is plenty for a one man shop EVEN with two tools running.

With no gates open, the motors will be idling...they only draw increased amps when moving air. ;) But no matter, the actual run time of these system is relatively small for most folks, so power usage is really not a big issue. Yes, a replacement motor would cost more in most cases for a 3hp, but I really don't expect that the Leeson or Baldor motors are going to fail all that often in the home shop or small pro setting. (Unless one is turning them on and off every few seconds all day long...)

I'm not saying that you are wrong about the 2hp being acceptable, however...but when it comes to dust collection with maximum efficiency, bigger isn't a bad thing.

[Paul Kinneberg]

Ken I have the 2HP super Gorilla about 18 months heres my take: Works great surpassed all my Dust collection expectations, noisier than I thought it would be and my main unit is in a insulated closet, filter in shop. The mounting braket they provide is definately the week link in the chain I had my brother weld me up a front support. GO with the biger bin if you have the space. I also have the full bin indicator light spendy but I love it. Hope this helps.

[Jim Becker]

I agree with Paul...the 55 gallon bin is what you want if you have the headroom...and I can still fill that up REAL FAST when preparing stock at the J/P...:rolleyes:

[Sean Troy]

How do you change a 4" port on a TS to a 6" port? Thanks

[sascha gast]

you'll have to cut out the 4" port and fit a 6". however, I can't get myself to do that. 4" works just fine. once i get my shark guard, I will even get better dust collection above the table

[Sean Troy]

I think I'll stick with the 4" port in conjunction with an overarm blade guard/ dust collector port. I can't bring myself to cut into a brandnew saw either.

[Andy Calenzo]

Ken,

My name is Andy and I am an engineer at Oneida Air Systems. We are glad to see that you will soon be the proud owner of a new Dust Gorilla! Regarding the differences between 2, 2.5, & 3 horsepower systems, the 2 horsepower Gorilla is a good fit for small shops where one or two tools will be in operation at the same time. The 2.5 horsepower unit gives you a little more 'oomph' by virtue of its slightly larger impeller (The 2 horsepower Gorilla has a 13.5" diameter impeller and the 2.5 horsepower unit has a 14.25" diameter impeller). The 2.5hp unit is also our 'Green Machine' as it uses less electricity (the 2.5hp Baldor motor benefits from the fact that it has a 'run' capacitor which greatly improves efficiency & lowers power consumption). The 3 horsepower Gorilla can typically handle 2 to 3 open tool ports at the same time due to its larger cyclone & 15" diameter impeller. I like to say that all things being equal in terms of tools and ductwork, a more powerful collector will generate higher inlet velocity at each tool port (tool port inlet velocity is very important because it determines how much total dust will be collected). When you call in to discuss your purchase, we can answer any additional questions that you may have. Thank you again for your interest in Oneida dust collectors and have a good day!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Thanks Andy. I wondered about the impeller size as I didn't see it listed on your new website. I'll be talking to your company in the next few weeks.

[Randy Denby]

I've a question for Oneida or anyone that may know. I have an older 2HP Onieda (probably 4-5 yrs old) and I'm curious to the configuration of this collector vs the new Gorilla's etc., such as wheel size, blade , cone. Has there been any significant improvements over the last few years?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Randy....I'll bet if you go to their website under Customer Service...You can ask the queston and they'll reply via email ....or call them.

[Andy Calenzo]

Randy,

This is Andy Calenzo of Oneida again. To answer the questions in your post regarding your Oneida dust collector, I looked up your original order in our files and identified a ship date of July 2002. You have our 2 horsepower component system with the external cartridge filter. This particular unit was manufactured with a 12.5" diameter backwardly inclined impeller. The impeller is molded from a non-metallic composite material so that it cannot throw a spark if something metal were to contact it (the probability of anything contacting this impeller would be a long shot because the cyclone causes anything heavy to drop out of the air stream before the air enters the blower system). The 2 horsepower Gorilla uses a 13.5" cast aluminum (also non-sparking), backwardly inclined impeller with vanes that are about an inch taller than the 12.5" impeller in your current unit. This impeller along with a larger cyclone (21" diameter versus the 20" diameter cyclone on your component system) accounts for an approximate 30% improvement in air flow between the Gorilla your component system. Regarding other improvements, we have changed the cyclone geometry somewhat to improve particle separation so that you don't have to clean the filter as often. We also use a neutral vane (this device positioned at the inlet lowers pressure drop through the cyclone & improves air flow) on every direct drive cyclone system we manufacture and our factory wired and tested magnetic starters have a built in RF receiver that can be triggered with a remote key fob transmitter. Also, we now ship every Gorilla with a factory installed silencer that drops down into the cartridge filter. In a nutshell, the 2 horsepower Super Gorilla offers dramatically improved performance and additional features as compared to our component systems at what we believe is a very attractive price. I hope that you find the information I've provided here to be helpful. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to contact us. Take care.

[Mike Pierson]

Ken - I JUST (a week ago) bought a 2HP Super Gorilla. So am probably just a few weeks ahead of you in the process. Still only half assembled in the basement....waiting on the ductwork plan so I can order tube....

to be honest it has taken longer on the ductwork planing than estimated and have not gotten replies to inquires on that status.:(

[Randy Denby]

Thanks Andy ! I appreciate the info and will be contacting you soon . ( I saw the new systems at the AWFS in Vegas and I was very impressed!) I will ...hopefully, be building a new larger shop and even tho my current system is great, my new 12" jointer and planned 20" planer may push the limit.
Ken....I just realized I kinda hijacked your thread. I apologize and I hope my question to Oneida will help you and others too. If they have increased efficiency/collection of 30% over my older Oneida, I recommend not letting pets or small children near a duct opening :D