dust collection in garage shop

[Michael Batt]

I know this topic has been discussed to death, but I continue to be confused. I have my shop set up in my garage. TS, planer, jointer, cms and router table extension on the TS. I'm headed to the woodworking show in Costa Mesa this weekend hoping to come away with a dust collection unit that will be moved from one tool to another as needed. The kicker? I don't want to spend over $300.00. Question 1: Can anyone recommend a unit that would fit my needs best? Question 2: is the show a good place to look for a nice deal?
Thanks.

[Chris Friesen]

With your budget, spend $35 on a good particulate filter dust mask--something like this, for instance:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&p=56510&cat=1,42207,43647

That will protect your lungs. To make cleanup easier, you now have $265 to spend on a small chip collector or a good shopvac with a HEPA filter.

[frank shic]

there are a couple of dust collectors on the market in that price range. you can find them on amazon.com who will deliver them right up to your garage so that you don't have to transport it by yourself. you could also add an air filter later on except i really don't use mine since i got the sharkguard for my tablesaw.

[Ray Knight]

The HF dust collector is on sale right now. 1 1/2 or 2 hp, moves a lot of air for dollar spent. The stand is not as solid as the brand name, and it doesn't have the 1 or 5 micron bag. but it sure sucks a lot for the price spent. It is what I am starting with. and rather than ducting I am center clustering the tools that need a lot of air movement. Works for me right now. 5x better than shop vac. $199 on internet, $179 at our local HF, carry out. If you find the air movement good enough, you can get the Wynn pleated cannister and get even cleaner air coming out. I can't think of any other current option for more suck for dollar in the under $300 range. Ray Knight

[Bill Ragland]

I have the same setup as Ray. I just arranged the shop around the dust collector. I have the BS, TS, Planer connected and use a shop vac on the router table. Just keep a box under the planer to collect most of the chips. In about a year I will have a dedicated shop that I will plumb for the DC and all machines connected. The HF DC has been very good. I replaced the 30 micron bags with 1 micron bags for $90. Total cost was around $270. The other good DC is the Delta 75-360 that is available at times on amazon for $300 or less, shipped and it has the 1 micron bags already.

Either one of these would do the trick. The Delta is highly rated.

EDIT: if you don't have 1 micron filtration you are wasting your time, especially when it comes to the air you breathe. 30 micron bags won't protect your lungs.

[Jeff Norri]

I am not sure what your shop set up is like, but it is sure nice to have the DC in one place and just have to open a Blast gate rather then move the DC around (especially when you have a large project in progress). If money is tight now, cheap out on this tool, as a little DC likely won't be around for years and years in your shop. Take a look for a used one, lots of guys upgrade form the 1.5hp units into something that they can run duct work from or to get into a Cyclone, so you should be able to pick up a good one for $100 used if you keep your eyes open. That should tide you ove until you can get something bigger/better and if you by used you won't loose much $ on it.

[Larry Fox]

Michael, if I were in your shoes I would look in the used market as they come up fairly frequently. The Grizzley 1029 (I believe the model number is correct) is a nice 2hp unit and I see them used locally fairly frequently for < $200 and sometimes < $150. I have one and I think it will work well for the use you describe.

[Bill White]

I have the HF unit that I bought from Wes Newman. I'll be putting the Highland Hardware filter bags on it 'cause the 30 micron dust spray attachment (stock bags) ain't workin' well in my shop. That being said, the stock DC is a WAY BUNCH BETTER than what I had. The unit I have is surprisingly quiet.
Bill

[Don Bullock]

... I'm headed to the woodworking show in Costa Mesa this weekend hoping to come away with a dust collection unit that will be moved from one tool to another as needed. ...

Michael, I'm going the show this weekend too. Based on the last show, however, I'm not counting on any "great deals" on machines. Yes, there may be some, but not on ones that I can afford. At the last show most of the "deals" were on higher end machines that the dealers didn't want to transport back to the store. I may be wrong, so if there is a great DC deal at the show I may just "snap it up" as well. Good luck.

[Prashun Patel]

I'm currently using a 16gal shopvac and a mini-cyclone mounted onto a rolling 5gal bucket (from clearvue cyclones). The whole thing cost about $200. I love this setup for a couple reasons:

1) It's cheap
2) The shopvac does doubleduty.
3) The cyclone catches almost all fine dust and keeps the svac filter clean. The 5g bucket is a cinch to empty and keep clean.

The shopvacs typically have a 2 1/2 inch inlet, though, so you'll have to reduce yr tablesaw port. In my experience, there is no 'cheap' way to capture ALL the dust a table saw generates. If the bottom of yr saw is open (contractor/bench) you might just attach a fabric bag to the bottom to catch the dust, and then use the svac/cyclone hose on the top of the table catch the above-table spray.

[Ted Miller]

Mike, I sent you a PM...