mini dust collector

[paul wiser]

looking for any input on the steel city tools mini dust collector that attaches direc tly to the dust port on a machine. any thoughts??? thanks

[Rick Potter]

I got mine from California Woodworking Machines in Anaheim CA. With shipping I paid about $98. It came with a 30 micron bag, and I got a 1 micron bag direct from Steel City for about $25 with shipping, for a total of about $125.

They have just upgraded them with the new bags, but mine was the old stock, and CWM was selling them off. This was a couple weeks ago.

As far as the unit is concerned, I have it mounted directly on a clear vue mini cyclone. I would say it just works OK, not as good as my good shop vac did. I cannot believe it flows 300 cfm. When I turn it on, it hardly starts to fill the bag with air. It has 4" ports, but they are much bigger than the opening behind the port. I am not sure I would buy it again.

Rick Potter

[Randy Klein]

I got mine from California Woodworking Machines in Anaheim CA. With shipping I paid about $98. It came with a 30 micron bag, and I got a 1 micron bag direct from Steel City for about $25 with shipping, for a total of about $125.

They have just upgraded them with the new bags, but mine was the old stock, and CWM was selling them off. This was a couple weeks ago.

As far as the unit is concerned, I have it mounted directly on a clear vue mini cyclone. I would say it just works OK, not as good as my good shop vac did. I cannot believe it flows 300 cfm. When I turn it on, it hardly starts to fill the bag with air. It has 4" ports, but they are much bigger than the opening behind the port. I am not sure I would buy it again.

Rick Potter

Wouldn't the mini cyclone choke the cfm? I don't think it was designed for that.

[John W. Willis]

I'm not sure if this is the same one but if it is this looks like a good price with the 3 micron bag.
http://www.toolking.com/SteelCity_65115.aspx

[Phil Thien]

I tried one at my local Woodcraft store. I was using my hand for a non-scientific test, comparing it to the mini HF unit that also uses a universal motor. It seemed to me that the HF unit moved 2x the air. But the HF unit isn't as small and can't be mounted on a stand.

[Jim Becker]

When I turn it on, it hardly starts to fill the bag with air.

That's a GOOD thing...if the bag is inflating hard, you have major flow restriction in the filter. A good filter bag will not inflate since it's passing air efficiently. (This is not related to the actual CFM of the machine, however...figure half of the manufacturer "free air" specification, but no more than about 350 CFM through a 4" port)

[Rick Potter]

If you take a look at a pic of the collector, on SC website, notice that the 4" exhaust is preceded by a restricted opening smaller than a shop vac. The 4" inlet and outlet is not really the size of passages in the unit.

Jim, when I say the bag does not inflate, I mean it really does not inflate. It just hangs there. As I said before, it works, but not well, on the mini cyclone. My shop vac works a lot better.

It is adequate for a router though, and that is basically what I use it for. With the shop vac connected, I can vacuum the floors. No way with this one.

Rick P

[Randy Klein]

Rick,

Have you tried running it w/o the mini cyclone?

[Rick Potter]

Yup. It simply doesn't move much air. Of course, that's only my experience, yours may differ. Lets just say, I plan to keep the new bag, and would sell the unit with original bag for half of what I paid.

Rick P

[David Freed]

Yup. It simply doesn't move much air. Of course, that's only my experience, yours may differ. Lets just say, I plan to keep the new bag, and would sell the unit with original bag for half of what I paid.

Rick P


Dust collector ratings are like hp ratings. Some companies will give the hp rating of a machine basically at its stall point right before it shuts down. Technically it did develope that much hp, but that isn't usable hp.

Same goes for dust collectors. they will create ideal conditions in a lab and measure the cfm. When you get it in a real world situation, it will only create 1/2 to 1/3 of the air flow of what they say.

Some companies have the cfm/static pressure charts that show what their dc can do in real conditions. That will give you a much better guide to go by.

[Bryan Rocker]

I don't see how that little 2 amp dust collector is going to do a better job at moving air than my 12 amp shop vac. It doesn't make any sense to me.

Bryan