Originally Posted by
dirk martin
2 Open ports, equates to 5hp?
3hp is a no-go ?
Seriously?.....wow....I wasn't expecting that....
I can speak directly to that and to the two models of Grizzly you first mention. I am a one man shop that does pieces on commission. I generally do less than half a dozen large pieces per year so balance that against the amount of spoil your shop creates. Given that comparison . . .
I really wanted to get the 3HP G0441. I made the regrettable mistake of being lazy and not wanting to modify some structure in the shop to make it fit. I bought the 2HP G0440. It has been a great machine and has been fired up almost daily for 9 years now. I'd certainly say I got my money out of it based on the price at that time.
Dust collection with the 2HP unit has always been adequate but, not great. I still have to sweep up now and again and enhance my collection with two Dust Deputy equipped shop vacs and an ambient cleaner. The usefulness of an ambient cleaner is another discussion and collecting the dust at the source is your goal. At any rate I have always chastised myself for not putting out the effort for the 3HP. The way prices are today I would probably just go ahead and step up to a 5HP.
Bear in mind I do no production work of any kind. This is one man shop making custom stuff that moves at a snails pace compared to a production shop.
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler