A few questions on the Laguna C-Flux Dust Collector with the Bin Insert and P-flux ?

[Ed Skerke]

Thinking about purchasing a Laguna P-flux or C-flux 2HP dust collector and I have a couple questions about the dust container bin insert.

1. Does the bin container stay in the bag the entire time that dust is being collected?
2. Is it a pain to remove that insert when you go to empty the bag of shavings?

I noticed one of the differences between the Laguna C-Flux and Laguna P-Flux dust collectors in the a container bin insert.

1. If anybody has a Laguna P-Flux can you comment on how well the suction holds the dust bag in place?
2. Is the HEPA filter/ bag suction/ and indicator lights worth the price difference between the P-Flux and the C-Flux?

Thanks

[Scott Brader]

I bought a C-Flux a couple of months ago and I love it. The bin liner stays in the entire time. It has four nice grip handles on it so you can easily lift it out when emptying the bag. The only hassle is that you have to be careful if the bin is nearly full because some dust clings to the liner and you need to tap it a couple of times to clear it off and that's tough if the bin is full. Otherwise, it is no problem at all.

Scott

[Robert Hayward]

I have a C-flux3 and have no problems with the bin insert. Yes the insert stays in the bag/bin all the time. No I do not find it a pain to remove the insert when emptying the bin. I do not do it inside my shop though. The collection bin is on wheels so I just wheel it out to my garden and dump the sawdust out there. Keeps the dust down in the shop.

[Ed Skerke]

Thanks for the feedback.

[Charlie Hinton]

Hey guys, I have researched dust collectors to death and still don't have a very good idea of how well the Laguna machines work for separation.
One review says not a spec of dust makes it through the cyclone and the next review says 20% makes it past.
Since two owners have responded would y'all weigh in on how well the cyclones work for dust/chip separation ?
Which models do you own, and would you buy the same one again ?
Thanks in advance for any additional feedback.

[Scott Brader]

Charlie,
I have the CFLUX:1 and I am very happy with it. I have not done any official measurements, but there is virtually no dust in the post-filter bag despite the fact that I have emptied the bin quite a few times already. I primarily use it on my jointer and planer. My current table saw does not have DC capabilities (but my new one that I should have in two weeks does!).

Scott

[Charlie Hinton]

Thanks for the real world feedback.

[Larry Frank]

One comment to consider....the amount of dust that gets by the cyclone is dependent on the type of dust being collected. I would suspect that with a pointer or planer would have relatively little fine dust. If you are using a drum sander, you will have a lot of fine dust.

The shorter the cone the worse the fine dust separation will be.

[Scott Brader]

Good point, and I agree! That's why I listed the tools I'm using. I'm sure the results would be different with a different mix of tools. I bought mine based on my tool mix. I probably would have considered a different collector if I had a drum sander!

Scott

[Robert Hayward]

With my Cflux3 nothing gets into the filter bag when using the table saw and bandsaw. The drum sander is a different story. I have no clue what percentage of fine dust goes into the filter bag but some does. Not enough to concern me but flour fine dust does go into the filter bag when using the drum sander. If the main collection hopper is less than half full there is less drum sander dust going into the filter bag.

[Charlie Hinton]

Good feedback, thanks.
Seems like the Laguna cyclones work good.

[Charlie Hinton]

At the end of September I ordered a P FLUX 2 from Rockler.
Today was the first day I was able to really use it a lot.
I am using the included two 4" port adapter with one port permanently attached to the tablesaw and the other port being moved machine to machine.
On the old dust collector I hava a 35 gallon trash can as a separator and it was about 2/3 full with a mixture of sawdust from all the tools.
I started by vacuuming out the trash can, the tablesaw, and the shop floor, the cyclone worked well on this.
Much more airflow than the old dust collector.
I used the dust collector throughout the day mostly on the tablesaw, jointer, and planer.
Towards the evening I used the downdraft table for some sanding, while the increased airflow is noticeable everywhere the downdraft table is where it's most notable with the work pieces being held down pretty firmly.
I dumped the bag/bin a couple of times, the separation seems like it's working well with very minimal dust in the filter bin.
The advertized noise level was a major factor in this purchasing decision.
The machine is louder than the 1 hp Delta AP400, per an iPhone app the old dust collector is 80dB and the new one is 90dB.
This is about 10 ft away from either machine in a 20x20 garage.
I have compared the iPhone app to a Radio Shack SPL meter and they are comparable and while not admissible as evidence in court I think the reading is accurate enough to say the advertised noise level is extremely optimistic if not misleading.
In spite of it being much louder than advertised I am otherwise pleased with the performance of this machine.
The airflow is great and at the end of the day there was barely anything in the filter bin so the cyclone part of the dealio is working well.

[Jim Becker]

Charlie, one hint I'll give you relative to sound level is that it's different when the machine is running with the gates closed and when it's running with a port open to a machine. And with some machines, the change in sound level can be substantial. For example, with my J/P, the second the gate is opened and the machine turned on, the overall sound is amplified amazingly over what the J/P and the DC exhibit independently...so wear hearing protection.

[Charlie Hinton]

Jim, yes on all counts.
The manufacturer most likely measured noise in no boundary open air or perhaps an anechoic chamber.
When I replaced an old pancake air compressor with the California Air compressor and turned it on that first time I had a WOW moment.
I don't think this machine is excessively noisy for what it is, but it is louder than I was hoping for. I am certainly not marveling at how quietly it operates. But having said that I have never worked with another equivalent dust collector.
I am comparing it to a 1 hp single stage machine with a trash can separator in front of it.
Mostly I am glad that the initial impression of cyclone performance and airflow are very positive.
The reviews of these machines is all over the place.
The owners that contributed to this thread initially helped me make this purchase decision, I really appreciate the real world feedback.
Having just assembled the machine and keeping in mind I have really only used the machine for one day I am going to speculate that some of the extremely negative reviews are due to air leaks in the drum. There's a lot of potential holes there that require caulking.
I also added caulking at various other seams throughout the machine that I thought could benefit from it. I didn't make it impossible to disassemble but if it ever becomes necessary it will be harder than just unbolting it.