Well, as you all know, I recently took possession of a FREE, vintage Onieda 1.5 HP system.
Thanks to the excellent replies in that thread I started, I now know that I can "kinda sorta" get by with this, in my smallish shop, but would do well to upgrade at some point. So, I'm already looking around for options. (I'll be installing / keeping the main 6" metal trunk line, and probably the 5" wyes, drop-downs & blast gates.)
I'e read tons of praise for the Clear Vue CV1800, and since I will be venting outside the price is sort of shockingly reasonable. $1400 + shipping, for a highly-rated 5 HP unit. That's about what I've seen USED 3 HP systems sell for recently. (from other companies.)
Then I looked at the 3 & 5 HP Oniedas, and the price kind of knocked be backwards. And I'm not talking about their units with 3ph motors and "smart" speed control.
So my queston is: Is Onieda just charging a huge surcharge for "their name," or is there something lacking in the Clear Vue? In other words, can the Clear Vue really be as good as folks claim for the price?
Would a used Onieda possibly be a better system?