ClearVue CV1800 or Pentz EF5?

[Craig Day]

Greetings All,

I'm finally in a position with space in my shop to add dust collection. I've been eyeing the Oneida and Clearvue solutions and have been leaning more toward Clearvue. Now I'm trying to decide between the CV1800 or the EF5. The CV1800 has a 6" intake and EF5 has the option of 6" or 8". I've always read that a bigger main run is better and gives higher suction. I haven't run through any calculators but curious to know if all of you with dust collection systems can tell me how the CV1800 with a 6" intake might work in my shop given a description of the shop and tools.

My shop is about 32' x 25' with 12' ceilings. I will be connecting the following tools to the system:

1. 12" jointer
2. 20" planer
3. Router table
4. Drill press
5. Mitersaw
6. Spindle sander
7. Oscillating edge sander
8. Tablesaw
9. 19" bandsaw
10. 14" bandsaw

I'll probably have a sweeping port for the floor too. Is the Clearvue 1800 sufficient with the 6" intake for a setup like this?

cheers,
Craig

[Scott Bernstein]

I am an amateur/hobby woodworker, non-commercial, and my "shop" is in my two-car garage. I have the following: drill press, table saw (SawStop 3HP), router table, spindle sander, 16" jointer-planer combo unit, bandsaw, router boss, pantorouter, disc sander, miter saw, and some miscellaneous handheld power tools. I was in the market for a dust collector last year after suffering with just a shop vac for a few years. I looked at the same models and ended up with the ClearVue CV1800. I got mine with an up-sized 16" housing and 16" impeller - normally it has a 15" housing/impeller. Just provides a little more performance when using smaller hoses. If you are running only one machine at a time I think the CV1800 is more than adequate. Also I did not have the ceiling height for a standard install for the Pentz EF5. The CV1800 fits...with like 2" to spare.

[Craig Day]

I am an amateur/hobby woodworker, non-commercial, and my "shop" is in my two-car garage. I have the following: drill press, table saw (SawStop 3HP), router table, spindle sander, 16" jointer-planer combo unit, bandsaw, router boss, pantorouter, disc sander, miter saw, and some miscellaneous handheld power tools. I was in the market for a dust collector last year after suffering with just a shop vac for a few years. I looked at the same models and ended up with the ClearVue CV1800. I got mine with an up-sized 16" housing and 16" impeller - normally it has a 15" housing/impeller. Just provides a little more performance when using smaller hoses. If you are running only one machine at a time I think the CV1800 is more than adequate. Also I did not have the ceiling height for a standard install for the Pentz EF5. The CV1800 fits...with like 2" to spare.

Thanks Scott... this is very helpful. I will only be running one machine at a time... so no issues there.

[David Kumm]

The new metal cyclone looks good. I knew CV was working on one but thought it might be a little larger. Regardless, I'd opt for the 16" impeller and larger inlet. It offers less risk for a small upcharge. The ability to utilize a 7-8" main if you need more cfm without changing the whole system is worth the extra change and you have some high cfm machines. Dave

[Jim Becker]

April Wilkerson has one of the metal units...while her video on the same and the actual installation have some, um...things I don't like...it does seem like a nice unit.

[Corey Pelton]

One machine at time should be no problem for the CV1800. I have a similar setup with Scott. My CV1800 pulls large amounts of chips from my 16” J/P and doesn’t clog or leave much of anything behind. It’s in my middle trunk of piping, about 30ish feet from the unit. I’m using 6” piping and drops.

[Matt Day]

I recently installed a CV1800, with upgrades 16” impeller and have been very happy. The EF5 was a lot more expensive, and I didn’t see the cost/benefit working out, and I didn’t have the ceiling height.
I’m a one man shop with similar equipment, and one at a time and it’s been great. Takes quite a bit of time to assemble and install, which is how they keep the cost down. Excellent customer service/support.

[Ole Anderson]

April Wilkerson has one of the metal units...while her video on the same and the actual installation have some, um...things I don't like...it does seem like a nice unit.

And it looks like she seldom uses any dust collection.

[Andrew More]

And it looks like she seldom uses any dust collection.

I noticed that too. I do not understand it. She's got some older videos where she had everything hooked up to first a HF single stage, and then later added a heftier until in a closet outside.

She spent a lot of time and money running dust collection ducts to various places in the new shop, and yet never seems to use it.

Maybe the demanding schedule of making videos means she hasn't had the time to really hook everything up? Seems like a lot of her tools are not attached, and it's a lot of time and effort. Also she seems to do a lot of things with hand held tools, for which the dust collection is abysmal unless it's like Festool or something. However, even Festool's don't attach to a cyclone, but instead go through their "Dust Collector" shop vac.

[Jim Becker]

And it looks like she seldom uses any dust collection.

Yes, that's just one of the things I'm bothered by, but at least the video does show the actual system which I felt would be helpful to some folks.

[Jim Andrew]

Glad to see you are looking at the right size units to actually work in your shop. The CV 1800 is probably big enough, but I would go with the 16" impeller if going with a new system. I have a 3 hp cyclone, and it works ok, but could use a little more with my sanders, especially that edge sander. I made a 6" flange for my edge sander, and it improved the collection on that machine. Really wasn't that hard, I took a piece of sheet metal and cut out the hole and outside diameters with my jig saw, then took a piece of strap and made the circle, then welded the parts together and fastened to the sander.

[Nick Lazz]

The CV cyclone has been my best purchase by far. I am a one man shop...I can't run two peices of equipment at the same time .... but when I forget to shut a gate to a machine and open a 2nd one it still sucks...I mean it still gets most of the debris.

I love everything about the CV. Many will try to dissuade you by mdf and 'plastic' components, but the clear view of what is happening is helpful in many situations. The dust collection in my small shop is the envy of most.
CV is simply a very good product.

[mreza Salav]

Have a CV1800 and have been quite happy with its performance. It delivers 1000cfm at every machine port I checked (37" double drum sander, shaper, table saw, bandsaw, miter saw, J/P combo, etc). I bought it used at a good deal but if I was to buy a new one I'd choose the 16" impeller as the 15" one isn't fully using the 5HP motor. It's about 4HP usage.