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Thread: Anyone has a WEN 3403 dust collector?

  1. #1

    Question Anyone has a WEN 3403 dust collector?

    WEN 3403 looks like the exact same unit as the HF 2HP DC, but with a bigger impeller (same size as the Rikon - 11 3/4 in). And buying the WEN would be cheaper than HF + Rikon impleller update.


    Wen 2403 - $284
    Harbor Freight - $299 ($179 for the DC + $120 for the Rikon impeller)


    My only hesitation is that I can't find any reviews on the Wen 3403. Wondering if anyone has any experience with the WEN 3403?

    https://wenproducts.com/products/1500-cfm-16-amp-5-micron-woodworking-dust-collector-with-50-gallon-collection-bag-and-mobile-base

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
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    Tippecanoe County, IN
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    Amazon has reviews. The negative ones are all about power issues but those are the same you'll have with the HF/Rikon combo.

    I have the HF/Rikon setup and have done a lot of testing. I would buy the WEN now if I were doing it again. The HF motor is kind of marginal with a 12" fan and if you do any other mods to the unit can easily be overloaded.

    Really, the only thing that needs to be reviewed is customer service and, if it really matters to you for something like this, fit and finish.

    If you want to see some data on the HF/Rikon PM me and I'll send you a link. It's on another forum so I can't link to it in a post on this forum.
    Beranek's Law:

    It has been remarked that if one selects his own components, builds his own enclosure, and is convinced he has made a wise choice of design, then his own loudspeaker sounds better to him than does anyone else's loudspeaker. In this case, the frequency response of the loudspeaker seems to play only a minor part in forming a person's opinion.
    L.L. Beranek, Acoustics (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1954), p.208.

  3. #3
    Thanks David! I am not too bothered about fit/finish and customer service as long as the machine does what it's supposed to do.

    I also noticed that the WEN has a two 4" inlets via a Y adapter. I can't tell if the the inlet out of the motor is 4" or 5" or 6". Official manual doesn't say anything about it either. I'll probably call them up and ask tomorrow if I can't find the info. But I'm hoping it's a 6" inlet.

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    If it's not 6" it's easy enough to change it. That's done all the time in Australia where their 50Hz power makes it almost a necessity.

    If you're thinking about adding a filter I suggest you look at the Grizzly G0548 if you have 240V available. It includes a filter and flapper and has a much lower loss connection between the blower and separator ring.
    Beranek's Law:

    It has been remarked that if one selects his own components, builds his own enclosure, and is convinced he has made a wise choice of design, then his own loudspeaker sounds better to him than does anyone else's loudspeaker. In this case, the frequency response of the loudspeaker seems to play only a minor part in forming a person's opinion.
    L.L. Beranek, Acoustics (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1954), p.208.

  5. #5
    The bag filter also looks better on the WEN. But I would want a cartridge filter if discharging inside with either unit. I use a HF without the Rikon upgrade and discharge outside. I may still change the impeller but it's working pretty well. My HF came with a 5 inch to two 4s wye. Changed the inlet to 6 inch to match the super dust deputy it blows through before going outside and changed the outlet to 6 inch also. That only takes a few minutes. I like my setup.

    I have other Wen tools and they work fine. It is not like a Festool but they seem pretty typical in quality - probably made in the same factory as a lot of other brands.

  6. #6
    Jim, I'm planning to get a canister filter ASAP from Oneida - https://www.oneida-air.com/dust-coll...r-retrofit-kit. But yeah, will use the DC with the stock impeller first and see how it goes before I upgrade it.

    They say it's MERV 16, which should be better than Wynn's MERV 15. At least, it won't be worse.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Tippecanoe County, IN
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    Keep in mind that the HF motor really isn't capable of sustaining 2HP. The 12" fan will cause it to run hotter than with the OEM fan.

    TempFlow2.jpg

    My motor doesn't have a nameplate so I don't know the insulation rating. Most Asian motors like that one are either A or E so operating at more than about 600CFM will shorten the life of the motor. For every 10°C increase in temperature the aging rate approximately doubles.
    Beranek's Law:

    It has been remarked that if one selects his own components, builds his own enclosure, and is convinced he has made a wise choice of design, then his own loudspeaker sounds better to him than does anyone else's loudspeaker. In this case, the frequency response of the loudspeaker seems to play only a minor part in forming a person's opinion.
    L.L. Beranek, Acoustics (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1954), p.208.

  8. #8
    That Wen unit is a great value. It might replace the 2HP Harbor Freight unit as best value on the market. I would also suppose that the Wen has a better built motor than the HF.

    That Grizzly posted above is a nice unit too. But it tips the scales at over $635 when shipping is included.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Bobby Robbinett View Post
    That Wen unit is a great value. It might replace the 2HP Harbor Freight unit as best value on the market. I would also suppose that the Wen has a better built motor than the HF.

    That Grizzly posted above is a nice unit too. But it tips the scales at over $635 when shipping is included.
    Totally agree. Here's what my low priced DC research boiled down to:

    1. HF with modifications (Rikon impeller $120 + upgrading the inlet from 5" to 6") + Wynn filter.

    Cost: $179 + $120 + $265 (wynn) = $564


    2. WEN 3403. This looks to be the exact same unit as the HF DC. BUT - WEN comes with a 12" steel impeller. So, no need to upgrade that. I cannot tell the actual inlet size on WEN. But it seems to be 5", just like the HF DC. It'd be the same process to upgrade that to 6". WEN seems beefier as well. WEN needs a 20 amp outlet with 20 amp breaker.

    Cost: $284 + $265 (wynn) = $549


    3. Shop Fox W1666 - 2 HP. This is the same unit as Grizzly 2 HP, However, lots of online retails ship it for free. So, you save the $99 shipping cost as opposed to the Grizzly one. This unit has 12" steel impeller and 6" outlet. So, no modifications required. This needs 220v.


    Cost: $423 + $265 (wynn) = $688


    4. Grizzly G0548ZP - This is an upgraded 2 HP unit from Grizzly. It comes with a canister filter. So, no upgrades required.


    Cost: $635 (includes $99 shipping)


    In the end, I found 2 great deals on used HF DCs. So, I went with those. But if I was buying a new one, I'd have gone with a WEN 3403 (option #2) or the Grizzly G0548ZP (option #4).

  10. #10
    "Really, the only thing that needs to be reviewed is customer service..."

    I recently had an issue with a Wen oscillating sander and Wen's service was great.

    T

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