Dust Collection for tools with 2 1/2" ports

[Michael Jasper]

Hi - I know there are a million threads and reviews on this, and I've read most of them, but still find myself with a dilemma.
Currently, I use a Rigid shop vac with a hepa cartridge plus dust deputy for all my dust collection. (I also have a Jet air cleaner). This has worked reasonably well with a couple exceptions that will surprise no one.
My shop vac is on its last legs (over 20 years old), so I'll be replacing it soon. I've added some tools in the last couple years and figured this was the time to decide whether to stick with my current strategy.

In terms of limitations - space is by far the biggest issue. I have pretty good electrical service to the shop, including enough 220V capacity for up to about 10-12 additional amps. Money is a factor - but not as much as space.

I thought about going with a small dust extractor (eg Festool) and a cannister dust collector - but when I thought through my tools, I realized that the majority have 2 1/2" ports. I'm thinking using a dust extractor with 27mm hose will be worse than a shop vac for those, and a high volume, low pressure DC might not work well with the 2 1/2" ports. Given this situation, would you all recommend just sticking with a shop vac? Will a cannister DC work well on tools with a 2 1/2" port or do I need at least 4" to get the benefit? I'd prefer not to have a large shop vac AND a large dust collector due to space considerations. I don't really need a shop vac for heavy duty clean up other than from woodworking. A cannister DC and smaller dust extractor would work from a space point of view - but will that leave me with a big performance hole for the mid-size machines?

Here's what I have now. Given space, about the only thing I can imagine changing in the near future is going to a larger/better table saw.



Tools with 2 1/2" Port -

1. Dewalt jobsite Table saw
2. Router table with Bosch router*
3. Benchtop Belt and Spindle Sanders
4. 9" Band Saw - Grizzly
5. 6" bench top Jointer - Grizzly (currently using dedicated 5 micron bag)

Tools with smallerthan 2" port

1. ROS
2. Biscuit Joiner
3. Routers *
4. Miter saw built-in port ****

Tools with 4" Port

1. Laguna 14" Band Saw (does reasonably well with shop vac but could be better)
2. Dewalt benchtop 13" Planer (currently with dedicated 5 micron bag)
3. Big gulp to catch dust from miter saw, drill press, handheld tools with no dust port, etc **

*tools where current dust capture is less than optimal.

The big question is whether I can replace the shopvac with a cannister DC given this set of tools.

Note I thought about the Oneida super cell which seems like it might be ideal. Reasons to avoid it are: 1) Very expensive for what it is, 2) Requires a dedicated 220V circuit (17 A at 220V) and 3) max CFM around 450 - so not sure how that would work something like a big gulp collector or DIY miter saw hood.

Thanks!