Thread: Dust Extractors - choices

get something decent. c flux, clear vue etc

or mod the 2Hp ones as per the sticky to get them to work decently (opening them up to 6" and having them outside your work space).

Thanks havabeer69.. but those are way outside my price range. it's only a small workspace.

I got the Timbecon one and did the mods to make it a 6in inlet using MDF. Added a super dust deputy and run an aircon duct to the outside to vent the exhaust. My small 1.5 car garage workshop has never been cleaner. If you can’t vent outside then get a pleated filter at the very least.

Hi Joe, no idea what your business aims to produce, but I would strongly suggest going as big as possible with dust extraction and all machines in general.

time is money, and having a single port 2 hp extractor will probably be ok (ish) on a single machine, but will quickly become under gunned if ported to multiple outlets etc (even with blast gates etc) given the extra length and leaks etc. Plugging in a dust hose to each machine each time you want to use it will be a big drag! All you will want to do is simply walk up to any machine, flick a blast gate and press play. Anything else will begin to kill productivity.

Also without knowing what you're making, expect to put a 'real' thicknesser on you're shopping list - again, time is money and an 'industrial' level thicknesser will greatly speed up your machining. But they wont have the same 'blower' as the dewalt, so will have greater airflow requirements, so consider preemptively starting with a bigger dust extractor.

As for the 2hp units, they are all very similar, so cost and availability given the lockdown will probably be the most important factors. They are very simple machines, so i think warranty is less important, as they are more likely to die by accidentally sucking up a spanner, rope, hardwood offcut etc and smashing the impeller.

Just my 2c,

Cheers, Steve

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I have a modified 2 hp 150mm system with over 6m of ducting and 4 branches to various points with blast gates. The extractor has a pleated filter and is in its own shed outside the main shed. The system works fine but I only have one duct open at a time.
I have separate 50mm lines for table saw blade hood, router fence and SCMS dust port and 35mm lines for connection to sanders etc.
The system as a whole works great.

Wow Lappa, that is good to hear. My standard 2hp is pretty gutless compared to bigger ones I've used in more industrial settings - I must prioritize the modifications!

The most effective thing you can do for your health is either move the DC outside the shed, or enclose the in an air tight enclosure and vent the enclosure outside the shed.

Next is modify the DC two you can use 6" ducting and and flex.
However, this will only be effective if the machine ports and air paths through machines are opened up to take advantage of this. Unless you do this the mods are wasted.

Finally eliminate as much flex as you can.

For a 2HP DC (even a modified one) I recommend getting some forced ventilation - in a small shed even couple of bathroom exhaust fans will make a difference.

Read teh ducting FAQ sticky thread at the top of this forum.

I'm going to go against the prevailing suggestions and propose you don't modify a 2 HP unit. As a business, spend the extra $200 and get a 3 HP unit that's ready to go. Given that you'll spend a day of work doing the modification, unless you're only planning on charging an hourly rate of $25, you'll be loosing money doing it yourself. Better to spend the extra and put your time into making product.

The vast majority of 3hp units still have 125mm inlets and outlets with the same size impellor as a 2hp unit

Originally Posted by Lappa

The vast majority of 3hp units still have 125mm inlets and outlets with the same size impellor as a 2hp unit

True but they can still move more air than generic 2HP because they use 2 (usually) larger filters, which more than halves the output air resistance, and taking twice as long to get clogged. A 3HP motor is needed because the extra air flow means a 2HP could overheat under that load. The 2 large dust collection bags means then don't need to be emptied as often as the 2HP units.

Hi Joe,
As someone who has a 1hp,2hp and a 3hp DC, in a small suburban based workshop. I can honestly say there are many days I wish I had a bigger DC.

As others have mentioned a heavily modified 2hp DC will get you by, but a slightly modified 3hp is about the minimum I'd go. Particularly if you plan on running any kind of permanent ducting. Dragging a DC around from machine to machine is painful to say the least.

Plus if you're planning on running a business long term getting a DC suited for the application will ensure long term success and reduce the likelihood of developing any adverse reactions to working with dust, this can range from allergies preventing you from working to much more serious conditions.

Do it once do it right. All the best

Joe,

If this is to be a business you will be spending a lot of time in the shop.

As BobL reminds us occasionally, Total Exposure = Concentration X Exposure Time.

The time you spend in the shop is fixed by the activity level in your business. Therefore, your shop cleanliness and, more importantly, you health, will be a function of the Concentration, or how much dust is in the air in the shop. As BobL and Bill Pentz would advise us, capture at the source is easily the best way to go. That means a big negative pressure bubble, and that means lots of air moving through the system.

I never heard anyone complaining of too much airflow.

I have a CearVue 1800 with 6" ductwork. Given my time again I would make it a ClearVue Max with 8" ducting. They are not cheap, but they do an excellent job, providing you modify the hoods/shrouds to optimise airflow.

If this is too expensive right now you might try to build a system that you can upgrade to a cyclone like a ClearVue later on.

I winced as I paid for my ClearVue, but it was the right decision (apart from my failure to upgrade to a Max).

Originally Posted by BobL

True but they can still move more air than generic 2HP because they use 2 (usually) larger filters, which more than halves the output air resistance, and taking twice as long to get clogged. A 3HP motor is needed because the extra air flow means a 2HP could overheat under that load. The 2 large dust collection bags means then don't need to be emptied as often as the 2HP units.

When I modified my system, measurement showed that the one pleated filter was restrictive, as you say. I added another filter in the form of a Thein unit. It proved to be what was required re the increased air flow and I have no problems with the motor over heating due to the increased flow rate even though I now have two filters

Originally Posted by Lappa

When I modified my system, measurement showed that the one pleated filter was restrictive, as you say. I added another filter in the form of a Thein unit. It proved to be what was required re the increased air flow and I have no problems with the motor over heating due to the increased flow rate even though I now have two filters

I'm really surprised the Thein gives you an increased flow as Bill Pentz reckons Theins are the devil for restricting flow.