Dust Deputy vs. HF Dust Collector

Mike Turner

Member
Messages
361
Location
Laurinburg NC
I am gathering info on dust collection and want to do the best for my 20 by 20 shop.The biggest dust producers are my lathe,my bandsaw and mitersaw.I can deal with mitersaw(dont really use it that much and have a hood built around it)

I am considering the http://www.harborfreight.com/2-hp-industrial-5-micron-dust-collector-97869.html and the dust deputy http://www.amazon.com/Oneida-AXD000004-The-Dust-Deputy/dp/B002GZLCHM or maybe the Super Dust Deputy.

I want/ need to consider how good both (or similar items) work and the foot print of each.
 
I have the HF unit. There are pros and cons. I have it piped up with 4" sewer PVC to various machines in the shop. Personally, I am happy with it. BUT - if you want to reduce the fine dust - this is not it. It will pick up the big stuff - but the very fines will need a more efficient filtration. It holds about 30-40 gallons of dust and chips.

The link to the Amazon is not a dust collection. It is an add on unit to go in front of a shop vac. It helps to keep the shop vac from getting filled up. It holds 5 gallons.

Really - you cannot compare the two as they are two completely different animals.
 
Yeah I thought about that after posting.Just trying to figure out best solution on a budget right now. From what ive read those that have the HF unit upgrade the filter and bag and it works better then.
 
I've had the HF collector for years and Leo is correct. To get rid of the fine stuff, you need to spend more money. You need to add a Wynn filter ( http://wynnenv.com/?s=harbor+freight ).

This gives a good setup. Coarse then you can over time improve it further with a separator which you make.

The only problem I have had with the HF in all the years I have had it is the switch went out. Sorta melted. It was easily replaced with a switch I bought from Grizzly. The switch that comes with the HF is know to be weak. I have a remote switch on mine. Very much worth adding to the cost.

The Dust Deputy works great, for what it is suppose to do. The only con I have with it is you have to somehow add it to your shop vac and I have not found a way of doing that with out making the shop vac a bigger cumbersome piece of equipment. This is important in a small shop. My shop is around 15 X 17. Pretty small.
 
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Paul,how do I look at the Wynn filter for the Harbor Freight DC ?I havent gotten it yet so dont exactly what I need.I still figuring $.The HF takes a 4" hose doesnt it? Is there a better place to get the hose also? Thanks!!
 
I have had my HF unit since about 2003. I have not upgraded it - don't really plan to.

I have emptied it more times than I can imagine.

I use it on the planer and jointer for the massive volume of chips.

I built the New Yankee Workshop and use the HF unit on that - works exceptionally well.

I "will" use it on my CNC machine as soon as I built a shoe for the machine - it will work well there.

It is not upgraded in any way at all.

Like I said - I am satisfied with it.

On a BUDGET - it will serve the purpose - as is

The down side is - the really fines will get through. BUT - the upside is - even the bags that come with it, will filter finer dust as the pores of the bags get coated on the inside which will happen within an hour or so of running time. Still - it is not as good as the high end filters - but certainly serviceable - as-is.
 
I run the HF dust collector too... and Leo is absolutely correct about the fine dust... I collect that on everything in the shop... it's now about 1/4 inch thick.... this next week, I'll have to open the doors and use the shop vac blower to clean a portion of that out... and my DC doesn't get near enough of the bigger stuff either, I'm thinking I have too much hooked to it... I have table saw, band saw, two lathes connected with the flex tubing... I have the DC in a closet outside the shop and piped through the walls to reduce the noise. I have gates on all the tools except the band saw and can close them to maximize the suction of an individual tool.
 
I have the HF DC and the Wynn filter. The Wynn is worth every penny. With the stock filter bags, the HF DC is pretty much just a dust pump[, because it still spits out the really dangerous (<5 micron) particles. Yes, it spits out less dust as the filter gets coated, but then the airflow and effectiveness drop considerably. The pleated filter provides much more surface area for filtration, which means much better airflow, whether it's new or coated with dust. Plus, they have smaller pores, which means they trap more of the bad stuff.

The Wynn filters for the HF DC (and others) are the top three filters listed on this page:

http://wynnenv.com/products-page/woodworking-filter-pricing/

I have the cheapest of the three (the 80/20 paper filter...the middle one listed) and have been very happy with it. It would be nice to have one of the washable polyester ones, but I'd stick with the 0.5 micron one (the top one listed) if I went that route.

Oh, and add me to the list of guys who had to replace the switch on the HF DC. Even though I never used mine (had a remote On/Off since day 1), my switch died within about a year after buying it. I went cheap (and quick) and replaced it with a 20 amp toggle switch from Radio Shack.

I also have the Dust Deputy, and it's a great addition to a shop vac, but as Paul mentioned, it adds a lot of size to the footprint of your shop vac. I've seen some guys who built stacked units, but most of us have a bucket next to the shop vac, which makes the whole thing more cumbersome to move around. (Mine is mounted on a platform with casters.)
 
I have the HF DC and the Wynn filter. The Wynn is worth every penny. With the stock filter bags, the HF DC is pretty much just a dust pump[, because it still spits out the really dangerous (<5 micron) particles. Yes, it spits out less dust as the filter gets coated, but then the airflow and effectiveness drop considerably. The pleated filter provides much more surface area for filtration, which means much better airflow, whether it's new or coated with dust. Plus, they have smaller pores, which means they trap more of the bad stuff.

The Wynn filters for the HF DC (and others) are the top three filters listed on this page:

http://wynnenv.com/products-page/woodworking-filter-pricing/

I have the cheapest of the three (the 80/20 paper filter...the middle one listed) and have been very happy with it. It would be nice to have one of the washable polyester ones, but I'd stick with the 0.5 micron one (the top one listed) if I went that route.

Oh, and add me to the list of guys who had to replace the switch on the HF DC. Even though I never used mine (had a remote On/Off since day 1), my switch died within about a year after buying it. I went cheap (and quick) and replaced it with a 20 amp toggle switch from Radio Shack.

I also have the Dust Deputy, and it's a great addition to a shop vac, but as Paul mentioned, it adds a lot of size to the footprint of your shop vac. I've seen some guys who built stacked units, but most of us have a bucket next to the shop vac, which makes the whole thing more cumbersome to move around. (Mine is mounted on a platform with casters.)

Vaughn,
Thanks for the link to the Wynn filters... think I'll look into one of those... even though my DC is outside the shop, the little shed I built if full of dust from where the bags have leaked...

Know about the new switch on the DC... mine lasted about a year... when it quit, I thought it was the motor and called HF.... since I was still under warranty, they sent me a new motor... so I got a new 2 hp electric motor out of the deal... my DC stays in the "on" position and I flip a wall switch in the shop that's connected to the plug in the shed.
 
Paul,how do I look at the Wynn filter for the Harbor Freight DC ?I havent gotten it yet so dont exactly what I need.I still figuring $.The HF takes a 4" hose doesnt it? Is there a better place to get the hose also? Thanks!!

Vaughn answered the Wynn filter question. Glad he did I was having trouble finding the prices.

Yes it takes a 4" hose. I do not have my shop plumbed for dust collection, I have one hose I move around. I purchased some very flexible hose from Rockler that has worked great for me. It stretches to over 20' and retracts to around 4'. I tried to search for it on their site and couldn't find it. I've had it for a long while, do not know if it is still available. Course, moving a hose around is not as convenient, or efficient as plumbing things as they should be.
 
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