# Dust collector remote control? / blast gates



## ChuckBarnett (Jan 5, 2013)

I'm installing ducting for my small shop system and can see the light at the end of the tunnel! 

I will soon buy a remote for my 240 v., 2 hp Grizzly collector. I been told the "Long Ranger" is a good choice. Grizzly has one for less money that may be good as well. This isn't a production shop by any means and I don't need top of the line stuff. I welcome your input.

After looking at some plastic blast gates somebody gave me, I now understand the need for "self-cleaning" gates! These don't close because there is a buildup of sawdust in the groove into which the gate must slide! (I can't see a good way to clean them, either.) There are on the market aluminum blast gates and ?? I'll need 10 total. Any good recommendations?

Bless y'all!

Chuck Barnett


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## michaelpugh (Dec 31, 2013)

I bought both from Amazon about a year ago and they have been working great for me. However Ryan on here bought his bast gates from somewhere else and they were cheaper and he was happy with them. I'll see if I can find that thread. Here are links to my remote and gates 
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000223YN/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00004S9AG/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## michaelpugh (Dec 31, 2013)

http://www.rockler.com/4-metal-blast-gates
Here they are.


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## Johnnie_dr (Apr 16, 2016)

Hey Chuck,

I bought some "cheaper" remote systems a few years ago from Amazon ($25.00 range) from my 2HP HF DC. They worked just OK, but most of the time I had to actually point the remote clicker toward the receiving unit to get it to work. Not a good thing if your receiver is tucked away in a corner or in another room.

I bought the Lone Ranger a last year and it works great. I have it hanging from a ceiling joist, central to my 300sq ft basement shop, and when needed, just click it on or off. The receiver is in another room where i keep my DC and compressors. 

Well worth the extra bucks.

Johnnie


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## ChuckBarnett (Jan 5, 2013)

michaelpugh said:


> http://www.rockler.com/4-metal-blast-gates
> Here they are.


Aside from price, Michael, why do you say the Rockler ones are better than those you had bought? 

Thanks,

Chuck Barnett


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## jdonhowe (Jul 25, 2014)

+1 on the Long Ranger- rugged and absolutely reliable.


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

michaelpugh said:


> http://www.rockler.com/4-metal-blast-gates
> Here they are.



These are the ones I got, and I've been relatively happy with them.


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## ChuckBarnett (Jan 5, 2013)

Good to know. 

Thank you for taking the time to ejumacate me! I will likely go with the Long Ranger and the Rockler blast gates.


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## ChuckBarnett (Jan 5, 2013)

Johnnie_dr said:


> I bought the Lone Ranger a last year and it works great. I have it hanging from a ceiling joist, central to my 300sq ft basement shop, and when needed, just click it on or off. The receiver is in another room where i keep my DC and compressors.
> 
> Well worth the extra bucks.
> 
> Johnnie


Like your shop, Johnnie, mine is cozy - a single bay of a 3-bay garage, which calculates to be just over 250 sq. ft.. I am putting the dust collector on the back side of a wall and my compressor is on that side as well. Not sure if I'll mount the remote or what, but that's a good idea as well.

Chuck Barnett


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## michaelpugh (Dec 31, 2013)

ChuckBarnett said:


> Aside from price, Michael, why do you say the Rockler ones are better than those you had bought?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



No reason why the rockler is better than the ones I bought. Mine have been great. I just knew Ryan had bought his cheaper and we're happy with them. 
Michael


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

michaelpugh said:


> No reason why the rockler is better than the ones I bought. Mine have been great. I just knew Ryan had bought his cheaper and we're happy with them.
> Michael



I bought the rockler ones as they were 50% off, no other reason.


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## UnisawGuy (Jul 20, 2014)

Blast gates collect less dust in the gate groove when installed horizontally. If the groove clogs then, the CFMs and air velocity are not sufficient.


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## ChuckBarnett (Jan 5, 2013)

So I just ordered the Long Ranger and blast gates from Rockler. 

Thanks, again, all!

Chuck Barnett


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## coxhaus (Jul 28, 2012)

I am in the process of looking for a 240 volt remote control for my DC I am building. How does the iVAC Pro switch compare to the Lone Ranger?

I have a 2 HP Baldor motor which pulls 11 or 12 amps. My DC is located in a different room so the remote needs to work through a wall.


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## mhhickma (Dec 13, 2016)

Right now in the stores there is Christmas Light stuff. Rummage around there and you will find a remote plug that is for Christmas lights. I bought one at home depot for $10. It is 15 amp and 110 v with two plugs. Remote works around my shop for my vac just fine.


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## ChuckBarnett (Jan 5, 2013)

I have the Lone Ranger for my 2 horse Grizzly and really like it.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## ChuckBarnett (Jan 5, 2013)

And I should have said that my collector is in another room as well.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## sunnybob (Sep 3, 2016)

I cured the problem of my plastic blast gates jamming open.
Just cut the corners off the bottom of the slides and the slide just pushes the dust out of the holes.


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## jdonhowe (Jul 25, 2014)

coxhaus- re: Long Ranger vs iVac. I have the LR, which works great- has a long range (duh!), and is bullet proof. I don't know a lot about the iVac, but it is a system which can automate turning on the collector, if you have a sensor (iVac Pro Tool) attached to your saw, which remotely turns on the switch attached to your collector when you power up your saw.

As I see it, the iVac is nice if you have trouble locating your remote control, or forget to turn it on, and have lots of money to spend. You need a sensor for every tool you have connected to your collector, so the cost really jumps up. As an alternative, you can buy a hand held remote, in which case you're basically doing the same as the Long Ranger, at a higher price.

Since both use RF signals, I don't think the range or working through walls would be any different between the two. (iVac says 40 foot range with remote, LR says 50 ft)

BTW, those cheap Christmas light remotes wouldn't work at all for your DC. I do have one, though, which works fine for my ceiling mounted air cleaner.


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## coxhaus (Jul 28, 2012)

The iVAC Pro Switch is a stand alone unit more like the LR. The iVAC system does include different units which can switch a DC on when a power tool is turned on. The iVAC system also has options for automatically switching blast gates on. I am just looking at the iVAC Pro Switch 240 volt to remote control my DC with the remote which comes with the unit. I am wondering which unit has better soft start features. I have heard the iVAC has very heavy duty soft start features. Is it better than the Lone Ranger 240 volt unit? I wonder if anybody has compared them?
Sounds like the remote features are about the same. Thanks for answering that jdonhowe.


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