# 750 dollar budget or less - help spend it!



## Work-The-Wood (Jan 22, 2012)

I have really been considering a Penn State 3.5HP cyclone for my soon-to-be basement shop. 

http://www.pennstateind.com/store/TEMP1535S.html

I want a powerful machine that will capture a lot of dust effectively. My shop is 450'ish square feet and will eventually have a table saw, 8" jointer, 12" planer, Router (mounted in a table), SCMS, Band-saw, Drill Press. 

My frugal-side wants to consider lower cost options so I can put the money saved towards other tools.

What would you suggest that would do a great job, and keep the total spend under 750?


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## Woodworkingkid (Jan 8, 2011)

It really depends on what tools you have right now. If you still need stuff like a table saw jointer and planer than don't drop 1300 on a dust collector I have the hf 2 HP dust collector which a lot of people on here have and like and just finished hooked up my table saw, jointer, planer, miter saw, band saw with PVC pipe and it works great . My shop is smaller than yours it is only 14 feet by 21 feet. And the best news is I got the dust collector for 150 and spent close to 200 to hook every thing up. That would leave you with 950 to spend on tools. The price right know from hf is 189 but you can use a 20 percent coupon to bring the price down even more. I would also recommend replacing the upper bag with a 1 micron bag because it will capture the really small dust better. just thought i would give you a nother option than the expensive one
http://www.harborfreight.com/2-hp-industrial-5-micron-dust-collector-97869.html


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## Work-The-Wood (Jan 22, 2012)

Woodworkingkid said:


> It really depends on what tools you have right now. If you still need stuff like a table saw jointer and planer than don't drop 1300 on a dust collector I have the hf 2 HP dust collector which a lot of people on here have and like and just finished hooked up my table saw, jointer, planer, miter saw, band saw with PVC pipe and it works great . My shop is smaller than yours it is only 14 feet by 21 feet. And the best news is I got the dust collector for 150 and spent close to 200 to hook every thing up. That would leave you with 950 to spend on tools. The price right know from hf is 189 but you can use a 20 percent coupon to bring the price down even more. I would also recommend replacing the upper bag with a 1 micron bag because it will capture the really small dust better. just thought i would give you a nother option than the expensive one
> http://www.harborfreight.com/2-hp-industrial-5-micron-dust-collector-97869.html


I forgot to mention that I already own the HF 2HP model. I just didn't think it was powerful enough to do a good job when hooked up to a whole-shop duct system...


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## joesbucketorust (Dec 13, 2011)

Work-The-Wood said:


> I forgot to mention that I already own the HF 2HP model. I just didn't think it was powerful enough to do a good job when hooked up to a whole-shop duct system...


My shop is 26x25, I just switched my Delta 1.5hp over from individual tool to runs of pvc for the entire shop - long runs/drops of PVC, blast gates throughout etc. I've got plenty of suction even at the farthest point. and I haven't sealed up the connections between each piece. So if you've got a 2hp I don't know why it wouldn't be strong enough for your shop if you properly ran, sealed the pipes.


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## Woodworkingkid (Jan 8, 2011)

yep a 2hp one should have pleanty of suction. you should give it a try and see how it works. in my shop the farthest run is about 30 feet of pipe and it has a lot of suction at the end. if you realy have to upgrade i would take a look at this grizzly http://www.grizzly.com/products/3-HP-Dust-Collector-with-New-Impeller/G1030Z2 its less than the penn state state one but i think the one you have will work. 











http://www.grizzly.com/products/3-HP-Dust-Collector-with-New-Impeller/G1030Z2


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

If you are the only one that is working in your shop, and plan on only using one tool at a time, then your HF should do the job just fine. You should design your duct system to be as straight as possible, with as few 90 dergree bends as possible. You should have blast gates at every tool, so that you can isolate what tool needs the DC. Also, try to keep your duct the largest it can be, if possible all the way to each tool. That will ensure that you get the most volume of air moving, thereby increasing its efficiency. Also try to minimize the use of Flexible tubing, because that will drastically affect the suction.

Also, instead of purchasing a new dust collector, I would use the money to "trick" out your Harbor freight DC. you can replace the bag filter with a Wynn industries filter, and get a real improvement on performance. then build a Thein Baffle for it, and you will be set. There are so many versions of the thein on this site alone for you to reference if you do a search.

Then you can spend the rest of the money on the actual ductwork for your system. Alot of guys use the thinner walled dwv pvc pipe from the big box stores, mostly because it is cheaper than schedule 40 pvc, the pvc is easy to seal up, and the fittings are easier to find. 

If you have any money left over, you can send me an IM and I will give you my address, and you can send me a check :huh: :laughing: :laughing:.

Hope this helps.

Fabian


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## Work-The-Wood (Jan 22, 2012)

thegrgyle said:


> If you are the only one that is working in your shop, and plan on only using one tool at a time, then your HF should do the job just fine. You should design your duct system to be as straight as possible, with as few 90 dergree bends as possible. You should have blast gates at every tool, so that you can isolate what tool needs the DC. Also, try to keep your duct the largest it can be, if possible all the way to each tool. That will ensure that you get the most volume of air moving, thereby increasing its efficiency. Also try to minimize the use of Flexible tubing, because that will drastically affect the suction.
> 
> Also, instead of purchasing a new dust collector, I would use the money to "trick" out your Harbor freight DC. you can replace the bag filter with a Wynn industries filter, and get a real improvement on performance. then build a Thein Baffle for it, and you will be set. There are so many versions of the thein on this site alone for you to reference if you do a search.
> 
> ...


Great info!

I read Bill Pentz' site though and I get a little nervous that this approach would not be all that great ... What are your thoughts on his ideas?


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

Bill really did alot of research, and has the ultimate setup, with his cyclone setup. He also makes very good points about the amount of air that is needed for each device, and also some ways you could improve DC at each tool. IF you have the room to put his cyclone in, then that would be the best set up. You definitely need some decent metal working skills, and if so, can get it done relatively cheap, compared to the same type of cyclones out there. 

That being said, most guys don't have the room or resources to build Bill Pentz's setup. What I really like about the thien separator, is most guys can build one very cheaply, and it is VERY effective. I would suggest trying to follow Phil Thein's design as close as possible, mostly because his version is the one he tested. 

Fabian


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