2 Car Garage Dust Collection

[Joe G.]

Hey Wood Wizards!

New to the forums/site - pretty new to woodworking as well.

I have a question that I think I know the answer to but I wanted opinions before I pulled the trigger.

I currently run a 16gal shop vac with a dust deputy attached through the garage shop. Plug and playing every tool I have - which is not only a pain in the rump but I trip over the #### hoses like it's my job.

While, it works well on my planer, it doesn't do much with my table saw, jointer, etc. So, it's time for a dust collector.

What I would like is a 2 stage collection system without breaking my wallet. I've been looking at two options which are as follows:

1. The HF unit with an upgraded BAG (1micron) and a trash can separator top (the one rockler sells). I personally do not think there is value in the HF unit if I spend 175 on a super dust deputy and a .5 micron filter.
2. The C-Flux entry level unit from Laguna or the Grizzly entry level cyclone system that they offer. The Laguna is 1100 or so at the door and the griz is somewhere around 950 to the door.

I want as clean of a shop as possible, of course, but saving money is always a concern. I could walk out with the HF unit with the upgraded bag and separator for probably under 300.00. My issue is, I see TONS of reviews on this unit which are mostly good but after a LOT of upgrades to it, which, in all honestly, I don't really want to do. Reviews with no upgrades is "does the job" or "it's good enough".

SO - the question is - if the HF unit with an upgraded bag and trash can separator is going to the job well enough, I'll save my 800 bucks or so and go buy a domino or some other tool I've had my eyes on for a while. OR - should I just go full out and spend the money on a tool I probably won't ever feel the need to upgrade again?

I'd appreciate any opinions I can get. I have a feeling most will say to just go buy the "best" tool for the money which I'm basically almost there and want the C-Flux/Griz rather than taking the risk of spending a few hundred on the HF unit by the time I'm done. I'm SOOOOO sick of spending more time cleaning than I do wood working... :no:

I appreciate any opinions!

Best,

Joe

 

[redknife]

Might contact that guy with a jet 1100vx (recent post about used available), see if price is negotiable.
Don't lose much going the HF route.

 

[ehpoole]

If you can find the room in your budget, you will ultimately have a much more effective setup if you start out with a 2 or 3HP Cyclone DC to begin with which will give you far more effective separation and greater effective airflow (cyclones have more static pressure to work with due to tighter impeller tolerances) in a generally more compact and efficient package than a 2-3HP single stage DC plus an aftermarket or DIY separator setup. You lose a lot of airflow with everything reduced to 4" lines and the separator between the DC and the tool (most separators max at at 4" inlets) -- there is a significant insertion loss associated with a preseparator stage, which is why you need a 2HP Cyclone to get comparable airflow to a 1-1/2HP unmodified single stage setup without such separation, and that is in an optimized system plus the Cyclone has more static pressure to work with since the impeller can have far tighter tolerances since it does not need to handle debris strikes which helps to maintain air velocity when restrictions are encountered. Also realize that the airflow further drops from published figures when the filtration is upgraded to a finer filter due to the added resistance of the finer filter mesh, though such is still a critical upgrade from a health perspective but you will see greater losses in airflow so it is something to be aware of when comparing airflow volumes between systems that are not identically equipped. So if looking to upgrade a single stage DC to a 1-micron filter and a preseparator you are ideally looking for something in the 2-3HP (rated 10-15A@240VAC) range for the single stage DC to perform similarly well. But after those upgrades you are already likely starting to get close in price to a decent 2HP Cyclone system so it may be worth looking at such as well before deciding upon your purchase since ther is little need to upgrade a cyclone setup so long as it comes with a customary 1-micron filter.

That all said, anything is pretty much better than nothing, but if you know you want preseparation and some room for growth you may wish to spend a little time also looking at and considering cyclones, new or used, as opposed to extensive upgrades to a cheaper single-stage DC (some with rather suspect numbers) right off the bat (even if just for the K.I.S.S. principle). If you opt to build your own preseparator, the effectiveness and degree of insertion loss will depend heavily upon the quality of the build and its fine tuning, so find good quality plans and follow them carefully and take the time to tweak things to get the best possible performance from the beginning.

You will very much enjoy having a proper DC in your shop, whatever type and capacity you may choose, as they do make cleanup much easier and make for a more enjoyable shop. Just ensure that it has at least a 1-micron filter to keep the unhealthy fines out of your shop air and you will be set. You will still use your shop vac a good deal for sanding and routing type jobs where the low volume airflow but extremely high static pressures a shop vac generates are critical when using very narrow hoses whereas our larger tools benefit from very high airflow volumes at much lower static pressures by way of larger hoses to help capture their waste and transport such back to the DC. Eventually you may also wish to add an ambient air cleaner to help scrub the unhealthy fines produced in sanding and routing (and elsewhere) from your shop air keeping the air healthier and the shop cleaner (and less precipitated dust in your finishes) as well as for the improved airflow they can generate if you also have heating and air conditioning in your shop.

 

[jgpncll]

I bought the Laguna 110 volt C-Flux from Klingspors in Raleigh a few months ago and I love it. It works well on my table saw, jointer and planer. I did have to add a 30 amp 110 Volt circuit. I am also working from a 2 car garage that my wife parks in every night.

 

[Joe G.]

Thank you for such a detailed response!

 

[Joe G.]

I bought the Laguna 110 volt C-Flux from Klingspors in Raleigh a few months ago and I love it. It works well on my table saw, jointer and planer. I did have to add a 30 amp 110 Volt circuit. I am also working from a 2 car garage that my wife parks in every night.

Is there anything you don't like about it? I've had my eye on that since it came out. I haven't found too many reviews because it's still pretty new.

 

[jgpncll]

Is there anything you don't like about it? I've had my eye on that since it came out. I haven't found too many reviews because it's still pretty new.

Not yet. I have only been using it for about 3 weeks now. It handles all of my machines very well and is quiet compared to my shop vac dust deputy setup. Until I bought the Laguna I was also using a 16 gallon shop vac and dust deputy. This cyclone is a huge upgrade.

I also considered going with the Harbor freight unit. But, I didn't want to deal with upgrading it or the problems associated with it and the upgrades.

I don't think you will be disappointed if you purchase the Laguna

 

[Joe G.]

Not yet. I have only been using it for about 3 weeks now. It handles all of my machines very well and is quiet compared to my shop vac dust deputy setup. Until I bought the Laguna I was also using a 16 gallon shop vac and dust deputy. This cyclone is a huge upgrade.

I also considered going with the Harbor freight unit. But, I didn't want to deal with upgrading it or the problems associated with it and the upgrades.

I don't think you will be disappointed if you purchase the Laguna

You may have just instantly sold me lol... Are you running 6 inch pvc the whole run or something different? Thanks for the help!

 

[jgpncll]

You may have just instantly sold me lol... Are you running 6 inch pvc the whole run or something different? Thanks for the help!

I am running a 20 foot 4 inch clear hose. I have to be able to move things out of the way in order for the wife to park in the garage at night.

 

[KenOfCary]

I found the Rockler garbage can cyclone system to not work very well. I used the fittings from it to make a Thien Baffle and that improved the performance tremendously. This was back when I had a 1.5HP Delta DC. I upgraded that to the Laguna 2HP cyclone unit and it has worked so much better. The old system was OK, but the Laguna is much better. It does require 220V but is worth it for the extra suction and capacity. Using 6" duct for the main run makes a difference as well.

This was all set up in a two car garage converted to a shop - building a bigger shop at the new place and expect the Laguna to be capable of handling the slightly longer runs involved.

 

[Joe G.]

I found the Rockler garbage can cyclone system to not work very well. I used the fittings from it to make a Thien Baffle and that improved the performance tremendously. This was back when I had a 1.5HP Delta DC. I upgraded that to the Laguna 2HP cyclone unit and it has worked so much better. The old system was OK, but the Laguna is much better. It does require 220V but is worth it for the extra suction and capacity. Using 6" duct for the main run makes a difference as well.

This was all set up in a two car garage converted to a shop - building a bigger shop at the new place and expect the Laguna to be capable of handling the slightly longer runs involved.

Thanks for the input! Glad to see people liking the Laguna.