I’m looking at a shopsmith DC3300 dust collector. I believe that I used one of these units in the past, although it was during my college years so things are a bit sketchy. 😉 If I recall correctly, this unit is very quiet. I remember that it worked pretty well, but I can’t recall just how well. 330 cfm, so it’s a bit small to work as a true dust collector. Problem is that they don’t publish the static lift capabilities. I was hoping to also use this unit as a over grown shop vac for general shop (dust/dirt) cleaning and static lift plays into that capability. Do any members know how this unit would work as a shop vac? Obviously, dry pickup only!
Certified boat fetish.
Replies
Timbo
You might try posting this over at Knots, Finewoodworking site. May get some more responses.
http://www.shopsmith.com/ownersite/catalog/dustcollection.htm
Cough cough cough $500 For what? Quiet?
Other than price, there are other issues here. This is a single stage collector, meaning that all debris picked up will go through the impeller, including nuts, bolts, and nails. Not good for the impeller in the long run. A normal shop vac is a 2-stage unit, in that the debris is first sucked into the barrel where the heavy stuff settles out. The air then passes through a filter before it comes into contact with the impeller The good news is that you can modify a single stage dust collector into a 2-stage by inserting a trashcan or 5-gal-bucket seperator unit in between the DC and the pickup hose. This makes it easier to empty debris and all keeps the filters cleaner. But the problem here is that there is a good amount of static pressure loss with the collector unit. I have had no problems using a jet DC650 with the trashcan unit, and used it to clean the old insulation out of my attic.
All this being said, one can pick up a DC that is twice as powerful as the Shopsmith for around $200. Our local PC/Delta factory store had their 1HP unit as a refurbished model for $130, or one could splurg on the highly rated Penn State Industries unit for under $250. A good 30 gallon trash can and seperator top would set you back another $50. All of these are way quieter than a shop vac. I've never seen the need for a quiet DC unit as the equipment making chips always requires hearing protection anyway.
Here is the dust collector master list for comparison.
http://www.rd.com/americanwoodworker/toolguide/SS2004_DustCollectors.pdf
Thanks for the chart. That's really the information that I was seeking. You're right about the impeller. I recall seeing the one during my college days being pretty well chewed up.
Certified boat fetish.