Should I buy a DC3300 dust collector?

[friscomike]

Howdy,

I tried using the trusty shop vac on a table saw and other tools. It worked okay. The sawdust continually caked up the filter in the shop vac, plus, it didn't pickup the sawdust under heavy sawing.

After purchasing the DC3300 and using it for a few years, I would never go back.

I've used the DC3300 while ripping MDF, planing 8" boards, etc., and it really works well, no matter what the volume of sawdust.

The only problems I've had are that it does not work if you forget to turn it on, and it does not work if you don't plug the hose into the tool...lol.

I can't imagine running a shop without one.

Best,
mike

[beeg]

The only problems I've had are that it does not work if you forget to turn it on,
I can't imagine running a shop without one.

Best,
mike

OH THAT'S WHY mine doesn't work sometimes.

[damagi]

I ended up with a DC3300 and so far I like it...well, except for when I accidently sucked up my power coupler =( My own fault, but an expensive mistake.

Does anyone that has the DC3300 use one of the cyclonic/vortex seperators?

[kalynzoo]

All I can say is I am very pleased with my 3300. I have no complaints. Should you invest in another vac, guess that depends on your finances. I also have a shopvac, but I find even a few inches of sawdust totally clogs the filter. Pounding and blowing the filter with the compressor helps, but that again is just dusty. I save the shopvac for picking up bigger pieces, non-wood pieces, and cleaning the car.

[8iowa]

I too had a problem with forgetting to turn the DC3300 on. Then I got smart (it was about time!) and purchased the remote control. Now I have this little button in my shop apron - what a neat accessory.

[shipwright]

I have a Harbour Freight DC and I love it. It even sucks all the shavings from my SS planer without the DC modification chute. I have a reducer with a rubber plumbing coupling on the end of the 4" hose and I can push it on any of my SS tools easily and it will stay on by friction only. The rubber also doesn't scratch any of my paint so I can vacuum my tools off with it. I have added a cyclone to save the rotor from the debris flow. It's just a garbage can with a 4" 90 deg. elbow for an inlet and a plastic 5 gallon can with no top or bottom for a suction core. The pics should help.

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Paul M

[iclark]

when I suggested continuing to use your existing DC as long as it worked well, it was not intended to be negative about the DC3300.

I have 2 of the DC3300 and I like them a lot. FWIW, the new style really is a lot quieter than the older version. I want to get them both in the same place before I try to be more quantitative about that statement. even the louder one, though, is quiet enough to talk over.

Ivan

[iclark]

In a nutshell, the DC3300 works because it satisfies the two real requirements for a dust collector. It provides the necessary velocity as described above, and has enough cfm capacity to take the chips away as fast as the machine creates them. The real test is on my Pro-Planer. The DC3300 sucks up almost all the dust and chips even when I'm planing wide boards.

I agree with everything that you said except that the real test is the Pro-Planer.

to me, the real test is dust collection from lathe turning and sanding.

so far, everyone in the family is too conservative to even consider turning spalted woods in a shared work area (because of the health hazards from the fungus in the dust). I've been looking at the dust collector hoods for lathes but so far the cfm requirements are just not achievable for turning bowls.

this is not a complaint against the DC3300 - just a note that some dust collection applications require stepping back and re-defining the problem.

I plan to run some experiments using 2 DC3300s and a shopvac with a Dust Deputy all at the same time. just have to get some more breakers in the shop first so that I can run them all and the lathe mode at the same time.

Ivan

[a1gutterman]

All,

I have the Harbor Freight dust collector, and it has worked very well for me for the past couple of years. It has a 4" hose and port, which I have successfully used with many of my 4" port woodworking tools -- my Craftsman saw, Rigid planer, and Jet jointer.

Now I have a Shopsmith, which I am loving, but it has 2 1-2" ports on the lower saw guard and bandsaw. So far, I've just been hooking up my Shopvac to these ports. It works ok. It has been suggested in this forum that a true dust collector would work much better on the Shopsmith. So, does it make sense to find some kind of adapter to adapt my Harbor Freight 4" to a 2 1-2"? I've read on certain other forums that doing this will greatly reduce the airflow. Or should I just spend the money on a DC3300? Or should I just continue with the Shopvac setup?

Thanks.

IMHO, since you have a dust collecter, just get the right reducer. If you ever need to replace it, do consider the DC3300. IN any event, I wood advise to discontinue using the shop vac as a dust collecter; it will get the "big" stuff, but knot the dust, and it is the dust that will do your lungs harm.

[reible]

I have to go with the crowd on keeping what you have. If something dies then take another look at what you need and want.

Keep in mind the shopsmith system with a std 12" hood is rated for 7 microns, the larger hood 24" is good for 5 and the largest hood is rated at 1 micron. So you should maybe look at the larger hood option as well if that is a concern.

If the shopvac you have is a Shop-Vac that can use the new cleanstream replacement filters you might want to think of investing one one of them
"captures 99.97% of particles at 0.3 microns". About $30 or less at most places I've looked.

I would also invest if you can in one of the Oneida Dust Deputy cyclone system. That is clearly one of last years best buys for me. It will work with most any shopvac and I guess maybe even the shopsmith system?? (This will also help keep the cleanstream clean).

Ed