I’ve been running my own woodworking shop out of my garage for about three years now, and I’m finally at the point where I need to get serious about dust collection. My small shed is basically a fine layer of sawdust on everything—including my lungs, probably. I’ve been using a shop vac with a cheap cyclone separator, but the bag fills up in about 20 minutes of serious work, and the motor is starting to sound like it’s going to seize.
I’ve been looking at a proper dust collector, and the JET JCDC-3 seems like the obvious next step for my budget, which is around $500 to $600. I don’t have the space for a huge 2-stage system with ductwork running everywhere, and I’m only running one tool at a time—usually my table saw or planer. So I’m hoping a 1.5 HP unit with a canister filter will do the trick. I already have a Wynn Environmental filter on my wishlist for an upgrade, but that’s another couple hundred I’d rather not spend right now unless it’s a total must. Not sure if this matters, but my shed is about 12 feet by 14 feet, so airflow is a concern—I don’t want to depressurize the space or blow dust into my neighbor’s yard.
I’ve also considered just building a Thien separator and sticking with the shop vac, but I’m tired of stopping mid-cut to empty a 5-gallon bucket. Plus, I’ve read that the fine particles from sanding still float through the cyclone and clog the HEPA filter pretty fast. So I’m leaning toward buying the collector, but I’m stuck on the whole cartridge filter vs. bag filter debate. The cartridge is supposed to capture down to half a micron, but I’m worried about the static buildup and having to clean it every few weeks. The bag is cheaper and easier to inspect, but then I’m back to blowing invisible dust into the air.
Am I overthinking this? For anyone who’s been in a similar small-space situation, did you go with a canister-style unit or just accept the bags and run an exhaust hose outside? I’d love to hear what worked—or didn’t—before I drop $550 on something I might regret.
I’ve been looking at a proper dust collector, and the JET JCDC-3 seems like the obvious next step for my budget, which is around $500 to $600. I don’t have the space for a huge 2-stage system with ductwork running everywhere, and I’m only running one tool at a time—usually my table saw or planer. So I’m hoping a 1.5 HP unit with a canister filter will do the trick. I already have a Wynn Environmental filter on my wishlist for an upgrade, but that’s another couple hundred I’d rather not spend right now unless it’s a total must. Not sure if this matters, but my shed is about 12 feet by 14 feet, so airflow is a concern—I don’t want to depressurize the space or blow dust into my neighbor’s yard.
I’ve also considered just building a Thien separator and sticking with the shop vac, but I’m tired of stopping mid-cut to empty a 5-gallon bucket. Plus, I’ve read that the fine particles from sanding still float through the cyclone and clog the HEPA filter pretty fast. So I’m leaning toward buying the collector, but I’m stuck on the whole cartridge filter vs. bag filter debate. The cartridge is supposed to capture down to half a micron, but I’m worried about the static buildup and having to clean it every few weeks. The bag is cheaper and easier to inspect, but then I’m back to blowing invisible dust into the air.
Am I overthinking this? For anyone who’s been in a similar small-space situation, did you go with a canister-style unit or just accept the bags and run an exhaust hose outside? I’d love to hear what worked—or didn’t—before I drop $550 on something I might regret.
