I’ve been shopping for a new dust collector, and am now considering the Grizzly wall-mount G0990 with optional stand.
I figure I could add some leveling feet or maybe convertible caster feet.
I like the idea of the HEPA filter and can’t find any better options for a 110V 15A dust collector with the same.
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I considered going with the Grizzly Quiet Series horizontal unit, but it costs more, the filter size is considerably smaller, and it has lower performance as per the detailed specs.
I was strongly considering Rikon’s, but they don’t have a HEPA filter option. Grizzly’s Growl Tech Quiet Series dust collectors is very appealing, even more so after I took a look at the parts diagram.
I have 20A breakers and 12 gauge wiring, and so I can potentially change out 15A outlets to 20A to fit the Grizzly Growl Tech 1.5 HP machine.
I will eventually add more 220V outlets – right now I have just 1.
Both the Grizzly wall-mount dust collector and Growl Tech models have HEPA filters.
Even though Grizzly has a 1-year warranty, they seem to make it easy to buy parts. What I really like is their documentation.
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For example, the all-mount dust collector has a HEPA filter with nearly 39 square feet of surface area. I’ve looked at some other brands and can’t find such info.
Grizzly also provides more detailed specs for the airflow. I find info on the replacement filter and it provided some details about noise reduction panels within the filter.
That all said, I have also gone back to consider the Grizzly Growl Tech quiet dust collector, which require adding a 220V outlet or swapping 15A receptacles to 20A at least short-term (I have 20A breakers and 12 gauge wiring).
The Grizzly Grown Tech model has 2 filters and higher performance specs than the other 1.5 HP models I’ve been looking at, plus automatic motorized filter cleaning.
It has total filter surface area of nearly 295 square feet, with a lower efficiency canister filter mounted inside the HEPA filter.
They don’t provide a breakdown for the filter sizes.
The wall-mount HEPA canister filter measures 15″ x 33″. The Growl-Tech HEPA filter measures 16-3/4″ x 25-1/2″, but could have more pleats. Within it, the lower efficiency filter measures 12-7/8″ x 25-1/8″.
So, now I’m thinking about a free-standing setup with the wall-mounted dust collector, or spending (a lot) more for the Growl-Tech cyclone model.
The other option is to fast-track adding more 220V outlets, which unlocks a lot more dust collector options (including the Oneida Supercell readers have been recommending).
Shopping for 110V dust collectors always seems to be a matter of accepting compromises.
I did look at the Oneida Dust Cobra, which has a HEPA filter and operates at max 15.5A but uses a standard NEMA 5-15 plug.
But it’s essentially a high-performance HEPA shop vacuum with integrated cyclonic separator. It features a 2-1/2″ port but Oneida says it can be used with up to 4″ ports.
Oneida has a portable 4″ dust collector that works on 110V, the mini-Gorilla, but it requires 20A outlets. If I change out some outlets, then I may as well go with the Grizzly that can also be rewired for 220V operation later on.
Why not add 220V outlets and then choose a dust collector? That’s an option too, but would push things back months.
I’ve looked at dust collectors many times over the years. I went with a basic Jet, thinking that it’d get me a few years of use. I still haven’t added more 220V outlets, and I’m struggling to find a good HEPA filter dust collector that can plug into a 110V 15A outlet.
I might just kick the decision down the road (again).
Robert
Stuart, if you are going to kick the decision down the road again, why not add more 220V outlets during that interim? Judging from your musing, you seem likely to eventually add gear that benefits from multiple 220V outlets. Unless cost of installing the 220V outlets is your show stopper?
Bruce
A HEPA unit will always disappoint when pared with 110v power. It’s simply not enough power to move the air across that filter restriction. I do recommend you do full cyclone. Filter costs will quickly exceed the cost of the unit without removing the majority of the material before reaching the filter.
MM
I agree with both you and Robert. The HEPA filter is a massive flow restriction that really screws over the airflow. If you want meaningful airflow with a HEPA filter you need as much power as you can get, and that’s going to run into a bottleneck real quick with 110V.
I say go with a 220V machine. Ideally install the outlets first, they are useful for more than just the dust collector. If it’s too much work to install the outlets in their final location now then you might consider installing the simplest possible temporary outlet and using an extension cord.
KokoTheTalkingApe
Doesn’t the size of the HEPA filter matter too? The bigger it is, the less the pressure drop and the easier it is for the fan or impeller to push air through it.
I’m designing a chip box for my new planer, and because the fan is pretty forceful, it’s no 1-1/2″ HP impeller. So I’m using relatively big furnace filters so the back pressure isn’t too great.
Jack D
A chip box is vital for planing, first time I tried without it backed up all my 4″ piping in minutes.
If you’re still working things out, I ended up going with a small Rubbermaid roughneck can with a $25 cyclone kit and some weatherstripping for the lid, and a plexiglass window to monitor the fill. An inexpensive and easy to manage solution that has served me well over the years.
MM
Yes, the size of the filter matters a lot. The bigger the the filter the lower the pressure drop. That is absolutely true. That said, a HEPA filter is very fine and thus is a major flow restriction, it would have to be absurdly huge for it not to present a significant drop in air flow.
Mark
If you’re actually serious about this thing doing its job (which is to protect you from dust) then you have to go with 220 and a cyclone. I spent a few months researching this topic about 20 years ago and ended up with an Oneida 3 hp cyclone. The only thing I would change is to get the 5 hp. This really is a situation where you can’t have too much power. Running a 220 circuit is likely much cheaper than buying a new dust collector in a couple years.
Been reading your site daily for at least 10 years, this is the first time I’ve thought I had some experience that was useful to contribute. Keep up the good work.
Stuart
Thanks for chiming in!
I know you’re right. Putting in new 220V outlets will require several other decisions to be made, and I’m not quite ready for that yet.
isosceles
Stuart, I know it’s sub-optimal, but have you considered buying 220v dust collection and running an extension cord until you put in new outlets? On balance, I think the 120v restriction is much more likely to end up being a procrustean bed than a sensible compromise.
fred
My home shop, and most of its stationary tools was put together in the early 1970’s. When I bought the current house, I first upgraded the electric service from 200A to 400A then set about remodeling. The basement shop started a year or so later, but I decided that all the main stationary tools would be 220V and planned accordingly. I also decided that both the air compressor and dust collection system would be located outside the house in an attached shed building that I added on. In the early ’70’s HEPA filters were still pretty uncommon – but exhausting to the outside air was OK for home shops – and I made sure the dust exhaust point and compressor air intake filters were adequately separated. I worked with some guys who did dust collection systems for small to medium businesses. They sized everything to deal with the machine that was furthest along the collection pipe run – and to handle what we thought would be the heaviest debris source (back then it was a Unisaw, jointer -planer, band saw, shaper, and RAS.) I took care of the drill press with a separate vacuum that could handle metal swarf. We seemed to concentrate on providing enough airflow rather than perfect particulate removal. That concept has done me well – albeit not perfect – and if I had close neighbors the dust emissions into my yard might have been an issue. Oversizing and making new (electrical, airline and dust collection) connections a possibility were also good choices – since I’ve swapped some tools around – and added others (horizontal band saw, radial drill press, scroll saw, miter saw, router table, benchtop mortiser, sanding station, surface planer, wide belt sander) over the 50 or so years of shop use.
A W
The idea of exhausting to a location outside of your main house/garage is very appealing from an air quality perspective.
I always appreciate your perspective, Fred.
isosceles
Fred, what kind of radial drill press did you pick up? Is she still running?
fred
I bought a vintage Walker-Turner mounted on a cast iron table at an auction in 1977 for an opening bid of $100. My initial thought was that it was a bargain. Between working on its restoration then moving it into my basement shop – it became quite the project. It had been rewired to work at 220V instead of 3-phase and had a fairly new motor when I bought it – but the starter was a problem – and replacing it less of a bargain. Now, almost 50 years after the restoration, it still runs – but I use it rather infrequently.
isosceles
It’s funny you bought it at an auction – I asked about yours because I am in the habit of browsing local machinery auctions, and I often see beautiful radial drill presses sell for even less than you paid in 1977! Of course that’s due in part to the costs associated with moving them, freshening up systems, etc.
Cheers for the reply and Merry Christmas!
fred
You’re absolutely right. Moving a ton or more of machinery is no trivial thing. That coupled with the uncertainties associated with refurbishing old machinery does not often result in folks willing to pay a lot. I had checked out the table, the ways, the quill travel, runout – all in a pre-auction look. The intermittency of the starter operation showed up later. If i had not had access to a forklift and a liftgate truck to help haul it away – I might not have considered the buy. Getting it through my Bilco doors and into place in my basement shop – once I had it cleaned up and fully functional – required the help (and cost) of riggers.
Merry Christmas – and Happy New Year to you too.
Oarman
I wonder if it makes more sense to have a standalone air cleaner if you want filtration that fine on 115vac. I suspect the filter resistance + the CFM needed for dust collection is just too high. Benefit of a standalone unit is it can clean your air when you’re not actively running the dust collector. The obvious disadvantage is if you’re really sawing away, you air quality gets temporarily worse.
In general I find published specs for these kinds of tools for home use to be pretty lacking, but keep in mind the CFM and filtration level are interactive with the filters you use.
Lee
Good suggestion! Ceiling mounted ambient air filters go some way to helping, especially if combined with outside exhaust of the primary dust collector.
Andy
I don’t have much, if anything, that I can contribute to help with your decisions, just curiously following along for when it’s time to upgrade from my shop vac + 5 gallon separator setup.
The only 2 cents I can offer is that were I in your shoes, I’d take the time to swap the 15A receptacles for 20A. Based on the number of outlets you have to swap, it’s a reasonable DIY, and if nothing else, it gives you more flexibility with other equipment down the road, even if you don’t buy a 120V / 20A dust collector right now.
Alexk
My vote would be to fast track adding 220. Why wait? With all Toolguyd does, you shouldn’t have to choose what equipment to get, based on your 15A outlets. And while you are at it, upgrade the 15A outlets to 20A.
KokoTheTalkingApe
Wait, I do have something to add. Grizzly sells HEPA upgrade filters for some of their non-HEPA dust collectors. For instance, the
https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-hepa-filter-upgrade-for-g0583z/t30487
goes in the
https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-1-hp-canister-dust-collector/g0583z
for a total cost of about $1K, or
https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-hepa-filter-upgrade-for-g0860-g0861/t30489
as an upgrade for the 1-1/2 hp
https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-1-1-2-hp-portable-cyclone-dust-collector/g0860
for a total cost of $1,700.
Stuart
Thanks! I had been looking at the G0860 too and didn’t realize there was a HEPA upgrade. That’s another option to strongly consider.
Irving
MM (above) makes a good point: extension cord(s).
I don’t know what your backup home power situation is, but mine is a weather proof NEMA L14-30P connected to a lockout-type breaker (required by code) in the meter box so I can feed power into the distribution panel to run the most important stuff in the house on the generator; to that end, I have 100 ft of 8-4 SO cable with the appropriate NEMA plugs on each end, AND several shorter lengths (10 ft) of 8-4 and 10-4 with different adapter plugs and receptacles so other stuff can be powered independently (the 8-4 – to – 8X NEMA 5-20R “adapter cable” comes in handy several times a year to run flloodlights for nighttime church activities (one 8-gang box with 2 sets of GFCI duplex receptacles on each 120 volt leg of the 8-4).
Point being, if you have other uses for it, the extension cord “temporary solution” might be advantageous. Pro Tip: if you do go for a extension cord, go one gauge heavier than you think you need – (8 gauge (40 amp) instead of 10 gauge (30 amp) wouldn’t be wrong because there are power drops over long cable runs, and 4 conductor because that’s what’s needed for house backup power – Phase A, Phase B, Neutral, Ground)) and double the length you think you need. Copper cable (watch out for the Chinesium “copper coated” aluminum cable) will not be at all cheap but it’s a one-time purchase that, if it supports multiple uses, is justifiable.
KMR
This would seem to fit the bill as far as your technical requirements, but is the priciest option:
Oneida’s 1.5hp 120V V-System 1500 35 Gal. Freestanding HEPA-GFM Cyclone Dust Collector
https://www.oneida-air.com/dust-collectors/personal-shops/v-system/v-system-1500-hepa-cyclone-dust-collector-v2019
120V / 16A / NEMA 5-15 Plug
1130 CFM @ 2.7″ WC
95 sq ft HEPA filter surface area
7″ Inlet Diameter
Have you contacted Oneida about a collab? Maybe do a factory tour blog post for them with promo discount code for your readers?
Stuart
That one also has 16A typical load, and lacks wheels. $3500 is a bit much for a stopgap solution.
I have a contact at Oneida, but can’t/won’t ask for a sample if that’s the brand I settle on to buy. For project use, I/ToolGuyd have to pay for it.
g
I’m not sure if it applies here, but some countries don’t use the HEPA standard but still offer equivalent filtering. For example, Miele. They make great vacuums with 3 levels of filtering, but sometimes people complain that they’re not HEPA rated. That’s because Germany or Switzerland wherever they’re made (I forget) doesn’t use the HEPA standard, but it’s still equivalent.
Matt_T
Running a 240V circuit would probably be faster than searching for the “best” 120V compromise. Just needs to land somewhere in the shop. From there use an extension cord.
Stuart
I already do use an extension cord. I have (1) 220V outlet, and 2 machines that use it.
I’m considering a larger benchtop CNC router next spring, and that will force the decision on whether/where to add more 220V outlets, and might also push some of the other machines out.
I could also have multiple 220V outlets installed in likely locations, but the goal is not to have multiple extension cords routed around. Ideally I’ll know exactly where they’ll go.
Matt_T
I figured you needed the existing 240V circuit for tools. You already know you need to run another circuit. And it would be best to have it now so you can go with a 240V extractor. Designing the perfect 240V distribution isn’t a reason to put off running the feeder.
Stuart
“Best to have it now”
There is no “now,” there’s “maybe in 6 months,” and that can easily turn into a year or two (or more).
Thus I’m exploring all options, and it seemed beneficial to think aloud.
I’m not 100% set on compromising, but trying to hone in what I could/should choose if that’s the path I need to go down.
jeff robbins
Whoo boy. The effort to get to 220 is a pain, but, oh so worth it. I have a 110/120 Laguna 14/12 band saw at home, and it is on a 20 amp dedicated outlet. The thing is a beast, but then I used the 220 14/12bx at my school, and was really sad because it truly is that much more. I am out of room in my breaker box, and not buying a new bandsaw, but for better high volume dust collection, I would consider it. There are a few laguna’s you might want to consider too, and they are tanks, we run ours about 6 hours a day, 150 days a year, and we just change bags and occassionally vacuum out the filters. one big thing to be aware of is that many dust collectors offer “flappers, knockers and other things” that are designed to knock the fines off the filter and into a bag under the filter, these also can damage the filter, you can blow the filter out (I use a shop vac exhaust and brush) to knock the stuff out of mine, and every 10th bag I will vacuum out the interior of the filter. Going to 220 will make for a more robust unit, that will move (and ahem treat) more air and have a better result for you and your lungs.
Matt
I’ve got a 10 year old Oneida mini-gorillia that I love (220v), but I’ve always wished the barrel was easier to empty.
I’m about to 3d print this: https://www.patreon.com/CapturingDust
My Oneida system should be able to power it all, and dumping those tubs is going to be so much eaier that emptying the Oneida drum (which will probably never get filled again, lol). Total cost is gonna be $200 or so.
Jim
I’ll admit the wall mounted Grizzly has my attention.
I’m still using a 600cfm SECO that I’ve had since the early 90’s
I bought it with the idea of moving it to the machine being used. I hated using it that way! It is now hooked to a 4” duct system with the machines clustered to keep the duct runs short.
I upgraded many years ago to improved filtration dust bags but would really like more power, a canister filter, and easier emptying
CMF
I wanted to but didn’t get a chance to read the article the day before on dust collectors. Anyway, my 2 cents for what it is worth.
I have a 115ac unit. Bought on liquidation at a store that had ordered it for a customer and they changed their mind. Elektra Beckum, UK brand, the store ordered this unit because the end-user needed wood chip and metal dust extraction. I just bought because it was a good price 30 years ago.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/335866245736
It has about 800 cfm and it works decent for one machine, but in my previous house I had made a system using 4″ PVC pipes with grounds and the whole enchilada. In short, this and most 115ac units are pretty capable being used setup near a given machine. For a larger system pulling from greater distances and many trunks, I will personally go with minimum a 2hp unit, 220ac.
HEPA, in researching for a dust extractor (Flex burgundy unit I bought, one of many made by Nilfisk) I found out that many advertised HEPA units are not true certified HEPA units. like sticking a HEPA filter in you Ridgid shop vac does not make it a “real” HEPA unit. And some units being advertised as HEPA units, may not be certified (OSHA requirements(?)). So be careful that what you buy is a true HEPA unit.
Good luck
Jim
Stuart,
Have you seen this Rockler Dust Collector sale price yet?
https://www.rockler.com/dust-right-wall-mount-hepa-cyclone-dust-collector-1250-cfm
Specs seem optimistic for a machine that can be plugged into 120v?
Stuart
Agreed about the CFM specs seeming higher than expected, especially given the HEPA filter.
The Rockler seems exclusively wall-mountable, which I’m not a fan of.