A modest, portable dust collector can do a good job provided you fit it with an effective filter and don’t treat it like a true central dust-collection system with long runs of ductwork. To be effective, a portable dust collector must move air fast enough to transport big chips, shavings, and dust; move enough air to capture all the waste that woodworking machinery generates; and trap even the finest dust particles. But without a first-class filter, a dust collector becomes a dust-recirculating pump, spewing contaminated air throughout the shop.

The 10 collectors tested are about the most powerful type available that run on normal 120v household current. They have a 1.5-hp motor driving an impeller to suck dust into the filter and the collection bags. They’re designed to handle the waste from a typical shop machine but not from two machines at once. As a practical matter, a dust collector needs to provide 800 cfm or more to move all the dust, chips, and shavings that machines like tablesaws, jointers, and planers produce.

The Bridgewood comes with the preferred 1-micron filter bag; a 1-micron cartridge with disposal bags is optional. Its performance was only fair.

Fine Woodworking Recommended Products

Oneida’s Super Cell Dust Collector

30-Gal with Wall Mount

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Rikon 10-3061 10-in. Deluxe Bandsaw

The 1⁄2-hp motor has all the power needed to resaw at its maximum capacity of 5 in.

The saw has two speeds: 3,280 sfpm (surface feet per minute) for wood and 1,515 sfpm for soft metals and some plastics.

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Shop Fox W1826

The thick, felted bag on this Shop Fox is a plus and a minus. On one hand, it makes the unit much less expensive than collectors with canister filters, and also lighter and easier to hang on the wall. Without a separate plastic bag to catch chips, however, they stay in the felt bag, and the shortish zipper on the bottom makes it tough to shake them out. Otherwise, the W1826 is an excellent value.

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