Replies

1. 
   cutter | Feb 09, 2003 07:14pm | #1

   Reuben,I recently bought the same DC,almost EVERY time I turned it on it kicked the 20 amp breaker!!!If I rember correctly moter was rated 14 amps....Square D guys assured me the breakers were start up rated for moters so they should not trip starting that motor.I took the DC back and got the 2HP model(110/220 volts) wired it for 220 and havent had a problem since.So unless you want to reset breakers all the time get the dual voltage unit and go 220.  cuttrr

1. 
   reuben | Feb 11, 2003 06:28am | #4

   Thanks. I'm getting similar feedback from others.  Disappointing.  Specs on this unit are impressive.

1. 
   RANGERP75R | Feb 11, 2003 09:53am | #5

   Rueben

      The Penn State customfl mentioned on sale is great. Comes standard with felt bags and 5 micron. Felt bags work. Woven cloth doesn't. You can upgrade to 1 micron felt for about $50 extra. Most manufactures use woven cloth which are useless. You have to spend another $75 for felt 1 micron bags.

   Have a look and good luck. I added a cyclone separator to my PS and the whole set up is sweet. I have the smaller 1 HP I mounted on a mobile base and use for one tool at a time.

   http://www.pennstateind.com

      BTW, the price is right.

   Good luck and here's a pic...

   sarge..jt

   
1. 
   TomFerreira | Feb 12, 2003 06:20am | #7

   Sarge,

   How do you do it? In every picture of your shop I don't see one speck of dust. It's just amazing!

   TDF

1. 
   RANGERP75R | Feb 12, 2003 08:06am | #8

   Tom

      Simple. Before you take the picture, you clean up. ha..ha..

   Seriously, I open the doors about every hour or so and start in the back of shop with an electric leaf blower. Push it right out the door. About 1 minute invested. I hate dust accumulation as you've guessed. My Penn State hooked to an individual machine has made a huge difference as to what is left to blow out. I use a 12 gal and 6 gal shop vac on ROS sander, belt sander, circlular saw on panels and chop saw. The TS, jointer, belt-disk sander, spindle sander, thickness planer and SCMS are used directly with the DC.

   Anything left is vacuumed at the end of day. Forturnately, not being commercial I have or take the time. It saves a lot of cleaning as opposed to once a week or so. I just feel more comfortable and lose less time in the big picture with a clean, organized shop.

   Thanks and have a good evening Tom...

   sarge..jt

2. 
   DennisS | Feb 13, 2003 12:32am | #9

   'fess up, Sarge ...

   Your *real* shop is in the back. You do your photo shots in your showroom! (grin)

   ...........

   Dennis in Bellevue WA

   [email protected]

3. 
   RANGERP75R | Feb 13, 2003 12:40am | #10

   Dennis

      Did you call Miss Cleo..........Again.. ha..ha..

   Have a great day...hope all is well

   sarge..jt

2. 
   LeeEschen | Feb 14, 2003 11:34am | #11

   Check out the new 2 & 3 hp cyclone units at the Penn State website. They will be available April, 2003. That's the way to go if you can hack the price ($645-995 depending on the model). But what value can you place on your health?

   It's worth any price to me, especially since, as I've gotten older, my sensitivity to wood dust has increased. Nothing major - just mild allergy symptoms with some woods. I noticed it the other day as I was planing a few hundred BF of well seasoned Western Red Cedar.

   It looks like one of these new cyclones is in my near future.

   --

   Lee in Cave Junction, Oregon

   On the Redwood Highway

1. 
   RANGERP75R | Feb 14, 2003 09:19pm | #12

   Lee

      I can't attest for their cyclone as I have the one-stage with a cyclone separator added mobile. But, I can tell you that Penn State is a small company (6 people total) with great service and an excellent product at a reasonable price.

   Good Luck...

   sarge..jt

2. 
   TKanzler | Feb 11, 2003 05:13pm | #6

   If the issue is tripping a circuit breaker on startup, and it can't be reconfigured for 240V, put it on it's own 30A circuit.  You'll have to cut the plug off and add a 30A plug (it's a violation to put a 15 or 20A receptacle on a 30A branch circuit).  You'd have to run a new circuit for 240V anyway, so it's no more work.  But DC's are very hard starting beasts, due to the relatively high inertia (lots of metal out toward the large diameter rim), their high speed compared to typical fans (a wheel spinning twice as fast has 4 times the kinetic energy, other things being equal) , plus they start under load (if it's moving, it's moving air, which increases the load expontially with speed).  That's why DC's typically have long starts compared to other machines, drawing high current for a relatively long period.  If the wire run is long, use oversized conductors, even 8 gauge.

   If the issue is quality, well, that's obviously where you have to weigh purchase cost against quality and longevity.  And don't forget to add the cost of new bags for fine filtration, which I think is a must.  As other posters have pointed out, you may do better with a different unit that already has 1 micron bags or a canister.Be seeing you...

2. 
   hmthomas | May 23, 2003 11:53pm | #13

   Cutter,

   I'm in the market for a dust collector and am wondering how you like the 2 hp shop fox. I did a search and read all I could find on the shop fox models. I was initially looking at the 1.5 hp model but after reading your earlier post I decided against it.

   Let me know please, should I consider the shop fox or keep shopping?

   Thanks, Hugh

1. 
   cutter | May 25, 2003 05:05am | #14

   Hugh,I've had that 2hp unit going for a couple of months now,I had trouble out of the box with breakers kicking but I switched it to 220v and have had no problem since. Good unit,I work it long and hard sometimes it work like a champ.I'd also recomend one of those garbage can lid separators,,easier to empty than the bags.Scott

1. 
   hmthomas | May 25, 2003 05:33am | #15

   Scott, Thanks for the update. I almost bought the 1.5 hp Shop Fox but noticed alot of bad feedback on that unit.

   Since then I came into a great deal on the Jet 2 hp cartridge unit. Very new, never even installed, too big for the guys shop. I'm picking it up tomorrow.

   thanks, Hugh

2. 
   Cactusmike | Feb 10, 2003 12:01am | #2

   I purchased the 2HP Shop Fox collector about 16 months ago and had some problems with the motor right out of the box, replaced it and then the impeller was recalled, so that was replaced. It has been OK since then. It seems to me that the quality control is a bit on the loose side, but this unit is priced at the lower end of the spectrum.

   Mike

3. 
   customfl | Feb 10, 2003 01:36pm | #3

   penn state has a sale going on now for there 1.5 hp dust collector and it comes with a 5 micron filter. Looks like a good deal to me.

   http://www.geocities.com/waynecustomfl