New HF DC now what many questions!!

[TheRic]

OK just got the HF DC, have not even opened the box yet. But I do have several questions.

Background:
I have a small 1 car un-heated garage that this is going it, it will be shared with other "garage" stuff like, lawn mower, snowblower, power washer, bicycles, ladders, etc. Also purchasing in the near future, thickness planer, joiner, with a band saw and other dust making items. Yes I'm just starting out. Due to space I'm looking at moving the item I need out from the wall and plug everything in and use it, then push it back.

Is a cartridge that better, than a filter bag? What are the pros & cons? Cleaning, life, efficiency in sucking up stuff (assuming same 1 micron filter), etc.

Thanks everyone for your help!!
What filter bag or cartridge to get from where?

When getting a filter bag, is that 2 bags (top AND bottom) or 1? Or do they come as a set (if needed)?

If I take the filter bag route is there any advantage to using the "old" 30 micron bag inside a 1 micron bag?? Seems like somewhere I read something about it helping. But I have looked and can not find it again.

I saw the talk on the neutral filter that Loring designed. It sounds like it is only needed (suggested) with a cartridge filter? Or is it also needed (suggested) with a bag filter?

[LCHIEN]

lots of qauestions. so just a brief ans on each
as supplied the DC uses the area of the two bags to filter the outgoing air.
The supplied bags let particles up to 30 microns thru - bad.
Finer bags like 1 micron or 1 micron cartrigde/canister will filter better.
Cartridge canisters cost more but will work better - they use pleated paper filters and have more 10 times more surface area in the upper cartridge than in 2 bags so the lower bag can just be a catch bag.
When using bags the performance deteriorates as the bottom bag fills and loses effective area and the overall bags get plugged with fine dust (reduced air flow and DC effectiveness).

The neutral vane helps separate the fines and chips, can help with both but probably more so with the pleated filters - keeps the chips from plugging the pleats.
cartridge like wynns are good, the canister filters with beater bars have the advantage of cleaning the pleats periodically to drop the stuff stuck in the pleats to the catch bage below.
Plastic Catch bag is better than cloth bag - just remove, close and toss vs. emptying and cleaning the bag (imagine the mess). Putting the old 30 micron bag in another bag and using double bags? I can't imagine, it's hard enough hanging one bag on the ring with just 2 hands...

[eddy merckx]

Keep in mind also that a cartridge filter takes up a lot less space than a cloth bag. Always a consideration when space is at a premium.

When you look at Wynn filters, you'll see that there are two models, a paper filter and a washable fabric filter. The washable one is more $ up front but Wynn says its pretty much a lifetime filter. I bought the paper filter which absolutely cannot be washed. I often think how much easier it would be to clean it with a hose than with a shop vac.

Have fun, Eddy

[JTimmons]

Whatever you choose to do, filter or bag.....just make sure you get rid of the one that came with it. I think it's a 30 micron and all it does is re-distributes the dust it picks up into the corner the DC is in.
I went with the shaker felt bag on mine and it was a huge difference, trashed the bottom bag too and went with the plastic bags.

Before I dish out the cash for a filter, I am going to build a cyclone.

[TheRic]

...Before I dish out the cash for a filter, I am going to build a cyclone.

A cyclone in front of, correct?! Not in place of?!

Do I need something in front of dust collector to catch the larger chips, which can damage the filter. I think I read something on Bill's website about something in front of a canister filter. How large of chips are we talking microns, or inches?

Bill's site has so much to read and confusing at times. I have skimmed over most of it. It seems like he contradicts himself at times. Maybe I'm getting that from the skimming, or not fully understanding what he is saying. Some things seems overkill, why other things seems so simple and useful.
Maybe it's just me.

[LCHIEN]

A true cyclone or a trash can separator?

This has been rehashed many times, read these threads:

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...rash+separator

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread...rash+separator