Hey everyone! I'm looking for some advice on improving my dust collection setup in the garage. I have an older gray Harbor Freight dust collector that I've wall-mounted, using a cardboard drum as a cyclone separator. Lately, I've noticed it's struggling to collect chips from my planer, and it doesn't seem to be picking up anything from the router table either. Currently, I'm only using a 10' length of flexible 4" dust hose that I switch between tools. I also have a Harbor Freight Hercules 12-gallon dust extractor and a WEN air filtration unit installed on the ceiling, positioned between my table saw, router table, and planer. I haven't set up dedicated dust collection lines since I'm planning to move in a couple of years, and I'm worried that the current performance issues might not make it worth it. I'm really at a loss here and would appreciate any help!
1 Answer
Flexible hoses can really reduce airflow, so that's something to keep in mind. Since you’re using that 10' flex hose between the cyclone and the tool, check how you’re connecting everything. If you have flexible hose stretching along your setup, it’ll hinder performance. Try to minimize the bends and keep things as straight as possible for better efficiency. Just a thought!
The connection from my cyclone to the DC is a rigid flex hose, and I’ve made sure it runs almost straight, so I didn’t think that would be an issue. Can too many bends be a problem even with that?