Rant: I just read a report that says 1 in 4 woodworking shops have a dust collector that's underpowered for their space

Found it in a safety audit summary from the Woodworking Network. They said most guys just buy a unit based on the motor HP and don't calculate the actual cubic feet per minute needed for their duct runs. My own 2HP unit in my 800 sq ft shop is probably part of that stat now that I think about it. Anyone else run the numbers on their setup and get a nasty surprise?

3 comments

3 Comments

ross.river13d ago

Yeah, but Parker, clean air isn't the same as safe air.

parker_bailey13d agoProlific Poster

That Woodworking Network audit always reads like a sales pitch for bigger gear. My 1HP unit in a 500 sq ft garage has kept things clean for a decade.

oliver5237d ago

Wait, have you actually measured the particle levels with a meter though? Clean looking air isn't the same as having safe, low numbers of the really fine dust. Ross.river has a point about that difference. A 1HP unit moving enough air for 500 sq ft sounds like it's probably just recirculating a lot of the bad stuff without actually filtering it all out. You might feel fine now, but that fine dust builds up in your lungs over years.