Does The Oneida Dust Collector Work?
Know that I am not paid for this review. Oneida Air Systems are without a doubt reliable. I am speaking to their cyclone dust collector from my personal experience.
Of the brands which one can find on the market I would definitely choose the Oneida dust collector over other options. But why? There are some things you will want to know.
First let me deal with some issues for those who may not know enough about wood dust. To make this short, it will kill you.
Your health and life is at stake. If you have an indoor woodshop then you need a serious dust collection unit.
What qualifies as a dust collector? I am sorry to tell you that the shop vac you run with an attached hose to your machine will not cut it.
If it did guys like me would not spend thousands over a 200 dollar solution. So let me frame this for you, shop vacs do not work at all for dust collecting.
What is equally disturbing is that the majority of smaller mobile units made by other companies are just as bad. These units are sold to do the same job as their bigger brothers and can be carted from machine to machine.
They hook up via a hose to the dust port. Despite being considerably more expensive than a shop vac they still often fail.
Why Do I Use Oneida Air Systems?
I have been using Oneida Air Systems for about 5 years now. I purchased the V System 3000 for my studio. It is a cyclone unit which allows for enough air flow that two machines can be in operation at one time.
One of the things I wanted was a permanent solution that would have its own space. I did not want to cart my filter around with me everywhere I went.
To get the air to the machine, metal ducting needs to be run. It works very similar to how an HVAC system does except the motor of the cyclone pulls air to it rather than pushing it out.
Another component I wanted was the ability to have two ports open at one time. In this way I could pull air from either one machine, or two.
Alternatively I could also keep an open port to the room filtering the air while working if I chose to do so. This option is a life saver.
I also wanted a motor that would have power and a longer lifespan. Smaller unit motors will not last as long as the motors put onto these bigger systems.
They are rated for long runs and higher temperatures by comparison.
The filter in the system I chose was with purpose. It stands near 5 feet tall and provides a lot of surface area for dust to be captured and collected.
The more surface area you have for this the better. This also translates into efficiency with less downtime cleaning the system compared to small units.
Big chip collection takes place in a metal drum either 35 gallon or 55 gallon in size. It is clamped to the drum by a lid, heavy duty flex tube is used, and it is a completely sealed compartment.
When full you remove the clamp and take the drum outside minimizing accidental release of dust into the air.
How Efficient Is The Oneida System In Real Time?
Let me put it like this. I have an older benchtop planer that I still use at times. On it is a collection port and its frame is plastic which is screwed down.
The first time I hooked up my tube and flipped on the Oneida I thought the air suction was going to rip this plastic housing off the planer.
When the system is pulling air from the room I can sit near the doorway as my cnc is running and feel a very slight subtle draft it creates. There is no doubt that this unit pulls air in a very nice volume.
No small unit can achieve this.
In terms of collecting dust when pulling from a machine I have no doubt it catches everything it can possibly grab. As woodworkers we all know nothing is 100% in this department.
As a blade cuts, the speed and force behind it is naturally going to throw chips and dust in other directions than at the dust port.
The goal behind these systems is to create an environment that is as safe as possible. What the Oneida does not catch at the port it can pull out of the air from the room.
In these terms there are few small shop solutions which can provide this kind of protection.
To say I am happy with my system is an understatement. Now if I could just talk them into a price reduction on a new filter it would be perfect. Speaking of which the filters can be “cleaned”.
Take the filter outside. Put on a respirator and get some old clothes you can change out of quick. Use an air compressor then use it to blast out the dust from the filter.
How long this can be done before it begins to reduce efficiency I am not aware of. As long as it sustains no damage it could last for quite a long time.
Why Choose An Oneida Dust Collector Over Cheaper Options?
There are those who have similar or like systems such as Grizzly. I chose Oneida due to what the money buys in system specs when compared at that time.
For the additional cost you get more for the money and the cost difference in that range is not worth cheapening out on.
Aside from my philosophy on the money it comes down to who is making the product. Grizzly is a catch all company which makes something for everything. They do well with their tools yet they specialize in none.
Oneida on the other hand specializes in this department. Since it is what they do, and they do it well, it made sense to go with those who know their business.
From what I can see they do not cut corners on any part of their units. In turn they try to give you the most machine they can for the money you spend.
One area where this can be seen is the motors which are used in these units. Another area it becomes obvious is the containment process which is put into place.
If you assemble it properly there will be no leaks making it as near perfect as this imperfect world will allow.
Why Is Wood Dust So Difficult To Capture In A Dust Collector?
We are talking about dust that can potentially be at the 1 micron level. While 1 micron is more difficult to create it is more common to find 2 microns in diameter and larger. How big is this?
The typical length of bacteria ranges from between 1 to 10 microns. An average human hair is around 70 microns.
A white blood cell is at 25 microns. A red blood cell is about 8 microns. We are talking about dust that is on the scale in size of a virus.
To put it bluntly the air filters within most machines have far too many gaps or are too small and this dust cannot be trapped.
It would be like expecting a soccer net to catch a BB. Needless to say it is just not going to happen.
Keep in mind many cheaper products will sell what they have at a rated efficiency that they cannot produce. If it looks too good to be true when compared to others who know what they are doing, then it most likely is not true.
Note that even with these systems one should still wear a woodworking mask. While the system will pull the air and filter it wood dust, your face still is in front of the blades which creates the dust in the air.
Where Dust Collector Units Fail
For those movable systems on carts which sport the filters to catch dust there are still big problems. So much of capturing dust at this size is dependent upon air flow.
We are speaking about the volume of air moving, not how fast the dust collector makes it move. Volume of air is more important than speed.
In other words just because a machine has good suction does not mean it is catching dust. Speed of flow does not equal volume.
This is why most machines have manufactured dust ports near the 4 inch mark. If you choke that down with an adapter then you are hurting yourself.
Many smaller air units are not equipped to pull the kind of volume necessary due to motor size alone. For example the mobile Grizzly air systems are rated by volume of air between 800 CFM to 1700 CFM.
At 1700 CFM you are at least getting enough air flow for one machine, yet this is the largest mobile unit they have.
This is one big piece of equipment to haul around your shop. I say no thanks to that.
If you do purchase this larger unit there are still other problems. They fill quickly and emptying the system is not always a clean process. Inadvertently you can release this captured dust right back into the air.
Additionally there are problems with containment on small units. If it has enough air flow then that is wonderful, but it must have the filter to back it up and supporting systems to keep the dust in.
The Grizzly unit I mentioned does have the filter yet I do not trust the surrounding components and bag system.
Just keep in mind with the Griz you will need to cart this unit to each machine you use, hook it up, turn it on, and then use your tool.
Once you are done at that tool you disconnect it, move it to the next tool, and follow the same process over and over again. It’s a royal pain.
Yet if this is what one can afford then units of this nature are better than cheaper options which provide no protection.
Why Is Wood Dust So Dangerous?
When wood dust reaches the smaller micron levels it will be somewhat suspended in the air for quite some time. After leaving a shop with no filtration it can take hours for it to find a place to rest.
In order for it to get back into the air all that is required is your movement in the environment.
As time goes by the volume of dust in the area becomes more hazardous. Yet this is not the whole of the story. There are elements associated with the dust that people often do not think of.
As we cut wood any fungi or bacteria that could be present is also released into the air. This is more common to find in spalted lumber but is not exclusive to it. We breathe this in and it can make us sick.
I know of one woodworker who loved working with Cedar. Due to the oils from the wood and his body chemistry with a little time he developed a sever allergic reaction.
His lungs suffered greatly from breathing the dust continually.
People in past years fought against smoking. Second hand smoke even became a great evil to humanity.
Wood dust with any real volume can make smoking look like it is nothing. The impact can be quick and in some cases devastating.
The Goal Behind Using A Dust Collector
The goal to having dust collection is to obviously trap as much of this dust as we can. It does not completely eliminate it.
That is impossible as I described earlier with the power and velocity which a saw blade can produce. Despite the impossibility Oneida does the best.
Pulling dust from the air around us through an open port becomes necessary. Yet in the end the goal is to remove as much of the problem from the environment as humanly possible.
This aids in creating a safe environment to work within.
With these collection systems we are told to still wear respirators. Yet depending on the project there are times I do not. This becomes personal choice and depends upon your cleaning habits.
Using a table saw is one example where I never do unless a wood species or variety requires it. Yet use common sense.
If you are sanding clearly you need to wear protection as our face is right in front of the work.
A Dust Collector Matters For Insurance
This may not apply to the average hobby shop but it will to home businesses. I know one woodshop that lost their insurance due to lack of protection and an environment that was riddled with dust.
The lengths you take towards safety can impact your policy.
Again, I Am Not Paid For This Recommendation
I am not a fanboy of any product. I have never been paid for any review or criticism of tools I write about. There are plenty of products which are horrible and I never waste the time to complain on this blog.
I prefer to present either solid solutions or options to make a solution better than it was designed to be.
When it comes to Oneida there is no doubt I am sold on their units. Just make sure to get the unit which will serve you best to the needs you have. This is not an area to cheapen out on.