There was a recent thread here on the wrek about the dust collector cyclones which are available on ebay. They are currently available here:
I just finished installing mine tonight. I don't have an extensive conclusion on the efficiency of the unit. More time will be needed for that. But I have formed opinions that some may find useful.
** The Purchase ** Grade = A The gentleman, ebay ID eastcaroga, answered my questions promptly. I asked him if he could build a unit with reverse rotation, because it fit my shop layout better, and how much $ to do so. No extra charge for that which was a pleasant surprise. He also accurately quoted the shipping costs and carrier. He is listing these in quantities of, usually, 50 units. He may have a few in stock but I believe he is building them to order. There are two sizes available and you can select either at no extra cost. Incidentally, I chose the smaller size.** Delivery ** Grade = B From the day I purchased, and immediately paid via Paypal, it was 17 days to my door. Considering my special request of a reverse unit, I think that was fair. The only complication was the Fedex tracking number. I had to request it to get that, he gave me an incorrect number (seemed to be an honest typo), and that had me concerned for a few days. But in the end I was reasonably satisfied. I have certainly dealt with more attentive ebay dealers, but with worse as well.
** Packaging ** Grade = C A single thickness C-flute box, with inserts on each end to hold the unit centered in the box. This is inadequate for a piece this size. No packing between the unit and box at all, except for these inserts. The box was damaged by Fedex, but no damage to the unit which was just plain lucky. This is the kind of packaging where, as a shipper, you are expecting some loss but are willing to accept the risk. Assuming he would make it right, or insured it (I'm not sure if it was insured, did not check or ask). That makes sense to a seller, but is a PITA for an unlucky buyer. On my route, Fedex Ground is inferior to UPS, so I am sensitive to this and have had stuff damaged in the past. The piece should have been wrapped in a corrugated paper sheet at the least.** Quality of Construction ** Grade = B As someone who knows good metalwork when I see it, or do it, I am being generous with this grade. The metal forming was fair, the soldering was poor in appearance. The funnel portion is soldered to the round body, the inlets and outlets are soldered. The seam up the side of the round body and the top panel to the body are rolled and crimped. These seams were not air tight and in fact at one point where the seams came together there was about a 1/8" hole. So a tube of silicone caulk will definitely be needed. Still, the construction speaks of the effort put into making an affordable unit and this raises the grade from a C to a B. From a distance, with a less critical eye, the unit looks good on my wall.
** Design ** Grade = A (excluding efficiency, and unknown at this point) There are things that would have made it much easier to install. For example, on the small unit that I bought, a 6" outlet in the top just complicates the connection to a 4" duct system. Since the size of this unit is appropriate for a 4" duct system, I don't know why they did this. But the design makes use of standard sheet metal duct patterns and I am sure they go together easily for the manufacturer. I appreciate economy of design and so I give this a thumbs up.** Efficiency ** Grade withheld Like I said, too soon and not enough dust through the system. However, I had about a cubic foot of dust in my Unisaw cabinet which I stirred up and sent through the DC system. I cannot tell that any of it got past the cyclone. But whether it did or not would not mean much except that, it looks promising and I expect it will be pretty good.
That's all for now. I will get some pics up when I have time. Meanwhile, if anyone is considering the purchase I will be happy to answer any questions.
-- Bill Pounds