I have a new Oneida Portable. There are a few small leaks where the bottom of the cyclone is attached to the dust drum. I have heard that a perfect seal there is important, so I am concerned. These are not big; they show up as small dust deposits left by escaping air. I don't know how perfect is necessary.
I Can't answer your question but I am interested on how the portable is working for you.
It went together pretty easy. There was a gap between two parts; and when I tried to close it by tightening the bolts, a bolt that was welded in broke. It doesn't seem to leak despite that (plenty of caulk...) and Oneida says it should be fine. I think/hope they are right. It went together pretty easy otherwise; instructions are a bit vague on how to install the filters, but it is easy enough to figure out.
It seems to be slightly more powerful than my old 2hp DC. (unless you add a trashcan separator to the old DC, in which case the portable is about twice as powerful) I haven't used it much, but did do some sanding with a oscillating belt sander. The filters seemed to be pretty clean afterwards. My main reason for upgrading was that most of the dust would have ended up on the filters on the old DC. The cyclones are awfully small, but they seem to work. It is also a bit quieter than the old one.
I would have gone with a normal cyclone, but my ceiling to pretty low and don't have much room in the shop. My second choice, the 2HP JDS takes up more room, but is cheaper. I mainly settled on the Portable because of the difference between Oneida and JDS's reputations.
If these leaks are sealed, you'll have a better, more efficient DC. It is also a good idea to test for leaks yearly, or as part of a DC tune up. It's bad enough to have leaks in blast gates, connections, adapters, etc. Consider using window/door weatherstripping--the foam self-stick kind might work well for you..
Tue, Aug 7, 2007, 6:46pm (EDT+4) snipped-for-privacy@Yahoo.com (Toller) doth posteth: I have a new Oneida Portable. There are a few small leaks where the bottom of the cyclone is attached to the dust drum.
Duct tape?
JOAT I do things I don't know how to do, so that I might learn how to do them. - Picasso
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.