: For anyone who has this unit, I have a couple of questions. First - : how do you like it? Second - I would like to use a trashcan lid type : separator ahead of the unit, so if you have done this, comments would : be welcome.
I don't have the Jet, I have the Grizzly 2HP (1029 IIRC) unit. If the canister style had existed when I bought mine I would have looked seriously at it. I do wonder about the longevity of the pleated canister and what its eventual replacement cost would be, though.
I do use one of the separator lids (it came free with the Griz), but only with my planer. I figure everything else generates a comparatively small quantity of material. As it is the 2HP units have decent sized bags - I don't find myself emptying the dust collector's bag very often. I'm happy with the lid; it does what it claims, and while I'm sure it does reduce suction somewhat, a 2HP DC is more than capable of generating plenty of suction even with a small loss.
My current project is a mobile cart for my planer, which encloses the can & separator underneath (with easy access for emptying). It gets the planer off the bench permanently and stops me from having to lift it - at ~75 pounds even the "portables" are heavy. : I'm still : struggling with the final decision on this unit vs. spending the extra : cash for a cyclone.
I couldn't justify the 2-3x price for a cyclone. I think that for hobbyist use a standard unit is fine, though there are many on this group who are big fans of cyclones and feel they are worth the cost differential. Me, I'd skip the cyclone and put the money into ducting (see below).
: If I go with the Jet, I plan on having it on a mobile base with one : line coming out and just hooking it up the various machines as needed. : With a 10' flexible line, I should be able to reach my TS, jointer : and planer without ever having to move the unit.
That will get old really, really fast. At a minimum, you should pick up a couple of Y connectors and some blast gates, so at least you just open the gate for the machine you're using.
However, think seriously about doing some basic ducting. I have 4" PVC (I used Sch40 plumbing pipe, others will recommend the thin wall drainage tubing) running to all my major dust producers. I think the total investment in pipe, fittings, blast gates, etc. was less than $200 (7 inlets total) and it makes an enormous difference in usability, as well as being a much neater installation.
: Looking at the prices for the 1.5hp unit and the : 2hp unit, I don't see how I can pass up the extra power, despite the : fact that I will have to run 220v to my garage (which I should do : anyway).
Get the 2HP, you won't regret it. Besides, the 1.5HP will need its own circuit anyway, if you want to actually run any other tools while it's on.
: Plus the : cyclone is not mobile, so I will need to spend considerable $$ on : ducting ( I must say that I am surprised at the cost of this stuff).
Were you looking at commercial style metal DC ducting? That stuff is quite expensive, and not necessary in a home shop. Use PVC.
Bear in mind that unless you run multiple 220V outlets or put a longer power supply cord on it, the Jet isn't going to be terribly mobile either. Especially with a separator-lid-and-trashcan beside it.
: Even if I were to buy the 1.5 Oneida and vent it outside, by the time : I bought duct work, I would be at least twice the price of the Jet.
Be careful about venting a DC outside, particularly if your workspace is part of the house (e.g. a basement). You can create negative pressures that suck furnace fumes back into the house, not to mention exhausting all your expensive heated/cooled air outside very quickly. If you're in a garage, then it's probably OK, but I'd still say it's not worth the trouble.
-Brett