Shop FoxPortable W1727 1 HP Dust Collector

I've been using my SF W1727 DC on my cabinet and sliding miter saws (one at a time). Connected directly to the blower suction (not using the provided elbow) is a 21ft Rockler 4" compression hose that I hook up directly to the cabinet saw and a 4" x 2.5" adapter to feed the miter saws 2.5" connection hose.Pros:*The 1727 captures around 99% of the heavy and fine dust of these 2 power tools...much more efficient than my 6hp shop vac!*The unit was very easy to assemble and get up and running.*The 2.5 micron top filter bag seems to capture particles much smaller than its rating.*The unit purrs at 20db less (82.5db\m) than my screaming shop vac (102.5db\m)!*Mobility is very easy and convenient.*One small magnet makes the clear vinyl bottom bag a breeze to change out.*I have it powered with the provided 120v configuration...Runs Great on my 20 amp service.*Construction, design and performance are Excellent for an entry level DC!*Waited Way-to-Long to get a descent Woodworking DC System. Looked at all the vendors, styles and features...Shop Fox had the Best Answers!*Wood Stock Int. has been very responsive and helpful in their customer and technical services (see below)!!Cons:* The only issue I had was with "UPS". They dropped off the box without ringing the doorbell and took off. Several box corners displayed crushes, like dropped several times from different heights. The bottom of the box was compromised (ripped open) and the Styrofoam packing used to protect all components was in 20+ pieces. One of the blower housing brackets that a leg tubular inserts into was exposed outside of the box and bent up pretty bad. Surprisingly, this was the only damage and in 5 minutes, a dead blow hammer and small pry bar set it in descent shape, enough to complete the assembly. After testing the function of the whole unit (ran very well), I notified Wood Stock directly of the shipping issues and subsequent bracket damage. All WS communications were very professional, quick and showed much concern over the issues I had with delivery. After submitting pictures, I received back several calls from their CS and TS groups who stated they are addressing these issues by beefing up with heavy-duty packing materials to better protect their products in shipment. Logistic vendors are going to mishandle bulky and heavy boxes. However, Quality Packing and Designs will go a long way at ensuring customers receive their product in "NEW CONDITION" !

I have to give this at least 4 stars because it delivered a good dust collector at a low price. The materials and construction are of good quality. So far it is functioning well with no technical problems. If the power fits your needs then I would certainly recommend it.In my case, I attempted to use it for a 4x4 CNC router. It works ok but I need more airflow. I suppose this is a learning experience for me. This unit picks up about 70% of the chip/dust I generate. I mostly work in plastic and MDF.It is a huge improvement over not having dust collection but still not what I needed. My recommendation is to carefully consider the airflow needs of your system before choosing what to buy. Carefully look at the airflow ratings. HP is a rough measurement but the airflow is what really determines the effectiveness of the system. In my case, the airflow is just too low for my needs.This unit would be excellent for dust collection on a table saw or regular router table. It does a great job as a big shop vac (for dust and small dirt.). I would recommend having a floor level vacuum port connected to it. That is amazingly handy. It allows me to just use a broom and sweep floor scraps over near the vacuum. That alone made my shop 50% cleaner.Note - you need to be very careful to not allow larger bits of paper or plastic into the system. They catch on the fan and require you to remove about 12 screws to clean it out. Not difficult, just a pain. This is for dust, not trash. A vortex separator might help with that issue but I am not sure. A 1/4 hole mesh over the vacuum port also helps this issue.If anyone knows of an easy way to upgrade the airflow on this let me know. -Thanks

This dust collector was perfect for my VERY small 8' x 10' wood working shop. I located the dust collector itself in and adjacent room and piped the 4" vacuum tubing through the wall. And although thid dust collector is not vey loud, locating it in a seperate space made the noise from the dust collector almost non existant.I also relocated the on/off switch that came on the machine to my shop with appropriate wire and JB's so I can control the collector remotely. I transitiond from the 4" to 2 1/2" just inside the shop an ran clear flexible hosed through blast gates to my table saw, sanding station, router station and scroll saw. I added another blast gate to which I attached, using a reducer, a 1 1/4" flexible pull around hose for shop floor and workbench cleanup. Since I only open one blast gate at a time, the sustion is good at all locations.For a small shop like mine the installation was not cost prohibitive,works very well and clean up is a snap..

I have been using this for a few days now, and haven't really had many issues other than the elbow not fitting snugly, causing a reduction in suction. I saw a few people complaining about the suction, or lack of it, and stating their shop vac works better. This is a 1HP collector, it isn't going to suck up everything, its sole purpose is to reduce the amount of dust in the air, and chips on the ground, and it certainly does that very well when considering the price. So far I have used it on my jointer, planer, and table saw and it performed as expected on all these tools. I also saw a few people complaining about replacing the chip bag..... It's really not that difficult, as long as you have some common sense. it took me about 30 seconds and only required two pieces of painters tape. I will update this review later if anything else comes up, but as of now this is a great budget collector for a hobbyist or small space woodworker.