Jet 1100cfm Dust Collector

Specifications
HP:	1 1/2"
CFM:	1100
Inlet Diameter:	2 x 4" or 1 x 6"
Accessories:	5 micron bag
Price:	$329
Rating:

Jet 1100 cfm Dust Collector Review

A dust collector is a workshop essential. Before I got this dust collector I thought that I could get by with my shop vacuum. What a joke. When using my 13" planer my vacuum didn't even come close to collecting all of the chips. What a mess. After purchasing the Jet 1100 cfm dust collector I made it my goal to become a dust collector evangelism. I may have stopped short of my goal but I still think every shop should have a dust collector.

Assembly
The assembly of the dust collector is very quick. The toughest part is just getting the bags put on for the first time. After the first few tries is is much easier.

Motor
This dust collector comes with a 1.5 HP single phase, induction motor. It can be run on 110v or 220v. I run mine on a dedicated circuit at 110v. Don't try to run this on the same circuit as your saws on 110v. You will pop a breaker. I've always found that the motor runs quietly and seems plenty powerful for my tasks of running it off of my planer, jointer, bandsaw and table saw.

Noise
When you turn this machine on you will be amazed how quite it runs. My old Rigid vac was the loudest machine I had in the shop. This dust collector is very quite. I don't have anything to measure the decibels but it is less than any other power tool in the shop. The sound of rushing air creates most of the noise. If you don't find the noise of cheap universal motors then this heavy duty, quite induction motor will be music to your ears.

Dust Collection
The real purpose is to collect dust from your power tools. This collects everything I tell it to. It is hard to quantify dust collecting ability, my dust collector setup has long runs and it handles it without trouble.

Filter Bags
The standard filter bags are 30 micron bags. In terms of dust, that is giant. If you are going to use this in your home I suggest that you jump up to the Dust Collector with Filter Canister or purchase additional bags. The canister style is expensive but worth it in the long run. I wish they had that type when I purchased my dust collector.

Dust Collection
This saw come with a rather small dust port below the table. It is far from perfect, but with my 1.5 HP dust collector it really helps. Bandsaws don't produce a large volume of dust but the dust it creates is very fine. A little larger port might help the dust collection.

This is not exactly the most exciting power tool to write about. You don't make anything with a dust collector. However, the safety and usefulness of it put it high on the list. Other than the bags, this is a great tool. Don't skimp here, get a real dust collector. Don't waste your money thinking you can save money by thinking your shop vacuum will do the job, it won't.

Overall Rating 5 out of 6.

See Also:

• Dust Collector Setup
• Remote Dust Collector Switch