Table of Content
- Dust Deputy vs. Dustopper Cyclone ShootoutThe Ultimate Shop Vac Cyclone Review - using scientific methods
- www.oneida-air.com
- www.oneida-air.com
- Dust Deputy vs. Dustopper Cyclone ShootoutThe Ultimate Shop Vac Cyclone Review - using scientific methods
- www.oneida-air.com
- Dust Deputy vs. Dustopper Cyclone ShootoutThe Ultimate Shop Vac Cyclone Review - using scientific methods
I also tested each setup with a 90 degree connector attached to the outlet of each cyclone. Typically, 90 degree connections cause a significant reduction in flow rate. However, you will see that there was a negligible change in flow rate with the 90 degree connector attached. My theory is that the spinning of the air exiting the cyclone is slowed down as it makes the 90 degree turn. The air converts that change in kinetic energy into pressure which happens to cancel the losses induced by the 90 degree bend.
For table saw dust and corn meal the systems seemed to perform equally well with the lower flow rate Vacmaster and the higher flow rate Ridgid vac. The Dustopper passed significantly more coarse dust when it was 3/4 full with the lower flow rate vac. Otherwise, neither cyclone seemed to be sensitive to whether or not the dust bin was empty or near full. If you plan to use a cyclone for sanding or other very fine dust then the Dust Deputy is the clear winner.
Dust Deputy vs. Dustopper Cyclone ShootoutThe Ultimate Shop Vac Cyclone Review - using scientific methods
The lower flow rate Vacmaster is affected much less but, as noted earlier, the Dustopper 's separation efficiency drops significantly for fine dust when using the lower flow rate vac. ObservationsBoth cyclones performed well with table saw dust and coarse dust . The Dustopper passed between 0.4% and 1.1%. Not much but still at least 10x more than the Dust Deputy.
This is similar to adding flow straighteners to ducts to reduce the pressure losses around bends. It is likely that adding a flow straightener in the outlet of the cyclone and not using the 90 degree fitting would result in a measurably higher flow rate. As you see, the Dustopper reduces flow significantly more than the Dust Deputy. The higher flow rate Ridgid vac drops 45% using the Dustopper and 35% using the Dust Deputy.
www.oneida-air.com
Several reviews that I watched noted that the Dustopper was noticeably louder than the Dust Deputy. That is true when the hose is not attached to the inlet but I could not hear the cyclone at all over the sound of either vacuum and the Vacmaster is a relatively quiet vacuum. The Dust Deputy was 4x to 10x more efficient across the board.Both cyclones were very efficient at removing coarser dust. How well each system works for coarse, medium, and fine dust as well as with a large vac vs a small vac.

Using the very fine dust starch, the Dustopper passed 2.5x to 7x more dust than the Dust Deputy. Coarse, medium and fine particles which represent the full range of dust produced in most shop. If you aren't familiar with how cyclone separators work and want to know, check out the All About Cyclone Separators page.
www.oneida-air.com
You want to prevent air leaks below the clone at all costs. I tested the system with no extra seals but i would recommend putting a thin weather seal around the bottom edge that contacts the bucket. That may improve the performance a little by not allowing air to leak through which pulls dusty air up through the cyclone and into your vac. I was VERY surprised to see how much both cyclones reduced the flow rates of both vacs. Cyclones use a lot of energy via air friction on the walls as the air spins as well as friction due to the series of direction changes the air encounters along its path. The following chars illustrate how much each vac was affected by connecting each cyclone.

Please share and read about more dust collection tips and tricksbyjoining the Shop Hacks Facebook Group by clickingHERE. Dust Deputy Deluxe kitfor $106.74which comes with the cyclone, bucket, hardware, hose, fitting and a wheeled dolly. Now for the moment you have been waiting for...
More airflow means you collect the dust faster so you spend more time on your projects and less time cleaning. This includes a 3' hose and a 90 degree fitting to attach it to your vacuum. The only other accessory you need is a 5 gallon bucket. The Dustopper just snaps onto the bucket so no tools or hardware are required.

Simply place one bucket inside of another. This keeps the walls straight which increases their buckling strength. It works for the Dust Deputy, however, it allowed enough deflection of the bucket lid to cause a significant air leak with the Dustopper. Picture the bucket being full of a continuously swirling dust cloud. When air leaks in around the lid seal it flows through that dust cloud carrying dust up and out the cyclone and into the vacuum.
The two most popular shop vac cyclone separators on the market are the Oneida Dust Deputy and the Home Depot Dustopper. The Dustopper is a relatively new entry and is based on Phil Thien's design. The Shop HacksDust Sheriff was developed based on lessons learned while testing the other cyclone systems. The Dust Sheriff includes an option to install an INTEGRATED filter which no other shop vac cyclone offers. Unless otherwise noted, flow rate test results in this article are with the filter installed. Separation efficiency test results are without the filter installed.
Why is it important to use virgin dust that has not been through a cyclone before? See the figure below which illustrates commercial cyclone collection efficiencies curves. Cyclones pass nearly 100% of the very fine fine dust. Each time dust is sent through a cyclone, the fine dust passes through and the coarse dust is collected.
I tested flow rate effects and pressure drops across both cyclones in multiple configurations. This will allow you to compare results that are closest to the setup you use to decide which cyclone is best for you. Neither cyclone seemed to be sensitive to flow rate for either of the coarser dust tests. Shop vacs produce enough pressure to implode most 5-gallon buckets. There are a couple ways to prevent this... Better separation efficiency means less time cleaning and replacing filters.

No comments:
Post a Comment