Powertec’s wall-mounted dust collector is designed for small woodshops that have outgrown using a shop-vac as a dust collector
When you step up to larger tools as I did recently when buying a Jet 14-inch bandsaw, you find they have larger dust ports. My bandsaw has two 4-inch dust ports. Using a shop-vac for a dust collector will not begin to work on larger tools that need more CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute) of airflow of the larger dust ports. The solution? Buy something like the Powertec Dust Collector. In my case, the wall-mounted DC5370 worked best, taking up no floor space. I was able to hang it right at the ceiling.
Pros
- Does not take up floor space
- Clear viewing window to know when it is time to empty the filter
- Extremely well built
- Works well for one tool
Cons
- Too small to expand to additional tools
- Very noisy
Powertec Wall Mounted Dust Collector Performance
Let’s get real for a moment. If you think you can buy a dust collector this small, run 4-inch hoses all over your shop, and have a system that works you are going to be sorely disappointed. A must-watch video for anyone before they buy a dust collector is James Hamilton’s (AKA Stumpy Nubbs on YouTube) 11 Common Workshop Dust Collection Mistakes.
I bought this small dust collector knowing my bandsaw was going to be the only tool I would use with it. My other tools use shop-vacs because they have 2-inch dust ports. I am not qualified to explain the physics of it, but the air in a 4-inch air hose cannot be compressed enough to create adequate suction when reduced to a 2-inch dust port. You are much better off using a shop-vac on tools with 2-inch or smaller ports and a dust collector on 3-inch or larger ports. Watch James Hamilton’s videos to find out more on the subject. He is much more of an expert on dust collection than I am.
Knowing what mistakes not to make, I used PVC to hard pipe the duct all the way to the floor so I could keep my flexible hose as short as possible. Then I was ready to use the Powertec Dust Collector.
I was thrilled with the results. I am building a custom coffee table and needed to rip over 100 linear feet of red oak on my new bandsaw. Both the bandsaw and the dust collector worked great! There was a little dust on the table of course and a little ended up in one spot on the floor—but that was all. There was zero dust floating around in the air when I was done.
I have an industrial ceiling-mounted air filter that automatically senses when dust is in the air and turns itself on to clean it. It is so sensitive, if someone smokes a cigarette, it will turn on. Even after sawing over 100 feet of wood, the air filter never sensed any dust in the air thanks to the Powertec Dust Collector.
Noise
I only have one complaint about the Powertec Dust Collector—the noise level. This thing measures 85 dB(A) from 6-feet away. My band saw only measures 75 dB(A) at 2 feet (not under load).
When I first turned on my bandsaw I thought “Wow, a tool I don’t need hearing protection for!” Then I turned on the band saw’s dust collector. Bummer.
Powertec Wall Mounted Dust Collector Design Notes
The first thing you will notice when you open the Powertec Dust Collector is how extremely well-built it is. The first thing you will notice is how cheap the expanded polystyrene they used in shipping is. It is the old-school type that gets everywhere, including inside the unit, all over my floor, and all over me. Make sure you put the bag on before you turn on the unit just to catch the flying polystyrene. Ask me how I know this is a good idea! I’m still finding the stuff in my house weeks later!
I have 10-foot ceilings, so I hung my dust collector 1-inch below the ceiling. I park my table saw below the dust collector when not in use. Even if you have 8-foot ceilings you could do the same thing. You could put this over a workbench, in a corner, or in other unused off-the-ground space. It hangs down a total of 46 inches counting the inch of clearance you need to lift it on and off the included wall bracket.
Speaking of the wall bracket, It is too narrow to span across multiple studs. The Powertec Dust Collector weighs a hefty 45 lbs. I spent 19 years installing 40,000 works of art on the walls of a museum. Many of them were huge and heavy. In my opinion, 45 lbs is too heavy to install on a single stud when it is cantilevered out 16 inches. And this weight does not include the sawdust. I have no idea how heavy the bag is going to be when it is full. I would like to see Powertec make their wall cleat wider. In the meantime, the simple solution is to mount the unit on a board that spans two studs.
The only control on the Powertec Dust Collector is a simple on/off switch with a removable safety lock-out key. Since I am unable to reach the switch without a ladder, I bought a remote control rated for 15 amps. I mounted this to my bandsaw near the on/off switch with double-sided tape so I would not lose it. It works great.
Powertec Wall Mounted Dust Collector Price
The Powertec dust collector retails for $249. Powertec is known for its dust collector fittings, hoses, blast gates, adapters, and all the parts you need to get a dust collection system working.
The Bottom Line
If you only have a single tool that needs a dust collector, this is a good option. If you have more than one tool with large-diameter dust ports, I would suggest you look at a larger floor model. The only downside is the noise level. If you normally wear hearing protection anyway, this is not a big deal.
Powertec Wall-Mounted Dust Collector Specifications
- Model DC5370
- 2.5 micro filter bag
- 1 HP motor, 120/240 V
- 7 amp at 120V, 3.5 amp at 240V
- 537 CFM air flow
- 4-inch duct inlet
