Donaldson filter for harbor freight dust collector

The Harbor Freight dust collector is one of the more popular systems on the market. It is effective, reliable, and inexpensive. And while we do not endorse one manufacturer over another, we receive a ton of calls and emails asking how to swap the Harbor Freight bag for an industrial-quality canister filter.

Table of Contents Show

Harbor freight DC setup
How many microns is good for a dust collector?
What is the difference between MERV 10 and MERV 15?
How long do dust collector canister filters last?

If you have a Harbor Freight dust collector, and you would like to upgrade to the MERV 10 or MERV 15 filter, please select a 35-series filter at our Woodworking Filters page.

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Harbor freight DC setup
I know this topic has been beaten to death but I'm trying to get the most out of my 2hp HF DC. I added about 15 feet worth of 4 in. PVC and the suction was great to all tools. My plan was to add a cannister filter and chip separator. I added the Donaldson P181038 Filter and immediately noticed a drop off in the suction. With one blast gate open I noticed the vortex action in the bag was quite less. Opening up another increases the action but obviously reduces the suction. From what I've read, the cannister filter should have improved the suction but that's not what happened. I can use it like this but this means I'll be clogging the filter very quickly. I also tried to add a separator with a 31 gallon garbage can while venting the exhaust outside and just bypassing the filter. Same result! Actually, the suction was even worse using the separator. I've read tons of posts on the web claiming success with these mods but it seems this unit may not be up to the task. If anyone has any tips or suggestions, I'd love to hear them. It's good enough with just the donaldson filter but I was hoping for better results.
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The cellulose media in that filter may not be oriented to flow from the inside center outward. Most if not all Donaldson Downflo style machines push air from the outside through the filter cartridge, opposite of what a conventional single stage one would do. Wynn filters have their media set up for reverse flow which is why they cost a bit more.
https://www.donaldson.com/en-us/indu...flo-evolution/
Thanks! I was actually thinking the same thing (after the fact) but unfortunately took the advice of others on the web claiming the donaldson worked well for them. Live and learn. I'm thinking of using a dust deputy and venting outside instead.
Super Dust Deputy, upgrading to the Rikon impeller and venting the fines outside is the best scenario with the HF blower.
I have the HF 2 HP. The impeller upgrade really improved the performance and I have a super Dust Deputy connected with it. Unfortunately, I have to vent thru a Wynn filter rather than outdoors. It does fine with about 30' of metal duct to the J/P combo.
Originally Posted by Lisa Starr
I have the HF 2 HP. The impeller upgrade really improved the performance and I have a super Dust Deputy connected with it. Unfortunately, I have to vent thru a Wynn filter rather than outdoors. It does fine with about 30' of metal duct to the J/P combo.
Just curious. Do you have the 4" or 5" dust deputy? What size ducts?
Robin,
5" Dust Deputy with 5" metal ducts. If I had it to do over, I would run a 6" main duct with 5" drops to the machines to allow for an upgrade of the DC later without replacing piping.

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How many microns is good for a dust collector?

Breakdown of Particle Sizes Most dust collectors will pretty much capture all or nearly 99% of particles greater than 50 microns, so it isn't as important to know if you have 5% dust at 51 microns and 3% at 55 microns, a simple 8% over 50 microns would be effective.

What is the difference between MERV 10 and MERV 15?

MERV 10 MERV 15 Under actual field conditions, a MERV 10 filter will remove 99.99% of 0.5 micron particles. A MERV 15 filter will remove 99.999%. By comparison, the cloth bags found on most dust collectors will remove 98.7% of 1.0 micron particles.

How long do dust collector canister filters last?

The service life of dust collector cartridge filters can vary widely. Depending on your system and operations, your filters may last as long as a year, or it may need to be changed as often as every three months.