Rikon 3-speed air cleaner......comments?

[odie]

Sale: $149 at WC

https://www.woodcraft.com/products/...56083719&_bta_c=3t7yk690btkb6f1um1rvp2lasghvo

My budget is very tight, and not much money to spare.......just wondering if anyone has one of these units, and would care to comment......thank you.

-----odie-----

 

[odie]

I practically live in my shop, and 90% of my time is spent at the lathe, and related operations. Create lots of dust in the corner of my shop where the lathe is. Thinking about placing Rikon unit directly above the lathe. Shop is the size of a 3-car garage, using up 2/3 of that space. Lathe is in one corner, and dust creation is concentrated there.

I also use a resp-o-rator, and an Airstream helmet, but not 100% of the time.....thinking this Rikon unit might be a plus......

-----odie-----

 

[odie]

How often do filters need replacing?......and, how effective?

-----odie-----

 

[Ron Grob]

I have no experience with this unit, or any air cleaner unit for that matter, but searching around I cam across an air cleaner from Wen (link). It looks like it's the same unit with a different paint job at a cheaper price.

 

[odie]

I have no experience with this unit, or any air cleaner unit for that matter, but searching around I cam across an air cleaner from Wen (link). It looks like it's the same unit with a different paint job at a cheaper price.

Thank you!

-----odie-----

 

[Ron Grob]

Thanks for posting this. I'm still outside but have been planing to move my lathe inside and an air cleaner is at the top of my list to purchase when I do. Got me looking early!

 

[odie]

I almost pulled the trigger on the Rikon......and, as a second thought, posted this morning.....glad I did! Home Depot is a better option for me!

-----odie-----

 

[Mark Jundanian]

I have the Jet unit mounted near my lathe. I don't think you will have any issue with the Rikon or for that matter the Wen or Grizzly. These are just a box with a fan pulling air through a filter.

My air filter is mounted to the upper wall rather than the ceiling (better head clearance). The intake side is near the back of the lathe. The system works to remove dust from the air as evidenced by the accumulated dust in the filter, but it is in no way 100%. I would have to characterize it as moderately effective, but there is still plenty of dust settling on surfaces. However, it is better than doing nothing. I do notice the air feels cleaner.

Filter longevity will depend on the amount of dust and hours of use. I'm a hobbyist so maybe I clean my outer filter once every couple of months. I use compressed air and blow off the outer filter. I haven't replaced the outer filter yet, but I am hoping I can find a replacement at the hardware store (with hardware dtore pricing).

The inner filter has stayed fairly clean so far. Maybe I'll get a year out of that.

 

[Dan Bevilacqua]

I have the Wen system, and have had it for around a year. It seems to work well; however, the only evidence I have is the dust accumulation on the outer filter. In other words, I have not done any kind of dust tests.

Mine is ceiling mounted behind lathe; but, I use a dust collector at the lathe so I rarely run mine while I am woodturning. I regularly run it after turning set at maximum speed and set at 1 hour.

I do vacuum my outer filter and then blow it out with air. They seem to last a long time, and I still have some new ones in the box. Although I see very little dust on the inner filter, I do the same for it.

As far as what you have found at Home Depot, Home Depot online is great to buy tools because they have a very generous return policy. It is generally 90 days.

 

[Mark Wollschlager]

I have an older Delta ( about 18 years old ), same basic setup.
I cheat a bit and stack several filters ahead of the primary ( I use a stock 12x20 3M filtrete ), generally a foam filter and an inexpensive 12x20 basic filtrete.
The foam gets washed and the basic get vacuumed and discarded. The primary filter gets replaced when it cannot be vacuumed.
The internal filter has yet to be replaced. I checked it earlier this summer and it is pretty clean. At $70 I am glad it was still good.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Odie I cannot speak for the Rikon . I have a Jet and a old one I cannot remember the brand. The Jet works very well for me. I blow off the filter and maybe every 5 or 6 times will also vacum or blow out the bag (although they intend for you to change filters for max performance). I do see the Rikon is for a 20 x 20 shop. The big thing for the performance of these units is placement. Wall mount or near the wall is best to create a circular air flow. Not as big a deal when wearing a mask or respirator is that the airflow that is best for you would be intake in front or to the side of the dirction you face while working at the lathe so that the unit is not drawing dust to you.

 

[hockenbery]

I have a JDS. when it was in a basement shop after sanding dry bowls it made the air breathable without a respirator in about an hour. Dust still collects where it falls.
I would vacuum the filters about once a month. Change the filters every 3-6 months.

JDS had a design tool we used to determine where to hang it and to confirm that one unit would work.

It is hanging in our current shop but we don’t use it since but we work with the doors open and fans going.
Fresh air in dusty air outside.

 

[Bill Boehme]

As Gerald said, you need to mount the unit on the ceiling next to a wall to create a circulation pattern in the room. Mounting it over the lathe isn't as effective at cleaning the air.

Don't make the assumption that it will act like a dust collector and immediately clean the air around it. Instead think of it as a tool to help keep your shop cleaner and reduce the amount of dust that settles on everything. Turning it on when you leave and letting it run overnight is a good strategy for keeping the shop clean and not contending with the noise that it makes. It takes a long time to filter the air in a shop so it isn't going to do much to immediately improve air quality while you're creating dust.

The heavier dust will still settle wherever it wants to settle. Using one of these air cleaners won't help one bit when it comes to your immediate need for respiratory protection. Think of your lungs as just another ait cleaner that is located much closer to the source of where the dust is being created.

 

[Richard Coers]

I've found that a $25 box fan with a furnace filter taped to the back does just as well. In fact, just any fan running in the shop does a good job of getting the really fine dust to drop out of the air.

 

[odie]

As Gerald said, you need to mount the unit on the ceiling next to a wall to create a circulation pattern in the room. Mounting it over the lathe isn't as effective at cleaning the air.

Don't make the assumption that it will act like a dust collector and immediately clean the air around it. Instead think of it as a tool to help keep your shop cleaner and reduce the amount of dust that settles on everything. Turning it on when you leave and letting it run overnight is a good strategy for keeping the shop clean and not contending with the noise that it makes. It takes a long time to filter the air in a shop so it isn't going to do much to immediately improve air quality while you're creating dust.

The heavier dust will still settle wherever it wants to settle. Using one of these air cleaners won't help one bit when it comes to your immediate need for respiratory protection. Think of your lungs as just another ait cleaner that is located much closer to the source of where the dust is being created.

Yes......I understand this won't reduce the need for respiratory protection, but I'm thinking it will reduce the amount of airborne dust.....if it's installed near the source. I generally don't use the Airstream, or Resp-o-rator, during times I'm not creating dust.....so, I expect it to be an overall better situation for my health, than without it has been. I do have a very good "barometer" in checking the Wen's effectiveness......the windshield of the car always gets a coating of dust......and it's completely on the other side of the shop/garage. (I'd say on average, I only drive to town 2-3 times per week......sometimes less. I am working in my shop nearly everyday.) If I get less dust accumulation on the car windshield, then that should be a somewhat reliable indicator. I won't know for sure, until I do the test.....which means I gotta buy the damn thing!

( I sure get tired of my car looking like it's been years since it's been driven, every time I go to town! )

-----odie-----

 

[Mark Jundanian]

Yes......I understand this won't reduce the need for respiratory protection, but I'm thinking it will reduce the amount of airborne dust.....if it's installed near the source.

That's pretty much been my experience.

The idea of getting the air to circulate in the shop is a good one, but in reality between the I beam holding up the basement ceiling and other overhead obstructions this is less of a factor. Hence I have positioned the unit on the wall near the lathe.

I also run my airfilter when I run the lathe. It may be noisy, but much less so then the dust collector (which is also on for sanding). It might as well get started cleaning the air when I get started making dust. I then run it a couple of hours after I am done. By then I figure the rest of the dust has settled.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Yes......I understand this won't reduce the need for respiratory protection, but I'm thinking it will reduce the amount of airborne dust.....if it's installed near the source. I generally don't use the Airstream, or Resp-o-rator, during times I'm not creating dust.....so, I expect it to be an overall better situation for my health, than without it has been. I do have a very good "barometer" in checking the Wen's effectiveness......the windshield of the car always gets a coating of dust......and it's completely on the other side of the shop/garage. (I'd say on average, I only drive to town 2-3 times per week......sometimes less. I am working in my shop nearly everyday.) If I get less dust accumulation on the car windshield, then that should be a somewhat reliable indicator. I won't know for sure, until I do the test.....which means I gotta buy the damn thing!

( I sure get tired of my car looking like it's been years since it's been driven, every time I go to town! )

-----odie-----

OK, the subtle answer maybe didn't quite convey what I really wanted to say. If you have a Wen air cleaner then the Rikon isn't going to be much different. An engineer answer would be that the effectiveness would be inversely proportional to the third power of the distance from the air inlet. A more practical answer for the average Joe or Odie would be that that the inlet of the cleaner would need to be six inches or closer to the dust source to be really effective at improving the air that you breathe. Your face is probably somewhere around 18" from the dust source. At that distance the air is basically stagnant, meaning that it isn't being noticeably pulled towards the cleaner. If the unit is hanging from the ceiling then it isn't really having any immediate effect on cleaning up the dust in the air that is being generated and you are breathing. You can do a very convincing demonstration by creating a lot of dust and then turn off the room lights and use a bright flashlight to illuminate the dust in the air near the flashlight. Using a flashlight outdoors at night it's sort of alarming to see how much dust is in the air if you live in a large city, but even in rural areas there is sometimes a lot of dust. The suggestion made earlier by Richard and Al of using fans and open door might be the best. A large box fan, industrial size if you have the space, and open a garage door would work very well in good weather. I usually turn outdoors, but that has obvious limitations.

 

[Don Jarvie]

I have the next size up Jet and it works well. I use it when I sand along with the DC. The DC won’t get all of the particles so it clears the air fairly well.

You definitely need a DC or other dust collection while sanding. It will not clear the air alone. Also the outer filters are available at HD or Lowe’s.

I don’t use it while turning since I’m not creating a lot of dust.

I think it would be a good addition for the shop.

By the way the Jet has been part of the Black Friday sales where I got mine. It was a good price although I can’t remember the exact price.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Here is some information that I found on the Woodcraft shop about determining the size of air cleaner to you need to keep the air reasonably clean while you are working in the shop. The CFM rating should be at least a tenth of the volume of your shop. If you have a three bay garage then the volume is probably in the neighborhood of 7,000 cubic feet, therefore, the capacity of the air cleaner should be at least 700 CFM. That's nearly twice the Rikon CFM capacity that you are thinking about. It would also be good to see if there are any magazine reviews of air cleaners because some manufacturers have been known to use exaggerated claims such as measuring the air flow without a filter. Another consideration is the effectiveness of the filter. The Rikon filter removes 85% of particles larger than five microns. That's not very impressive since the harmful dust is smaller than one micron. While a better filter could be used that would reduce the air flow.

The right size air cleaner can be very effective. I took a class with Nick Cook several years ago at the local Woodcraft store. The class had six students and it wasn't too long before the air was thick with dust. I noticed that there was a large air cleaner on the ceiling, but it wasn't turned on. We asked the employees about turning it on, but nobody knew how to do it because it just been installed a couple days earlier. The manager finally found the remote control and it wasn't very long before we could see the air getting cleaner, but it did take a while because the air was so dusty. The unit was somewhat noisy, but tolerable and much better than the choking dust.

 

[Jon Minerich]

All,
I actually have 2 dust filters in my little shop-the Rikon Odie described and a bench-top from Grizzly. The Rikon is mounted on the ceiling close to the center of my shop. The Rikon was OK for general air cleanliness, but didn’t help much when sanding on the lathe. Per Bill’s point, I needed to capture the dust closer to the source-my lathe. (I also wear a face filter when sanding or spraying lacquer). So I searched for another solution. Due to the layout of my shop, my lathe is placed up against a wall, limiting my options.

I purchased a bench top Grizzly dust collector designed for woodcarvers etc. Placement of the little Grizzly is right behind my lathe, less than 12 inches away. The amount of dust it captures is amazing. It still doesn’t capture 100%, but it was a great improvement. The only downside is that I vacuum the filter each day when I am done sanding. It isn’t that much of a problem. Yes, I still wear a mask when sanding. And Yes the Grizzly got hit when I had a big piece of cherry come off a bowl blank that had an unseen crack in it, but the unit didn’t even get damaged except for a small paint ding.

While this may not be a solution for everyone, it might be a good option to consider. I purchased both on sale and wound spending about $225 for both.

 

[Lamar Wright]

Hi Odie..... Last year I purchased a Wen air filter (See Attachment) and I'm very pleased with it. Amazon has them for $126. It really takes care of all the fine dust in my shop. I have only had to change the filter once in the year that I've had the system. .....

The system has three speeds and a timer set to run one, two or three hrs after you leave the shop..... It does keep a lot of fine dust from settling in your shop and most of all good for the lungs!! Very satisfied with the system Odie.

 

[odie]

Hi Odie..... Last year I purchased a Wen air filter (See Attachment) and I'm very pleased with it. Amazon has them for $126. It really takes care of all the fine dust in my shop. I have only had to change the filter once in the year that I've had the system. .....

The system has three speeds and a timer set to run one, two or three hrs after you leave the shop..... It does keep a lot of fine dust from settling in your shop and most of all good for the lungs!! Very satisfied with the system Odie.View attachment 26580 View attachment 26581

Howdy Lamar.......great looking shop......so neat and organized!

With the amount of time I'm spending in my shop, I'm wondering if I shouldn't get the larger Jet unit at $419. I can't even remember the last day I didn't spend 4-5 hours lathe time.....it's part of who I am!
Anyway, my budget is so limited, that it's not as easy for me to make these decisions, as it was when I was working full time. (But.....I wouldn't trade my retirement for mo' money.....uh, uh, no way.......I'm enjoying my life like no other time in my lifetime! )
This one:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/JET-550...-3-Speed-115-Volt-AFS-1000B-708620B/100341750

The only reason I don't also get a dust collector, is my shop is so crowded that there is absolutely no space for it! This Jet unit, I can get away with......only because I can stick it on the ceiling! Ha,ha......!

-----odie-----

 

[Richard Coers]

If you have a limited budget, and will use an air cleaner as a dust collector, I suggest you look at the price for the replacement filter. If that Jet still uses the pocket style fine filter, the replacement cost for the internal filter is near $50. It's not easy to clean out between replacements since it is a 3 pocket design. As a dust collector, it's going to plug up quickly!

 

[Damon McLaughlin]

Odie,

I have the same Wen unit as Lamar. My shop is 12'x16' and I'm in it anywhere from four to eight hours a day. Powertec has the AF4000 on Amazon right now for $119, its the same unit but with a different name on it. I've had my unit for about three years and no issues with it. I use a dust collector with a port at the lathe for when I'm sanding. I leave the Wen air filter on any time I am in the shop. It does a great job as evident with the dust in the filters. I usually blow the outer filter out every once in a while and replace it twice a year. The inner filter I've only had to replace once in three years. Still looks great. I have noticed much less dust settling on things around the shop as well. Because my shop is small I usually just run it on low and usually set the timer to two hours when I close up the shop for the night. I wouldn't hesitate to buy it again.

 

[Don Jarvie]

Why don’t you consider getting the Wen air cleaner and a small dust collector. The DC can be put under the lathe if you have the room. The DC is the best way to effectively collect the dust. A 1hp DC under the lathe will do the job.

For the price of the big Jet you could get both.

 

[Lamar Wright]

Howdy Lamar.......great looking shop......so neat and organized!

With the amount of time I'm spending in my shop, I'm wondering if I shouldn't get the larger Jet unit at $419. I can't even remember the last day I didn't spend 4-5 hours lathe time.....it's part of who I am!
Anyway, my budget is so limited, that it's not as easy for me to make these decisions, as it was when I was working full time. (But.....I wouldn't trade my retirement for mo' money.....uh, uh, no way.......I'm enjoying my life like no other time in my lifetime! )
This one:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/JET-550...-3-Speed-115-Volt-AFS-1000B-708620B/100341750

The only reason I don't also get a dust collector, is my shop is so crowded that there is absolutely no space for it! This Jet unit, I can get away with......only because I can stick it on the ceiling! Ha,ha......!

-----odie-----

Howdy Odie, that is not a bad price for that size air filtration system. 1044 CFM will filter a lot of air........What I like about these systems are that they hang from the ceiling and you can place it where it is needed most...!

Speaking of retirement Odie, I love it too and I spend at least 6 hrs a day in the shop and some days more......that is if I don't have a lot of honey do's to do!! . Only problem is that I'll be 70 years young next year and can't stand on my feet all day like I use to. I have a stool in the shop and when I get tired I'll set a while and think about what my next project will be!

Later Buddy.....Lamar

 

[Mark Jundanian]

Odie,

A couple of things. First, as has been said by others, an air filter is not going to take the place of a dust collector removing dust at the source.

It will generally clean up the air in the room of particulates that are suspended in the air. Which is valuable, but not the whole solution.

I get the tight budget, but I think an arguement could be made for working on a dust collector first -- though I expect opinions will vary.

When you do move ahead with the air filter there is no reason you could not install two of the smaller units in one workshop (positioned on opposite ends circulating in the same direction). So you could buy one now and see what it does for you and pick up a second if needed when budget allows.

Here is a picture of my shop, for no particularly good reason actually.


(That's my wife at the lathe. It's her "turn".)

 

[Bill Boehme]

Howdy Lamar.......great looking shop......so neat and organized!

With the amount of time I'm spending in my shop, I'm wondering if I shouldn't get the larger Jet unit at $419. I can't even remember the last day I didn't spend 4-5 hours lathe time.....it's part of who I am!
Anyway, my budget is so limited, that it's not as easy for me to make these decisions, as it was when I was working full time. (But.....I wouldn't trade my retirement for mo' money.....uh, uh, no way.......I'm enjoying my life like no other time in my lifetime! )
...................... The only reason I don't also get a dust collector, is my shop is so crowded that there is absolutely no space for it! This Jet unit, I can get away with......only because I can stick it on the ceiling! Ha,ha......!

That looks like a good one. With a three bay garage I definitely wouldn't go any smaller than that. I can understand about being crowded ... I barely even have enough room to think ... and if I have big thoughts then I have to go outside.

 

[egsiegel]

I have the WEN version...works well...I think it was ~120 on amazon

 

[Dean Center]

Odie,
I'll beat John Torchick to the Cheapskate Response. You can make a dust filter for very little money, though I can't advise how effective either will be compared to a commercial unit.

Option 1: a box fan from a big box store with an inexpensive furnace filter taped on with duct tape (or mount the fan from the ceiling and put the filter on top). The fan is $20, and the filters are so cheap you won't mind changing them regularly. The one in my basement old-house-repair-shop has been in regular use for 8 years and still works fine. If nothing else, it will give you an idea of how much fine crap you have floating in the air, and might show you whether a filter set up will actually do what you want prior to investing.
Option 2: you can make a plywood box, put a used HVAC blower in it, and have your own copy of the commercial units. The one used in our local senior center shop works pretty well, though the dust collection installed a year ago makes a greatly larger difference. Plans for these DIY solutions can be found on the internet. The blower motors are available at no cost if one of your neighbors is replacing their furnace, or for a small fee from installers or salvage type places.​

Also, you might be able to pick up a used Delta dust collector on Craigslist for not much money. I know mine lacks the CFM, hp, and tiny filtration pore size of more desirable units, but it was affordable and works well on the band saw. My 3M PAPR set up protects me during turning.

Could those with more experience advise about the effectiveness of the small Dust Deputy type dust collectors, available for <$300, relative to Odie's situation?

 

[Mark Wollschlager]

I have tried to use the box fan with filter and found that an adequate filter cuts the air flow significantly.
The cfm is important, an old hvac blower would give better results, and may also have a slot to hold the filter instead of using a bunch of duct tape to hold the filter on.

 

[Glenn Lefley]

Howdy Lamar.......great looking shop......so neat and organized!

With the amount of time I'm spending in my shop, I'm wondering if I shouldn't get the larger Jet unit at $419. I can't even remember the last day I didn't spend 4-5 hours lathe time.....it's part of who I am!
Anyway, my budget is so limited, that it's not as easy for me to make these decisions, as it was when I was working full time. (But.....I wouldn't trade my retirement for mo' money.....uh, uh, no way.......I'm enjoying my life like no other time in my lifetime! )
This one:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/JET-550...-3-Speed-115-Volt-AFS-1000B-708620B/100341750

The only reason I don't also get a dust collector, is my shop is so crowded that there is absolutely no space for it! This Jet unit, I can get away with......only because I can stick it on the ceiling! Ha,ha......!

-----odie-----

Go for the largest you can afford.

 

[odie]

Thank you all for all the input......at the moment, I'm pulling some strings, and will likely get the larger Jet air cleaner, plus the small dust collector. They are in my cart at HD right now.......just waiting to build up a little courage, and pull the trigger! Ha!

I have no idea where, and how, I'll install the DC.....maybe I'll nail that to the ceiling, too!

(Sold three small bowls today.......so, that helps with the pain a little bit!!!!! )

-----odie-----

 

[Glenn Lefley]

Your health is worth more than money!

 

[Glenn Lefley]

So are you a happy HD customer today. Somebody helping you screw that to the ceiling?

 

[GRJensen]

I have had a Rikon running in my shop for almost six years ... I believe an earlier version (61-200) of the one you posted about. I equipped it with an electrostatic pre-filter(instead of the pleated furnace-like filter they come with), which needs to be vacuumed or blown out every few weeks. About once every three months, I pull the blanket out and blow or vacuum it out. This machine runs pretty much all of the time I am in the shop, and, IMHO, is an excellent value. I have only had one problem with it ... after 5 years of operation, the electronics crapped out. I called Rikon (I knew the machine was out of warranty), and for under $30 got a replacement circuit board that took me all of 10 minutes to install.

 

[Bill Boehme]

Thank you all for all the input......at the moment, I'm pulling some strings, and will likely get the larger Jet air cleaner, plus the small dust collector. They are in my cart at HD right now.......just waiting to build up a little courage, and pull the trigger! Ha!

I have no idea where, and how, I'll install the DC.....maybe I'll nail that to the ceiling, too!

(Sold three small bowls today.......so, that helps with the pain a little bit!!!!! )

-----odie-----

Install the DC in the master bedroom and run ducting to the shop. You could try passing it off as a whole house vacuum system. Just being helpful.

 

[odie]

Again, thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread for all the help. Sometimes we must keep our expenses in tune with our finances, and I couldn't justify purchasing the larger Jet air filtration unit, or the DC at this time.......but, I just completed the order for the smaller WEN air filtration unit. It will be ceiling mounted near the lathe. I should have it installed and running in about a week or ten days.

-----odie-----

 

[Glenn Lefley]

Very nice.

 

[Steve Doerr]

Odie, like many others I have a very old Jet that I use in the shop. Being the frugal guy that I am, I tape a furnace filter over the regular filter. This pre-filter really helps collect a lot of the dust in the air without getting the expensive Jet filter dirty. I will sometimes vacuum the pre-filter and other times I will just replace it with another furnace filter.