Replies

1. 
   JMartinsky | Nov 11, 2007 02:47am | #1

   Dear John,
   I am a contractor and sometimes commercial cabinetmaker. I have had my 3hp Oneida cyclone for about seven or eight years now and it is just bulletproof. Mine hangs on the wall of my sometimes heated shop. Here in CT (New England USA) we have temperature swings of -10 to 100 degrees F (-23 to 38 C I think). I have run in the heat and cold with no difference or objections. I have run it for seven hours a day for weeks and then not run it for six months with no troubles at all. If I could offer a word of caution is that mine at least pulls like h*ll even with almost 100' of pipe on it. Definitely keep hands and any important body parts away. I can run any two machines that I want and probably three. I have never had a clogged line, even when overfilling the dustbin. I run mine with no filter, just an external exhaust. It really is a terrifically efficient dust collector. From chunks & chips to the finest MDF dust (like flour) it collects it all. I am not particularly patent or kind to equipment, so if it were going to break, I think that it would of by now. A couple of suggestions:

   1) Let Oneida design your system. They do a great job of balancing the shop so that when multiple gate are open, there is no starvation at any one port.

   2) Get a floor sweep. My kids argue about who gets to sweep up so that they can see the floor sweep work. (Now if I could get them to do their rooms!)

   3) No joke about the power. I thought that they were overstating things when I was cautioned about making sure that I left one blast gat open at all times so as not to collapse the ductwork. You'll see what I mean.

   Any specific questions, let me know......

   Best,

   John

1. 
   johnmcm | Nov 11, 2007 07:08pm | #4

   Blimey, thanks everyone. Sounds like a 2hp job will be more than sufficient to meet my humble needs. I only run 1 machine at a time. I intend to vent outside without a filter.

2. 
   Jfrostjr | Nov 11, 2007 05:02pm | #2

   I've had mine for 18 months and could not be happier - or have a cleaner shop! I have a radial arm saw* and, as you know, dust collection with these is a problem. No longer. I have a home-made sort of grill behind the discharge area - when dust "bounces" up in the air, the grill pulls it back and away.

   I don't know what you have now, but unhooking the chip drum is a dream compared to emptying the bag on my previous DC. I have never found any fine dust that made it to the collection pan - chip drum catches it all.

   * plus a lot of other stuff.

   Frosty

   "I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922

3. 
   Hastings | Nov 11, 2007 05:04pm | #3

   John:

   Here's the executive summary:

   1. Great service and support

   2. Product works as advertised

   3. Fit and finish sometimes not up to snuff (purely cosmetic)

   4. Maybe a little more pricey than others.

   I have the 2HP Super Gorilla and couldn't be happier. You can't go wrong.

   Hastings

4. 
   brucet9 | Nov 11, 2007 07:55pm | #5

   American Wood Working magazine ran a comparison of various cyclones last summer in which they rated Oneida Super Gorilla 2HP and Grizzly G0440 2HP both as "Editors' Picks".

   BruceT

   
1. 
   johnmcm | Nov 11, 2007 08:22pm | #6

   Thats great thankyou very much for the review.
   John

1. 
   Niall | Nov 12, 2007 01:34am | #7

   Hope this isn't hijacking the thread, but has anyone any comments / review on the Oneida Universal Portable Collector?  This is also becoming available in the UK.

   Thanks

1. 
   Al from Unionville | Nov 13, 2007 03:08am | #10

   Niall,
   I have the Oneida 2.5 HP portable and am quite satisfied with it. I got this particular model because I have a low ceiling basement shop that would not accommodate the Gorilla height. I have it permanently installed with steel ducting. The only issue for me was how to get the initial connection of pipe to the Portable with out taking up too much floor space (I have the duct running 3.5 inches from the floor around the walls). My solution was to extend the workshop 4 feet to create a closet to house the Portable and accept the first few feet of pipe the the initial wye.

5. 
   Gert | Nov 12, 2007 11:57pm | #8

   Hi,

   do you have a link to a U.K. company/importer?

   Thanks,

   Gert

1. 
   johnmcm | Nov 13, 2007 01:23am | #9

   Hello Gert, They're so new their website is still under construction but it does have contact details. I emailed them and got a catalogue and price list. It's a bit pricey but they did say they are looking at selling component parts as well as the whole thing.
   Cheers
   Johnhttp://oneida-air.co.uk/

6. 
   woodhacker | Nov 13, 2007 06:14am | #11

   I've got the 2HP model, works like a dream. I've got close to 100 feet of 6 inch pipe in my system, the 12" planer is at the far end of the run and the Oneida sucks all of its output. Because of the layout of my basement, the duct system has more bends than would be recommended, but it still works nicely. If you get a Dust Gorilla I'm sure you'll be happy with it.