Hey Scott, GREAT video. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. FYI, I'm Tom, and I am also Dustopper's inventor. I'm a lifelong woodworker, both as a hobbiest and (for a time) as a professional. Dustopper became a passion for me when (for a while) my portable shop was moved from place to place in a 2009 Pontiac Vibe! Gotta love low profile in a circumstance like that. So...here's the deal with the bag...it obviously got sucked up into the hose going to the vacuum. When that happens, there can also be a jam in the hose itself, which can cause a bucket implosion. I sincerely appreciate how you dealt with the matter in a calm and truthful way. I can tell you, I'm pretty proud of Dustopper, but it wasn't designed to separate plastic bags from air. LOL! Looking forward to watching more of our videos. Your practical approach to things we all deal with in woodworking are spot on. Keep up the great work. Glad you like your Dustopper!
Thank you for you kind words, Tom, and for stopping by. I really am impressed by design and you are right about the bag! Perhaps there’s the inspiration for V3!
Good first look. I have the original and love it! I wish I could find a bucket as transparent as the new Dustopper! It didn’t look like enough of a difference in performance for me to justify purchasing the new one. But you never know! I may get one for Christmas!
Excellent and very helpful. I have the original Dustopper and just pushed the buy button for the new one based on your video. As I said, I ordered the new Pro Dustopper based on your review. It arrived a few days ago and I found that your comments and advice were on the money. The seal and especially the new mechanical latches make a real difference. I also seem to enjoy watching the saw dust swirliing around through the new clear cover. I paid $54 at Home Depot and had it shipped directly to my home for that price. Thank you for a very useful and entertaining video.
$15, really. I'm in Canada. I just looked on the HD Canadian site to see what they are worth. $89 CDN for the original. Nope! On another note, just going to finish my coffee then go out and unload my truck. Bought a used SS on the weekend. It needs some loving, but what a haul. I FILLED the back of my truck up with all the goodies. So much stuff. Just want to say thanks for all the great videos, they have been a great help so far.
@@MyGrowthRings well the good news is, part of my haul is a DC3300. I think I might have enough room. I hope I have enough room. I literally just plugged it in and turned it on. ITS ALIVE.
I bought a Dustopper after seeing your video last year. I've contemplated making an internal stiffener of some sort out of scrap MDF or plywood. Haven't gotten around to it yet to test it. Great video Scott!
So I bought the pro and it’s freaking great.. my shop vac stays Clean!!! I have NO issues with my bucket collapsing at all. I wanted a larger bucket though.. I looked on Amazon for a 7 gallon and the prices are ridiculous. I searched online and actually found a 6 1/2 gal at (get this) Bass Pro Shop for $8.99.. And I found a bucket dolly at Walmart for $14.99 and it’s not bad at all.. Good luck to all..
I agree. The new one is nice, but probably not worthwhile for those of us with the original. Scott, I wonder if the original would collapse the bucket if you blocked the inlet or if there is enough leakage between the lid and bucket to prevent the collapse.
Like a few others have said, I was persuaded to get my dustopper after seeing your video show down. I added my own gasket using a dense weatherstrip material, which helped quite a bit with the suction.
I just checked online for the availability of this new dustopper "pro". Here in Canada, Homedepot does not have the new model in but have still taken the opportunity to raise the price to $90 CAD.
Scott, I would guess you're as glad as I am that the drywall screw, and the plastic bag got picked up with the Dustopper, and NOT a Shopsmith dust collector.
Thanks Scott 👍 I used a shop vacuum in the past with a Dust Deputy setup. It worked well. But once I got my DC3300, I use it almost exclusively. The reduced noise level and increased capacity is great! 😊❤
I have had mine for years and not only has it been great for different wood products but has worked well with plastics and plank flooring. Don’t know if the extra bucks are worth it for the new model but I recommend it. The ground is a nice feature to have.
I wound up purchasing a V1 Dustopper within the last few months and I have to admit, I think it’s much easier to deal with than the Oneida cyclone. I’m not a fan of orange, but I’ll put up with it for the ease of use and comparability to the Oneida.
I bought one two days ago and installed it this afternoon. The hose didn't fit, but I had adapters in my big box of vacuum junk that made it work. I have a Ridgid vacuum. I have three Ridgid vacuums, and the included hose did not fit them. I did not need the elbows, which is good because they would not fit. My clear top has what appear to be fine cracks in it, but I can't feel them on the surface. The gasket was easy to install and fit perfectly, but it had a pattern on the surface from being packed underneath the Dustopper. My purpose in purchasing a dust topper is different than most. I use a very high-quality CleanStream Hepa filter. That is easy to clean and does not clog easily. I generate a lot of very fine dust in my shop. It is a colossal mess to empty the vacuum. I must do it outdoors or release a cloud of wood talcum powder into my shop. I hope the Dustopper will get most of this and make it easy to get the dust out of the shop. So far, it looks like it is going to work.
Thank you Scott ! Dust collection has always been an on going “fussing and fitsing “ deal in my shop. I started out with no dust collection to the SS3300 ( that’s not the right number but you know what I mean). Now I have a Rockler 1250 SCFM collector blast gates and 4 inch PVC. Certainly got incrementally better each time. It’s not great in my mind. I have come to the conclusion that I should focus on the air borne dust and deal with what falls on the floor and lays on the machines with a broom and dust pan.
You are right about that, Bob. I’ve been eyeing a couple air filters on Amazon but keep thinking “How hard could that be to build?” That seems to be a common theme with me!
Also bought a Dustopper after seeing several reviews and comparisons (including yours). I've been pretty happy with it. I did find the tendency to tip over to be annoying, though, and fixed it. Since I wanted to put another bucket around it to reduce the collapsing problem, I stuck a couple of heavy floor tiles in the bottom of the outside bucket. Haven't had a tipover since.
I liked my Dustopper until I had a project with a lot of sanding. The sanding dust literally bypassed the topper and immediately clogged the pleated filter of my shop vac.
I don't think the cyclone is intended or advertised as good for really fine sanding dust. You're pretty much locked into really fine or even HEPA media for that. I would like to try a two-stage with a dust stopper and a vacuum with a HEPA bag. Although the weak point of bags is the seal that goes around the inlet fitting inside the vac. Any bypassing around that seal has to be taken care of by a cartridge filter, which is another obstruction that reduces air flow. In summary, if the inventor is listening, a HEPA bag with a good and reliable seal around the inlet fitting should eliminate the need for a cartridge and give MORE air flow due to more filter surface area. Being washable would be a cherry on top of the icing.
Good one! I think it is worth the extra $20 to get the visibility to monitor the real-time status, the better seal and more convenient latches. I wonder if the new ribbing on the top serves another purpose other than reinforcement? Could be akin to Oneidas neutral vane that they added to the dust deputy. I was also interested in the shape of the baffle, looks the same. The waffle pattern on the bottom could be inconsequential or maybe it has something to do with Improving turbulence dampening the would improve long run filtration. In any case any shop vac cyclone has good ROI compared to the cost of pleated shop vac filters.
Great comments, but what is "ROI"? and since you specifically mentioned cost what are the costs of shop vac cyclone and the pleated shop vac filters? It's been a while but I recall paying ~$10. for a replacement pleated filter...jim
@@jamespowell9757 some filters are more expensive than others. Some filter are more difficult to clean than others, and therefore can only be cleaned so many times. But I’ve seen filters cost up to $25
@@jamespowell9757 The Bauer filter is currently $15. I don’t want a cyclone so much for filter replacement, but more because I was losing suction so badly because the filter was getting clogged so easily when I was doing a bunch of routing with a large bit that was producing fluffy chips.
@@woodshopnerdery Thanks for all the explanations. Scott had the same explanation regarding routing. ROI-must be a business thing. We all have our own alpha bit soup abbreviations! jim
Another way to keep your vacuums drum and motor filter clean--use a bag in your shop vacuum drum. The bag should last a long time since the cyclone and it’s bucket collects the bulky stuff. Sadly there is no longer a HDin my area-closed years ago. Could use one to compete with the TWO Lowes here in town.
I remember doing that with my old Shop Vac, but I’m not sure that there’s a bag available for this particular vacuum. I’ll have to look into that. Scott
Loved the idea of the bucket cart. I am constantly picking up a fallen over bucket. I had been planning on building a combo cart for the vac and bucket. One less item off my to do list.
I’ve got the older version. Static electricity is a concern, especially when hooked up to my planer. My shop vac and bucket are screwed into my rolling cart. I hook the dust stopper up to a second bucket that sits inside the one screwed down. No tippy-ness allowed! I really like the idea of a clear top. Although I’ve never tried it, I’ve heard that a piece of nylon pantyhose covering the shopvac’s filter element and held in place by a rubber band makes keeping it clean much easier. Another great video!
If I bought one, I think I’d buy the clear top one for two main reasons, - I can see if I’ve got a clog in the line or not - and the seal seems it would help grap and contain the finer dust. BUT, it didn't pass your “no tip over” test ...haha.
I got away from the buckets finally and bought a unit from Mullet and I won't look back! No more capacity than the buckets but hard ipe connections so I can roll the thing all over the shop with no problems as it is now part of the vac. Check them out if you want to see a sweet set up
I have watched many videos on different dust separators- nobody ever shows the amount of dust that ends up up on the filter - having a nice clean bucket is cool, but having no dust stuck to the filter is even cooler - just FYI - I own one of the original Oneida bucket type separators and the new HD ones - I think the Oneida does a slightly better job - I grind down a lot of thin set off of floors - the dust can’t get much finer than that - but both units are awesome
You are exactly right. You really have to keep an eye on the bucket and develop a sense as you’re working of when to shut things down and empty the bucket.
@@MyGrowthRings I have the old version, thinking on have the Oneida for routing and tablesaw. But, using the V.1 for hand routing /sanding or drilling.
It turns out that they included it to make it easy to press the seal into the groove. I didn't need it, but I can imagine if I was wearing long press-on fingernails the block wold have come in handy. Fortunatly that doesn't happen very often. :)
I’ve avoided buying a shop vac as a dust collector for various reasons so these items aren’t on my list either. I watched this video to see if there is any real improvement, apparently there isn’t. But your video covered it well.
If I can get a semi clear bucket, this might work for my tools with 2" ports. As I do not have any shop tools that have the 4-6" ports, I do not need to get one of those larger dust collectors that handle the lower pressure and higher volume. However, after watching Dennis over at Hooked on Wood, he uses that 3 motor system (Record Power's CamVac 486) which has the ability to handle all port sizes for any tool's CFM requirements.
i watched Jake Thompson's Video and he used that piece of wood for putting the Gasket in and making sure it was seated properly, im guessing thats what its for?? could be wrong, i havent ever read the instructions
Yes, that’s what I’ve learned since getting it. Still strikes me as a little odd, but I suppose if they didn’t include it, yet mentioned the need for it, people would lose their minds!
Just purchased the "new and improved" Dustopper Pro and it does as promised. It's so simple to set it up, a well trained monkey could do it. I like the added grounding feature as the air movement across the polyethylene bucket does produce a lot of static electricity. Being the middle of winter, static charges are in abundance. Ran it the first time without the ground and when I went to take the Dustopper off, I got zapped. After the grounding wire was attached, there was no static buildup. As promised, there was virtually no dust in the ShopVac. Since it worked so well on the heavier particles, I put a fine airborne particle filter bag in the ShopVac. This way the air coming out is as clean as possible. Breathing that fine dust isn't good for the lungs. Time will tell if there is a decrease in the amount of fine dust that usually settles on the surfaces of the shop. Just so everyone knows, Home Depot has a better price than Amazon and with free shipping. Thanks for an excellent product.
My dustopper clip snapped on one side from fatigue. Ended up having to make some clips from old clothes hangers. So the over center clips seem like a natural improvement. I've seen one dustopper that's had the top cave in. So the gussets seem like they address a real concern. I use weather strip as a seal. Used it since day one, so I don't know how leaky it would be without it. If I need another, I'll probably get one of these new ones, but doesn't seem worth it if mine is already working well enough.
@@MyGrowthRings I wouldn't have put them on the original personally. It's a hell of a lot cheaper and faster to market the way the original was done. Once it was successful, making minor modifications is pretty inexpensive. I also think the price point of the original really helped sell it too. I know a bunch of people that picked it over the oneida because it was quite a bit cheaper at the time. They wouldn't have gotten the oneida more than likely due to it's price, same for this version. Imperfect world and imperfect markets. Cheers brother.
@@MyGrowthRings I just took a look. It really looks nice. I think I'll have to get one when I setup my portable shop after I've seen some reviews. Thanks for the info.
maybe you could try it with 3 buckets, the bottom, the middle, and top which slips into the middle as it has the dustopper attached. cut the bottom out of the middle bucket and top bucket. The middle bucket gets attached to a lid that is attached to the bottom bucket. when full of dust the upper bucket is lifted out of the middle bucket. if a better seal is needed between the upper and middle use a rubber band up nearer the top of the upper bucket. its a 10-gallon container
Scott, I have the original Dust Deputy. I love that cyclone induction device. I can’t think of a real way to compare these things head to head in a meaningful scientific way. Even starting with a clean filter, the next test would undoubtedly have some fine dust in the filter already. If the test is how much debris the filter cyclone devise captures/diverts, maybe the test should be weighing new filters before and after the test, the additional weight being dust making it through to the filters?
Great video! I suspect your previous video received fewer likes than your usual videos but it may have received a lot of dislikes, from the Shopsmith "purists"(who want to see only Shopsmith related videos from you) and those who had no interest in the topic. Shouldn't you inspect the pleated filter for dust rather than the dust content of the container of the dust collector? Preventing the pleated filter from becoming clogged with dust seems to be the object of the cyclone. To do a more scientific measurement of the efficacy of the cyclone, you could weigh the pleated filter (ideally a new filter)before and after suctioning a measured amount of saw dust. Also, is the cost of the cyclone worth extending the life of the pleated filter? I posed a similar question to Tom's comment. jim
That may very well be. I did hear from a couple Shopsmith fans that they didn't really care for that content. Yes, didn't I show the filter? Perhaps I edited that out. The HF cyclone let so much sold dust past the cyclone that the failure was evident within the bucket. As for the ROI, I'm not as concerned with the cost of the filter than in the loss of suction I was encountering while doing a bunch of routing with a HUGE bit that was producing mounds of fluffy shavings that kept clogging the filter.
Did you really expect the bucket to stand still when you made a quick makeshift placement for us to see the dust cyclone? (That's my cheap shot 😂) Nice informative video. My biggest beef with these types of systems is size of the bucket. I tend to fill the bucket to quickly when using my cnc or planner, which is the majority of my shop work. However, it would make a nice secondary catch prior to heading to vacuum.
What about adding water to the bottom of the bucket? Would it make any difference in trapping ultra fine particles or just be a pain in the butt after it creates a bunch of mud, wet sawdust, etc?
Sorry for leaving you hanging for so long. Adding water to the bucket would just create a mess of wet sawdust. I can see that working if you had a second bucket somewhere past the cyclone, but most cyclones do such a great job of separating that there’s no need for a second filter. Scott
You’d be surprised. The issues is resolved because in order to collapse in, parts of the bucket must deform out. It totally solves the problem, even if it doesn’t make sense!
The cyclones you tested in the past and the most recent connect to a shop VACUUM. Do dust COLLECTORS have the same issues? Overall I have been satisfied with my Shopsmith DustCollector in my basement shop. In my garage shop, I do notice the shopvac filter gets full, but it's usually time to dump out all the saw dust so I clean out the pleated filter too-no big deal. I think the only reason that I use shopvacs is I got them really cheap at some local auctions(around 10 bucks-a good ROI?). I typically do my planing in the driveway-much more room to maneuver the long boards plus I get some vitamin D from working outside...jim
I really like my Shopsmith - collectors as well. There are some people that like to use a cyclones separator ahead of their dust collector, because their dust collector doesn’t do a good job of filtering out the fine particles. I don’t like the idea of having to empty a small container more frequently, then I would have to empty the bag on the dust collector, but even I have used a separator on a large dust collector, and it does work. I don’t think it’s necessary.
What size is the hose connection going from the dustopper to the device creating the dust ? Making sure I have all the adapters and reducers all in one order.
Hello Scot, i am sure this doesn't belong here but am having trouble with my table height adjustment rod. I ordered parts from shopsmith to rebuild it. The problem i am having is the two washers on the mechanism. I called shopsmith to order them but the person i spoke to said i needed to talk to engineers. All i want to know is the washer between the pinion and the crank, does it have a square hole to put on shaft? #part 120396). the other washer between crank and locking handle what kind is it ? (Part #120388). On carriage exploded view they are parts 171 and 175. Hope you can help. William
It’ll happen on time. You should see the rest of the list! We are currently contracting the pouring of several concrete pads, expanding our deck and building a bunch of doors!
Hi had a question for you if I am trying to upgrade my home possibly a 5 gallon bucket some say is small if I have spare cash maybe I should get a 6 gallon bucket and it might be slightly better ???? ideas please thank you
If the point of a dust stopper is to keep the filter from clogging then it would be good to see a test that definitively shows whether it does that. My theory is that the fines go through and clog the filter just as much as without the dust stopper. Prove me wrong!
I'm curious if those orange Home Depot buckets are the same size as those from Lowe's. I have a Lowe's in my area but no Home Depot, and I don't really want to mail order $5 buckets.
Do you mean skip the cyclone and add water to the vacuum tank? I’ve done that while doing clean-up from a flood where I was vacuuming both water and dust, and while the water did capture some of the dust, the suction from the motor made much of the dust fly straight from the hose, through the fan and back out the exhaust. Granted, I wasn’t using a pleated filter because I was suctioning water, which you wouldn’t be doing, so I suspect it would kinda, sorta work, but probably no better than a pleated filter alone. Feel free to give it a try and share your discoveries. Scott
@@MyGrowthRings Hi I wanted to ask I accidentally drill an extra large hole near the top of my bucket would your advice be to cover it with duct tape and drill a hole in the bucket lid? thoughts please thank you
@@MyGrowthRings on to the next thing I accidentally drill an extra large hole near the top of my bucket I guess I tried duct taping It I hope is the remedy ? I clearly mark with tape that the level to be filled with is a little less than 5 gallons since i has a hole now but should I drill a hole in the bucket lid instead now that I patched the hole in the bucket that may have been made in error thoughts please thank you
@@MyGrowthRings I just came up with the best solution apparently amazon delivered my item today that I thought was lot in the mail so I put a garden hose faucet into it and the good news is I now Have one for my bigger bucket I ordered I managed to find a remedy and actually I think we know if you change the amount of air that gets into a bucket it could effect the flow rate I think thats why when you buy the 2.5 gallon containers at the store it has a little vent so the flow can change when you puncture it before I do anything else and make mistake that I cant recover from would you suggest that the vacuum hose be drilled in the top lid thoughts please thank you
well of course it's going to catch the majority of the big stuff. what matters is what MAKES IT ONTO THE FILTER!!! same mistakes all these guys make. use equal amounts of flower or find chalk for both toppers AND WEIGH THE FILTER! 2 clean filters weighed clean, then after dust. what's in the bucket or the vac barrel doesn't tell the real difference.
@@MyGrowthRings it leaked so badly that it pickup almost nothing. The hose that it came with is so short that it is pointless. Getting it apart to clean it is a major pain in the back side.
