AXMINSTER AP357CEH DUST EXTRACTOR anyone?

[Suuuuu]

Hi all,

Im eyeing up the AXMINSTER PROFESSIONAL AP357CEH CYCLONE DUST EXTRACTOR - 230V
https://www.axminstertools.com/axminster-professional-ap357ceh-cyclone-dust-extractor-230v-107624
for my workshop round 10m length x 5m width. I would like to ducted to around 5 machines with blast gate. Anyone heard about this Axi extractor? I hope I can have some owner's review, I have try my best doing research online however, I am really surprise almost no one talk about this!

many thanks
Su

 

[Sideways]

I've used one machine from their trade range that looked very similar to this. I think it was an earlier but equivalent 2.2kW model and certainly needed a 16A supply which the next size down might well manage without. All the details were the same, drum, cyclone, manometer, pleated cartridge filter....

It was badly installed and petformance was awful.

I don't like the flappy paddle filter cleaners. I don't think they work very well and they wear the inside of the filter, but compressed air reverse airflow cleaning is possibly out of your reach so no choice.
It's real world performance will be much less than.the spec suggests.

Lastly, unless you duct this in 200mm smooth bore ducting, you are wasting your time and money. Run it in 100mm and after a couple of bends it's a total waste of time. If you can't commit to ducting full bore, don't buy this.

 

[Jameshow]

That bin looks pretty small too?

Better it discharged into typical clear bags for easy removal and disposal.

 

[Suuuuu]

I've used one machine from their trade range that looked very similar to this. I think it was an earlier but equivalent 2.2kW model and certainly needed a 16A supply which the next size down might well manage without. All the details were the same, drum, cyclone, manometer, pleated cartridge filter....

It was badly installed and petformance was awful.

I don't like the flappy paddle filter cleaners. I don't think they work very well and they wear the inside of the filter, but compressed air reverse airflow cleaning is possibly out of your reach so no choice.
It's real world performance will be much less than.the spec suggests.

Lastly, unless you duct this in 200mm smooth bore ducting, you are wasting your time and money. Run it in 100mm and after a couple of bends it's a total waste of time. If you can't commit to ducting full bore, don't buy this.

I am also worry about the fine dust leaking from Sheet Metal Joint of machine. do you have that issue too? tbh I am also think about Felder RL 120 or 140 but that is a bit of pricey

 

[Sideways]

The machine was installed in men's shed.
I've stripped it down, cleaned it, etc but this was maybe 4 years back and the shed has since closed.

When looking at extractors:
The bigger the diameter of the impeller in one of these, the more suction (negative) pressure they generate, so that's always something to check when comparing. As HVLP extractors make only low pressures and are very sensitive to low air resistance in the ductwork, a little bit of extra pressure is very welcome.
Obviously motor power too. 2.2kW moves a lot of air until you start choking it with poor ducts and dirty filters.
Taller skinnier proportions make a cyclone more effficient than a short and fat one.
Lastly the filter:
Finer the filter, the harder it is to get a big airflow through it, and as before, this type of machine is super sensitive to resistance to airflow. A true HEPA grade filter is filtering over 99% of particles down at 0.3 micron, so it will be seriously choking the extractor compared to a good but non HEPA grade filter. An F9 rated filter could still be blocking a high percentage of 1 micron particles which are way smaller than the dust that will leak through a fabric filter bag. That's car exhaust or welding fume filtration which is normally (I think) finer filtration than typical in a woodshop.
I'm not knowledgeable enough to know how much extra benefit a HEPA filter makes in a workshop, but I'm sure it will affect the volume of air that the extractor can move, and so the efficiency at capturing dust at the machine.

Hopefully someone like @Inspector can chip in and offer some advice too.

 

[Inspector]

I agree with Sideways.

You have a right to be concerned about leaks from the sheet metal but that is something you can correct. Understand everything before the impeller/motor housing is under suction so leaks there do not send fine dust out but the reduce performance a bit. You can find them with an incense stick or if you have the bad habit, a cigarette. Smoke will be drawn to the leak. Be careful of the incense stick or smoke dropping ash on the floor. Reason should be obvious. From the impeller to the filter leaks will push the fine dust out for your lungs to enjoy. The smoke will blow away from the leaks and given some time you will see little plumes of dust on the surface where the leaks are. Sealant applied on the pressure side will fix it and it may take a few attempts to get them all.

I dislike the filter they use because at 4.3 m2 it is not much more area than the blanket on your bed, well my bed. The Clearvue cyclones based on Bill Pentz's design uses 5hp and the two filters have over 12 times the filter area that the 3hp one you are looking at does. The larger the area the better the flow. You can't do much about the filter it comes with unless you are out in the boonies and bypass it and vent directly to the outside.

For the most part you will have a very hard time finding much better unless spending big money, in part because you can't go bigger. Most places in the UK from what I understand from here is that with the setbacks from property lines, height restrictions, wiring limitations, and small shops mean you are limited to short cyclone setups. The shorty works best with full airflow. The flow pushes the dust to the outside allowing it to go down into the barrel where the cleaner air can reverse direction and go back up the middle to the impeller. Restrict it with small ducts, hoses and not opening the machine ports and it can't get enough air though and the dust doesn't get spun to the barrel, it slows and reverses upward sooner and into the filters. So pull that 3 inlet piece off the cyclone and toss it on a shelf. Use a 150mm duct, preferably with a straight section to the inlet of about 1m or more. It allows time for the air to straighten before the cyclone and enter smoothly.

The reason for suggesting you use 150mm duct is it flows about 3 times as much air as a 100mm duct. Airflow is what captures fine dust and the more flow the better. Keep the ducting a short as practicable and minimize flex hose. Flex has roughly three times as much drag as smooth duct.

Pete