Axminster Craft AC153E Dust Extractor or Axminster Professional AP50E Dust Extractor - 230V

[TRITON]

After coming into the RP rip of postal costs for their extractors I decided to look back on others I'd previously considered.
Namely these are the Ax craft AC153E, which is the standard chipping extractor, Bag set up, cloth filtration on top, which for an extra 200 notes can be replaced with a filter unit.
The Ax craft, being standard kit is filtration to 30 microns. and seeing as im trying to really cut down on dust, that's maybe too high. I dont want to spend the extra 200 just yet as its a big outlay, but it would need to be in use until i gather those extra funds.
It's plus point, is the sucking power @100mm 2000 cubic meters(Im guessing per hour)
2000m3 is pretty high, though im a bit skeptical given other similar extractors are well below that, but who can say. Certainly level of suction would be very good for a 100mm extraction system running around the workshop
Plus its on wheels, and can sit in a corner, then be moved about if needed. So it fills a number of uses.
Priced at £429.

The other is the professional/trade version AP50E, which does come as standard with a 1 micron dust filter, which is considerably better for the lungs, but the suction is 1/2 that of the craft @920m3, so I dont know how that would suit in an extraction system, if the machine is on the other side of the workshop a real time distance of 30 feet away(around the walls) Plus it is wall mounted, so pretty much stuck int he one position, which isnt a huge problem, but i do feel it would be nicer if it was more movable(OK, I can create a wheeled stand, thats a possible solution)
Priced at £439

There is another option, the Ax pro/trade AP60E. It has less suction at 850m3, so not good for extraction systems and most machines saw bench, PT seem to look towards a 1000m3 level. But it does come with a 1 micron cartridge system,
Another downside is it isn't in stock, and god alone knows when that would be. Certainly a number of there machines listed for back order are still listed as back order, which has been several months.
It is priced at £499

The craft has a greater bag capacity 150ltr over the trade 50ltr. None of the extractors come with a hose, which for a standard 2m would be another £60

I'm waning towards the craft, for the higher suction as im intending on having a 100mm piped system, fact it can be moved and I am intending to buy the RP air cleaner too, so while the main extractor would kick out 30 micron, hopefully the RP cleaner on high would go a long way to keeping the air around me clean. And eventually I suppose I would get the metal 1 micron filter drum(maybe for Xmas).

Now does anyone have experience of the craft AC153E, or the others, particularly in the suction department, set up as part of a piped system or in use on a PT/sawbench/Bandsaw etc

Craft -
https://www.axminstertools.com/axmi...MIx46Y6POo-AIVDOh3Ch2bCQaTEAQYBCABEgIRbvD_BwE
Wall mounter trade -
https://www.axminstertools.com/axminster-professional-ap50e-dust-extractor-230v-107631
Out of stock trade with filter -
https://www.axminstertools.com/axminster-professional-ap60e-dust-extractor-230v-107632

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[Jameshow]

I think since they are all the same watts the differences are in the filtration which is a trade off between suction and filtration. A bit like pf3 masks Vs the blue cheapy masks!

Have you thought of siting it outside of the workshop?

 

[TRITON]

Have you thought of siting it outside of the workshop?

Tempting. but it would require extra long push sticks.

EDIT
Oh sitting IT outside Sorry I thought you meant me sitting outside. Though that could be preferable to inhaling dust
Actually I've a room next door, i think would be single brick internal so in theory i could core cut through, but honestly i reckon that would be a bit of a worst case scenario.

 

[SkyBlue63]

Hi
I've the AC153 and fitted the cartridge filter, but bought this from Charnwood as it's the same filter( at the time it was also cheaper and in stock). It come's with a 4" Y piece and I've fitted homemade blast gates and a short hose to my lathe and a 6m(?)ish hose to the other one for the other machines in my workshop. I've been very pleased with it, it's got plenty of suck for what I want.
Hope this helps
Geoff

 

[Padster]

I have the AC153 with cartridge, no complaints very good.

Axi are currently rebranding so if you are still looking... bargain

Regards

Padster

 

[Sideways]

Absolutely agree with James, a finer filter is harder to push the air through so the 1 micron models will need much bigger motors and be higher cost than a 30 micron cloth bag version. These extractors don't make much pressure so the extra pressure drop across the filter will have a noticeable impact on airflow.
Please note that #Inspector has many times pointed out on other threads that manufacturer quoted airflows are usually much greater than you can achieve in practice because most do not measure under real world conditions. I think that very much applies here.

Of the three models you list, the craft model with the least quality filter has a 1.5kW motor and you're comparing 1 micron models with motors only half the power. Personally, as 1.5kW is about the biggest motor you will get to run reliably off a 3 pin plug I'd look for a 1.5kW unit with a 1 micron filter to make a fair comparison.