Oneida Air Systems Dust Deputy 2.5 DIY Cyclone Separator XL: Highest CFM Collector for Wet/Dry Shop Vacuums (DD 2.5 DIY)

This vacuum separator exceeds my expectations. I installed the separator onto a 70 ml bucket. My vacuum is quite strong and it collapsed the bucket easily. I bought a second bucket and glued the two together, including the tops. Now it works perfectly. I emptied and cleaned the vacuum bucket, attached the separator to the vacuum and vacuumed my very dirty wood burning fireplace. I was amazed at the results, the vacuum bucket had zero fireplace ash debris, it was all in the separator. See photos.

I've got to say that I was skeptical at first with this thing, but after just one use I am thoroughly impressed. At $50+ the price is steep for just the cyclone piece, I think they could throw in a gasket, or maybe some various hose adapters. I'm using mine on a white "food grade" 5 gal bucket I bought from Home Depot. A quick squeeze of this bucket compared to the typical orange Homer bucket revealed the white one was a tad thicker and I thought would be better at not squeezing in. I made a rigid round doughnut for the lid about 9 inch diameter and and caulked it to the lid. I also printed out Oneida's template for the bolt pattern. I got a 1/8 inch thick 6" x 6" piece of rubber from Ace Hardware to make a gasket seal between the cyclone and the top of the lit. I used 1/4inch x 1 1/2 long bolts with washers and nuts to attach it. Came out looking sweet and feeling really solid. Attached to the bucket and gave it a whirl. Only minor lid depressions from the suction, and no leaks. Like other people complained, it is a little tippy. But I'll resolve that with some concoction of a cart to hold the vacuum too. I don't do a ton of woodworking, so I feel the 5 gal bucket size will be fine for my need.As far as the vacuum, I'm using a Home Depot Rigid model WD4070 bought for $69. I looked around for the something that sucked but didn't suck* and thought that was the best value. I am very happy with the power, size, and abilities of it. It's not as loud as people complain too. I felt that since I was using the dust deputy, I didn't need a huge shop vac, so I opted for a similar power one with a smaller volume. Not sure about the science behind all the static pressure, and suction pressure. But this one gets the job done well.After a 20 minute run sucking up saw dust of poplar, pine, and fir, and some plane shavings, the dust deputy did incredible. Its satisfying seeing it swirling around in there too, and even more satisfying when I opened the vacuum up after and not a freakin spec of saw dust was found. Its almost like magic! haha.The only frustrating occurrences I had were with the hoses, attachments, and adapters. Since I can't really blame Oneida for that since they didn't provide any, and it would be hard for them to because of all the different sizes out there. The adapter and hose companies really ought to dumb it down for us DIYers, and color code which hose will fit on which connections. The outer diameter and inner diameter sizes are a nightmare, and it really forces you to over-buy several different options bring it home and see what fits, then return what doesn't. The good thing about the dust deputy is [that I thought at the time] that the nozzles are tapered so maybe it could fit a few different close sizes. I ended up buying a larger hose for the vacuum end, and using the original hose that came with the vac, on the opposite end before the dust deputy. Ugh. My local HD didn't have a big selection of adapters, nor did they have optimal size rubber-and-hose-clamp ones.PROs: would buy it again, well engineered and gets the job done well.Con's: prepare for an annoying time getting hose fittings to work.

Genius design that works great for preventing sawdust from going to your vacuum. This worked so much more effectively than I expected it to.

I was a little bit skeptical as to how well this would work, but was pleasantly surprised when it preformed exactly as they said it would. Hooked up to a router or miter saw, it picks up 95% or better of the dust. I really like the fact it doesn't take any special vacuum. I have a small 2 gallon shop vac as well as a much larger 16 gallon. I just carry the 5 gallon bucket with deputy from one to the other. I really don't see the need for a large shop vac with this as all the debris goes into the 5 gallon bucket. I just used a generic Home Depot bucket I picked up for about $4, another 2 bucks for the lid. A little bit of silicone, and I was in business.Using 2, 5 gallon buckets probably make sense as they tend to fall over very easily. I wish I would have purchased the kit as I now want some casters, and I think that little plastic piece that is use between the pail and the vacuum would be one worth some extra $$$. Update: I tried attaching four small casters to a separate bucket, but it's just too top heavy and falls over. I ended up putting some sand in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket, and then the dust deputy bucket inside that, and it's more stable that way. I think it may be worth purchasing a base designed for 5 gallon buckets if you want or need casters.There is almost too much suction with this for a 1 1/4" hose btw. The hose compresses quite a bit. A 2 1/2" diameter hose would probably be a better fit overall, using an adapter for say a router that takes 1 1/4" fittings. Update: I purchased a 7 foot 2.5" diameter hose to replace my 1 1/4" hose, and this is a much better fit. Suction is still superb. I can rip through an MDF board on my table saw, and have no dust in the air whatsoever to speak of. The system really does work quite well. Very impressive!Overall, this is an excellent product, albeit overpriced for what it is. Not any more plastic in this than a 5 gallon bucket that cost $4. I ended up paying almost $60 due to my location in Alaska. Lots of profit for these guys!I just wanted to add one comment since I needed to contact the seller of these units. The customer support was not as good as I had hoped. Basically I felt like I was getting the brush off. I think this company should make more of the small parts available to the consumer, but they focus more on "kits". I think this is something to keep in mind if you order one component and want to add something later, you probably won't be able to do so. I was not able to get a simple gasket from the company or the foam block that attaches the 5 gallon bucket to a vacuum. Both of these items are included in the kit, but cannot be purchased separately. I was able to get around both issues, but it's kind of a nuisance to have such poor product support and lack of available parts.One star removed...

I put this on a 5 gallon bucket and it works great. I have made several projects and I checked the vacuum which is a Craftsman 16 gallon and the bag has very little in it and the filter is very clean also. I do not have a big work shop just a garage with a few tools so this is just what I needed to help keep the dust down and from what I am seeing now I may be able to drastically cut down on the amount of bags I use. It is a bit cumbersome until I figure out a way to get the bucket on wheels so I can move it around better but well worth the money spent.

This thing is an awesome little addition to my smaller shop. Paired with a 30 gallon drum it holds a lot more dust and wood hips than my shop vacuum, when thicknessing hoards and whatnot, I would have to empty the thing regularly, along with cleaning the air filter. Not anymore… thank god!!I will say that fine partials might make it past this if you have a sander hooked to it but other than that I have emptied it once and there was a tiny amount of larger chips in the vacuum .Real good buy. Very satisfied .