Shop Fox W1685 Dust Collector Review
The importance of a dust collection system does not need to be highlighted. Indeed, if you have a busy workshop and you cut, route or plane stock day in and day out with your power tool then you absolutely need a professional and quality dust collector. One such system is the Shop Fox W1685. Let us see how well it performs on the job.
Shop Fox W1685 Dust Collector Review
#1. Technical Features
Without further ado, let’s see if this dust collection system that is praised by many dust collector reviews online does a good job and is worthy of your workshop or not.
Capacity
This Shop Fox dust collector is equipped with a powerful 1-1/2 HP motor. With this power, it can suck in a large amount of air at the rate of 1,280 CFM. As we can see, this is some serious power and it should have no problem sucking in a lot of debris and sawdust quickly and easily.
The container bag can hold a maximum of 5.4 cubic feet of material which is more than enough for most workshops. This high-capacity container bag means that you do not have to constantly empty it and instead concentrate on your work. Additionally, Shop Fox offers you the option to “upgrade” this model by purchasing and even more performing 2 HP model that this time can deliver 1,550 CFM suction capacity.
Noise
When using a dust collection system noise generally tend to be an issue. The 1-1/2 HP in this model as well as the 1,280 CFM suction capacity should generate a fair bit of noise, but nothing excessive. It will definitely not be noisier than the power tool you are using itself. In fact, if you are wearing noise canceling headsets then the noise output of this Shop Fox dust collector should be almost inaudible.
Ease of Use
A dust collection system should be easy-to-use and the container bag emptied in a matter of seconds. We see that the Shop Fox W1685 offers a lot of ease-of-use. It uses a Y-fitting system with two 4-inch openings that do not require nuts, bolts or screws. Instead, all you have to do is tightly fit the 4-inch duct hose and that is it. This Y-fitting system is very versatile and allows you to connect two power tools at the same time drastically helping you gain productivity and efficiency especially if you work with multiple power tools in the workshop.
The power switch is situated right at the front of the unit so that you can quickly and easily switch it on or off. Additionally, the container bag is translucent which allows you to see inside at all times. You can easily tell when it is full and needs emptying.
Lastly, the base rollers allow you to move this device around very easily. It is not exactly a portable dust collection system, just that you can easily move it if required.
Quality of Air
One of the biggest factors that decide if a dust collection system is a quality one is its ability to filter very small particles. We're happy to note that the Shop Fox W1685 can filter tiny particles of up to 2.5 microns. This is a very good value and it competes neck to neck with HEPA filters that are regarded as the world’s best dust filters.
What this says is that this model will filter almost everything and provides a clean and healthier air in your workshop. What we like the most is that the filters themselves can be removed and cleaned. In any case, they should not cost a lot to replace.
Additionally, this model uses steel impellers rather than plastic ones for even greater efficiency and durability.
#2. Other Features
- Safety Switch Key: The power button can easily be locked to prevent unauthorized use
- Replaceable Parts: The simple form factor of this dust collection system means that almost every part of this device can quickly and easily be replaced if need be
- Cleanable/Replaceable Filter: The filter fits on this unit like a hoodie. The beauty of this is that this design offers a lot of ease-of-use and the filters can quickly and easily be removed and replaced. Additionally, you can clean this filter frequently which will help prolong its lifetime
#3. Price
As noted by almost all dust collector reviews we have checked before writing this one, the Shop Fox W1685 is a little bit on the expensive side. You have the ability to upgrade to a more performing dust collection system but it will cost you a little extra. However, taking into account that this is not a tool that you replace every year and it is fairly durable which means that it will last a long time, we think that the price is easily justifiable.
Read More: Delta 50-760 Dust Collector
#4. Pros/Cons
Pros
- Filters can filter tiny particles of up to 2.5 microns. Help keep the air in the workshop clean and healthy
- High-capacity container bag and air filter can hold up to 5.4 cubic feet of material. Will not require frequent emptying and will last quite a while
- Translucent container bag allows you to check on the status of wood chips with a glance
- Y-Fittings allows you to connect to power tools at the same time for even more versatility and ease of use
Cons
- The price
Who Should Buy?
If you require a heavy duty dust collection system for your workshop and consistently work with a lot of power tools that generate a lot of sawdust and debris, the Shop Fox W1685 will not disappoint. It offers commercial grade dust collection capabilities and should last you quite a while. It has the ability to work with two power tools at the same time which is very versatile.
Busy professionals will appreciate this feature tremendously. In closing, we recommend this model to professionals only. Beginners can also purchase this model, although we think that it would be overkill. In any case, we hope that you enjoyed this Shop Fox dust collector review and you have been able to decide if you need it or not.
Last Updated on January 19, 2019 by Tom Bradly