Oneida Air Systems has added to its Smart Collector series of stand-alone dust collectors with a larger model that features a 5-hp Baldor motor.

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Joining a 2- and 3-hp model introduced in August at IWF 2010 in Atlanta, the new V-5000 model includes a backward inclined fan wheel that provides 1,498 CFM at 1.65" of static pressure. The high-tech patented V-cyclone design is extremely efficient at ultra-fine dust separation, which greatly reduces filter cleaning. The V-5000 was designed for collecting high volumes of extra-fine sanding dust and the GE H12 certified HEPA media filter guarantees 99.97 percent from 0.3-0.5 micron filtration, according to the company.

"It's really about capacity," says Oneida engineer Jeff Hill. "We originally built the [Smart Series] system for cost reasons and for the small, one-person shop. We built it with a 6" inlet and made it quiet and efficient. People like it; it's easy to install and easy to buy. But we were getting customers that wanted just a little more than what it could do. Maybe they wanted to run two tools at once or certain things where the 2-hp and 3-hp inlets were kind of limiting things.

"So we went to an 8" inlet and the extra horsepower and a little bigger fan to squeeze a little more air flow out of it. We can do that at a fairly nominal price change from the 3-hp [model] because it is pretty similar. In a nutshell, we are just giving people a little bit more with a bigger tool, multiple tools at once, with room for growth."

Hill says the difference between the new Oneida series collectors and the competitor's collectors is that the Smart Collector models self-regulate and vary the speed depending on the load and the "non-smart" has a constant rpm and a constant fan curve.

"We've created this conundrum on ourselves here by this new technology and now we just have to work on differentiating the two. They're probably one of the quietist units we have. The 5-hp model is marginally louder than the other ones, but still is a nice-sounding unit. They've worked well for us in terms of construction, but they also have the patented design on the cyclone-shaped, the V-shape. It is very efficient; they separate as well as anything we've got."

The 5-hp unit also has a "dust sentry," a simple new technology Oneida has developed that is an infrared bin level sensor with a flashing light that indicates when the dustbin is full.

The V-5000 can be set up in less than an hour and has a small footprint of 59" x 42" with a height of only 90". The system includes a tripod stand and a 35-gallon drum. The V-5000 stand-alone dust collector system is priced at $1,460. The optional dust sentry infrared bin level sensor sells for $129.

Contact: Oneida Air Systems Inc., 1001 W. Fayette St., Syracuse, NY 13204. Tel: 800-732-4065. www.oneida-air.com

This article originally appeared in the February 2011 issue.