Cycology

Picking the right dust collector based on CFM can be tricky since it’s a general measurement. Adding extra length or width to the duct of your dust collector will decrease the CFM, consequently affecting its performance. At first glance, it’s logical to think that since one dust collector has a CFM of 1400, it is the better choice over another that is 1000. However, that 1400 CFM dust collector may have been measured without any attachments (duct, nozzle, etc) at the port of the machine. After all, is said and done, the actual CFM of the collector after setup could be only 700 CFM, HALF of what you thought it was originally! Thus, due to the relative nature of the CFM measurement, it is best to trust companies that are transparent with how they arrive at their CFM measurements.

The necessary feet per minute (FPM) to move heavy sawdust is 4000 FPM from a dust collection machine. Since CFM = FPM x Area, hobbyist-sized stationary machines require an average of 350 – 450 CFM for sufficient dust collection. Professional machines are harder to be averaged out in a similar way due to the variance in scale from small businesses to corporate-sized manufacturing plants.

Here at Laguna Tools, we take our measurements based on applicable dust collection scenarios. Instead of measuring at the port of the machine, we take our measurements in the front half of a 12.5-foot testing hose. While this is a bigger size than the standard 10-foot tube, it helps provide a more accurate measurement of the actual CFM. We also test it with different air inlet sizes to arrive at an even more precise measurement for buyer convenience. The diagram below illustrates where we place the air pressure meter and how it is set up.