Harbor Freight launched a new Bauer woodworking dust collector that looks to be inspired by the popular JET DC-1100VX model.
It features a 2-micron canister-style filter, 1200 CFM max air flow, dual 4-inch inlet ports (via Y adapter), and 35 gallon collection bag.
Dust collectors like these are designed to be attached to table saws, jointers, planers, router tables, and other such woodworking equipment, and you can use them in other ways as well.
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Harbor Freight says that their new Bauer dust collector has a “single-stage design for ultraquiet operation.” According to the specs, it has an 85 dBA noise rating, which tends to require hearing protection. In other words, the “ultraquiet” part isn’t accurate.
The dust collector is prewired for 120V operation, and HF says it can also be wired for 240V. The current draw is 11.5A at 120V, and 5.7A at 240V. Its motor is rated at 1.5 HP.
Here’s the Bauer next to the JET DC-1100VX-CK.
There are strong similarities in the designs, but the two dust collectors are distinct. That is, this is not a relabel of the JET, it’s completely different model.
Harbor Freight’s pricing – $450 plus freight – is extremely aggressive. For context, this is little more than the price for just a replacement or retrofit JET canister filter with cleaning paddles.
Harbor Freight doesn’t go into detail about whether there’s a cone-shaped separator inside, which the JET features.
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It’s not clear whether the Bauer performs on-par with the JET, or if it just looks the part.
What is clear, however, is that this is a canister-filter-based dust collector, and it’s priced around the same as machines equipped with a basic filter bag.
I own the JET, and structurally-wise, it’s wobbly, especially when moved around on its tiny casters. I’d expect similar for this Bauer.
From what I can tell so far, Harbor Freight is serving higher-priced features – namely the canister filter – for less than $500. Wait for a 25% “we missed you!” coupon code or similar, and you can get the price down to ~$338.
They also have a $200-300 Central Machinery bag-style filter – with the price depending on whether you’re a paid Inside Track Club member.
Price: $449.99
Check out the Competition:
Compared to Rikon
The Bauer dust collector looks very similar to the Rikon 60-151C. There are slight differences in specs, such as power draw and dimensions, suggesting that the two are not perfectly identical.
The Rikon retails for $800.
Farkleberry
I saw they have a new hercules hepa dust extractor for$300 as well.
Stuart
Yes, that one is more of a shop vac-style dust extractor, with 155 CFM max air flow.
Chris D
I’m generally skeptical of HF’s performance claims. Especially when it’s not something easily verifiable to an end user, like a HEPA rating. You’re really trusting the product to perform.
It’s tempting at that price, but there’s a reason HEPA ratings carry a premium price, so it’s ultimately a pass for me.
Will Nope
Rockler makes a very similar (almost same) HEPA extractor at the same EXACT price point as the Hercules….
These “Premium Price” companies could easily sell drills for $30 or $50 like the HF units. But then they wouldn’t have any margin left over for their huge expenses as a company like huge advertising budgets, R&D for new tools, staffing their plants, and general logistics of their tools shipping to 50+ different retailers every day……….. Harbor Freight literally deals with none of the above. They copy tools as they are released, do almost no advertising of their brand, and are sold exclusively to 2 retailers; their brick and mortar stores and their online concourse.
Don’t knock it til you try it!
Obviously im not saying you’re getting all the same features of a Festool extractor, but if you have an entry level budget or are just starting a business, dropping literally 60%-85% of cost on tools is a huge deal, especially if the tools aren’t being used and abused on a huge scale every day. Heck, ive had about 8 or 9 dewalt batteries just go dead on me in the past year, and 4 or 5 from Milwaukee, and both companies want nothing to do with any warranty or replacement. Where as i can go into any HF store 364 days after my purchase and refund/return/replace any item i have bought. AGAIN not saying HF tools are better, because they are not, but they have a time and place.
Clearly not at your shop.
Stuart
Harbor Freight spends huge sums on marketing. Don’t you remember the times when there would be coupon pages in nearly every magazine?
HF recently launched a brushless impact driver kit for $70, and it has a 90 day warranty. They offer extended service protection for $15 (1 year) or $19 *2 years). That brings the price to $89. Milwaukee has a brushless impact driver kit with higher capacity battery for $99, and it’s covered by a 5 year tool warranty and 2 year battery warranty.
That’s not exactly a good thing. But it’s also not their sole strategy anymore. They’ve been trying to do more, such as with Hercules, and eventually they might emerge as an innovations provider, rather than a place to get cheaper copycats.
With this dust collector, I’m impressed with the price point they were able to achieve, but I’m also hesitant in not knowing how they were able to undercut other players in the industry, including woodworking and machinery brands known for less expensive offerings.
NoDak Farming
Hello Stuart. Was curious of which $99 kit Milwaukee is offering. I usually check Acme first because they have an easy to use website and I like their store. They don’t have any Milwaukee impact drivers (18 volt class) approaching $99, unless it’s a reconditioned bare tool.
I did find on Home Depot’s site, a promotion for 50% off a Milwaukee driver kit. Bringing the price down to $99. It’s impact driver kit Model # 3650-21P.
If I may play devils advocate, I think the $97.99 Hercules Model
HCB81K1 (SKU 70068) brushless impact driver kit may be the better comparison. Like the Milwaukee, it also has a 2Ah battery & charger. However, this Hercules driver has 3 LED’s instead of one, and four modes to choose from instead of zero. The Hercules is also claiming 500 more inch pounds of torque. Tool length is nearly identical, and top speed is identical for both units. The icing on the cake is that Harbor Freight is also running a promotion now. You can currently get their $69.99 HERCULES 20V 4 Ah Extreme Performance Lithium-Ion Compact Battery for free with this driver kit.
If I was starting over, I think I can confidently say I’d probably start with the Hercules kit I just described. I’m an avid reader here and I’ve learned that Milwaukee is the best cordless tool manufacturer. But Harbor Freight has some impressive value propositions.
I’ve only owned my Hercules impact wrench for a few months. But it was a $99 kit, and I consider it to be an incredible value around the farm. So far, I have found nothing that’s inferior, cheesy, or subpar with it. I’m going to buy a larger, more powerful Hercules impact wrench, to complement it, next week.
Having said all of that, maybe I should have just said I agreed with Will Nopes’s above sentiment of, “not saying HF tools are better, because they are not, but they have a time and place”.
Stuart
The 3650-21P is regularly a $99 special buy.
Harbor Freight’s Hercules line is better than any cordless tools that company has produced before. If you feel it offers you more, go for it.
It’s like store brands vs name brands when it comes to grocery items. Sometimes there’s no appreciable difference, and other times there are huge differences when it comes to taste.
I’d rather go for tools and solutions designed with intent, rather than being copycat or lookalike products. If cost is the highest priority, reliability comes next, and name brand a distant non-factor.
Harbor Freight tends to focus on price, while many other tool brands focus on other user priorities.
There’s no overall best solution, just better ones for different user audiences and preferences.
HF is spending money on new promotions because their value proposition has nosedived every holiday and major competitive promo season. I’m glad to see they have become more competitive and abandoned their “a la carte” purchasing setup that very few brands – such as Hilti – can get away with in the cordless space.
Kyle
Harbor Freight coupons have become much worse in recent years. Full of exclusions and never the good old 25% or 30% off variety.
Xrh07
The old 25% super coupons always had a ton of exclusions. The 20/25% no exclusions have helped a bunch of bigger ticket items out. Especially Icon tool storage
Ryan
But their products have become exponentially better, and can you name a single retailer that hasn’t gotten more expensive in the last 5 years?
Ken
I love the direction that HF appears to be going with some new releases, with an emphasis on higher-quality tools for a reasonable price rather than lower-quality tools at the lowest price. Have any of their executives spoken publicly about this apparent shift in offerings? I wonder if it is attracting a new type of customer?
NoDak Farming
I completely agree. It has become a very very easy store to walk into and find a product that has a noteworthy value to it. I have bought some of their economy priced, water resistant “Storehouse” brand organizers this summer. They work great for keeping veterinary supplies in. And I also bought my first Hercules power tool and Icon hand tool this summer. And I’m thinking that maybe I should have looked at the Bauer line a little harder. I was once visiting with another customer in one of their stores. And this fellow said he’s been outfitting his crews with Bauer tools for fencing. And even with tortuous use, he hasn’t burnt one up yet.
Rog
I went to a new and nearby HF that isn’t my typical store and was blown away by how nice it was. It definitely felt like a more upscale experience than most HFs I’ve been to. I’m glad to see they’re putting more effort into their product(s), I just hope they don’t lose the lower costs. Otherwise they’ll be just another hardware/tool store.
NoDak Farming
Those lower costs are refreshing!
Goodie
The HFs I have visited are always clean and well organized. Much more so than the Home Depot and Lowes near me. I think the experience with HF and traditional hardware stores has a lot to do with the traditional door (there’s only one way in and out). The checkout stands are next to the door. This means employees are literally “minding the store.” Going to HF used to feel cut rate, but it’s starting to be a pretty enjoyable experience. I loathe going into the big box.
Goodie
As Fred has said in other posts, HF has distinctive smell of cosmoline. Reminds me of the smell of receiving new issue military equipment many years ago.
Chris
No matter what HF does, any product they launch will still carry the harbor freight stigma of not lasting long. Which will really hurt sales.
It does seem they’ve come a long way with brands like Icon, Hercules, maybe even Bauer and Quinn. But being associated with HF definitely makes me still feel less confident in their long term durability.
But the opposite is true with say Snap On. Not everything they make is quality given the high prices.
Dave
Could not disagree more. Harbor Freight has come a LONG way in the last 20 years. I was just telling my wife the other day HF is literally my favorite store to shop at, overall. Milwaukee might be my preferred power tool brand, but the selection and variety at HF is unmatched.
And you’re forgetting about all the “new” customers. The younger crowd that were in diapers back when you were embarrassed to tell your friends you got something at HF.
Mike
Harbor Freight tools HAVE had a stigma about them, and a worthy one. However, over the last 5-10 yrs, they have vastly improved their quality and reputation. With the advent of brands like Icon and Hercules, even Bauer and Quinn, they’re making a push to escape that stigma and doing a great job of it. I have some hand tools that i’ve been beating the crap out of for a decade or more and they just won’t break. I’ve purchased a small number of Bauer woodworking tools and they’ve been great so far. I use their US General tool boxes at home and at work and they absolutely can’t be beat at their price-point. I have a handful of oil field and mechanic buddies who’ve started using Icon tools and swear they’ll never go back to snap-on or mac.
Tim Vansickel
There’s a mechanic shop getting a lot of views on Instagram right now pretty much proving HF’s higher end wrenches are actually superior to Snap-On. It’s pretty convincing.
Matt
I wish they would do both. They were fantastic for the ‘I need this once’ tool, which now is hit or miss. I do like them having good stuff too – I agree with you. But maybe keep a budget line as well? Not much Chicago Electric left.
Truthfully I still wouldn’t pay the same price for their power tools versus the main brands. Hand tools I might if the COO for both is comparable – will still pay more for USA
Eddie the Hook
Yes, i also like their Chicago Electric brand. Drill Master is their recent v cheap tool line. The 4-1/2″ Angle Grinders are good.
Karlen
This definitely looks promising! I am in the market soon for a dust collector, and while I have my eye on an onida, something until I can save up might be needed.
With this and their dust extractor, I am very hopeful they release an air scrubber soon!
Bonnie
Looks like a nice step-up from the classic workhorse 2hp DC from them. If tradition holds the price cutting will have been in hidden places like the impeller fan (you could buy a $30 replacement impeller from a similar Rikon model and add it to your HF and increase performance noticably) and the total surface area of that filter.
PW
HF used to have a much more aggressively priced dust collector. I have the old “Central Machinery” DC that is similar to this one – a dual-port DC on a rolling platform. I bought it around a half decade ago for something like $170.
It has visibly inferior build quality – the support arms for the filter are smaller, the filter retention band is a thin strap, the motor switch looks inferior.
That one looks basically identical to the Wen – and I see that the WEN is still a lot less than the new Bauer.
It also has similar specs on airflow, although in both cases I think they’re made up. It has a bag on the top, instead of a pleated filter – the filter should give better filtration.
Overall this seems like a decent upgrade, but even accounting for inflation, this is a big step up in price. While cheaply built, my Central Machinery dust collector has functioned well for me in a garage environment. I’m starting to miss the bad old days for HF’s bottom-tier machinery…
Dave
Does HF still send the “we’ve missed you” 25% off coupons?
I feel like I haven’t received one in quite awhile, and sure enough, I checked my email and the last one was December of 2023.
Perhaps I need to make a purchase on that account to “wake it up.”
And son of a gun, I just bought the Central Machinery one for $200 a couple weeks ago. I definitely wouldn’t have if I knew a better version was coming out.
Stuart
I got a restriction-free one this week.
Dave
Thank you for responding!
I haven’t used my personal account there in a few years, ever since I created a business account. They would always send the 25% coupons to the personal account, but I bet their algorithm gave up after not seeing me for so long. I’ll try making a small purchase on that account to hopefully “reactivate” it.
Drew McDaniel
Yes. I let my Inside Track membership expire at the end of May, becuase of pending shoulder surgery. I knew I wasn’t going to be doing too much with tools (homeowner, not trades). I just checked my emails, and I have gotten 4 emails with a “Because We Miss You” discount of 25% on one item, with the latest expiring tomorrow. The exclusions are on the membership, gift cards, etc. No exclusions on any specific product.
Dave
Send to me!? (stuart knows my email) 😀
ColeTrain
I’ve been buying harbor freight stuff since the Denver area first got a store over 20 years ago. Not one of those tools I initially purchased lasted but harbor freight is far what it used to be. I bought several wrench sets, socket sets, etc when I was working as a mechanic. Still have not broke a single one but I was always reluctant to buy any power tool from them for years. Earlier this year I needed a cordless hammer drill so I bought the Bauer battery kit with the hammer drill free…I now own eight of these tools and every one of them has far exceeded my expectations. None of them are everyday tools but if I needed them to be I wouldn’t hesitate to use them, especially the brushless stuff. I do use the 20 volt shop vac both wet and dry several times a week and every time I use it I wonder how I only paid $45 for it. I get the harbor freight stigma because I lived it but they have evolved a lot, especially in the last 5 years. I know old timers who have bought nothing but Craftsman tools their entire lives and remain in denial of the near two decades of garbage they produced. 17 years ago I threw away my Craftsman 14.4 volt tool kit for something “professional” I ended up buying Rigid over Makita because the drill had more power. Milwaukee was still known for a sawzall at the time… Things change.
Earl Beam
I only wish that HF had replacemt parts for the older model Chicago Electric tools. I have a CE mitre saw that needs a couple plastic parts replaced.
Dave in VT
Plastic? Depending on type of plastic, perhaps find someone with 3D printing skills (and a printer)?
Michael G
I’m curious, is 85 db normal? High? Low? This seems quite loud to someone who doesn’t own a dust collector.
Stuart
The JET is rated at “70-80” via their website.
These things tend to be noisy, and that’s on top of whatever machine is creating dust.
Dave in VT
This looks exactly like the model I purchased from Penn State Industries for roughly the same price in 2010! Or thereabouts. I don’t have a model number because I sold it a few years ago during a move, but Penn no longer sells that unit. I liked everything about it, and never had a single problem with it. If this is the same design, there was no cone separator; I built my own inline unit from a ready-made lid (Grizzly?) from Amazon that I attached to a barrel.
There were comparisons around that time as well with the Jet model if I remember correctly, and the Jet was deemed “wobbly.” The Penn State unit was solid.
ElectroAtletico
Not only is 85dBA NOT “ultraquiet”, but it would be prudent to use hearing protection any time you’re using power tools, period.
Kent
Good price, but unless you’re only buying dust collection to make cleanup easier, budget another few hundred for better filters. 2 micron dust isn’t something you want to breathe.
You’ll need a respirator as well.
jake
What would you recomend that would be better for a few hundred more that has that kind of air flow?
jake
Oops, this question was meant as a reply to @Kent’s comment. Is there finer filtration reasonably available that can move that much air volume?
Jack D
Check out Wynn Environmental for a wide variety of canister filters for just this task. They used to have a kit for the old CM model, I’d bet they have a replacement for this unit as well.
I also recommend a preseparator as those hanging bags can be a pain to change. They fill up fast, while a preseparator barrel can just be dumped and very little will make it into the bag.
jake
Thank you @Jack_D. I will take a look.
Jack D
I have the original Central Machinery version of this Harbor Freight collector, and with considerable modifications, it’s been a great workhorse for me. Wynn Environmental sold a Merv 15 canister filter for about $200, replaced the impeller for about $30, and added a preseparator barrel forthe cost of hose, and altered the entire layout of the machine. Wouldn’t trade up to the new one because I’d feel like I’d have to start over…2 micron isn’t that good for a canister filter, at least what I’d expect.
That said, I’m glad to see HF upping their game on a weekly basis. Between their customer service and price point, I barely go into a box store anymore…
Rog
I have to OG CM machine, I’d be interested in this upgrade. Have a link or part # for that canister filter? And what’s the impeller upgrade?