Oneida has launched another fan-based tabletop dust collector – the Benchtop Pro with HEPA-rated filter.
This is the third benchtop dust collector in Oneida’s lineup, joining the original Benchtop DC ($699) and Benchtop Mini ($339).
The Benchtop Pro has the same footprint as the Benchtop DC – it measures 25-3/4″ long x 16-1/2″ tall x 9-3/4″ deep. The non-pro model is just 1/4″ shorter in length. They both weigh 20 lbs.
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Both the Pro and non-pro models have multiple low voltage fan motors and are rated at a typical current draw of 3A.
Oneida Air has not yet published airflow specifications for the Benchtop Pro dust collector.
The Benchtop Pro features a HEPA filter, MERV-15 filter, and polyester pre-filter. A full replacement set is priced at $150, and is only compatible with the Pro model.
Its housing is spot-welded, presumably to close air gaps in the sheet metal construction.
Oneida Air has not answered our questions about how else the Benchtop Pro with HEPA filter compares to the original Benchtop with MERV-15 filter, or what else users get for the nearly $600 price difference.
Like the Benchtop DC model, the Pro has an AC outlet for allowing “small hand tools and accessories to be powered through the collector.” Oneida does not specify the max amperage.
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Price: $1,295
Addicted2Red
Price: $1,295
Hahahahahhahahahaahahahahahahahahhaha
I’ve been looking for a benchtop filter this week. Guess I’ll keep looking or make my own
Bonnie
Jesus Christ!
And at only 3A draw I can’t imagine this thing moves the jet-stream worth of air it would take to justify that price.
Sam
I made my own – downloaded the user manual for the Oneida original and did a little reverse engineering. It’s well within the capabilities of the hobby woodworker. I absolutely love the one I built – it works really really well for power carving. Proof I’m not making it up: https://youtu.be/zW8rPpSKWpA
Mike
Even for Oneida that price is obscene. I will stick with my box fan and taped on merv 13 filter. The fan was $20, filters run $20-30 and last me about 6 months. Obviously I assume their fan is much efficient but for the hobbyist there is no ROI.
eddie sky
Who is this marketed to? Almost $1300 for a set of $15 filters and metal-enclosure fan? I mean, dont’ get me wrong, Oneida has the dust collection deputy for sawdust as a cheap solution to cyclonic kit. But putting Pro, and doubling the price… is this for GSA contracts? Seriously, there are $300 room HEPA ceiling solutions, with remote.
Can Oneida explain this?
MM
The price of this thing is obscene, and I doubt the airflow specifications are going to be anything special. One can purchase a more reasonable dust collector plus a separate true HEPA air purifier for a fraction of the cost.
Stuart
I’m thinking that maybe a commercial request came in for a HEPA or customized version of the original Benchtop DC, and that’s where this model came from.
John
This fits in a category of products which need heavy scrutiny and testing from Project Farm and the likes on youtube. I have a hard time believing the cost of this item is warranted.
Bonnie
The only thing that might warrant this is that there’s almost no competition in this very specific bracket (HEPA-rated benchtop filters). It’s almost at the price of a benchtop fume hood, but not quite.
Alexk
Someone here must be in an industry that would use this. Maybe an osha requirement?
Like the other comments, I can’t see what could make it so expensive. Possibly helpful under the “Cone of Silence”, if one had eaten beans before meeting with the Chief?
I’m hoping there is more than one person who is of the age to get the reference.
MM
Sadly, I don’t even think it would help in the bean department: many benchtop fume collectors meant for use with airbrushes or for soldering have carbon filters to trap odors and chemical fumes, but Oneida seems to have omitted that feature. They were close, but they missed it by that much.
MKY
Stuart –
The Benchtop Pro ***comes features*** a HEPA filter, MERV-15 filter, and polyester pre-filter. A full replacement set is priced at $150, and is only compatible with the Pro model.
Stuart
Thank you, *fixed!*
Jared
Does HEPA matter for this sort of thing?
I.e. if your dust and fume-making activities aren’t enclosed, wouldn’t there inherently be some “escape” such that super-fine filtering of what does pass through the fan is unnecessary?
I don’t have anything like this, so perhaps it’s just much better than I expect.
MM
That’s a good point. If this device had sufficiently strong airflow then it could conceivably collect dust flying around but I’m sure you’re right that it would only catch a fraction of the dust being produced. So then the question becomes: what exactly are we trying to keep the dust out of? If it’s a health concern then the appropriate mask or respirator is not only required, but makes the dust collector unnecessary. If the goal is to keep the room clean I think one would have much better results using a more basic dust collector, or better yet something with dedicated suction like a vacuum-style dust collector, paired with one or more separate HEPA air cleaners located around the room if necessary.
Bonnie
Wearing a mask doesn’t make the collection unnecessary if you’ll ever be working in that space without it. Fine dust gets kicked back up off of surfaces and can hang in the air for hours.
Daniel L
Well…that all depends.
No doubt that a HEPA will be more efficient and catch smaller particles. That said…
Yeah, any air that doesn’t pass through the filter is, essentially, unfiltered.
Best case use here? Maybe you’re working in a HEPA filtered room where your work creates fine particulate dust that, paradoxically, the process you’re working on cannot tolerate.
Only way I could see this being useful is in an extremely specific scenario like that. One hopes that they sell the pre-filters separately too…no reason to change the HEPA unless it’s loaded up.
You’d think they’d include a magnehelic or at least a few differential pressure switches connected to LEDS to let you know when the filters are loaded. Gah.
carl
Spot welded? Wouldn’t seam welded make more sense if sealing it is the goal?
Either way, what a ludicrous price.
MM
I’ve had various metal enclosures made (mostly by Protocase) as well as building my own from scratch. Spot welding is the fastest/cheapest method by far.
I doubt there’s much of a need to seal anything via welding here, the enclosure is probably made entirely by CNC, first with a turret punch or laser to cut the metal out and then a press brake to form it into the box. There are likely no gaps of consequence, and the powder coat or paint will likely close them up anyway. But you are absolutely correct, spot welding isn’t a method chosen for any special ability to seal anything. A seam weld would be much better in that context. They spot welded it because it works well enough and it’s cheaper than screws, seam welds, etc.
MoogleMan3
Makita, now oneida…
Everyone thinking they can price their tools in the festool range are in for a very serious reality check.
Calling it now: you won’t see many of these in the wild; mostly influencers “gifted” the product for a “fair review”. :-/
Frank D
I mistakenly thought the price was $150 …
Which is about the top end something like this should cost, maybe?
IronWood
Looks nice, but I think I’ll wait for the Black Friday 80% off sale.
MFC
Apples to oranges here, but my local liquidator has the WEN 3410 for $70. How well do general dust collectors like that work, as long as your shop is within the size range listed?
Stuart
That’s more of an air cleaner, not a dust collector. Air cleaners help to remove the finer particulates that dust collectors might miss.