Subject: [Shop-talk] Enough with vacuums, on to the opposite, compressed air

From: David Hillman <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2016 12:24:43 -0500 (EST)

I have a filter/regulator/lubricator assembly from McMaster-Carr 
plumbed into the air lines in my shop ( part number 4957k54 if you are 
curious ).  The filter bowl has failed, and is leaking substantially. 
This is the second time the unit has failed since I bought it five years 
ago.  McMaster may send me a replacement assembly again -- I just 
called them this morning, and am awaiting their formal response.  The 
filter unit is available separately for about $100.

    For a fairly simple product that was north of $200, a MBTF of <3 years 
is not acceptable... especially if I wind up spending the $50/yr to fix it 
in the future.

    Can anyone recommend a better quality alternative, that I can install 
and forget about for a while?  I don't need super precise regulation, or 
particularly high pressure capacity.  The current unit is +/- 1 psi up 
to 150 psi, and that's fine for my use.  Alternately, I could keep the 
regulator/lubricator portions of the modular McMaster unit, which seem 
relatively trouble-free, and just add an upstream standalone filter.

    Thanks.

--
  David Hillman
_______________________________________________

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Archive: http://www.team.net/archive

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From: John Miller <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2016 10:43:06 -0800

On 1/31/2016 4:22 PM, Richard Beels wrote:
>
> Go here and read this guy's AMAs:
> https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/316tx6
>
> The guy's advice is spot on.  I have a Miele canister and the wife loves
> it.  It was $700 but sucks like a vaccuum should.

Yeah, it's a good read for the first two dozen pages I've gotten through 
and in my comparatively limited experience factually accurate.

Miele canisters are great.  I liked his description of their uprights as 
"designed by engineers who know canisters really well" though I've never 
used one.

Riccar is a brand I was unfamiliar with.   I note they have a power 
brush setup for central systems, which I will keep in mind against 
future requirements.

The Kirbys I've experienced are wonderful examples of 1940s-1950s 
aluminum casting art.

I've fixed a couple recent Dysons for friends, the mechanical elements 
of the things are stunningly fragile and things like the drive clutch 
must be replaced as assemblies.  Not hard to do, and not expensive, but 
it'd have cost a buck more a unit for Dyson to do it right.  I'd never 
buy one.

I have to admit to a fondness for Hoovers for the price, in many cases 
the tools and attachments are cheesy but the basic power unit is simple 
and robust.

> And we have a $100 B&D dustbuster-type model (BDH2020FLFH) that is great
> for a quick zip around the corners and edges.

We've got something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KASUEK8

It works well for what we bought it for, my biggest complaint is that 
while it's great for sucking up stuff like spilled coffee beans and 
sawdust and the like, dog hair and other lighter/finer material clogs 
the filter pretty quickly.  I should just buy a few spare filters and 
stop trying to clean the one that's in there.   It's also loud as hell 
and the flipout brush on the snout isn't all that effective.

I note they have a couple newer Li-Ion-cell versions for (at least at 
Amazon prices) not a lot more money.

John.

[email-masked]

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From: John Miller <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2016 10:52:04 -0800

> The Kirbys I've experienced are wonderful examples of 1940s-1950s

...but I should have added "we're somewhat past the point in time we 
need to push an R-2800 supercharger housing around our living rooms".

John.

[email-masked]

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From: David Hillman <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2016 14:00:08 -0500 (EST)

On Mon, 1 Feb 2016, John Miller wrote:
> I've fixed a couple recent Dysons for friends, the mechanical elements of the 
> things are stunningly fragile and things like the drive clutch must be 
> replaced as assemblies.  Not hard to do, and not expensive, but it'd have 
> cost a buck more a unit for Dyson to do it right.  I'd never buy one.

    I'm kind of amazed by Dyson, especially the commercials they are now 
running about how they allegedly torture test units.  I have three of 
them... because I need three to have enough spare parts on hand when they 
invariably break.  They are pretty simple to repair, but engineered to 
last they are certainly not.  I'd be livid if I had ever bought one new, 
but mine all came second-hand.

    I should bite the bullet and just get one machine that'll last and 
dispose of my multi-colored menagerie.

[email-masked]