I went with the Harbor Freight 2hp unit, and upgraded the filter to a Wynn Merv 15. Haven't tried it much yet, but it was relatively affordable. it rolls around so I just hook the hose up to whatever I'm using at the time. Saved big on ducting, bigger fans, etc.

-Brian

 

I also have a HF unit & it works very well. Watch for a sale or use a 20% off coupon that seem to be everywhere. You can spend a lot more & not do any better.

 

I have a JDS 1.5 HP Dust force filter & a JDS box filter up on the ceiling. I am very satisfied with the Company & their products. Had purchased a dust filter made in China and the quality was so bad I sent it back. That was a bout 7 years ago so things may have changed. I roll my filter around the basement to whichever machine I am using. for the small stuff like my router table I us a Rigid 12 gallon Vac.

 

+1 on the HF 2HP DC with the upgraded Wynn Environmental 35A Cartridge filter.
I have added a (shop made) Thein Top Hat pre-separator with a 30 gallon metal trash can collection bin.
The most cost effective DC solution, for a small basement shop.

 

I went back and forth about a proper DC vs shopvac. To be fair, I recognize I'm more caught up in the gear acquisition phase than actually building stuff right now.

I wasn't willing to spend money on a DC unless it either vented outside or the exhaust was HEPA clean. Wynn's filters come close to HEPA standards. The issue I had is this: HF DC + Wynn filter + separator was coming in around 550+ depending on the separator. Plus I'd probably have to spend some money on tools to cobble the thing together.

Something like a Grizzly G703P is all-in-one, was the cyclone design I preferred, close to HEPA, and was $900 delivered, with no extra fiddling.

... If I were looking at $900, then it's not too much more for something like a Mini-Gorilla, which is definitely HEPA.

... But then a Oneida V-System is also HEPA, and much beefier than the mini Gorilla, only for a couple hundred more.

... But then people seem to be universally happy with the ClearVues, and that design is approved by Pentz himself. And it's only a bit more. Too bad it wouldn't fit.

... But if I knock out the floor underneath the kitchen maybe I could….

At that point, I realized I had talked myself up to $2k for a dust collection system for a hobby that I couldn't be sure was a fad or a lifelong hobby. The point is, it's ridiculous.

So I went with a Ridgid WD1450 (not much more airflow than your Fein), stuck a HEPA filter in it, connected it to a cyclone separator, and use it at the tool with a mask. I let the sawdust settle and vacuum it up the next day. Probably doesn't solve your problem exactly, but what I'm trying to say is that if you're anywhere near my beginner stage, I'd recommend sticking with stuff that can be repurposed if you find you're not as interested in it as you thought you'd be.

 

Actually, re-read your post and thought some more.

My point above still stands, but if you're just struggling with your sanders, why not build a small acrylic cabinet around them? From the stuff I've read, sanders and SCMS are notoriously difficult to contain. Hell, even the Kapex leaves a nice pile of sawdust. Unless you've got the budget, space, and electrical for a super high CFM system, it might be easier to just contain the sawdust enough that your Fein can keep up with it.

 

Not having 220 available is going to make it very hard for you to find a DC that will product enough static pressure to handle a separator, filters and a duct system. So I think you will be limited to the smaller portable systems like the HF or one of the other roll a rounds with a cartridge filter.

If you are planning on duct work, use this spreadsheet to find out how much static and cfm you need. www.billpentz.com/woodworking/cyclone/staticcalc.xls