Rikon Impeller Swap on Harbor Freight

I have a Harbor Freight dust collector I bought just to run off my Super Dust Deputy for vacuuming out doors in gravel, the garden and the yard. Initially, it was to pick up pine cones left by our two pine trees.

I’d tried a regular shop vac, but it couldn’t handle the pine cones, if they expanded at all. They’d plug it. Then the family store got painted and the painters left a lot of debris on the gravel around the store and a shop vac wouldn’t pull it without grabbing a lot of the gravel. The dust collector was perfect for grabbing pine cones and the debris in the gravel.

I started out with a one horse Delta, but it was lacking, so I dropped the dime for a Harbor Freight unit. It would well, but still could have used some more ummmmphh. Taking one of my big collectors was out of the question. Even if I installed wheels on them like the Super Dust Deputy drum and the Harbor Freight unit, they are too much to drag up and down the little bank and out to the yard.

I plunged again and bought the Rikon impeller, which has been sitting and waiting for me to install it. I held off because installing it required pulling the motor and impeller housing, because of the cart I installed it on for outdoor use. Now, a couple months in, I took the time and went for the swap.

Pulling the collector impeller was easier than I feared, because the nuts on the underside were tack welded in place. Six bolts and two band clamp screws later and the unit was off the cart. The impact removed the million screws covering the impeller quickly.

I had a small three arm puller about the size of a battery cable puller and it was perfect. A 1” socket extension gave me the lift to pop the old unit off with ease.

The new impeller went on easier. I set the key to align the groove, did a couple taps and it tapped in place quickly. I re-installed the left turn Allen and reversed all my other steps and was in operation again.

The whole job should take around one hour, with a wheel puller.

When the collector is not doing the occasional yard or other outside duty, it tends my miter. I have a Rousseau hood over the miter. It helps a lot, but dust still eased back out with the collector drawing through it. HOWEVER, with the new impeller, I did not notice so much as a hint of dust headed anywhere other than to the collector.

Watch out pine cones.

The old or stock fan is shown below. In my excitement at getting the job done, I forgot the after photo. Suffice it to say it fills the opening void with only about a quarter inch or so around to spare. Of course, once in, the gap is far greater. Probably around 3” around.