# New Jet DC-1200VX - In Progress...



## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

A few days ago I posted Woodcraft's sale on Jet dust collectors. I figured I would put my money where my mouth is...so I ordered the 1200VX from Woodcraft.

I just closed on a new home with a two car garage for my new shop so I decided to buy myself a house-warming gift. :dance3: ...since I like house-warmings I just might find some more tools :grin:

I thought I would post the ordering and transportation process as the beginning of the installation, ducting, placement, etc...

I used the site to order the DC...very easy process...billing address, shipping address, credit card, status emails, wait...

When ordering anything that is "shipped from manufacturer" it will come by freight and not the usual UPS/USPS/FEDEX. The carrier in my case is from Scranton, PA and easy-peasy, they will call when it has arrived in their terminal and set up a delivery date/time.

Woodcraft's status email, unfortunately, does not work very well. The link they provided for tracking doesn't work and while they provided a tracking number, they don't tell you who the carrier is. After trying out all the known possibilities I called Woodcraft and they happily looked up my order and told me who the carrier is. I had to call the carrier to get tracking info...no problem there. So now I am waiting for the phone call.

I plan to use 8" snap-lock for the main trunk ducting with 4" drops. I just need to get all my stuff into the shop and do a layout of all the equipment. This has been the most time-consuming phase...where to put what. Once I have settled on that I will start the ducting and electric work. If I can manage it, the ducting will be on the floor against the walls (let gravity do some of the work). As some of the equipment will have small orifices for dust extraction, I will probably add a gate to relieve some of the suction. I plan to use external conduit for the wiring to the equipment and a separate sub-panel for the shop.

For now, I am emptying the trailer full of household stuff and then going back for the shop stuff...my RAM3500 and 7K GVW 8x16 trailer is perfect for the job...although I will admit to some loss of MPG on the first trip...:grin:

Next report will be a quick layout post and then the unboxing and assembly.

You might ask why I selected the JET 1200VX...(in no particular order)...some top-of-mind items I considered...
1. tough to beat the $/CFM ratio
2. no need for a separator (Vortex action takes care of that)
3. no need to modify other DC's with impeller/separator/filter
4. comes with 2-micron filter (like the Wynn) with scraper
5. can't beat the $/micron ratio
6. smaller footprint than with otherwise needed separator
7. assemble and use
8. nearly twice the CFM than other modified inexpensive units for about the same money (based on others' anemometer tests)
9. no 30 micron bag for me, especially after all the discussion on this forum regarding the fine dust getting blown past the bag and into the shop...

The Jet name helped, CS/TS was very friendly and helpful while I was researching. I did look into the other usual cast of characters, some less $/some more $, some with more or less CFM, some were different colors but same components. And there was the brief look at Powermatic and other biggies...big dollar... I also looked at lower CFM categories but decided "there's no replacement for cubic displacement"...

Power requirements were all about the same...whether 115 or 230. The 1200VX is a 230/1PH model.

When it came down to it...can't beat it for the price and other's experience with the Jet...I'm anxious to add my own...


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

you get you a KUDOS.....


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

okay...
so why not the really close in spec VX1100 to the 1200 for less money (675$)???
or the adequate 650 for a lot less (495$)...


----------



## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Stick486 said:


> okay...
> so why not the really close in spec VX1100 to the 1200 for less money (675$)???
> or the adequate 650 for a lot less (495$)...



So my original plan was to get the 1100...when the 1200 dropped down to below the normal price of the 1100, it became a no brainer. More HP...better machine, I think.

As far as getting a lesser CFM unit (650) I didn't want to end up with the same performance as some of the DIY modification concoctions going around the web and Youtube. IMHO, I just can't imagine anybody spending about the same money as the 1200 on sale (1100 normal price) and having to do all the work with extra parts and more footprint requirements. And still coming up with about half of the CFM performance...


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Nickp said:


> I just can't imagine anybody spending about the same money as the 1200 on sale (1100 normal price) and having to do all the work with extra parts and more footprint requirements. And still coming up with about half of the CFM performance...


so it's back to, why buy something NEW and then having to throw money, time, energy and run up the intangible cost to get it to function almost as well as better product...


----------



## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Stick486 said:


> so it's back to, why buy something NEW and then having to throw money, time, energy and run up the intangible cost to get it to function almost as well as better product...



I didn't want to go through the work and build a Thien or buy a Super Dust Deputy and the Wynn filter (35A) and extra hoses and clamps and hardware for the Wynn...blah, blah, blah...and by the time I spend the money for the modifications it comes too close to the price of the Jet...being lazy, it's a no-brainer for me.

I'm retired and I'd rather work on all the projects I have lined up for the new house...I'm thinking of redoing the kitchen cabinets...I don't like the painted look. Oh, yeah...and a whole prioritized list of tools...(I like gifting me)... Got any you don't want...? They will be very safe and secure and I promise not to let anybody else but me fondle them...>


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

Nickp said:


> I didn't want to go through the work and build a Thien or buy a Super Dust Deputy and the Wynn filter (35A) and extra hoses and clamps and hardware for the Wynn...blah, blah, blah...and by the time I spend the money for the modifications it comes too close to the price of the Jet...being lazy, it's a no-brainer for me.
> 
> I'm retired and I'd rather work on all the projects I have lined up for the new house...I'm thinking of redoing the kitchen cabinets...I don't like the painted look. Oh, yeah...and a whole prioritized list of tools...(I like gifting me)... Got any you don't want...? They will be very safe and secure and I promise not to let anybody else but me fondle them...>


I see it the same way...
and the Jet gets delivered to the shop w/ close to a 100% increase in performance and CFM as a bonus......

the don't want thing....
*SNORK!!!!*

how close did the modified unit come to to the one ya got in $$$...
the hard part is WAG'n the time portion of doing the modifications to the cobbled up one...
the Jet, less than an hour of time???


----------



## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Stick486 said:


> I see it the same way...
> and the Jet gets delivered to the shop w/ close to a 100% increase in performance and CFM as a bonus......
> 
> the don't want thing....
> ...


Don't remember exactly as prices vary from place to place...a little over $100 for the impeller change, $200+ for the Wynn, $175 Super Dust Deputy, $160-175 for the DC unit...hardware, hoses, etc...$50...all together, around $650-$700. One anemometer test I saw on Youtube measured the CFM at 650-700 after the mods(but you know you can't believe everything you read on the 'net...) 

There are some folks on this forum that have done the work...maybe they can chime in with a more accurate cost of the mods...?

But, there's a lot of folks out there that swear by the modifications so can't really say. I didn't look very hard for CFM tests but I liked the Jet brand anyway (gonna go out this weekend and get a tatoo of the 1200 on my ....)

Don't know what it'll take to assemble...still waiting for it to arrive. Maybe I'll take pictures of the assembly...and the tatoo...>


----------



## dirt_dobber (Jun 9, 2017)

I went with the JET DC-1100VX-CK.
After taking off many of the metal joints and caulking*them my CFM increased from 860 to just over 1400 CFM as measured at the port opening. I know after attaching the hose and other variables such as hose length etc - your mileage may vary...
Here is a pic similar*to how I use mine - I typically roll it out to just outside of the garage (my shop) for reasons such as noise and space etc. and utilize the Rockler quick connect 4" hose setup to attach to various machines.


----------



## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

dirt_dobber said:


> I went with the JET DC-1100VX-CK.
> After taking off many of the metal joints and caulking*them my CFM increased from 860 to just over 1400 CFM as measured at the port opening. I know after attaching the hose and other variables such as hose length etc - your mileage may vary...
> Here is a pic similar*to how I use mine - I typically roll it out to just outside of the garage (my shop) for reasons such as noise and space etc. and utilize the Rockler quick connect 4" hose setup to attach to various machines.
> View attachment 381833
> ...



Thanks for posting the anemometer test...glad to see the Jet's performance. I think a handheld anemometer is in my future...looks like a good thing to have for those little improvements...


----------



## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

My question is far simpler. How did you come up with the 8" main duct size? This unit has "Number of Air Inlets 1 at 6", 2 at 4" so how are you connecting the 8"?


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

sreilly said:


> my question is far simpler. How did you come up with the 8" main duct size? This unit has "number of air inlets 1 at 6", 2 at 4" so how are you connecting the 8"?


it's either a typonese or a resized take off...


----------



## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

sreilly said:


> My question is far simpler. How did you come up with the 8" main duct size? This unit has "Number of Air Inlets 1 at 6", 2 at 4" so how are you connecting the 8"?



Steve...whether I go to 8" or not will depend on how many twists and turns I need to deal with. I'm not sure if the main needs to go overhead or along the wall on the floor...it depends on where the DC winds up.

To answer your question, the inlet guard would need to be changed to 8"...either a new one or modify the existing. But first a technical discussion with Jet TS to verify that what I have planned is ok...bigger is not always better...:smile:


----------



## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

*Update:*

The 1200 was delivered today...now I have to drive the 1 1/2 hours to make sure I beat Stick to the driveway...

It was delivered by freight carrier (160lbs) so I don't know yet if it's up by the garage or at the end of the driveway or somewhere in between. I'll be leaving in a couple of hours so I don't think Stick can hop a plane that fast and beat me to it... Now, some of you local guys might have a shot at it...:grin:

I'll take a couple of pics of it in the driveway (just for proof) before I drag it into the garage...er, shop. We'll see if I can still remember how to drag dead weight without keeling over next to it...:grin:

I won't be unboxing it tonight as I need to drive back to meet with a prospective buyer for my sailboat in the morning. And in the near future, I hope to have my motorcycle sold. CHEEZZZ...too many toys...!

Talk about high-mileage days...! I bought my 3500 in October and already have 10,000+ miles on it...now if they'll just fix the roads so it rides nice and smooth...:laugh2:

Stay tuned...unboxing in a couple of weeks... (have I mentioned how patient I am...?)


----------



## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Assembled...took 1:15...easy as pie...best part ? No leftover parts...YAY...

Still moving boxes out of the garage...be a while before it's in operation...


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

'bout time...
rotate the motor 180° add a sweep and go straight up the wall....


----------



## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Stick486 said:


> 'bout time...
> rotate the motor 180° add a sweep and go straight up the wall....



Won't work that way...too much bend in the hose and the outlet of the impeller winds up where the bag belongs...and the motor sticks out too far off the base...

But thanks for the idea...


----------



## Marco (Feb 21, 2009)

I'm very happy for you Nick... New House, New Shop, New Dust Collector, WOW!


----------



## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Marco said:


> I'm very happy for you Nick... New House, New Shop, New Dust Collector, WOW!



Thanks, Jim...


----------



## ger21 (Feb 10, 2019)

> I plan to use 8" snap-lock for the main trunk ducting with 4" drops.


I think 8" is way too large for a dust collector with a 6" inlet. You'd need at least 5Hp to be able to use an 8" main line.


----------



## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

ger21 said:


> I think 8" is way too large for a dust collector with a 6" inlet. You'd need at least 5Hp to be able to use an 8" main line.



Thanks, Gerry...that was when I thought the DC1200 had an 8" inlet...found out soon afterwards that it had a 6" inlet.

But you bring up an interesting correlation between horsepower and duct size...can you elaborate on that...?


----------



## ger21 (Feb 10, 2019)

Sorry, I didn't realize I was 2 months too late.

I'm just going by the fact that I've never seen a dust collector in the 2HP and under range with a larger inlet than 6".


----------



## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

ger21 said:


> Sorry, I didn't realize I was 2 months too late.
> 
> I'm just going by the fact that I've never seen a dust collector in the 2HP and under range with a larger inlet than 6".



No problem, Gerry...I just need to take the time to do the 'rithmetic on the losses based on how I need to run the ducting...that'll tell the story. I have no particular favorite at this point.


----------

