Oneida Supercell Next Generation Dust Collector

Tool: Supercell Mobile 14 Gal. High-Pressure Dust Collector

Manufacturer: Oneida Air Systems

MSRP: $2845

Dust collection and power tools should go hand-in-hand. In my shop, I have a combination of big and small machines with varying sizes of dust ports. That’s where the idea for the Oneida Supercell dust collector started. The company set out to design a dust collector that could provide enough airflow to adequately remove chips and dust from large 4″ and 5″ ports as well as enough static pressure to provide enough suction at the end of a 1″ hose for small tool ports (think a handheld router or sander).

That’s no easy feat, but Oneida has done it (and in a portable package). The mobile dust collector arrived in a handful of boxes (no freight delivery required). Assembly took about an hour, and then I was off and running. Instead of a large, single impeller (like most traditional dust collection systems), the Supercell is powered by three separate, smaller fans that work together and react to increase airflow and suction as needed. And boy does this thing suck.

The directions indicated that vacuum-rated duct and hose (25′ of 4″ hose is included) should be used. Non-pressure rated duct and hose can collapse and pull machines. (I was able to collapse a length of regular 4″ hose while cleaning with a floor sweep).

Hooked to my miter saw station (with a 4″ hood and a 2″ hose hooked to the saw’s dust port), the performance was outstanding, capturing nearly all airborne dust as well as everything in the cabinet. In a similar configuration with my router table, there was actually so much suction that I needed to open the vent on the router table’s dust collection box to keep my pieces from being sucked down to the table. All of that suction also means you don’t need to be as careful running central duct work. Flex hose and bends (which introduce drag) have a nearly unnoticeable affect on airflow.

The Supercell motors are rated at a combined 5 HP and run on a 220-volt circuit. The collector has all the bells and whistles, including remote start/stop and a flashing light that indicates the dust bin is full.

The drawbacks? The 14 gallon drum fills quickly when you’re milling lumber (a wall-mount version has drum sizes up to 55 gallons). It is priced at quite a bit more than similarly-sized portable collectors, but the technology behind the Supercell and its performance firmly puts this dust collector in a league of its own. Anyone that’s struggled with dust collection should definitely put this on their short list.