Choking on the Filter

Not sure if this is where to put this, but, my filter choked after less than 6 weeks of use. I choked again when I saw the price for a replacement - $250??? Come on, guys, there has to be a less expensive option, other than venting out the window. That expense every 5-6 weeks is just not tenable.

That’s the reality of using a filter. You can fill it in 8-10 hrs, in the worst case.

Unless you have no other choice, you should be venting outdoors.

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That little gotcha should really be made a bit more transparent to purchasers. The hubby thought he was doing the right thing when he shelled out the extra grand for the vent, and got sticker shock when I needed a new filter six weeks in. Sadly, it looks like we’re going to have to eat this (that money could have bought a lot of wood, patterns, and paint) and start to look at outdoor venting options.

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Filter life is pretty well documented, but many people seem to overlook it.

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Avoiding draftboard, mdf and pine helps - those are notoriously hard on the filter. I get around 6 months out each cartridge cutting mostly Baltic birch plywood and acrylic and using a prefilter.

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Many have recommended getting a pre-filter for it too. I hear that greatly increased the life of it.

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I tend to agree with you here. The filter element is a consumable, and I don’t think that is made clear enough to customers. There is mechanical filtration (a surface with very fine porosity) and chemical filtration (charcoal).
You can extend the filter a bit with a pre-filter (just another surface for the particulate to gather on) and by cleaning the particulate off the filter element itself. Once you start to smell the acrylic you are cutting the charcoal is saturated.

Ab$olutely.
The filter is a perfect solution for demonstrations or temporary installations - like a classroom or maker fair.

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I added it to my Amazon cart! Thanks for the tip.

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Didn’t know about the mdf… just bought a bunch for a barn pattern…

They specifically call it out, both in the owners manual and on the web site (link I posted above).

For example, MDF products (including Proofgrade Draftboard) will dramatically lower your filter cartridge life.

Try to vent when cutting your MDF if you can, your filter will last a lot longer.

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He went all-in for you. Gotta love that. :sunglasses:
A Search for venting might help. There are some creative solutions there.

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