Canadian Woodworking
The Mullet High-Speed Cyclone Dust Collector
Written by Carl Duguay, Canadian Woodworking
July 2024
A small footprint, rigid air-tight design, superior dust and debris separation and decent size waste bucket make this an excellent choice for small workshops or jobsites.
Controlling dust in your shop is critically important to your health and the on-going enjoyment of your craft. You need to keep your lungs as dust free as possible – in particular from the very fine dust that is known to produce various respiratory aliments, which typically occur after years, if not decades, of exposure. It also helps to reduce the accumulation of fine dust throughout your shop – a real boon when it comes to applying a finish to your projects.
Not every woodworker has the luxury of a huge workshop. If you work in a basement, single car garage, or back porch workshop, floor space is likely to be one of your most important considerations. Where feasible, compact machinery is the way to go. This is particularly important when it comes to dust collection, as small shops can have a lot more concentrated dust in the air. You really want to collect as much of that dust as you can at source, as less will end up all over your shop, on your projects, and in your respiratory system.
Those who work in small workshops often choose to dispense with a traditional dust collector and opt for a space-saving shop vac (aka dust extractor). This can be a viable option, especially if combined with a cyclonic separator. Connected to a shop vac, a separator uses the suction power of the shop vac to extract fine dust and wood chips and deposit it into the separator before sending the fine dust to the shop vacuum. You’ll get much better suction power from the vac.
I’ve been using the MULLET High-Speed Cyclone Dust Collector in my shop for the past month and am very pleased with it’s performance.