I just got my AF-22 wired up last night... after getting the motor running
in the right direction (it's 3-phase), I connected the hoses, double-checked
the bags and pleated drum filter, then hit the Start button. Wooosh! It was
up to speed and moving a LOT of air... then something caused it to labor for
a half-second and I couldn't find the cat anymore... (just kidding). This DC
has an amazing amount of suction and air flow... the noise it makes is
mostly moving air and isn't loud enough to warrant hearing protection in my
estimation... in fact, it is barely audible outside of the shop (uninsulated
as of now). Well, it looks like since this thing really sucks, it'll
probably just sit in the corner and collect dust.. (OK, I'll stop now.. it
must be terribly annoying by now).
The two Felder-brand plastic collection bags that came with the machine were
full of holes (and liberally duct taped).. oh - I should mention here that I
bought the machine used, so no, I'm sure it didn't come from the factory
like that!! Anyway, I didn't want to risk a big dust cloud in the shop, and
I haven't received my package of new bags yet (probably today)... however, I
found bags that will work perfectly well anyway, only they are not clear:
42-gallon Ruffies-brand "Contractor Clean-up Bags." They are 3-mil thick and
resist puncture since they are intended for cleaning up remodeling messes
like nails and drywall scraps - I use them all the time when working on the
house. They happen to fit the machine perfectly and are just the right
height so they are supported from below. The only problem is they are
opaque-black so you cannot visually monitor how full they are getting, and
they don't have the cool FELDER logo on them... but at $6 for a roll of 10,
they are cost effective if they aren't being reused (unlike a lot of you, I
don't have a place to compost piles of sawdust, so it must go to the dump or
be picked up curbside... unless I added that $42,000 hydraulic-ram pellet
making machine to my shop... hmm! naw...).
Well, now I know why my AF-22 is relatively quiet... I finally discovered
the plate that lists the model number, serial number, etc... it's under the
"deck" near the motor tucked away in the corner. Aha! -- "AF-22 LN"... so it
is the new Low Noise version after all - good! Wonder how I missed that
before. It also sports a 3kW/3ph motor rather than the 2.2kW/3ph motors in
my BF6-31... what does that equate to in horsepower? I thought my BF6-31 was
effectively 4HP, but if 1HP = 740W (more or less), then my BF6-31 is more
like 3HP and the AF-22 would be 4HP. Is it calculated differently for
3-phase motors? Am I all screwed up on this??! Also, in a dust collector
such as the AF-22, is the motor under full load all the time?
On a related question... I read in my residential wiring text book (vintage
1990) that given the same horsepower and supply voltage, a 3-phase motor
will draw about 55% of the full-load current (amps) as a single-phase motor
(this is listed in tables from the NEC, and the exact ratio varies depending
on horsepower). Does this take into account three hot legs vs. two hot legs?
In other words, is it like comparing apples to oranges? I was thus far under
the impression that three-phase motors were significantly more effecient
than single-phase. Maybe this ties in with computing horsepower from Watts
as above.
Have a great day...
--
Geoff Shepherd
(forum manager)
Everett, WA
BF6-31, AF-22 LN
