DELTA 50-760 1.5 Horsepower 1,200 CFM Vertical Bag Dust Collector, 120

The small footprint is valuable in the home workshop, where space is often at a premium, but it's beneficial, too, because this machine is on rugged casters, and its size lets you move it wherever you need it in your shop, from the jointer to the planer to the saw to the sander. If you're fortunate enough to have a ducting system and blast gates in place, this machine stows easily in a corner and does all the work from there. It's rated at 88 decibels, but it's quite a bit more tolerable than a shop vacuum, we think.

Assembly is minimal; expect about 45 minutes and a little frustration if you're going it alone. The only tricky part, as with any dust collector assembly, is mounting the plastic collection bag. There are two different rings to choose from; use what works for you. The upper bag filters down to 1 micron, which is a millionth of a meter, keeping the air and your lungs clear of dangerous contaminants. The collection bag is made of tough, 6-mil clear plastic, and we've really come around on the plastic bags from not liking them to, well, thinking they're a good idea. Exhaust goes through the filter bag, not the collection bag, so no air (or debris) escapes, and you can easily see when the bag needs emptying without waiting for performance to falter.

There's a nice option for installation, too, that we haven't seen on other models: You can install the blower housing with the outlet ports facing up or down, depending on your ducting system and shop needs. And yes, you can use both ports at once - it's that powerful.

We think this is a great investment for the home workshop or small professional shop, and your lungs are definitely worth it.--Kris Jensen-Van Heste