Blast Cabinet - Is this a good deal?

[het976]

The one at HF that I looked at had gloves that allowed you to touch the back wall and the sides. Maybe the one you looked at was not assembled right.

[mdbrandy]

We just got a Harbor Freight in town 2 weeks ago...I'll have to go look at this cabinet now! I'm really tired of the little plastic bench-top unit that I've got.

Thanks!

Mark

[DeesZ]

I was in the market for a cabinet until I recently got one. I looked at the HF units as well as many others that are available. I concluded that HF had some good deals with respect to price comparisons among other units that are available. I wanted a unit that would handle larger pieces (wheels, cam covers, suspension pieces, etc.) as well as all of the smaller stuff. When I considered a box that would "comfortably" handle the larger pieces, I was pushed towards the larger units and things get expensive there. By the time I added in a dust collector (and don't even think for a moment you won't need one) at $100. ~ $250., the price became prohibitive at somewhere around $700 ~ $1500 depending on maker, options, etc. If you don't want dust and grit everywhere within a quarter mile, consider a quality made unit or some additional expense to beef up a lower end unit (sealing, etc.) I decided to look for a used piece of equipment to get what I wanted for the price I was willing to pay. As is usually the case, patience paid off. I got my hands on a large Snap-On branded floor unit unit with the bells and whistles that I wanted for about 1/2 the cost that I would have paid at HF for something similar. I have not yet loaded the media of my choice, but have used it with the media that was in it at purchase.... very pleased with the unit, especially the lack of dust in the garage, and the almost inaudible dust collection system. This one has a fine mesh screen in front of the window, and it works well. If you use a shop vac, spend a few bucks for ear protection; heck you'll probably want that to mask the compressor noise anyway. Also give consideration to a good air pressure regulator at the box and certainly a water separator for the air supply at the box. I guess it doesn't need to be said, but make sure you have the air supply that you will need to power the box without overtaxing the compressor (a 50% cycle time probably should not be exceeded - check your owner's manual).

I guess that I have finally learned to not only balance the decision scales with performance vs. budget, but to actually stretch my budget to get the most value. There are a lot of good units out there that have seen moderate to light use, and it is a buyer's market for them. The hard part is shaking one out of the woodwork, and that is when patience comes into the picture.

Good luck with the cabinets!! They are a real blast! Please keep us posted with the searches and results of the piece work when you are operational.