Customer Reviews

Jet JW1007 4-Inch Blastgate

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

With a blastgate at each machine, you can control the air flow from the DC unit as if you only had one machine hooked up, providing the most efficient use of the air suction. By opening and closing each blastgate, as needed, you will get the maximum amount of air flow at all times.

For a more "durable" blastgate, there is a metal version available at a premium. But I have found the plastic gates run into problems with use. They jam with debris and cannot be taken apart to clean. The spot welds, which hold them together, will lossen with use, then the sliding gate, which is a friction function, will not operate properly. The metal gate uses a screw to kept the gate open.

Overall, it is a needed product that allows for maximum use of a dust collection system, with a blastgate installed at each branch to control the air flow to the machine in use. BUT, do not invest in the plastic version, go with the metal blastgate.

If someone can explain to me what the tapered design of the inlet and outlets are for, I'll upgrade the review to 5 stars minus 2 for the overbloated price.

I can't imagine what the design of a taper is for. The Y-Connectors and Splices do not have a taper. Why do the blastgates do?

The problem is that the natural springness of the hose keeps it coming off the tapered outlets just as you're trying to tighten the clamps. This is frustrating to just a wee degree since the problem shouldn't exist at all. In addition, the price is just a tad expensive for a piece of plastic.

Look elsewhere if you can find a better design, or a better price. Otherwise, once you have them on, they work as expected.

I would not buy these. They jam with dust. These do not come apart for cleanout. These will only work in a dust free shop. (A shop that is not used.) I recommend the metal gate at the same price. The metal gate is sturdy and solid.

I've used these blastgates for about a year in my home basement workshop and have never had a problem. I'll admit I don't use the shop every day, but for the casual user, these gates work great! I have about 4 of these in use. Most of the gates are connected on a hose or pipe in a vertical position (where the gate control is horizontal). This might help the problem that others on this forum seem to be complaining about (with dust collecting in the gate slot). As far as the taper goes, I'll agree the design doesn't need to be tapered. However, using the wire hose clamps tightened securely, I've never had one come off when I didn't want it to.

i wish i had read the reviews about clogging. fine dust rapidly accumulates in the grooves the gate slides in and makes closure impossible. works fine on my router table and planer (i guess the chips are too big to get stuck in the small crannies) but any tool making dust will clog in short time

I picked these up at a local Menard's store for about half of the nearly $8 being charged here. I installed four of these in my small garage shop duct system, and so far I am well pleased with their performance. In fairness to the other reviewers, I don't put a lot of fine dust through my system though. The tools I have hooked up through these gates include a planer, radial arm saw, miter saw, table saw, jointer, and band saw. Aside from the table saw and bandsaw, these tools don't produce loads of very fine dust, so my gates have never clogged. By leaving the dust collector running for 10 seconds or so after the tool is turned off I have never had problems closing these gates. I cannot say if they will "wear out" over time since I have had them less than a year, but I don't expect them to.

In short I am happy with everything about these plastic gates except for the price!

I purchased three of the plastic blast gates. I put one in line to my TS to see how it worked. It pulled apart pretty quickly as I moved the TS. This is an inexpensive product but I did expect it to be stronger.

Secondly, I replaced the gate and the slide would not stay up. I had to turn it sideways to keep it from closing by itself.

For $2 each how can you go wrong. I used these in a garage dust collection system. I installed 6 of these gates. They are a bit fragile and will come apart easily front to back. one gate is installed at an output with no solid pipe attached to it and it quickler split apart. The other gates are installed between PVC pipes which provide support and I have not had a problem with those, either from breaking or from the gates not closing.
For the fragileness I give it 3 starts otherwise not reason it shouldnt have 5. I will be replacing the gate that broke with an aluminum version.

I bought these plastic blastgates because they were cheaper than aluminum. What a waste of money! I broke two of them while installing, the slots jam up with chips, and they cannot be taken apart for cleaning. As my funds allow, I will be replacing the plastic with aluminum.

Jet JW1007 4-Inch Blast Gate

These Woodstock International blast gates are identical to the ones I began using over 20 years ago. This same blast gate is sold by countless vendors; Jet is just one of many.

They are inexpensive and work acceptably, although they leak a little air when closed.

They have three parts, the two halves (glued together) with the movable gate in the middle. The two halves on all of my Woodstock gates eventually came unglued. Some lasted a couple of years, and one lasted at least a decade before separating. Rather than replace them, I repaired each gate using pop-rivets or 8-32 machine screws & nuts to hold the halves together. Except for this issue, none of my plastic blast gates ever "broke".

The gate's ABS plastic body is smooth and each male side is slightly tapered. Because of that taper, a clamped-on air hose tends to slip off, unless screws or other methods are used, to keep it attached. See Customer Images. It would have made sense to taper maybe the first 1/4" so it slides into a duct or hose, but tapering the entire male fitting end was not a great idea.

I have a blast gate for the table saw, sliding compound miter saw, planer, sander, band saw, jointer, and drill press. Unlike other reviewers though, none of my Woodstock blast gate has EVER filled up with dust or debris to the point that it stopped working or needed cleaning. Perhaps that's because the dust collector is a 3-hp 1800 cubic feet minute unit; and the air moves so fast, it doesn't have a chance to clog a blast gate? Also, the grooves in a blast gate are more likely to clog if the gate handle faces down.

I rate them at two stars, since a customer shouldn't have to repair a product to keep it working, and the tapered male ends allow hoses to slip off.