Harvey G700 Gyro Air Dust Processer Review
Review recorded and provided by Jason Bent
Copy written by Ben Marshall
Disclosure: Jason Bent is a paid partner with Harvey, however this is not a paid review.
One of the most highly requested reviews I get asked to cover is for the Harvey G700 Gyro Air Dust Processor. I’ve owned the G700 for over 6 months now, and I could not be happier with it. Everyone knows the dangers of particulates and air quality when it comes to woodworking, and thankfully Harvey’s machine performs above any dust collection system I’ve ever owned up to this point in my career.
I wanted to give this machine a good run before providing my thoughts on how well it has or has not performed. After 6 months of extensive use, I feel that I’ve reached a definitive conclusion on the G700. If you’ve never heard of Harvey or the G700, allow me to share some of the key data points that led to me purchasing the unit:
Pros:
Ridiculously high suction power - using NordFab ductwork, I have no loss of suction power at my farthest port.
Incredibly quiet unit - does not disturb my family despite working in a connected garage.
Great separation - superb dust particle separation.
Easy to remove dust bin - takes less than 5 seconds to remove the bin.
Better form factor compared to traditional stand up collectors - I’m able to place things on top of the unit.
Variable suction power controls - great for delicate/precise work.
Mobility - I can easily move it around in my shop with the included mobility kit.
Cons:
Dust Inlet Location - the location of the dust port could lead to unique set up challenges for some
Lack of Programming Button Protection - two buttons on the control panel are unprotected from my 2 year old’s curiosity
Dust Bin Location for Fine Particles - the two dust extraction ports are located near the floor and can be challenging to reach depending on shop layouts
The G700 is a 2 horse power dust collection unit running on 220 volts (*requires 20amp breaker) and weighs about 450 lbs (204 kg). The dust bin holds around 32 gallons (121 liters) and comes with disposable bags to make clean up easy. The overall unit width is about 52 in(132cm), 24 in (60cm) deep and 34 in (86cm) tall.
If you want to read more into the technical aspects of the unit, you can visit the Harvey website here. Now, I’d like to discuss the aspects I really enjoy about the Harvey G700.
what i like about the harvey g700
a low hum
The G700 is unquestionably quieter than my previous dust collection machine, the Jet JCDC-3. If you want to see the technical testing I performed on the decibel levels, you can watch this video here, however I felt that the most important thing to say is that it’s super quiet. When my wife is in the kitchen, merely 20 feet from my shop door, she can’t tell if the unit is on or not - which is such a huge difference from previous dust collectors I’ve owned. When standing on the street just outside my shop, there is a slight low base hum, however it’s hard to locate; so no worries about disturbing the neighbors. Cars driving slowly by the house produce more noise coming from the G700 - it’s quite impressive.
managing the dust
The 32 gallon dust bin is big enough to last through my biggest projects, yet small enough to not break my back when emptying the container. I went from a 50 gallon dust bag with the Jet, which was nowhere easy to change out - compared to the Harvey system, it’s a night and day difference. Unless you’re processing hundreds of board feet a day, then the smaller bin size shouldn’t be a hassle to empty regularly. The included durable bags are held in place with some included rubber bands that hold the lip of the bag in place really well; they are thick enough to hold up over time as I’ve not had to replace the bags even after 6 months of use.
Emptying the 50 gallon dust bag from the Jet JCDC-3. This was such a cumbersome process and was not conducive to saving time or my health (note the respirator since it was not easy to change bags without making a mess).
The partitioned dust bin of the G700 is smaller, yet is more manageable than the larger Jet bin.
superior suction power
As any experienced woodworker knows, high quality duct work really makes the difference in how well a dust extraction system works. The metal tubing and clamps from NordFab ensures that the air pressures don’t drop from the inlet port to wherever my ports are in my shop. However, because of the design and engineering behind Harvey’s machine, the suction power is incredibly strong despite having a ‘weaker’ motor compared to my old Jet.
While setting up the ductwork, I made sure to test suction power using an anemometer (handheld device that digitally reads wind speed). The suction power was so constant and strong, that I actually capped out my first meter’s speed capacity and broke some of the fan blades - forcing me to purchase another, albeit higher capacity, anemometer.
Even on the 1/2 power setting, the G700 provides more than enough suction power to remove debris away from my table saw, which is one of the furthest ports.
The key to any dust collection system starts with proper ductwork. Metal tubing and clamps makes a huge difference in maintaining negative pressure.
Using an anemometer to check suction speed at different power settings and ports throughout the shop. The suction power was so powerful, that it not only capped out this particular anemometer, but it snapped the blades of the wind fan - forcing me to buy another one, more powerful meter!
a functional form
When compared to pretty much any other commercial dust collection unit on the market (that I’m aware of), the Harvey G700’s low profile form and boxy design makes it easy to work with. Unlike the popular ‘silo’ design of most dust collectors, the G700’s dust bin and baffles are easy to access from the side. Gone are the days of having to throw out my back by lifting heavy filter and cyclone components. With a few twists of locking knobs, the dust bins slide out the side of the unit. It’s really easy access to change out the bags - much easier than the stand up dust collectors. Also, because of the relatively low height, it would be easy for me to slide the unit under a large table or even under a miter station.
My old Jet dust collector took up just as much width as the G700, and it went all the way up to the ceiling. How the engineers at Harvey were able to such an effective machine into this form factor blows my mind - it’s that good.
what i don’t like about the harvey g700
dust port location
With traditional dust collection units, there is some flexibility with where ductwork can be installed and hooked up to the unit. With the G700, this is slightly more restricting since the dust port is located at the bottom left corner of the unit face. I had to really consider and plan out everything in my shop to accommodate this since I knew I would be purchasing the G700 before moving into my current home. I realize that not everyone is in such a situation, and this should be a big consideration before(if) you purchase one.
Proper ductwork is about reducing the restrictions of air flow, and nothing does that worse than 90 degree turns and pivots in ductwork. At times it is unavoidable, however with proper planning I was able to come up with some duct options that didn’t need too many bends.
Now before you get bent out of shape (pun intended) about ductwork, Harvey includes a flexible hose with the machine - so you can use the G700 as soon as it’s delivered to you. There are also included hose adapters if you have preexisting ductwork.
utilizing some angled joints to get the extraction piping along the wall.
Delivery day (note the pallet underneath the system). You can see the flexible hose that is included with the G700, which is stored in the dust bin during shipment and delivery.
lack of protective measures for programming
Situated above the dust port is the Control panel - providing a manual control knob to adjust the suction power to the unit, start and stop buttons, and two buttons reserved for technicians only. There are specific instructions on the panel that caution operators to NOT USE the manual and technician buttons, however there is nothing protecting or preventing these two buttons from being accidentally pressed - as was the case with my amazingly curious two year old son, Leo.
With a few swift button presses, the programming on my G700 had been wiped. I called Harvey, and they directed me to a YouTube video on how to reprogram everything back to factory settings - a process that took me a little over an hour to complete. Thankfully it’s not a permanent problem if it does happen. However this is the exact issue - that’s it’s completely possible to essentially ‘brick’ the machine. A machine at this price should not succumb to the curious nature of a small child.
G700 Control Panel
The culprit behind my G700 programming debacle - lucky for him he’s the world’s cutest kid!
longer start up time
One thing that I’ve had to grow accustom to with the G700 is that it takes a little bit longer (a few seconds) for the unit to reach optimal power (or whatever power setting you set it to). This is by no means a deal breaker - more of just a consideration. With my Jet dust collector, as soon as I turned it on the suction power was available. Conversely, the G700 needs a few additional seconds to reach operating capacity. So what does that mean? It just means that you need to give the unit some additional time before you start processing that next piece of material. This is such a small gripe, however I felt it was important enough to mention as it has changed my workflow slightly over the last few months.
filter maintenance
As particles enter the G700, large debris is deposited into the two large bins while the fine particulates are caught in the two baffled filters on the right side of the unit. Just like all HEPA filtered systems, these baffles must be cleaned from time to time - which is an easy process. The pain comes from accessing the dust pans, and it’s only relegated to the set up of my shop. The dust ports can be connected to a 4 inch hose and routed back into the machine, which will then collect the fine dust in the large bin. It’s actually a really cool design, however implementation (at least in my shop) is a little cumbersome.
Rotating the red knobs turns the filters against pleats, which sends fine particles down to the dust bin below.
The dust bin for fine dust can be connected to a 4 inch hose and sucked into the machine’s big dust bin. It’s a really cool design, if not a bit cumbersome to empty.
final thoughts
The Harvey G700 is by far the best dust collection machine I’ve ever used. It is super quiet, powerful, and less bulky than other options currently. I could not recommend this machine enough - it is hands down a must buy for anyone looking to improve their dust collection in their shop and wants the most bang for their buck.
If you have any questions about the Harvey G700, don’t hesitate to ask! You can drop a comment below, send me a DM on instagram or email me.
