The iVac Pro Tool plus makes it easy to hook up any machine in your shop to an iVac Automated Dust Collection System.One of my favorite devices in the Infinity Cutting Tools workshop is our iVac Pro Dust Collection System. It automatically activates our three-horsepower dust collector whenever I turn on one of our table saws or our jointers or our surface planers or... you get the idea. It's an absolute dream that keeps us from having to think about dust collection when we're already trying to think about everything else that goes into a project.
With the original iVac Pro system you needed to match the first generation iVac Pro Tool with the voltage and amperage needs of the woodworking machine you were using. But with the new iVac Pro Tool Plus there is no more guessing whatsoever. The iVac Pro Tool Plus is a universal device that will work with any single-phase machine, regardless of amperage draw, or voltage requirements. In other words, it works with both 110 volt and 220-volt tools, and unlike the power company, the iVac Pro Tool Plus could not care less how many amps your shop consumes.
With an iVac Pro Tool Plus, Pro Switch, and Pro Blast Gate, you automatically control your dust collection system whenever you turn on and off your machine. Want all your machinery to play along? Just add a Pro Tool Plus and Pro Blast Gate for each machine and you will have the cleanest shop in town with the least amount of effort.This is a beautiful thing for us toolaholics who yearn to upgrade to a bigger bandsaw or jointer, or table saw, scouring the internet daily to find the deal on that new machine we need to finally make the upgrade we've been dreaming about. The iVac Pro Tool Plus will move straight from your pint-sized 110v 6" jointer over to that new and mighty 230v 8" jointer without a second thought. You can go back from 220 to 110 as well (though I can't imagine why you would want to do that).
If there is a drawback to be found with the new iVac Pro Tool Plus is that it requires its own 110V outlet, but when I weigh the loss of that outlet against the convenience of universal compatibility, I feel that it's a perfectly fair trade.
The iVac Pro Starter Package gives you everything you need to allow up to three machines in your shop automatically controlling your dust collector. All you need to do is match the correct package to the power needs of your dust collector.iVac also makes Automated Blast Gates that work with the Pro System that automatically open and close every time you turn on a machine. Honestly, I didn't understand how convenient this functionality was until I went home to my personal shop and started working on a project. I realized that for years I have been forced to contort myself into every dark, moldy, spider-nested corner of my workshop to open and close inconveniently situated blast gates in order to get the correct flow of air going into my dust collection vacuum whenever I would move from one tool to the other. I'm now spared that hassle, and it takes away one more interruption from my workflow for each project. The folks at iVac were even smart enough to design the whole system to make sure one blast gate is always open so no excessive strain is placed on the ductwork or dust collector if you should ever activate the vacuum manually with the iVac Pro Remote (sold separately).
The iVac Pro Blast Gate works perfectly with the rest of the Pro system. No more forgetting to open or close a blast gate before making a cut!Possibly the best thing about the whole system is that it's easy to program thanks to the included instructions. A simple to follow chart outlines the correct configuration of each device's dipswitch panel depending on how your workshop is set up.
Programming the iVac Pro Tool Plus is easy to do thanks to the easy to understand charts included in the instruction booklet.With time in the shop at a premium and the importance of dust collection for keeping both your tools and (more importantly) your lungs clean, the complete iVac Pro Tool system with the new iVac Pro Tool Plus and Automated Blast Gates is a very savvy upgrade for any workshop. If you want to get your shop started with an automated system Infinity Cutting Tools has the perfect Starter Packages to get up to three of your woodworking machines remotely connected to your dust collection vacuum. Just choose the package that best suits the power requirements of your dust collector and enjoy! If you want to take the leap to dust collection nirvana check out our iVac7-pc Auto Dust Collection Packs and start truly enjoying your shop time.
-Andrew Gibson
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HVI01sBBFQ?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh21HdkGBOM?rel=0&w=560&h=315]