Hey Mr. Chris Johansen:
Good Q. Not saying I'm any expert, yet I believe there are questions needed to be answered by yourself concerning "why" you're wanting the drywasher.
You going to be packing all your equipment in? Truck or ATV? Horseback? A full day of fuel + your drinking water + . . . Or will your set-up & be static with a crew of several & not just yourself? Then are you going to be using said equipment a good number of times this year or maybe once or twice every other year?
Outside of going stealth & staying manual, you gonna use a weed blower or some other type of blower or are you going with the vacuum-blower combo (vac-pac)? Want the hot air so to help remove dampness / dirt clumping? Outside of catching the gold, this IS a big part of the equipment.
Then you've the gold catching equipment (in addition to the vacuum - blower, if you choose to get / use). Static or packing? Amount of dirt processed per hour? Length / size of the reverse sluice? Electrostatic? Longevity / durability / stability?
And then you've the costs. Such equipment costs add up fast. So what is the budget just for a complete / in-total working machine?
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Personally, I'd learn exactly how a drywasher operates. Then on paper, I'd build my own / draw it out. Why am I using a drywasher & how small in mesh gold am I wanting to capture? And allow to blow by? Doing such should answer a LOT of questions.
Personally, I'd go with the Keene 140s + weed-blower + gallon of fuel + 6' to 8' of air hose + a small collection of quality breathing masks + ear protection. Even eye protection, bandanna & wide-brim hat. This would be my minimum & a good start, I believe. Why? Because it'd be some first times for me & I'd work it alone. And the 140s does catch the gold very well when used properly. And isn't that the point with all the research & costs & effort -to get the gold?
Do I have such a set-up? Nope. Haven't needed it yet. I've researched the equipment & for me myself & I, this makes sense. One day very soon I'll venture out into this desert arena. Of course I'd also pack my Gold Bug II with it all. For now, I'm Hog pan'n the rivers.
Best hunt'n & fin(d)es!

Keene or Royal

let me say this. Both are wonderful and Both catch gold. I say the last poster said it pretty darn good. you have to think about where you are going, if you have to carry it, so other things come into play.

however, I would recommend this.

a puffer style Dry washer cannot process the amount of material a Leaf Blower type can. just a few weeks back on the Placer Pete Claim in Barstow Ca, I ran next to a guy. I was using my Keene 140 and he was using a Keene Puffer. I did 24 5 gallon buckets (almost a ton of material) and he was only at 9.

that is a big difference. Now if you are going to a place where the dirt you dig is Quality of Quantity meaning you only have to process a smaller amount of material because it is a higher grade or richer as we say, I would say a smaller PUFFER style is easy to carry, battery powered and not to hard on the ears.
but if you have to dig and shovel to find the layers than I recommend a blower type to get the most of the day but it does require fuel, a hose and a leaf blower motor to carry. most of the time the motor will double as a crevasse vac so you can vacuum up the best stuff should you hit some bedrock or some cracks to break open.

Look, Keene makes Drywashers out of a durable plastic that is light weight. Royal makes them out of metal.
I like the plastic because it is a bit cooler to the touch in the dessert but Royal makes such good products that every time I see their stuff I want to buy it just because the quality is so darn good. and they catch gold as good as any.

I hope this gives you some insight and helps you get the right one. they all work good and all are fun to operate. just choose the one that fits you best.
" Now go out there and get some Yella Stuff AND have fun!"

Thank you Jim for the info. Lots to think over I guess. Ya mostly 1-2 man operation sometimes packed in by 4 wheeler when needed. Dry washing just seems like fun and I’m intrigued by it. I do know I want a blower/vac combo. One guy will tell you to go with brand A and somebody else will tell you to go with brand B. The Royal costs less. The Keene folds up a little tighter. Probably can’t go wrong with either brand, maybe it’ll come down to a coin toss lol.

Thank you for the info also Don. Sounds like either one will be just fine. Royals quite a bit cheaper I know that and if I remember correctly it’s easier to clean up.

Mr. DON GREENO:
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You have a lot of very good points.
I totally agree, metal is better / more durable / of greater quality than plastics. Always, I prefer metal over any plastic, be it @ a water faucet or an automobile's structure or a sluice. And I've studied & seen first-hand how plastics (& more slowly Aluminum) degrade via the oxidizers within our atmosphere. Even sunlight irks plastic causing it to become brittle. With plastic, it is just a matter of time before it looses it's integrity. {Interesting yet watch & see if older plastic cars don't or are falling apart.}
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Yet my point with the plastic Keene 140s (very mobile) vs any metal drywasher has to do with Keenes' electrostatic charged recovery bed. Such "electrostatic charge" is not possible with metal yet is possible with plastic. Thus my choice.
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If I'm investing in any gold recovery machine, gold recovery is the target. And the smaller-in-size the gold that is recovered / captured, the greater on return said investment will be. Just like with panning, I want to be skilled / able to capture the smallest of gold possible because getting the smallest is THE most difficult. All the rest of the larger gold easily follows.
If I'm getting the small, then the bigger will be there too. Yet if small is all that there is, then @ least I've gotten some small / some gold & will know it works & can move-on from there. The electrostatic system allows for the lighter smaller gold to be held back for recovery. Therefore, clean-out frequency ALSO plays another factor (major) with gold yield. And that is another story . . .