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Buying Drum Sander, Need Recommendation
- Thread starter Mike S
- Start date
I got the Delta, with $200 off and free shipping at Amazon.
But don't ask me what I think of it, it's due in next week.
TTFN
Ralph
But don't ask me what I think of it, it's due in next week.
TTFN
Ralph
Own the Delta
I've owned the Delta for a couple years now. Bought it used locally. I use it primarily in my flat woodworking for sanding out the machining marks left by the planer, for leveling glued up panels and to bring stock to the final thickness. I have used it to sand glued up rings for segmented turnings and it works just dandy for that. 😎
I'd be happy to answer any other questions you have about the machine. I have no experience at all with any other brand.
Mike S said:
I've owned the Delta for a couple years now. Bought it used locally. I use it primarily in my flat woodworking for sanding out the machining marks left by the planer, for leveling glued up panels and to bring stock to the final thickness. I have used it to sand glued up rings for segmented turnings and it works just dandy for that. 😎
I'd be happy to answer any other questions you have about the machine. I have no experience at all with any other brand.
PS... I sold a WoodMaster 2600 to help pay for the Delta. While the WoodMaster was good (free), it was just tooooo large.
Drum Sander
Whatever you do stay away from a Ryobi sander. A used one at a giveaway price is no bargin. It was the worst tool buy of my life. If money is no object Klingspor's has a dandy sander sold as Super Max. It is built like the wider Performax sanders only a lot of other features. You didn't say what you would use a sander for but the Performax is a good unit. Two guys here bought the Delta at a good proce at the Woodworking Show but haven't used them enough to judge them yet. They liked the idea the table moves on the Delta and the drum moves on the others?
Ron
Whatever you do stay away from a Ryobi sander. A used one at a giveaway price is no bargin. It was the worst tool buy of my life. If money is no object Klingspor's has a dandy sander sold as Super Max. It is built like the wider Performax sanders only a lot of other features. You didn't say what you would use a sander for but the Performax is a good unit. Two guys here bought the Delta at a good proce at the Woodworking Show but haven't used them enough to judge them yet. They liked the idea the table moves on the Delta and the drum moves on the others?
Ron
Performax Drum Sander
Last winter I picked up the Performax 22 inch Drum Sander. I liked the construction a little better than the Delta. I have also had good experience with the product support for my PowerMatic tool purchases so I was comfortable that if there was a problem it would be made right.
The only part of the sander that felt a little flimsy was the plastic hood with the dust collection fitting that fits over the drum. In practice I have found that this hood works very well. But the weight of the dust collection hose could open the hood if the hose wasn't positioned properly.
I did find that the sanders seem to come without a lot of the obvious accessories. I received the infeed/outfeed tables as a freebie as part of a woodcraft promotion. When I received them I was sufficiently unimpressed by their utility that they are still collecting dust. I am happy to not have paid for them. The casters for the stand priced at over $80, I passed on those and purchased some from another vendor for around $20.
I would checkout the availability of replacement belts from your local sources. The pre-cut belts can be pricey and hard to find. The obvious alternative is to keep spares around the shop, but there are lots of grit and abrasive combinations. I like to let someone else dedicate space and money to stocking this kind of stuff.
Also consider any adjustments you might have to make to your dust collection system. These sanders create lots and lots of very fine dust. Make sure that you have an outlet very close to where the sander will operate. If you don't already have a sub-micron filter or bag on your DC system you might want it when you get the sander.
Jeff
Last winter I picked up the Performax 22 inch Drum Sander. I liked the construction a little better than the Delta. I have also had good experience with the product support for my PowerMatic tool purchases so I was comfortable that if there was a problem it would be made right.
The only part of the sander that felt a little flimsy was the plastic hood with the dust collection fitting that fits over the drum. In practice I have found that this hood works very well. But the weight of the dust collection hose could open the hood if the hose wasn't positioned properly.
I did find that the sanders seem to come without a lot of the obvious accessories. I received the infeed/outfeed tables as a freebie as part of a woodcraft promotion. When I received them I was sufficiently unimpressed by their utility that they are still collecting dust. I am happy to not have paid for them. The casters for the stand priced at over $80, I passed on those and purchased some from another vendor for around $20.
I would checkout the availability of replacement belts from your local sources. The pre-cut belts can be pricey and hard to find. The obvious alternative is to keep spares around the shop, but there are lots of grit and abrasive combinations. I like to let someone else dedicate space and money to stocking this kind of stuff.
Also consider any adjustments you might have to make to your dust collection system. These sanders create lots and lots of very fine dust. Make sure that you have an outlet very close to where the sander will operate. If you don't already have a sub-micron filter or bag on your DC system you might want it when you get the sander.
Jeff
Drum sanders that have support posts on both sides seem to stay in adjustment better. I've had both Delta and Performax - with out question, I prefer the Performax.
Vote for delta
I have the delta sander and love it. I had looked at the performax but got a better buy on the delta. I have since talked to an associate at a woodcraters store and they comented that using both the delta was a more durable sander in their shop with students and all the other use. I have had very few problems, jsut remember DON'T run a wide piece through at full speed ahead or they stall. It has been one of the most useful tools in my shop.
Vernon
I have the delta sander and love it. I had looked at the performax but got a better buy on the delta. I have since talked to an associate at a woodcraters store and they comented that using both the delta was a more durable sander in their shop with students and all the other use. I have had very few problems, jsut remember DON'T run a wide piece through at full speed ahead or they stall. It has been one of the most useful tools in my shop.
Vernon
Have new Performax
Thanks for all that responded to my thread, went with the Performax mainly because of the heavy cast iron drum head, just seemed to be of better construction compaired to the sheet metal and welded materials used in the Delta unit. The reviews are slightly better also on the Performax. Thanks again
Thanks for all that responded to my thread, went with the Performax mainly because of the heavy cast iron drum head, just seemed to be of better construction compaired to the sheet metal and welded materials used in the Delta unit. The reviews are slightly better also on the Performax. Thanks again
Consider Performax 22
I've had a Performax 22 for six years and I really like it. It's well built and easy to maintain. I had the motor converted to 220 and the added power is well worth the wiring cost.
I've had a Performax 22 for six years and I really like it. It's well built and easy to maintain. I had the motor converted to 220 and the added power is well worth the wiring cost.
Jim Bremer said:
Jim, could you explain how coverting a motor from say 12 amps at 110 volt to 6 amps at 220 volts adds any power?
I mean, when I was in school Ohms law was amps-times-volts=watts, 12*110==6*220
Now, with the higher voltage (and lower current) the starting voltage sag should be lower (at least that's what I learned in the class on motors I took)
But the power delivered is the same, unless you are claiming that this motor runs more efficiently when the windings are wired in series instead of parallel.
TTFN
Ralph
Ralph,
You learnt right, but it's not a motor power thing, but rather a circuit capacity deal. I run my 22/44 Pro on a 20 amp 115 circuit. If the drum bogs more than a little, it'll trip that 20amp breaker very easily, sometimes before I can hit the drum kill-switch. If I were running 220 on a 20 amp breaker, I'd have more of a margin for available power draw. Yes, I could change out the 20 amp 115 breaker for a 30, but I don't want the machine to be able to draw that much amperage from the shop sub-panel.
M
You learnt right, but it's not a motor power thing, but rather a circuit capacity deal. I run my 22/44 Pro on a 20 amp 115 circuit. If the drum bogs more than a little, it'll trip that 20amp breaker very easily, sometimes before I can hit the drum kill-switch. If I were running 220 on a 20 amp breaker, I'd have more of a margin for available power draw. Yes, I could change out the 20 amp 115 breaker for a 30, but I don't want the machine to be able to draw that much amperage from the shop sub-panel.
M
I have a woodmaster and am very pleased with it.
http://www.woodmastertools.com/
http://www.woodmastertools.com/
Drum Sander
Way to go. Good made in USA tool.
Ron
Way to go. Good made in USA tool.
Ron