Drum Sander Pricing

[cams2705]

My wife is interested in segmented turning.  We already have the lathe and tools, but for this subset of turning, I started looking into picking up a drum sander.  Can anyone on here please explain to me the price point for these machines?  I don't see them as overly complex ... Sort of reminds me of nothing more than a lunchbox planer in a slightly different configuration with a slow moving conveyor belt.  I can't believe the entry point into the segment just above "starter tool" is around $1500.

[JGrout]

they are relatively complex though to the untrained eye they seem simplistic 

The conveyor drive is DC for variable speed ability the drum(s) are generally turned and balanced  the drive motor is higher horsepower 

I figure for the price point you are getting good value at 1500 

I have a double drum and it certainly meets my needs on a daily basis

[Steve N]

I have the Supermax 19/38 which I did get from Rockler. When I bought they also had the Jet 16/32 which looked a lot like the Supermax. except it was it's lightweight cousin. Literally it weighed less than half the weight of the Supermax. I also got a chance to look at the
Griz 18" sander which came in about 1/2 the cost, but I just wasn't impressed. I would suggest that you look at, and hopefully get a chance to play with a few machines. It will be illuminating. I didn't quibble a bit with what they asked for the Supermax after seeing the comparison. I don't use it every day in the shop, but when I do, I like having it's capabilities. It's not a planer, it's a finishing tool. I find the Supermax takes out most of my sanding (which I hate to do) in a fraction of the time. Plus when I do use it, all that time I spent getting stock prepped 4 square, stays that way. Doing the same with belt sanders, pad sanders, scrapers, and the like I couldn't count on panels remaining flat, and with a consistent thickness, now I can.

I started my journey thinking just like you are now. After comparison I could see the difference, and after owning it, I'm real glad I spent the money. I had resisted for a long time

[frigator]

The drum Sanders need to be well tune to produce flat stock across the width. In my view the Woodmaster makes the best drum sander. The smallest one is 5 hp made in the USA. I've had two of them. They turn slower than most of these direct drive models and you will find that heat is the enemy of drum Sanders. You get what you pay for with these things. I think the 26 inch Woodmaster starts around 3000.

http://www.woodmasterdrumsanders.com/store.cfm

[gMike]

Drum sanders are very handy but many folks buy them and then don't use them much.  They are frequently available used.  That's how I got mine.

Keep an eye out for a used machine.  They can usually be had for a little over 50% of the retail price from what I've seen.

[joe1086]

Drum sanders are very handy but many folks buy them and then don't use them much.  They are frequently available used.  That's how I got mine.

I bought the Perfomax 16-32 ten years ago when I redid the kitchen. Paid $800 or so new, sold it six months later for $700 after I realized either I did not know how to use it or it did not have enough grunt to get the job done. Burned up a fair amount of sandpaper in the process.

BTW, you need good dust collection.

[Steve N]

I forgot to add. I put that Rockler ad link up as it gives you the 100 dollar in and outfeed tables free. That is a must, and it's not brand specific. Any planer, or wide belt sander needs to have in, and out tables to function well, as all of them are having something of a clamping action (also pushes the stock downward) as they enter the machine. Without tables you will see snipe. It is possible to build wooden tables, but I have yet to see Ho made tables do as well as the metal from the manufacturer ones. I'd wager most of the time if a person says I had a blah blah blah, and it wouldn't, they didn't pony up for the tables.

Also I will respond to the poster who said it MUST be well set up. I just followed the instructions for assembly on my 19/38, and it was dead nutz as soon as I ran the first piece of stock through it, so I'm cornfused about that statement, but he does suggest if you don't buy his brand it won't work. All 3 of the models I suggested work fine, 2 of them just weren't built well enough that I wanted to spend that much $$$$$ on them. Also when I bought about once a month there was a post here that my Jet sander is junk, so I was shy about them.

[jteneyck]

I see used Delta 18X36 machines all the time for about $500.  I bought one for that price about 8 years ago and it has been a workhorse for me.  I don't think $500 is too much to ask for a machine that can quickly and accurately remove planer marks and bring your stock to final dimensions.  Changing sanding strips on the Delta has to be in the best in class category.  Very quick, very secure.  Anyway, why buy new when you can get a good used machine for half or less.

None of these cantilevered machines is an abrasive planer, they are sanders.  The biggest mistake people make with these things is trying to take off too much material.  I can't remove more than 0.010" in a pass on a wide board; realistically, it's more like 0.005".  If you try to take off more you will jamb the machine, get burn marks, break the sanding strip, etc. 

Unlike Steve N. I have no infeed/outfeed tables and don't find it necessary.  When I have long, heavy parts I set up a roller stand on the infeed and outfeed.  They work fine for me for avoiding snipe.  I also try to feed one part right behind the one in front of it so that the machine thinks it's seeing one very long part.  That alone mostly eliminates snipe. 

I would not want to be without a drum sander.

John

[cams2705]

All ... thank you for the replies so far.  I knew I was missing something.  I'm keeping my eyes open on craigslist.

[Arlin Eastman]

Here are a few options for you and the first one is a 12" which will do almost everything you will ever need except way bigger or if you ever think of wider boards then the next 16" will do it.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-Baby-...nder/G0459


Also the above one has 4 poles which is much more stable then like a 10/20 performax which is on the side


http://www.grizzly.com/products/16-Drum-...yor/G1079R

16" and will do everything she will ever need and things you need also

Someone gave me this one and it is a swell unit which has 2 6" rollers of which someone can put 50grit on the front side and on the then can put 120 on the back roller

http://www.grizzly.com/products/24-Drum-Sander/G1066R