# Which used drum sander to buy??



## Gravel7 (Mar 16, 2009)

Hello, 
I apologize if i put this thread in the wrong spot.....

What Drum Sander would you buy......
Delta X5 - "excellent condition, moderate use" for $385 obo
OR
Ryobi WDS 1600 - "great condition, works well" for $250 firm

My first thought was to offer the Delta a little less and that would be the obvious choice but after reading some reviews......the Delta doesn't seem to have to much of a following.....

I've never owned a drum sander....or used one. Anything i should be looking at before i buy one of them...something that happens as they age that only an experienced drum sander user would know to look for??

Thanks for the help!
Mike


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

I'm going to get yelled at for this but, here goes.
Having owned or worked with 3 different open sided sanders such as you cite, I can only say that they would work well as anchors!
More time was spent adjusting them than sanding with them.:furious: 
With age and usage the conveyor on two started to delaminate and curl. Not good in a thicknesser. 
Inspection of the sanding belt after almost every run is a must. A slight bit of embedded debris will ruin your work. 

We get flattening with a V Sander, now. It's not a thicknessing machine. Planers do a better job of that, anyway. But, our V sanders excel at flattening and evening face frames, as well as raised panel stock. :thumbsup:

A decent drum sander with the drum supported at both ends, will cost upwards of $1000, new. And decent used ones rarely are found. 

Often, simpler is better.


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## Dvoigt (Dec 6, 2007)

well i have never used one... would love to have one. But I'm just a hobbiest and not a serious professional (although I like to think of myself as one)

So take my opinion based on that...

I have seen mixed reviews on the delta, but for that price I would be out the door to pick it up. I see them for over 2x that price around here all the time.


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## woodworks (Feb 12, 2008)

Well I'm not sure which ones Gene has used, but I have the Performax 16/32 and I think it's great. Other then that, I haven't used a different model. The Performax was my first and only. 

Yes you will have to check the belt after many years of use. As far as after every time you use it, I've never had to do that. And yes they are a great thickness 'planer'. I use it to thickness my hickory lumber. As with any other tool, you will have to keep up the maintance. But if you do that, it will last you a good long time. I''ve had mine for well over 10 years and it is just now needing a belt and that is because I let it move over to the edge too far and racked it against the side. The switch just went out of it the other day and I need to unplug it to stop and start. Well these things are just part of maintance and the machine is well worth putting the time and money into it.

So don't be afraid to buy one and just use the hell out of it.:laughing:


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## Gravel7 (Mar 16, 2009)

Thanks for the replies.
I've got to grab one of them....it was the Ryobi until last night when i found the Delta, so all the sudden things were not so cut and dry.

I was leaning toward Delta at first just because they seem to make superior tools, but my online search found a lot of :thumbdown:, a lot more than the Ryobi. The Ryobi reviews were all somewhat favorable.....The only reoccurring complaint if found on the Ryobi was that it is really hard to change the paper.

Now I think i am leaning back toward the Ryobi.? :laughing: Anyone here have the Ryobi, or heard anything about it?

Yes - the Performax 16/32 seems to be loved by all.......now if i can find one of those in the $300 range


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

Gravel7 said:


> Yes - the Performax 16/32 seems to be loved by all.......now if i can find one of those in the $300 range


That's probably the reason you wont find one in that range.

I've never used one so I'm really not much help.


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

woodworks said:


> Well I'm not sure which ones Gene has used, but I have the Performax 16/32 and I think it's great. Other then that, I haven't used a different model. The Performax was my first and only.


Woodworks,
The performax 16/32 was the one I owned. I've used a Delta at times as well as one other whose brand I can't recall. 
I had nothing but trouble with my Performax. My rheostat controller went out after 90 days. The conveyor belt was shot in a year. It delaminated, maybe because of the AZ heat. And the head absolutely refused to stay co- planar. 
Many guys who have the same sander said I just got a bad one. I don't know, maybe, but like getting food poisoning after eating a taco at a franchise fast food joint, I would not only never patronize that franchise again, I'd also quit eating tacos. And that would be terrible. I really like tacos.:laughing:
So, to the OP I say good luck and I hope you get a good machine. And I definitely hope your experience is better than mine.


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## Butch (Dec 18, 2006)

Brutha, I own an X5..it's a good machine for it's design..the problem is, the design is flawed. Gene is correct about the constant attention needed with my machine. If I were to be in the market for 1 today, the drum would do the elevating, and not the table... it's a bad design. now I'm the poorest hobbyist here, in terms of quality/craftsmanship, but I'll say this... unless you absolutely NEED a drum sander, spend the $$ elsewhere in another quality upgrade for a tool you already USE. the drum sander doesn't (at least in my garage) get used enough to justify the expenditure. others' may use theirs, b ut most cabinet makers I know, use a much larger machine, some having dual belts..but they are/were production men.
I know I wouldn't sell my X5 for under $500, look at what a new one costs....


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## Ghidrah (Mar 2, 2010)

I own a Performax 22/44 and lurve it.

3 things paralleling drum to bed, proper belt installation and running long stock. 

Trying to get the drum to bed parallel was hell, it still not perfect but somewhere between a 32nd and 64th is close enough and I reverse the board on each pass anyway.

Keep a close eye on the belt it will stretch after a period of extended use and can overlap itself. Where it overlaps can cause a burn mark on your stock and glaze the belt ruining it.

Lastly long boards consider the sander in the same light as a planer tipping the leading edge as it enters the roller bar can worsen the snipe effect. A good roller stand with an adjustable tilt for the bar will eliminate snipe in the middle of the board.


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## jraksdhs (Oct 19, 2008)

*16/32 performax*

I also have a performax 16/32 in my shop. I upgraded the conveyor belt with a poly belt from klingspor. It wasnt cheap, $100. But they say you'll never replace it, we'll see. I only use it for little stuff. I keep 150 grit in it, and use it mainly for just sanding off planer and jointer chatter. I built alot of cabinets and also have a wide belt sander that i use for faceframes and other big things. I've have used my 16/32 to thickness 12" wide panels down to a 1/16". It was within 5 thousands across its width. I only paid $250 for mine so it was a good deal. I dont take any more than an 1/8 of a turn off. Anymore than that and it will burn. With a courser grit you can take more. Hope this info helps.

Jraks


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## Dvoigt (Dec 6, 2007)

jully11 said:


> Drum sanders are used for hardwood floor sanding. It cleans off bad spots like, blemishes, stained spots, paint splotches on the floor. It is composed of a large dust bag, a drum to fasten sheets of sanding paper and the sander machine.
> Drum sanders are also used in polishing floors (wax finish).
> 
> Drum sander accessories are a great help in achieving good furnished floors.
> Thanks


Yes there are drum sanders for that.. but for wood working, drum sanders are different.


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## ron9876 (Jun 1, 2009)

*Ryobi*

I have the Ryobi. I am not a professional but I have used it a lot. The lumber that I have is rough sawn and I use it to clean up and thickness. The paper installation isn't great but I have gotten used to it and don't have a problem.

Hard to get exactly flat side to side because it deflects at the open end when you put wood thru it. My guess is this is a problem for any open end drum sander. The gears had to be replaced once. Not hard or terribly expensive but not a good design. There isn't a way to add lube. No problem with the feed belt yet.

Wouldn't be without it. You have to learn how to use it but when you do you can reduce the amount of sanding substantially especially on glue ups. I would recommend for that price but don't have any knowlegde of the other brands.


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## Gravel7 (Mar 16, 2009)

*Got the Ryobi*

Thanks for all of the insight. Really appreciated. 
Just an update......got the Ryobi WDS 1600 tonight. Looks great, seems to do a nice job, sounds good, doesn't appear to really have much use on it all. Paid $225. I feel pretty excited about it.

ron9876, where did you get your work done on it? Something you did yourself or is there a certain service center that did it? Just curious for when I wear this baby out:laughing:

I think I'm going to head out into the garage and look it over again before I head to bed:yes:

Thanks again everyone!
Mike


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## ron9876 (Jun 1, 2009)

Did my own work. Like I said it wasn't difficult. Be sure you learn how to use it. Slow down and when you think you have it right slow down some more. Keep the sanding belt clean. Don't try to take too much off at a time.


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