Performax Owners

[Jay Albrandt]

I'm about to pull the trigger on a drum sander and I looked at the archives here regarding the Performax models. All comments seem to be positive.

So, after spending some more time with the sanders, does anyone have anything to add? I am looking at the 22-44 model for a $1000.00 from Rockler. They also have the 16-32 for $900.00.

Comments on any other make/models are also welcome.

Thanks in Advance.

Jay

[Bruce Gray]

I recently bought the 22-44 Plus with the closed base stand. My thinking was that I needed a mobile base anyway, and the closed base came with built in wheels. That turned out to be of limited value because none of the wheels are castors, so it wheels easliy only in a straight line.

I also have been having a problem with the conveyor belt ...seems to be stretched, or made crooked. It has a bulge along one side that I can't seem to stretch out without losing the tracking. I expect that Jet will replace it (but they haven't done that yet ...they just offer suggestions on "adjustments".)

Other than that, the sander is fine.

Bruce

[Jeff DeVore]

Hi,
I have had a Performax 22-44 drum sander for about 4 years and can say as a whole it works well. I make a lot of items that I would not be able to or would be a pita without the drum sander. I just have a few complaints: 1)I have replaced 4 conveyer belts in the last 4 years and every one of them has had the same charecteristics that Bruce mentioned. 2) At times I sand for 4-8 hours at a time and you have to watch how much you push the motor because it will get very hot. 3) Athough the cantilevered design is nice in that it lets you sand wider boards it does flex somewhat. I have never had the occasion to sand anything wider than 20". A friend of mine has the Performax 25-2 model and it is designed much better than the 22-44 although for the price tag ($3600.00) is should be. It has a 5HP motor, 2 drums that can be loaded with different grits, an automatic feed control and will feed twice the feet per minute that the 22-44 will. I wish I could have scraped up the extra cash and bought the 25-2 model however I can't imagine doing without my 22-44. Hope this helps, Jeff.

[Doug Shepard]

Nothing against Rockler - I bought my 16-32 from them 7-8 years ago, but I think you can save some money going with Amazon (at least on the 16-32). They have it for the same price as Rockler plus free shipping. The CA sales tax is going to add (at least) $54 to that cost.
Is the $1000 cost on the 22-44 a typo?? Amazon shows that as $2000. If you can get it for $1000, hurry up and buy it before they come to their senses.
I love my 16-32, but really feel you need to get the extra infeed/outfeed tables unless you plan on building a custom setup for it. I also have their casters which are pricey, but IMHO they're very good quality and probably worth it.

[Jim Schmoll]

I had a 16-32 for about a month, then it went out in the back yard.. Went for a Shopfox biggy 16-32. I was just trying to push to much through it, and thought it was under powered. Still a good machine for finish/touch up.

Jim from Idyllwild CA.

[Mark Riegsecker]

I just recently bought a Bridgewood from Wilke. It costs about $3500. I also read all the posts concerning the Performax and concluded among other things that the paper costs too much and a pain to change.
If you read the posts you've read about the motors being too small, drums getting too hot. I really don't know. I just believed it. There's a lot of them sold though so it must not be too much to over come.

I like the 15" Bridgewood and not at all sorry I bought it, the paper is about $17 and quite easy to replace. Does a pretty good job at sanding and doesn't over heat that I've noticed. Probably because it's not really a drum sander as much as a surface sander.

The draw back is you need an air compressor hooked to it and a dust collector - and it wants all 2hp of it, as well as 220 power. It weighs about 800 lbs. so unless you get a mobile base for $200 it stays put. I suppose one or all of these things make the Performax a preferred choice for many.

I don't care what you get I don't have anything in it but for me this time I .. well ....

Have you ever bought something just shy of what you really wanted, then for the rest of your life wished you had held out for the real thing? Of course that's the one tool that just won't die!

good luck, Mark

[Mark Riegsecker]

I had a 16-32 for about a month, then it went out in the back yard..
Jim from Idyllwild CA.

What do you mean by this?

[Jim Becker]

Jay, I have the 22-44 Plus and have a couple threads about it here at SMC. Do an advanced search on my name for threads in the GW forum. I'm very pleased with the product!

[Richard Wolf]

Jay, I have the Shop Fox 26" dual drum sander and it does a beautiful job. I think the cost was about $1700.
It replaced a Delta 18 - 36 which I felt was under powered and difficult to keep adjusted for double passes. The conveyer belt was always in need of adjusting. I think I wasted almost $800 on it.

Richard

[Alan Mikkelsen]

I've had the Performax 16-32 for almost a year. I haven't had any problems changing paper or adjusting the machine. The factory feed belt delaminated along the glue line, so I ordered a replacement and a spare, but the replacement hasn't given any problems. No problems with alignment either. I sand panels, frame and panels, etc., from 12-20" wide, mostly cherry and walnut, but recently maple. Before I started using it, I read all the comments on the machine here and on other sites. I don't move the handle more than 1/4 turn at a time with narrow stock and a slower feed rate. I move it 1/8 turn for most applications. I've had the thermal overload on the motor trip maybe 4 times in a year, watching what I'm doing.


I like the machine. It's great for what I use it for. If you want to hog off more material, get a bigger, more powerful machine. See above comments by others.

[Jay Albrandt]

The model I mentioned is the 22-44 "Plus" model at Rockler for $1000.00. The 22-44 listed on Amazon is the "Pro" model, for $1700.00 or something like that. From the picture on Amazon, I can't see a dust collection connection since the drum is mounted to the upright with a webbed arm, rather than just cantilevered like on the "Plus" model.

Sorry to drag this on, but could you just respond back with what model your comments are based on?

Thanks for your comments already. They are very helpful.

Jay

[Curtis O. Seebeck]

I have a 22-44 Pro I bought used for $950 in perfect condition. It is one of my most used tools in my shop. I work almost exclusively with mesquite and the wild grain makes for a lot of tear out with just the planer. I plane close and then final dimension with the sander. Mine has been perfect and has far exceeded my expectations since I have had it. At the time it was the most expensive tool purchase (I have since bought a UNI) and I was a little apprehensive about the cost but if I had to do over I would do it again in a heartbeat.

[Dee Dee Martin]

I bought the 22-44 about 2 weeks ago, and have run it a total of about 20 hours so far. Not a single problem. I got the feed belt tracking fine, and the drum level.

I'm sanding boards down to 1/8", and run several thru at a time. Never had any kind of overheat, nor breaker trip. Just came in from the shop just now, after sanding for about 2 hours straight.

I'm sanding all Bloodwood, Leopardwood, and Purpleheart. A little Walnut.

I bought 150 feet of paper, for $50.

[Thomas Prondzinski]

Jay
I have the Performax 22-44 that works well for me,once I figured out the learning curve(a few burnt belts). I am also having problems with the conveyor belt,its tight on one side and loose on the other,now I notice the glue line coming apart have to call Performax.Other that that I like it alot.


Tom

[Jerry Clark]

Jay, I saw a 24 inch Grizzly dual drum sander listed in the Recycler for $400. Email if you want the info!