advise on the 16-32 sander or delta

[christopher webb]

i would like to ask advise on either the powermaticv 16-32 sander or the delta verson of the same type sander.....both are close to the same price...and seem to be the right size for my home shop...when i get to work in it....the big shop sander is way too much for the home shop , so any input would be nice thanks alot guys i really look up to what alot of you say ....it's great to have a place to go to find other people have the same intrest in things....have a great holiday season:confused:

[Charlie Plesums]

I got the 16-32 and really like it. My choice was based on the far longer history Powermatic has in that type sander, and the constant height of the table (the drum rises and lowers, with the table fixed; on the delta the drum is fixed and the table moves. This may make it difficult if you work with infeed and outfeed supports.

[Jim Becker]

Performax (not Powermatic, although they are under the same corporate umbrella) only does sanders and that's one of the reasons I choose theirs over the Delta...I like the design better. While I bought the larger 22-44 Plus, the 16-32 has been around for a very long time and the manufacturer updated it a couple years ago for better dust collection, etc. Out of the two you mention, it would be my choice. That's not saying the Delta is "bad", just that I don't prefer it.

[christopher webb]

thanks for the info guys...i think i will choose the bigger version of the 2 , i read alot of things about them and for a nice grand i think that is the way too go....

[John Weber]

Both fine machines, Performax may have a bit of an edge, but the Delta is a very good machine. I would look at both or all three and get your hands on them to determine what you like the best.

John

[Jeremy Bracey]

I debated the same question. I went Performax. No regrets.

A good friend from church went Delta and he hates his. However, I have never used the delta, so it could be user error.

My 2 cents, go performax.

[John Bush]

Hi All,
I,ve had the Performax 16-32 for 2 months now and I think it is the most valuable machine in the shop. It is really great to have such a nice almost completely finished surface with just a few passes. Saves tons of time and I do confess to doing final dimensioning with it as well. Changing the paper takes 1-2 min. andDC leaves little or no mess to to clean up. I likely would have gotten the 22-44 for just a little more $$, but the 16 has met my need so far. Happy Holidays, John.
P.S. We're flying into Indy tommorow for the Holidays; how much snow so far?

[Jim Kountz]

Performax. Had mine for about 8 years now and I wouldnt trade it for anything. Except maybe a bigger performax!!.

[Mark Singer]

The General I have is a nice option....I had the Performax 16-32 and it didn't have the power I needed for larger pieces



http://www.general.ca/mini/15-250.jpg

[Ray Petri]

Just got a 16-32 and it is really nice. Check Northwest Power Tools. They were $100 less than Amazon with free shipping. They were really nice to talk to. If you call them ask for Mac.

[Michael Perata]

I have the Performax 16-32 and it is "ok". Not meant for production!!

[Mike Cutler]

Christopher. I bought the Performax 16-32 sander last fall. It's a very nice machine, and once I got it set up properly and quit trying to use it as a "lite planer" it has worked very well for me. However, If I had been in Virginia for one more week last fall I would have bought the Drum Sander that Keith Outten had in the classifieds, and brought it back to Ct with me.
Mark has a very valid point about power, and the strength of the pressure rollers in larger machines. I was met with varying degrees of success when trying to sand longer pieces of material. I think the 16-32 is just a little to light for the task. Jim Becker has the 22-44, it may be a little more "stout" so to speak.
As far as size goes, both the Perfromax and the Delta equivalent take up a fair share of real estate in the shop, especially once the extension wings are added ( and you will definitiely want these). I'd venture to guess that the General referred to in Mark's post, and the 24" sander that Keith had occupy about the same amount of space. So don't focus on apparent size too much.
No matter which way you go Delta or Performax you are buying a quality product. But if Keith still has that Drum Sander for sale, I'd give it some serious thought 'cause it won't be available when I go back to Virginia in the fall if he still has it ;)

[Kevin Murdock]

Does Keith still have the sander?

I would have thought that it was sold by now.

You out there in the ether, Keith?

Thanks,
/Kevin

[Doug Shepard]

I've had a Perf. 16-32 for about 8 yrs now and have never regretted buying it. Got mine with the added infeed/outfeed tables and the casters for the stand. Both add ons were worth it. Unless you're going to build a custom table for it, I don't know how anyone gets anything done without the I/O tables. The casters are very good quality ones too. The only trouble I've had is the handle continually coming off from the hood. They just used pan head screws through the lid into the handle bail and vibration causes them to loosen over time. You'd think for the cost of the unit, they could have come up with something a little more robust and made of metal with machined threads. The Delta model wasn't available at the time I bought, so I've never looked real closely at it. Other than the extra width, the biggest comment (negative) I hear is the one that Charlie Plessums mentioned. Everytime you adjust the sander, you've got to adjust any infeed/outfeed roller stands that you might be using.

[Greg Scott]

I have the Delta 18-36, and use it quite often. Does it have as much power as a double drum no do I care no. I'm a home hobbiest so if it takes me a couple more passes to get through the piece it's no big deal to me, that just means I need to spend a little more time in the shop :). I'm sure either will do you right so just go take a look at them and get which ever you feel is best. The only thing I would suggest is to get the outfeed tables. I didn't get mine yet and regret it everytime I use it when a peice falls off the end.