Grizzly drum sander

[Edward Orecchio]

Has anyone have any thoughts on the 10" drum that they just are sending out ads for? Price is quite reasonable and you cao remove the side to sand up to 20"

[Neil Brooks]

Just looked at its web page.

I don't know *anything* about this particular sander, but still feel compelled to say ... buy more sander.

Buy once, cry once.

I have an open-sided Jet Performax 16-32, but ... haven't yet used it open-ended (a brace was installed on mine, to keep deflection to zero), and would really prefer not to. At time, I'm already wishing for more capacity. I think that's always the case.

So much good tool can be bought used ... I'd probably evaluate those opportunities, first.

My $0.02 :)

[Chip Lindley]

Yes, yes, More sander! This one may be good for builders of miniatures. Results using an open-sided sander can vary. Don't count on excellent results sanding 20"-wide panels. And, you will constantly be changing sanding belts on such a narrow platen; not much mileage there.

The Griz 16" double drum machine would be my bare minimum for a 4-post machine. There are some decent bargains out there on used sanders. Lots of bang for the buck, buying used rather than new.

[Van Huskey]

I would rarely feel compelled NOT to tell someone to buy more tool... but get what you need and want.

This is a copy of the well regarded Performax (now Jet) sanders that started the whole open end drum sander market. You can search Jet Performax 10-20 and get lots of info on the very similar sander. There tend to be a lot of 16-32 comes up in the used market and for my money I would get at least the 16-32.

[John Coloccia]

I use mine to precisely thickness guitar tops, backs and sides. I have a 22-44. NOTHING I do remotely approaches 22" wide, however the added width allows me to pass items through at an angle. This makes a huge difference in paper longevity and heat dissipation.

Personally, I would probably never use it to sand an item as a prep for finish. I know people do, but I don't. If it doesn't need to be a precise thickness, and most things don't, I just use a ROS. If I had enough volume that I could justify a tool for production sanding, I would step up to a wide belt. I wish I had a belt even for what I'm doing. I love my 22-44 (when I'm not hating it, and now that I know the tool I don't hate it anymore), but drum sanders just don't really seem to excel at the kind of work they're supposed to be good at. They really excel at the kind of work I'm doing (though a belt would be even better).

That's just my opinion. They're not bad tools if you have the right expectations.

[John TenEyck]

I have to agree with most others who've recommended bigger is better. I have a used Delta 18-36 and am glad it's not any smaller. When I have had to sand pieces wider than 17" or so, it's been a 1 minute adjustment and the results have been excellent. I use it primarily to remove planer marks and bring stock to it's final thickness before assembly, generally removing about 0.020 - 0.032" in maybe 4 or 5 passes with 100 or 120 grit. I also use it for dimensioning shop made veneers, and it's invaluable for that activity. It's been a great addition to my shop. If the 10-20 fits your needs, go for it. If you are considering it mostly because of its lower cost, then I'd recommend looking for a larger, used unit.