Susumu Mori
01-17-2015, 3:59 PM
Hi all,
I just completed the assembly of a new Supermax 25-50 and I want to share the experience.
This is my first drum sander. So, I can't really give you an expert review. Also, I have used it only for few days. A complete review needs at least 6 months of use, I guess, but because the information about Supermax 25-50 is so scarce, I hope this preview gives you some useful tips.
I bought it from ACME. I initially wanted 18-36 because of good reviews and much more available information, but somehow, 18-36 was sold out everywhere and Supermax sales person strongly recommended 25-50. I didn't want the sander too large and heavy, but 25-50 has the same footprint. So, I decided to go with 25-50, although it is rated 80 lb heavier. I could choose only a closed stand.
It came in three boxes by a truck carrier. The boxes were clean without any damages. The delivery guy said they can do much better job than big dogs and I believe it. He helped me to take the boxes to my walk-in basement (what a nice guy). I didn't realize how heavy one of the boxes was until he unloaded it from his dolly. So, you'd better be prepared. They are dolly-able but lifting would be difficult.
They were packaged very well, although I have minor dents in the base stand. This must be from the factory, because I didn't see any damage on the box. The assembly of the stand was quite easy. Then the problem was to lift the main unit on the stand. I believe the main unit is about 200 lb. I have two daughters but they would not be much help. So I decided to use a rope and pulleys. I know I'm crazy. I lifted it up little by little using stack of woods to a pair of chairs and then to the stand. After done all that, the only thing I can tell you is, get two guys (or strong gals). I would not recommend lifting it by yourself unless you have a chain or engine hoist.
All holes were aligned and assembly was very straightforward. The manual was so-so, but good enough to navigate you through the assembly. There is no problem with fit and finish. My understanding is that they came from Taiwan, but the quality was good. Definitely better than my recent experience with Laguna Driftmaster.
The installation of the table was also simple and eventless. The calibration of the drum height was needed; the motor side was narrower. The adjustment was very simple; just loosen four hex screws and turn a height adjustment screw. Time will tell whether it will hold the calibration but given the simplicity of the adjustment, it should be fine. I didn't have to adjust anything for the table. It trucks true, right out of the box.
The unit is super quiet. Actually the table makes more noise than the drum. The dust extraction is quite good. I don't notice any dust with my 2HP Oneida. I run my 1/8-inch veneers through the 80 grit paper. There was no problem. So far, I can only say good things about the unit...., ok, there were some minor negatives I want to mention;
1) there is a lever that raised the table of the motor side slightly (thus breaks the parallel), which is used to prevent a ridge when a panel wider than 25 inch is sanded. This lever was attached backward! It took me a while to understand what was happening. It was easy to fix, though. Also, this feature (the lever for the wide panels) is heavily advertised as "just flip a lever" in multiple videos but, in reality, we also have to loosen two hex bolts.
2) the close stand comes with wheels but it can go only straight. To make a turn, you have to lift one end of the 300+ lb machine. I have to think carefully about where to park this thing.
3) now, the big question is 25-50 or 18-36. On paper, 25-50 sounds better. It is $600 more expensive but you need to subtract the price of the wheel set (although the swivel wheels of 18-36 is better). Looking at them carefully, we can see both units share so many components; or it is more accurate to say, they are the same except for the drum unit. I believe the tables are identical too. To accommodate the extra length of the drum, 25-50 comes with an extension table. This table is a solid chunk of iron and impressively heavy, but it is obviously an afterthought. Its height can be adjusted but there is no mechanism to adjust the level (and mine is slanted). So, I don't have much faith on the edge of the 25-inch drum. Well, at least, the extension table is handy when I have to steer the wheel to make a curve. I can confidently grab it and lift the unit. It is so sturdy. I'm not sure the extra weight of the head unit is a good or bad thing. In a long run, it may give more stress to the head unit. For daily use, weight is often a good thing. Practically, the extra 7 inch is not a bit deal unless a panel hits the critical 18-25 inch of width. Another point is, we can run two 12-inch panel together, cutting the amount of sanding time by half. You know, one of the issues of drum sanding is, they are sloooow. Supermax recommend to skew the wood for better sanding. Extra 7 inch may give more room to skew wider panels. These are all hypothetical and I really have to use it much more to really appreciate the advantage of the extra 7 inch, if any.
In any case, I hope this mini-review was informative.
I just completed the assembly of a new Supermax 25-50 and I want to share the experience.
This is my first drum sander. So, I can't really give you an expert review. Also, I have used it only for few days. A complete review needs at least 6 months of use, I guess, but because the information about Supermax 25-50 is so scarce, I hope this preview gives you some useful tips.
I bought it from ACME. I initially wanted 18-36 because of good reviews and much more available information, but somehow, 18-36 was sold out everywhere and Supermax sales person strongly recommended 25-50. I didn't want the sander too large and heavy, but 25-50 has the same footprint. So, I decided to go with 25-50, although it is rated 80 lb heavier. I could choose only a closed stand.
It came in three boxes by a truck carrier. The boxes were clean without any damages. The delivery guy said they can do much better job than big dogs and I believe it. He helped me to take the boxes to my walk-in basement (what a nice guy). I didn't realize how heavy one of the boxes was until he unloaded it from his dolly. So, you'd better be prepared. They are dolly-able but lifting would be difficult.
They were packaged very well, although I have minor dents in the base stand. This must be from the factory, because I didn't see any damage on the box. The assembly of the stand was quite easy. Then the problem was to lift the main unit on the stand. I believe the main unit is about 200 lb. I have two daughters but they would not be much help. So I decided to use a rope and pulleys. I know I'm crazy. I lifted it up little by little using stack of woods to a pair of chairs and then to the stand. After done all that, the only thing I can tell you is, get two guys (or strong gals). I would not recommend lifting it by yourself unless you have a chain or engine hoist.
All holes were aligned and assembly was very straightforward. The manual was so-so, but good enough to navigate you through the assembly. There is no problem with fit and finish. My understanding is that they came from Taiwan, but the quality was good. Definitely better than my recent experience with Laguna Driftmaster.
The installation of the table was also simple and eventless. The calibration of the drum height was needed; the motor side was narrower. The adjustment was very simple; just loosen four hex screws and turn a height adjustment screw. Time will tell whether it will hold the calibration but given the simplicity of the adjustment, it should be fine. I didn't have to adjust anything for the table. It trucks true, right out of the box.
The unit is super quiet. Actually the table makes more noise than the drum. The dust extraction is quite good. I don't notice any dust with my 2HP Oneida. I run my 1/8-inch veneers through the 80 grit paper. There was no problem. So far, I can only say good things about the unit...., ok, there were some minor negatives I want to mention;
1) there is a lever that raised the table of the motor side slightly (thus breaks the parallel), which is used to prevent a ridge when a panel wider than 25 inch is sanded. This lever was attached backward! It took me a while to understand what was happening. It was easy to fix, though. Also, this feature (the lever for the wide panels) is heavily advertised as "just flip a lever" in multiple videos but, in reality, we also have to loosen two hex bolts.
2) the close stand comes with wheels but it can go only straight. To make a turn, you have to lift one end of the 300+ lb machine. I have to think carefully about where to park this thing.
3) now, the big question is 25-50 or 18-36. On paper, 25-50 sounds better. It is $600 more expensive but you need to subtract the price of the wheel set (although the swivel wheels of 18-36 is better). Looking at them carefully, we can see both units share so many components; or it is more accurate to say, they are the same except for the drum unit. I believe the tables are identical too. To accommodate the extra length of the drum, 25-50 comes with an extension table. This table is a solid chunk of iron and impressively heavy, but it is obviously an afterthought. Its height can be adjusted but there is no mechanism to adjust the level (and mine is slanted). So, I don't have much faith on the edge of the 25-inch drum. Well, at least, the extension table is handy when I have to steer the wheel to make a curve. I can confidently grab it and lift the unit. It is so sturdy. I'm not sure the extra weight of the head unit is a good or bad thing. In a long run, it may give more stress to the head unit. For daily use, weight is often a good thing. Practically, the extra 7 inch is not a bit deal unless a panel hits the critical 18-25 inch of width. Another point is, we can run two 12-inch panel together, cutting the amount of sanding time by half. You know, one of the issues of drum sanding is, they are sloooow. Supermax recommend to skew the wood for better sanding. Extra 7 inch may give more room to skew wider panels. These are all hypothetical and I really have to use it much more to really appreciate the advantage of the extra 7 inch, if any.
In any case, I hope this mini-review was informative.